Caliber Beta Academy

I'm looking for a recent review (2015-2016) of Caliber Beta Academy.  I just stumbled across this school and we live in El Cerrito ... commuting to Oakland for elementary school and considering something closer to home.  Caliber Beta Academy looks great, I'm curious what current 1st & 2nd grade parents have to say about it?? 

Any feedback, both positive and negative, about the school is appreciated.  

Parent Replies

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RE:
Caliber Beta Academy (Oct 9, 2016)

My daughter is a current 4th grader in her second year at Caliber. She did K-3 at a highly ranked Mt Diablo Unified elementary school in Walnut Creek. While it may seem counter-intuitive, she says that although both schools are good, she likes Caliber better. The temporary campus is nothing to look at, but inside the classrooms are spacious. They've done some campus beatification and access a large adjacent grassy field for play. My daughter is really thriving with their project-based and differentiated learning model. The kids are leveled for math and English so they learn and advance at their own level rather then receiving the same instruction as everyone else. This year they started an enrichment block, and my daughter is learning saxophone in band and training for a 5k with the Girls on the Run curriculum (her choices, there are many other activities). Caliber also does multiple field trips as capstones to their projects, museum and nature trips primarily. She learns coding and they do a lot with computer fluency, and at her old school the kids only had access to computers once a week. As a parent, I like that the school day is longer and homework is less since they do more in the school day. This leaves more time for family. Also, my daughter has tactile sensitivity and has done better with being at a uniform school because no one asks her why she wears the same thing all the time anymore--everyone is wearing it! I've also been very impressed with the kindness and enthusiasm of the staff. Even at the younger grades the kids have multiple teachers who specialize by subject, and their passion for their chosen area of expertise shows. I would be happy to talk if you have any questions. 

Catherine