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California Schools: A-G

As you begin your search for the right school for your child, look at as many schools as you can. Make a list of all the schools which interest you. Once you have done that, you can begin to shorten the list and visit the schools which seem to be the best match.
Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, Northridge
"Dedicated to providing an integrated secular and Judaic educational program which develops competent, independent, and resourceful students who will possess a strong sense of self and a life-long commitment to learning and to Judaism."
Action Day Nurseries and Primary Plus Schools, San Jose
"We are proud to provide the Santa Clara Valley community with seventeen programs for children ranging from infant care, preschools, elementary schools, and a middle school."
Adda Clevenger Junior Prep and Theater School, San Francisco
"The Adda Clevenger School was established in 1980 to serve the needs of children who have above average or superior learning ability. The school offers grades kindergarten through eighth and is committed to providing the best in arts as well as academic education."
The Adventist Union School, Bellflower
"Providing quality, Christian education since 1946 for students in Kindergarten thru Eighth Grade! Adventist Union welcomes all those who are in harmony with the philosophy and objectives of Christian education; and who will cheerfully endeavor to live according to its principles."
Alemany High School, Mission Hills
"In fulfillment of the Church's mission of Catholic education and in response to parental concern, Bishop Alemany High School exists to bring Jesus and His message into the formal educational experience of its students."
Alma Heights Christian Academy, Pacifica
"A college preparatory school serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1955."
Alpha Beacon Christian School, San Carlos
"Established since 1969 and accredited by ACSI (K-12th grades), Alpha Beacon Christian School has served thousands of families on the San Francisco Peninsula with a strong, traditional biblical-based education."
Alverno High School, Sierra Madre
"Alverno is an independent Catholic college-prep school for girls which intends to prepare knowledgeable young women of conscience and conviction through exciting academic, service, and leadership programs."
Ananda Living Wisdom School, Nevada City
"Set on a beautiful rural campus amidst Ananda Village, one of America's foremost spiritual communities, Ananda's Living Wisdom School offers high-quality instruction for grades K-8."
Antelope Valley Christian School, Lancaster
"A Preschool -12th grade private boarding and day school."
Aquinas High School, San Bernadino
"Aquinas admits students whose ability and previous general record indicate the probability of academic success in the program of studies offered by the school." Catholic. Coed. Day. 7-12.
Arborland Montessori Children's Academy, Fullerton
"Our main objective is to provide a carefully planned, stimulating environment which will help the child develop within himself the foundational habits, attitudes, skills and ideas which are essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning."
Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose
"Archbishop Mitty High School is a Catholic school offering a college preparatory course of study."
Archbishop Riordan High School, San Francisco
"Archbishop Riordan High School is an urban Catholic high school for young men, owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and conducted by the Society of Mary, the Marianists, who are assisted by laymen and women."
The Archer School for Girls, Brentwood
"Archer is the first independent all girls school to be founded in the West in the last 30 years. It is also the first ever to be dedicated to teaching girls in the ways girls learn best."
Archway School, Oakland
"Archway is a small K - 8 school, founded to nurture children's curiosity and love of learning."
Armona Union Academy, Armona
"Armona Union Academy is an educational institution owned and operated by Seventh-day Adventists."
Army & Navy Academy, Carlsbad
"California's best college-prep boarding school and day military school for boys in grades 7-12."
Arrowsmith Academy, Berkeley
"Arrowsmith Academy is a multicultural college  preparatory school committed to the individual  success of each student."
The Athenian School, Danville
"A distinctive San Francisco Bay Area college preparatory school, Athenian provides an outstanding education: challenging, engaging, personal, interactive and international. Grades 6-12 day, 9-12 boarding."
Aurora School, Oakland
"Aurora School is a leader among Bay Area elementary schools, recognized for its excellence in curriculum, teaching strategy and community involvement. Aurora students are lifelong learners with the strength and skills to succeed in a future full of change and challenge."
Baymonte Christian School, Scotts Valley
"Baymonte was established in 1968 as an inter-denominational Christian school to provide a superior academic program in a Christ-centered environment in Santa Cruz County. Current enrollment is 460 in K - 8."
