We sent all three of our children to St. Patrick's School from K - 8th grade, and we could not be…read morehappier looking back on their education there. The academics and character development curriculum were both excellent. Our oldest daughter is now CEO and founder of an internet startup and recently gave a speech crediting three St. Patrick's teachers for her success. Despite many years of formal education, she said she never worked harder or learned more about teamwork than she did in seventh grade. Our second daughter, a natural born introvert, learned to almost enjoy public speaking through the school's annual speech contest, which works to give all students the poise and confidence to speak in front of an audience. She's now a successful TV producer in LA. Our youngest has since graduated Magna cum laude from UCSB and embarked on a holistic healing and Ayurvedic medicine career building on her strong foundation of empathy, compassion and excellent writing and communications skills learned at St. Pats. My husband is Catholic. I went along because of St. Pat's rigorous academics and because they seemed to demand more of its students than other schools. What I found was so much more than any of that. I discovered a supportive community of families, new lifelong friends, teachers who truly love the work they are doing, a gentle approach to religious studies, and the courage to teach true character development and hold kids to a high moral standard. The result was a student body made up of happy, well adjusted, future leaders. I highly recommend this school.

We could not be happier with our decision to send our kids to St. Pats. Our daughter is on her 3rd…read moreyear at the school and is thriving during one of the hardest years of adjustment for many during pandemic. I was so impressed at the school's pivot to distance learning when the pandemic occurred and continuous effort to increase safety to reopen, and provide options for many of us working parents to ensure our kids receive the best education safely. If requiring virtual learning, it's the best around. If wanting to have kids in person, they are well taken care of and I have zero worries each day as I've watched the school maneuver this crisis. It's years like this that you especially appreciate what you have. We couldn't feel more secure in our decision to send our kids to St. Pats. I'm in awe by the principal, Ms. Hadsell's responsiveness and transparency with all parents. The hands on education is also unmatched. We toured many schools in Marin before making our decision and feel assured we made the absolute best choice for our children.

If I could give Hall less than one star, I would. Unfortunately, the Principal, Eric is so full of…read morehimself he's unable to do what's best for students. He seems to be on a power trip rather than helping kids. He likes to put on a show and loves to hear himself talk (just go to an assembly!). This guy is clueless and has no idea that kids simply don't connect with him! Sadly, many parents don't either. After volunteering every year since my kids were in Kinder, I stopped when I realized Eric was just an egotistical, mean-spirited bully! I no longer wanted to raise money or give money to support this school! Also, the science and math classes aren't quite up to par with the standards, so kids are entering high school feeling behind. It is getting better in the last year or so, but more house-cleaning needs to happen to get rid of teachers who've been around too long and aren't doing their jobs.

As far as middle schools go, this is an excellent one. We left a fancy private school for our…read moredaughter in San Francisco and felt that Hall Middle School provides a rigorous and relevant education from 6th through 8th grades. Our daughter is now thriving at Redwood High School. Thanks to the principal, the teachers and the community of Hall!

As an alumnus (1959 - 1967), I'm disappointed that the school has chosen trendiness over substance…read more I will not give my opinion on teaching "the gender non-binary" to second graders. But I will note that parents seem to be afraid of giving their opinions, which was certainly not the case when I attended the school. In second grade, my teacher Miss Williams read "The Princess and the Goblin" to us. There was no question that the school was patriotic and valued a classical education. Today the decision makers claim that the school is just following the vision of its founders, who emphasized educating "the whole student." But I doubt that the founders would approve of what the school is doing today. The insincere virtue signaling that pretends to be social justice is not a grass-roots phenomenon but rather a fashionable elite pose that allows the unjust to pretend they care when they really do not. Imposing this on children can only be described as a travesty. The parents are trapped because it's the powers above them who have imposed this on the rest of us, and careers and reputations are at stake. Instead of socially engineering students, my alma mater needs to get back to teaching the basics and treating students as the unique individuals they are rather than as representatives of groups. The motto of the school when I went there was "A spirit always surging." Today, I would say "cringing" is a more accurate description.

Our child just completed first year here. This school has surpassed our expectations and we are…read morealready looking forward to the next school year. The environment is friendly, fun, supportive, and progressive. The facilities are fantastic, and there is ongoing construction and improvements happening. There is an emphasis on the overall child, not just academics. If your child is lucky enough to have Doug Zesiger as their teacher, I have nothing to say but the best things about him. It is sad to see Dierdre leave, though - as she has been fantastic :( Step-up day was a moving experience, and it was so cool to see the 8th graders 'stepping down', and stomping their feet when the kindergarteners 'stepped up.' It was a very memorable day! I know it sounds like I am going on about this school, but I really can not imagine a better environment for my children. There really was nothing negative I can say at all about this year. I know a few parents had gripes about the bus and after school offerings, but that is maybe all I can even think of (very minor in my opinion). We applied to a number of independent schools in San Francisco and Southern Marin and were accepted to all, but MCDS was our top and standout choice. We couldn't be happier after our first year and without hesitation highly recommend this school. I have no doubt this school is one of the best in not only the Bay Area, but in the country.

I would never send a kid to this school as long as Skip Kniesche has any position of power. Having…read morebeen a student at this school first hand and experiencing Skip's form of leadership as a Vice Principal, this man will overlook any signs of distress in your child. If you have a kid who doesn't fit in completely, he will likely ignore your child and dismiss them. I even came back to the school 10 years later to request a specimen I had lent the school that had magically become a permanent fixture of theirs without my consent. Who did I speak to? Skip! And he was extremely rude and unpleasant. What did it take in order to get him to treat me like a human and return my property? My FATHER had to call. Yes. I was 18 years old and my father had to come to the school in order for Skip to get off his butt and treat me like a person. Shame on Skip. Shame on this school. If you have a kid who's an outcast, or if you have any personal home issues going on and are hoping for a school to be somewhat sensitive to those struggles, do not send your child to this school.

Terrible school. The people who greet you in the office are extremely rude, and can be heard…read moretalking badly about parents constantly. You can tell they genuinely dislike the job. Kids there are very judgmental, and teachers do little to nothing about bullying! It doesn't feel like a safe environment, and the education moves far too fast for most students. I would absolutely NOT recommend sending any students here. The older kids are quite rude to the 5th graders as well, and the electives aren't funded well enough at all. The PTA spends all it's money on "teacher appreciation WEEK". Yes, I said WEEK. They dedicate a whole week to giving to teachers who rarely help students. DO NOT SEND A STUDENT HERE. This school depresses many people, and personally, it brings me to a dark place remembering going there. I was immediately so much happier after graduating, I wouldn't even consider going back to visit even after all these years!

I went there in the 1980's and have nothing but pretty found memories of the place. i t looks…read morepretty much the same. I enjoyed my time there and it looks like the kids still do.

I love this school!! Our family has been a part of this school community for the last 5 years and…read moreit never ceases to amaze me. The teachers are top-notch and so dedicated to the students, the small class sizes really give each child the attention they need to excel. The families are warm and genuine and it's an all around great place for my kids to grow and learn.

All 3 and of my girls have come thru the school. Great loving teachers. Great personal attention…read moreto each student and their needs. Fun learning environment. Thank you St Raphael.