Corpus Christi School

Community Subscriber
Piedmont
Private School
operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Language(s):
English
Grades:
K-8
Capacity:
288 students
Phone:
(510) 530-4056
Address:
One Estates Drive, Piedmont, CA 94611
Affiliation:
Catholic

Parent Q&A

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  • Does anyone have any in sight regarding Corpus Christi vs Piedmont Unified for elementary school. They both seem great but would love some insight to help decide. Thanks!!

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Parent Reviews

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Our second and fifth grade daughters are loving Corpus Christi School. We could not be more grateful to the dedicated faculty and community. What originally sold me to the school was how impressed I was by the eighth grade panel at their open house. Corpus’s focus on the whole child was evident through such kind and thoughtful graduates. The kindergarten teacher, an alum, is fabulous, and the standard for excellent teaching continues through eighth grade. At Corpus, every child is held and supported to reach learning goals. The school is bursting with resources including highly qualified classroom aides, a robust resource department, and music, PE, technology, Spanish and science teachers. While the school does not advertise academic achievement, it is no surprise to me that combining these resources with engaged families, excellent teachers, and an emphasis on meeting the social emotional needs of students results in high academic outcomes. Corpus students tend to go on to thrive in high school both academically and as leaders on their campuses. As a bonus, the families are welcoming and our calendar is more than full with fun events. We hit the jackpot in choosing Corpus and feel so lucky that our daughters get to grow up in such a loving, inclusive and supportive environment.

We're heading into our second year at Corpus Christi School.  The teachers and administration have been wonderful.  It's a great community.  We feel lucky to have the opportunity have our son grow with such great support.  We know that our son is getting a great education and will be prepared for the next steps in his life.  We can see how well the upper grade level students excel in academics.  And, we can see how confident they have become.  Corpus Christi students are respectful and kind.  We thank the teachers and administration for creating such a positive environment.   I'm proud to have my son attend this school.   I highly recommend Corpus Christi.

Corpus is a gem right under our noses. A K-8 Parochial school, we have sent 3 of our 4 daughters to school here, and the 4th will join kindergarten next year hopefully! We could not have been more pleased to be a part of the Corpus community. A catholic school, our school community is very diverse and welcoming to all. The academics are great, the sports offered through the CYO league are plentiful, and the school does a great job with the kids. Our oldest is now in 7th grade and has thrived at Corpus, made great friends, and really valued the school activities and sports offered. Although our facilities may be a bit 'old school', it's what adds to the overall charm. Finally, I cannot say enough about the leadership at the school. From Katie Murphy, Principal, to Father Leo Edgerly, the Pastor at Corpus Christi (as well as a great - and former - teacher in his own right), the focus is all about the children. The teachers live up to this mantra as well, and are a dedicated and passionate team focused on YOUR child's well being and success. Consider Corpus as you do the rounds and attend open houses - I think you will like what you see.

If you read any of the reviews or talk to any parents at the school, chances are that they'll say the #1 thing they love about Corpus Christi is the sense of community. At the heart of this are basically two things: (1) the relatively small size of the school, and (2) strong leadership and vision of our principal, Katie Murphy. With only ~30 kids per class in K-8, that boils down to about 130 families. This means that within the first year, you know every kid in your child's class. They count on parents to volunteer for field trips, helping out with the Walk-a-Thon, or with cooking projects, and these types of events give you a chance to meet other parents. Then you meet the siblings of your kid's classmates, and before long, you feel like you know half the school. The principal, Katie Murphy, really sets the example by constantly communicating with parents via email, weekly newsletters, and ensuring that parents always know what's happening at the school in her mission of "building community."

The academic education is very good, certainly on par or better than public school but probably not as high caliber over-the-top academics that you might get at higher-priced private schools. What I find more relevant for my kids is Corpus's strategy of educating the "whole child" - spiritually, academically and socially. Corpus kids learn how to empathize with others and recognize different viewpoints, they practice public speaking starting in Kindergarten, they study art history in every grade, and they do service projects throughout their time at Corpus Christi.