Beacon Schools, Oakland
"Beacon High School is a private, non-profit, independent high school offering a unique educational environment. Founded in 1991 as the logical extension of the nationally-acclaimed Beacon Day School (founded in 1982), Beacon High School has been widely praised for its innovative approach to educating adolescents."
Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose
"Bellarmine is a Catholic college preparatory school for young men in the educational tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola and the Society of Jesus."
Berkeley Hall School, Los Angeles
"Berkeley Hall is a co-educational independent pre-kindergarten through ninth grade school. We are committed to providing a strong academic program within a moral and ethical environment. The school prepares young people to be productive and contributing citizens."
Berkeley Montessori School, Berkeley
"Berkeley Montessori School is an independent school serving about 270 children ages 3 to 14 in Berkeley, California. We have been empowering children since 1963, following the child-centered, peace-based educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori."
Berkeley School, Fullerton
"Berkeley is a small, non-sectarian private school. Our basic premise is that a comfortable, structured atmosphere, in which the child is valued and respected as an individual, is essential to a successful learning experience."
Berkwood-Hedge School, Berkeley
"At each grade level, teachers establish clear expectations for the children which ensure that our students have the academic skills they need to excel." K-6.
Bentley School, Oakland
"Bentley School is a coeducational day school providing a quality education for children with high potential who come from families who are supportive of our goals."
Beth Hillel Day School, Valley Village
"Beth Hillel Day School is a Pardes affiliated Reform Jewish Day School Grades K-5. We are a small co-ed school offering a complete general studies curriculum and an integrated Judaic/Hebrew curriculum."
Beverly Hills Montessori School, Beverly Hills
"We provide education and care for children between 2 and 7 years of age."
Bishop Amat Memorial High School, La Puente
"Bishop Amat High School is operated by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and staffed by Archdiocesan Priests, two Religious Communities of Women and dedicated laity."
Bishop Montgomery High School, Torrance
"Bishop Montgomery High School is an archdiocesan Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes. The school was founded in 1957, and staffed by the sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Conventual Franciscan Friars, and lay faculty."
Black Pine Circle School, Berkeley
"From Kindergarten until eighth grade, students are given a solid basis on which to build their later skills."
Brandeis Hillel Day School, San Rafael
"Brandeis Hillel Day School is a Jewish day school providing an outstanding academic program for children in grades kindergarten through eighth."
The Branson School, Ross
"Located in the  heart of Marin County, CA., ten miles north of San Francisco, the school offers a challenging program of academics, arts, and athletics.  The school's model community service program and deep commitment to diversity are hallmarks of the institution.9-12. Coed. Day."
Brentwood School, Brentwood
"Brentwood School, located in West Los Angeles, aims to provide a rigorous college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a caring, nurturing environment. K-12. Coed. Day."
Bridges Academy, Sherman Oaks
"A grade 6-12, coed, college preparatory school educating gifted and highly gifted students with unique needs.  Our rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum and individualized instruction within small group settings, complemented by technology and multimedia, inspires a lifelong passion for learning."
The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks
Serving the greater Los Angeles area for almost sixty-five years. K-12. Coed. Day.
Broadoaks Children's School of Whittier College, Whittier
"BROADOAKS is a laboratory /demonstration school. This means that our primary purposes are to (1) serve as a learning laboratory for college students, their families and professional educators; and (2) demonstrate the best of what is known about meeting the needs of young children in a school setting."
California Central Academy, Cerritos
"California Central Academy is a privately-owned and operated after-school educational program that is best known for innovative teaching methods and focus of attention on the needs of each individual student."
California School for International Learning, San Rafael
"The Marin School for Gifted Education is a private, non-profit school dedicated to the development of academically gifted children."
Calmont School, Topanga
"At Calmont School, we offer an enriched education: a tapestry woven together with the threads of the many experiences that combine to give it strength and value. We seek to establish a firm foundation in the core curriculum of reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science."
Campbell Hall, North Hollywood
"Founded in 1944, Campbell Hall is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory, Episcopal day school for students in kindergarten through grade 12."
Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Montebello
"An Archdiocesan High School for young men and women.  Every aspect of the school program is designed to assist parents in fulfilling their primary responsibility for the education of their children."
Carden Academy of Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach
"We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary of teaching a strong phonics based reading program and are supported by the Carden Foundation, Inc., a 60 year old non-profit  institution, which is dedicated to educating the whole child."
Carden Academy, Morgan Hill
"We are committed to providing quality education that will challenge students to achieve their highest potential. An integrated and sequential curriculum combined with a dedicated staff and personal attention ensures academic excellence."
Carden El Encanto School, Santa Clara
"Carden El Encanto joins all the Carden schools nationwide in embracing the time-proven curriculum and educational philosophy conceived by Mae Carden. Carden El Encanto Day School in Santa Clara, California opened in 1973 and has provided an outstanding education to thousands of students and sent them on to to lead enriched and fulfilling lives."
Carden School of Camarillo, Camarillo
"Carden concerns itself with development of the whole child. It is highly individualized in approach, meeting the particular needs of the learner."
Carden School, Whitter
"The Carden Curriculum provides strong academic training and offers continuity from grade to grade. It provides for the development of the student, and awakens students to ethical and social values."
Carondelet High School, Concord
"Carondelet High School, founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, provides quality Catholic education in a caring environment."
Casa di Mir Montessori Elementary School, San Jose
"Casa di Mir Montessori Elementary School is in the heart of Silicon Valley, offering high-quality Montessori education to children in grades 1-6."
Castilleja School, Palo Alto
"Castilleja School, established in 1907, is dedicated to providing a rigorous college preparatory education for young women in grades six through twelve."
Cascade Canyon School, Fairfax
"Cascade Canyon School was founded in 1981 to provide an alternative education resource to the community. Since that time the school has flourished and grown and has established itself as an international learning center."
Cate School, Carpinteria
Offers wide range of programs including Japanese and Chinese. 9-12. Coed. Boarding/Day.
Cathedral School for Boys, San Francisco
"The school enrolls approximately 235 boys in kindergarten through eighth grade and is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools."
Cedarwood Sudbury School, Santa Clara
"Provides an environment of freedom and support, not a required curriculum, for students aged 5-18. Each student is free to explore his or her own interests."
Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf, Berkeley
"Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf, CEID, is a model early intervention program for babies and young children with  hearing impairments and severe speech and language delays."
Chaim Weizmann Community Day School, Pasadena
"A Jewish day school, through its academic program, instills a sense of pride and identification with the Jewish people, in addition to providing a superior secular education."
Challenger School, Sunnyvale
"Since 1963, Challenger School has been helping children grow into capable, happy and responsible adults. From preschool through eighth grade, Challenger School assists children develop their intellectual capacity, sense of responsibility, and self-esteem."
Chaminade College Preparatory, Chatsworth
"Chaminade College Preparatory collaborates with the families it serves to provide a challenging, Catholic, coeducational education in the Marianist tradition." 6-12. Day. Coed.
Charles Armstrong School, Belmont
"To serve the dyslexic learner by providing an appropriate educational experience which not only enables the student to acquire language skills, but also instills a joy of learning, enhances self-worth, and allows each the right to identify, understand and fulfill personal potential."
Chatsworth Hills Academy, Chatsworth
"A non-profit, independent school serving children ages 2 1/2 through Grade 8, is nestled on 16 acres in the hills of the northwestern San Fernando Valley. The school offers a challenging academic curriculum with a strong emphasis on personal growth and development."
Chamlian Armenian School, Glendale
"Chamlian Armenian School, a fully accredited institution with 500 students in grades 1-8, is affiliated with St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church and situated in the foothills above Glendale, California."
Children's Community School, Van Nuys
Children's Community School is a small (100 kids) progressive elementary (K-6) school located in Van Nuys. For over 20 years, CCS has been committed to diversity and teaching children to be actively involved citizens in a democratic society. As The Los Angeles Private School Guide says, CCS is "a gem".
