Why look at school alternatives?
Your children are important to you. They are also important to society as valuable members of a world-wide community. Each is unique. Even siblings may thrive in different school environments.
You do not necessarily have to send your child to the school down the street. Many public and private options are available. Many public school districts offer choices, and almost all private schools offer scholarships and financial aid.
Your child deserves to be in an educational environment that challenges and supports them. Please check out the links below as you begin (or begin again) to search for the school that best fits your child and your family.
(There are also many religious affiliated schools that you may wish to check out, but none are listed here. )
Also, this site is a work in progress, so please email [email protected] with any other school recommendations. Thank you, Karen Latch, PAGE secretary
What to Look for in a Gifted Program
http://school.familyeducation.com/school-selection/gifted-education/38341.html?detoured=1
Public Elementary
www.smfc.k12.ca.us - San Mateo Foster City school district. Elementary (K-5) and Middle School (6-8). Many magnet elementary programs and some middle school programs. Includes IB and Montessori options.
The San Mateo-Foster City School District offers a special-day class for gifted students in grades 4/5.
This program is located at College Park.
www.smfc.k12.ca.us/stage/html/gate.htm
www.pausd.org -Palo Alto Unified School District. Has links to Ohlone Elementary School (an officially designated Palo Alto Unified School District alternative school with voluntary enrollment from throughout the district.)
Private - Elementary
www.nuevaschool.org -The Nueva School - PreK-8 - Hillsborough, CA.
www.careyschool.com - The Carey School - PreK-5 - San Mateo, CA.
www.harker.org - The Harker School - K-12th - San Jose, CA
www.waldorfpeninsula.org - Waldorf School of the Peninsula - PreK-12th - Los Altos, CA
http://www.headsup.org/menuhu/campuses/emschool.html - Emerson School. Montessori grades 1-8.
Public - Middle
www.smfc.k12.ca.us - San Mateo Foster City school district. Elementary (K-5) and Middle School (6-8). Many magnet elementary programs and some middle school programs. Includes IB, Montessori, and developing GATE options.
www.pausd.org -Palo Alto Unified School District.
Private - Middle
www.nuevaschool.org -The Nueva School - PreK-8th - Hillsborough, CA.
www.harker.org - The Harker School - K-12 - San Jose, CA
www.csus.com - Crystal Springs Uplands School - 6th-12th - Hillsborough, CA
www.menloschool.org - The Menlo School - 6th-12th - Menlo Park, CA
www.odesseyms.org - Odessey School - 6th-8th - San Mateo, CA
www.girlsms.org - The Girls'Middle School - GIRLS ONLY - 6th-8th - Mountain View, CA
www.castilleja.org - Castilleja School - GIRLS ONLY - 6th-12th - Palo Alto, CA
www.waldorfpeninsula.org - Waldorf School of the Peninsula - PreK-12th - Los Altos, CA
www.headsup.org/menuhu/campuses/emschool.html - Emerson School. Montessori 1st-8th - Palo Alto, CA.
Public - High School
www.smuhsd.org - San Mateo Union High School District. Six high schools on Peninsula. Residents can transfer to any one of the schools. IB program at Capuchino High School.
www.pausd.org -Palo Alto Unified School District.
www.mvla.net - Mountain View/Los Altos school district.
Private - High School
The best list with links is found at http://joomlaweb.nuevaschool.org/index.php/programs/highschool/schools. They have a list of schools that Nueva students have attended in the past 5 years.
Here I will just add a few that are not on their list.
www.harker.org - The Harker School - K-12 - San Jose, CA
www.paloaltoprep.com- Palo Alto Prep - 9th-12th - Palo Alto, CA. Small alternative high school.
www.york.org - York School - 9th-12th - Monterey, CA
http://highschool.waldorfpeninsula.org - Waldorf School of the Peninsula - 9th-12th - Los Altos, CA
www.midland-school.org - Boarding school near Santa Barbara. College prep on 2860 acres since 1932 - emphasis on living simply and sustainably.
Other School Options
http://epgy.stanford.edu - Education Program for Gifted Youth. Offers online courses for individuals and schools, and now offers Online High School.
www.giftedhomeschoolers.org - Organization and information on homeschooling a gifted student.
http://www.sfbaghs.org/ - SF Bay Gifted Homeschoolers
http://schoolofchoice.com - School of Choice. Located in Sunnyvale, the School of Choice is an independent, non-denominational, coeducational, college preparatory academy for gifted and motivated students in grades six through twelve. Offers afterschool/evening AP and enrichment classes
Letter from San Jose re:EPGY
Thank you for attending last Thursday evening’s EPGY open house. As
you heard the speakers elaborate, EPGY is a great teaching tool for the
whole spectra of students. It gives the remedial, grade level and
advanced student the opportunity to work privately and at their own pace
to enhance their math education.
In the break out session you expressed an interest in how we were able
to get our school to try EPGY. Graystone (my school) has had a parent
group for the last 3 years. As such we purchased EPGY for our students
to do the program at home. This last summer I became aware of a
change in the pricing structure and realized that for the same money we were
paying for 60 students we could have 150 students. It sounds like a
very simple thing to say “ok, let’s use this for 150 studentsâ€.
In reality it required the negotiation of a school district contract
replete with the buy in of numerous administrators from the district as
well as meeting Stanford University’s contract requirements. After a
bit of effort the contract was procured and we (the parent group) gave
the school the extra 90 student seats to use as a pilot in three of our
classrooms at school. The goal now is to increase the usage at school
to eventually include all classes. This may take a few years!
Depending on the interest at your school you may want to start with a
parent group and then move towards having it on site. Other options
include having the program for your gifted youth(using GATE money), using
it as part of an after or before school program, trying it in a few
classrooms, etc. I would be happy to come and speak to your parents
regarding EPGY. Please contact me with any questions you may have. I am
hear to help you bring EPGY to your students!
Have a great Thanksgiving,
Marie
Marie Pfeiffer
EPGY School Program
Market Management