I can say it's a great school for working parents. The volunteer opportunities are numerous, and we have had no trouble finding times that work for us to volunteer, despite our demanding careers. We love the Extended Care program, which is offered from dismissal to 6pm. And because of the great community, we've met many families where we can help each other out with carpooling, etc.

Overall, it's a great well-rounded school.

Our son is currently in Kindergarten at Corpus, and it has been a really great experience so far. The teachers are awesome and put a lot of effort into figuring out how each student learns and how they can best teach them. It's academically great, and they use a lot of creative, fun ways to teach. The individualized attention that both the students and the parents get at Corpus is really impressive. The school itself is very well run with a ton of parent involvement - a great overall community that is very inclusive.

Given my husband was raised in a fairly serious Catholic family and I grew up with very little religion at all, I initially had my doubts about sending my children to a private Catholic school. I would be taking them away from all of the friends they knew and more consciously introducing them to a world that I was less familiar. Both of my boys were also the ones typically crying at the 'goodbye window' at every pre-school drop-off made for as long as I can remember. However, that all changed with Corpus Christi. I quickly learned how open, warm and accepting both the school and parish staff were of EVERYONE to cross their doors -- even incorporating some surprisingly diverse teachings into the curriculum. Additionally, neither child (my youngest, who is now in 3rd grade; and oldest, who is now in 5th grade) has ever cried once when dropping them off at school. They never looked back and are truly eager to return to school each and every weekday to be with all of the amazing friends they've so quickly made there. As the years have passed and academics grew more important, the fears of a Catholic education not being up to snuff also quickly went away. Both of my children have been individually given extra work and more challenging curriculums for both vocabulary and math, when warranted. It all goes back to truly knowing your kids and doing what's best and right -- Corpus Christi has it down. I could not be more pleased by our choice of school for our boys.

Our daughter is currently in first grade at Corpus, and we've been incredibly happy with the school. The teachers are warm and loving and our daughter has thrived under their care. Although there is only one class per grade, the teachers do a great job of dividing up the classes into smaller groups so they can teach subjects like reading and math at different levels to match individual kids' abilities. There are also a fair amount of enrichment programs given the small size of the school (both within the school day and after school), including Spanish, music, computers, cooking, PE, capon, Sarah Science, chess, and Lego engineering.

We had a great public option in our neighborhood, but we chose Corpus because not only is it strong academically, but there is a real focus on whole child development, which you don't find in the same way at a public school. Because the school is relatively small (about 275 kids total), there is also a strong sense of community. We came from a preschool that was incredibly close-knit - we do a lot of social events together outside of the school - and we wanted an experience like that for our entire family at the elementary school level. We've not been disappointed - families are very close at Corpus and spend a lot of time together outside of school (and there are a lot of social events designed to foster this sense of community as well!).

In terms of how "religious" the school is, while there is definitely a focus on religious education during class (and this is also where the whole child education comes into play, as there is a focus on treating others kindly and being inclusive), it seems like a large portion of families we have met have one spouse that's religious while the other isn't. The school and parish are very inclusive and progressive - all are welcome (and the school student body reflects that diversity, with kids of all ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and same-sex parent families).

I would strongly recommend Corpus to any families considering private options (plus, because it's parochial, you get the benefits of a private school at a fraction of the cost of other private schools). There is an information session the first weekend of November and open houses the morning of the first Tuesday of every month, so please come see how great our school is for yourself!

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Corpus Christi or St. Theresa's?