Children's Day School, San Francisco
"Children's Day School (CDS) is non-profit, nonsectarian school emphasizing both early childhood and elementary education."
Christian Life School, Novato
"Christian Life School is a ministry arm of Marin Christian Life Church. The school was established in 1979. Approximately 260 children from preschool through ninth grade attend C.L.S. Classes are taught in a traditional format with one teacher and classroom for each grade. Junior High is departmentalized with students moving from class to class."
Clairbourn School, San Gabriel
"Clairbourn is an independent, Christian, preparatory day school for boys and girls, grades Nursery through 8th."
Contra Costa Jewish Day School, Walnut Creek
"The creation of the Contra Costa Jewish Day School will enrich the quality of Jewish life in our community for generations to come. This exemplary institution embodies the value we place on education, our children, and Jewish continuity. Our school represents the unity of the Jewish people amidst the diversity of Jewish life, and is guided by Torah and traditions of Judaism."
Cornerstone Academy, San Francisco
Our mission is to "guide students toward excellence in academic, social, physical, and spiritual development based on Christian principles."
Corpus Christi School, San Francisco
"Corpus Christi School is a Salesian K-8 Grammar School, within the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Our school reflects the teaching philosophy of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Order. John Bosco's philosophy of teaching children is built on Reason, Religion, and Loving Kindness."
The Country School, North Hollywood
"Students come to The Country School beginning at age 2 1/2. Present enrollment averages 250 students with families coming form neighborhoods that include North Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, the Westside, Hollywood and Toluca Lake." PK-6.
Coutin School, Canoga Park
"COUTIN SCHOOL has been in existence since 1978. It has grown over the years to accomodate up to 85 students between the ages of 5 and 18. The average size is between 10-14 students per credentialed teacher and part-time assistant. COUTIN SCHOOL's target population is generally children who have special needs."
Crespi Carmelite High School, Encino
Founded in 1959, Crespi Carmelite is a non-profit, Catholic, four year, college preparatory school for young men, owned and operated by the Carmelite Order. 9-12. Day. Boys.
The Crowden School, Berkeley
"The Crowden Day School -- now in its 19th year of existence -- is a full academic day school specializing in the musical growth and education of children in grades four through nine (about 70 stduxents attend the school annually). The TCS academic program has received strong recognition as an excellent background for high school and college."
CrossRoad Christian Academy, Gardena
"The academy was founded in September 1950, and presently consists of kindergarten through eighth grade students. The current student enrollment is approximately 540 and represents the many ethnic cultures of the surrounding community: African American, Asian American, European American, Latino, and others."
Crossroads School, Santa Monica
"Founded upon five basic commitments: to academic excellence; to the arts; to the greater community; to the development of a student population of social, economic, and racial diversity; and to the development of each student's full human potential."
Crystal Springs Uplands School, Hillsborough
"Founded in 1952, Crystal Springs Uplands School is a coeducational, day, college preparatory, non-sectarian middle school and high school."
The Curtis School, Los Angeles
"The mission of Curtis School is to provide a well-rounded educational experience that will prepare students to pursue confidently the journey of their lives."
Delphi Academy, Los Angeles
"Delphi Academy Los Angeles is an independent, coeducational, non-sectarian day school offering a kindergarten through high school program on one campus. Academics focus on providing students with a solid grounding in the basics, a rich and challenging hands-on curriculum, and the ability to study purposefully and independently."
De Mirillac Middle School, San Francisco
"The De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity, who together conduct Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, one of San Francisco's premier high schools, are joining together once again to open a coeducational middle school to serve at-risk young people in grades six through eight."
Deutsch-Amerikanische Schule, San Francisco
"Operates both a mixed-age kindergarten (ages 3 to 6) and a school, currently comprising grades 1 through 10. Long-term GAS intends to offer both German and American high-school diplomas. Die Schule ist dabei, sich um die Anerkennung als deutsch-sprachige Auslandsschule zu bemühen."
Diablo Valley School, Concord
"Who enrolls in Diablo Valley School?  Students ages 5 to 19 who do not require intense supervision and do not have any severe disabilities that the staff is not equipped to handle. DVS admits students of any race, color and national and ethnic origin."