Sept 2012

Hi - We're considering Corpus Christi or St. Theresa's. Does anyone have insight into how they compare? Both seem like great schools and communities, but wondering what the differences are. Thanks anon


I am a Corpus Christi parent and while I can tell you about our great community, principal, staff and parish priest, I think it would be best for you to experience it first hand. Corpus Christi will have their first open house Oct. 2 from 8:30 to 10:00 am. ( other dates are also scheduled - you can get the dates by calling the school). There will parents on site to answer any questions and give you a tour of the school and classrooms. There will also be an informational session on Nov. 3 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. If you would like to hear my personal reasons for choosing CC over St. T, please ask the moderator for my email. Worth Every Penny!

editor: reviews also received for St. Theresa School



Nov 2011

Re: In Need of Current School Reviews/Recommendations
Hello, For the family in need of a current school recommendation, I would like to offer my son's wonderful school, Corpus Christi on Park Blvd. in Piedmont. My guy has flourished in this loving and supportive environment, with top notch academic qualifications and a ratio (so far in his classes through 5th grade) of a teacher and aide for his class of 32, or 1:16. We entered in the second grade, so if you are not totally happy with where you are now, perhaps this is an alternative.

Because Corpus also extends to 8th grade we feel very fortunate to be enjoying a relaxing and focused 5th grade experience with no fears or concern for the middle school that lies ahead. Integrated into the elementary school, at Corpus these middle schoolers often mentor and watch over the younger children, while still getting a great middle school experience. 97% of our graduates are accepted by their first choice of high school, and our alumni have gone on to many distinguished college programs across the US.

Because I am a single working Mom, I have also had alot of experience with the extended care at Corpus, which I would like to specifically mention as best in class. Presided over by Ms. Sakaue, many creative and fun activities are planned into the after-school experience, in addition to those extracurricular activities offered through Corpus including the major sports, choir and student leadership councils.

This is a unique community where, in my opinion, no child falls between the cracks, because each is valued for the individual qualities they offer to the school. To us, it feels like it is an extension of our home, which is the highest compliment I can think to give. A Happy Corpus Mom



Sept 2010

Corpus Christi School is a hidden gem. The academics are excellent without being overly competitive, the teachers are caring and highly competent, the principal is tireless with her dedication, and the community is supportive and fun. Everyone is constantly working together for the kids, making sure they are happy, safe, and respectful of themselves and others.

Enrichment programs and after care are also important to our family, and Corpus excells in both. Student leadership, service projects, drama, art, choir, and many public speaking opportunities have helped our son to maintain confidence and interests in varied areas. The after care program has been completely revamped in the last few years, and our son loves to go and have fun with his friends of all ages.

Our son is now in 5th grade at Corpus Christi, and it is a relief to know that we don't have to worry about middle school. Instead I have the peace of mind that he will be be loved and guided through the 8th grade at this incredible school. Think about checking out this school, you'll be happy you did. CC parent



January 2003

Does anyone have any comments or thoughts (positive or negative) about Corpus Christi School in Oakland and its after-school care program. We are applying to the kindergarten program. Thanks very much. em



We have two children at Corpus Christi School. I would say 95% of the families are Catholic--admission is competitive and they give priority to parishioners, so most people are part of the Church. This gives the school a real sense of community, but not much in the way of diversity. The pastor is African American and that has brought in a bit of diversity, but not much. The principal is quite good and she loves and watches over every child. Most of our teachers have been pretty good, but with 32 kids in a classroom (16 kids in K; full time aides in grades k-2, part-time aides in 3-4), there is only so much time for individualized attention. (Parent-teacher conferences are 15 minutes long.) Still, the academics are quite good and 98% of the kids get into their 1st choice of high school. The curriculum is fairly traditional, I'd say, but informed of modern learning theories. It seems the school really works hard to help kids who are having learning difficulties or social difficulties, for that matter. Bullying, teasing and excluding are taken extremely seriously. Overall, it's a warm environment, with an entire school assembly every day, many community events, etc. They require 35 hours of volunteer time each year from every family, so you get to know other people that way, too. The physical property is what it is--no grass and only one tree--but the school is well maintained and they have a relatively new computer lab, etc. Some of the teachers are incredibly great.

As for the Day Care, it is not bad, but not great either-- far from nurturing. I have repeatedly seen day care teachers unaware when a child was crying in the corner or not respond to a conflict with the delicacy required. It could be a much more enriching situation than it is. CC Parent '