The Discovery Center School, San Francisco
"For the past 31 years, The Discovery Center School has successfully provided a very supportive learning environment for the development of excellence in each of our young learners."
Don Bosco Technical High School, Rosemead
"Don Bosco Tech carries on the dream of a school where the children could learn the humanities, and also learn a specific trade at the same time."
Drew College Preparatory School, San Francisco
"Founded in 1908, the school has grown from a one student "coaching school" downtown to a fully accredited co-educational college preparatory school enrolling approximately 175 students in grades 9 through 12."
Dunham Academy, San Rafael
"Dunham Academy is an academically selective, independent, co-educational day school for gifted and motivated students. We offer students a rich and challenging curriculum in a nurturing environment from Kindergarten through Eighth grade."
Echo Horizon School, Culver City
"Echo Horizon School is a private, independent elementary school for children in grades Kindergarten through 6th."
Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, Berkeley
"Education with a world view - Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade - Academic - Bilingual - Multicultural"
Ecole Internationale de la Peninsule, Palo Alto
"The International School of the Peninsula (ISP) combines the best of the French and American systems to offer the highest quality bilingual education to students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8."
Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco
"Located in the heart of the "French Quarter" of San Francisco, Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires (NDV) is the official Catholic elementary school of the City's French Parish. Since its founding in 1924, the school has maintained its long-standing tradition of teaching the French language and various aspects of French culture to all its students."
Elan International School, Chatsworth
"Élan International School (EIS) is a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade private school which gives your child the strong foundation they need to succeed in the world. The strong academic foundation is based on the premise that in an increasingly global community, a child who is proficient in more than one language will have an advantage over a student who is proficient in only one."
Eldorado-Emerson School, Orange
"Preschool through High School.  Specially for gifted kids.  High test scores. Individual reading programs.  Art, Music, Foreign Language and PE all offered beginning in the preschool."
Fairbanks Country Day School, Rancho Santa Fe
"We provide a safe environment for each child's response, while directing meaningful feedback and allowing for individualized progress through the curriculum. " PK-12. Day. Coed.
Fairmont Schools, Orange County
"The oldest non-sectarian, co-educational private school in Orange County, Fairmont Private Schools was founded in 1953 in response to parent requests for a better approach to education." Six campuses.
Flintridge Preparatory School, La Canada
"Offers a rigorous, moral, and intimate learning environment, nurturing in its students the skills, knowledge, values, and inspiration essential to a rewarding college experience, a lifelong embrace of education, a devotion to community, and a full and responsible life."
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada
"Catholic, day and boarding school for young women in grades 9 through 12 founded in 1931 by the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose."
Foothills Adventists Elementary, St. Helena
"Foothills Elementary School is located in the Napa Valley, near St. Helena, California. We are an elementary school with an enrollment of 179 students, grades Kindergarten through eighth."
Foothill Country Day School, Claremont
"Foothill Country Day School (FCDS) is an independent school that has been providing kindergarten through eighth grade education for forty-two years."
French American International School, San Francisco
"A first class bilingual education in a diverse and rigorous international setting."  K-12. Coed. Day.
French-American International High School, San Francisco
"The International High School provides students with an all-honors educational program in a multi-cultural and international setting. Entering freshman need not speak any French. Students at IHS choose between the prestigious International Baccalaureate curriculum or, for the accomplished francophone, the French Baccalaureate."
Garden Gate Montessori, Walnut Creek
"Offers small Montessori classes for children from two to six years of age with a Montessori certified teacher and an assistant. This is a part time, mainly mornings program for families seeking something beautiful and personal for their children."
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory High School, Santa Cruz
"A comprehensive, non-sectarian, college-preparatory high school."
German-American School, San Francisco
"Founded in 1988, the German-American International School of the San Francisco Bay Area is an independent, private non-profit school including Preschool, Kindergarten and grades 1 through 8."
Girls' Middle School, Mountainview
"The Girls' Middle School is a new school for girls in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades that opened in September, 1998 on the San Francisco Peninsula."

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