Black Pine Circle School

We have a child in the upper school as well as in the lower school at BPC, and each of them is having a wonderful experience. This school has been everything we had hoped it would be, and more. It takes academics seriously, with a big commitment to science, math and inquisitive thought. The Socratic method of inquiry is a big theme throughout the entire school. Both the math and science programs have garnered numerous awards and recognitions (their maker club got invited to the White House Maker Faire!), and the school is building a new science building. But it also takes the so-​called non-​core stuff seriously as well – the music program is incredibly inspiring – they teach violin and cello to all the Kindergarteners, and as kids reach 4^th grade, they get to branch out into a really hip and creative jazz/​rock band full of guitars and basses, as well as saxophones, drums, etc. Performing art is also heavily emphasized from the early grades and we have found that this makes the kids comfortable in front of an audience and expressing themselves.
Love the cozy size of the school, as it feels like every BPC employee knows my two kids well and this provides a very supportive environment for them to «nerd out» in anything they want to. The upper school has become increasingly tough to get into as applications have significantly increased, and the lower school has only one class per grade (with two teachers per!), so there are less open slots there. I guess the word is getting out. We are definitely grateful to have our kids attending Black Pine. Nice mix of families in the BPC community, with a lot of diverse backgrounds and interests. Lots of Cal faculty families (many in the science departments) and generally the kind of diversity you would expect from the East Bay, pulling from El Cerrito to Oakland and beyond.
We are really fans of this little gem of a school, and with the school selection season about to start for many families, it is worth taking a look at Black Pine Circle!

Our family has been at BPC for three years. I have a daughter and a son in the lower school. Teachers: amazing. Academics: very strong. Community: active, supportive and very warm. Administration: effective, proactive and integrated in the community. Lots of music, physical education, arts. Pre/​Aftercare: the kids get to relax, have fun and make strong across-​grades connections.
I am writing this review today because I was just at a birthday «circle» celebration for my son in the first grade. The children (each and every one) and teachers took turns to say things that they like about him and to express wishes for him. The level of connection between the children truly impressed me. They could express their feelings freely, lovingly and respectfully. Their wishes made it clear that they know him as a whole person and that he is appreciated and loved as a class member. Each and every kid had a voice (in the big sense of the word) and was heard by all. My son, from his side, was able to take all that good vibe in and was radiant, happy and thankful.
What more can I ask from a school?
Azriel G

Our daughter has completed two years at Black Pine Circle and every morning she is in a hurry to get to school. I’m writing this review because she has flourished at BPC, both academically and socially, and without a doubt the school can take a lot of credit for it.
The headmaster John Carlstroem knows what he is doing, and runs a very happy ship. A school is a complex environment with many personalities and expectations that need to be managed. John works with a reservoir of deep intellect and excellent management skills and has managed to set a harmonious tone for the whole school. He thinks deeply about education and pedagogy, and he spends the school’s money wisely.
John’s passion for the school is reflected in extraordinary commitment by the teachers, who are superb. In the lower school the kids learn english and math well, and the school’s emphasis on music permeates lessons and activities and is wonderful to behold. In a review such as this it is not possible to describe the full extent of the curriculum, but I have been continually amazed by what my daughter is learning. Most importantly, her teachers have taught her self-​respect, self-​confidence, and have instilled in her a love of learning.
I have spoken to many parents around the Bay Area, and I know there are many good schools. Still, I may be biased, but I feel that BPC is special, in a very good way.
P. S. The math club is among the best in California.

We love Black Pine Circle! My daughter started in Kindergarten and has thrived in this welcoming environment where she has always been appreciated for who she is.
She’s been challenged, supported and made to feel special. At BPC kindness is valued as highly as academic success… and the academics are strong.
I can honestly say that each year has been challenging, successful and wonderful. I am amazed by her teachers and am proud of the person my daughter has become.
The parents are a great mix of smart quirky interesting Bay Area types who value education and being a part of something bigger than themselves. Many have become good friends.

Our family has been part of the wonderful BPC community for many years. My son is in 7^th grade, and my daughter is a graduate. Both went through both the upper and lower school. We loved BPC so much that it was difficult to find a high school that compared!
The best thing about BPC is the people! The faculty is great. They’re all good teachers, and really pay attention to what’s going on with your kid. The other kids and parents are terrific. It’s a great learning environment.
There’s a wonderful music program, which is well known, but BPC also has excellent drama and art classes. The math program is top notch. The science program generates so much enthusiasm that my kid begs for more. The school turned daughter who struggled to read into a avid consumer of book after book and a really good writer. It is just want we wanted from a school.

Or daughter started 1^st grade at Black Pine Circle this year.
We are LOVING it. The academics are great– the subjects are very well integrated and overlapping, the teachers are fantastic, and the kids spend a ton of time outside. The music and art programs are fantastic as well. They treat the kids as individuals, and it’s fun– my daughter doesn’t want to leave, and doesn’t like weekends because she misses school.
We just moved here from out of state, and everyone at Black Pine Circle has been so helpful and welcoming.
I think what really makes BPC great, is the staff. Everyone is so dedicated. The staff does a bunch of continuing education/​training. Not to mention how fun they are, especially the head of school, John Carlstroem .
I really feel like all different personalities will/​do thrive at BPC.
I highly recommend Black Pine Circle.

This is my daughters school and so far we are loving it. She is finishing up second grade and was new to the school this year. The education is very solid and the music program is fantastic. They have small class sizes and two teachers per class. I feel that they really know my child here and that is worth every penny.
Amelie’s review: I really like my school, teachers, music and science. I love sitting near the class room at snack and hanging on the high bar.

My daughter started at BPC in the 6^th Grade this fall. The transition was surprisingly easy. The first day of school, she came out with thumbs up, and her enthusiasm has stayed strong to date. She has been academically challenged but not overwhelmed. I’d describe her as turned on. She is a very creative person. She loves the art and music classes. She’s loving Spanish class as well. She took on a Nanowrimo Challenge at school to write a novel, and actually did it, writing over 10,000 words. She just joined the math club and has come home excited to stump us with logic riddles. The teachers have taken time to talk with me whenever I’ve felt inclined to set up an appointment to check in. I’ve learned that they really are getting to know my daughter and her specific strengths and challenges. I see them working with her with care and challenge and warmth, encouraging her growth. I am happy for my daughter to be having this experience at Black Pine Circle. And I am happy for myself that I feel we are in such good hands.

Black Pine Circle has been a wonderful experience for my daughter, now in 2^nd grade. The cozy, familial environment at the school created the perfect transition from her smaller preschool. Through the eyes of a child, I imagine BPC is comfortable in every way –the physical campus isn’t too big or overwhelming (although there is ample room to run around), the classrooms are limited to 21 students (with two loving teachers in each), and highly conceptual academic skills are integrated into fun, hands-​on projects. BPC does not have a «rich private school» feel. Parents are down to earth and value diversity within the school and staff. The community is very supportive and the parent body is active at all levels of school affairs. The school has increasingly prioritized financial aid, thus allowing for more and more socio-​economic diversity in each classroom. There has also been a school-​wide effort, through the diversity committee, to place more attention on LGBT and cultural inclusivity through after school events, parent education nights, and new curriculum in the classroom. I feel so lucky to be part of this community.

This is a very well-​run school, with an excellent balance between core academics and outright fun. The homework load is reasonable and my eighth grader is fully engaged in his classes.

We have a second grader at Black Pine Circle. When we were searching for the right school for our son, we stumbled onto this hidden gem of a school. We were looking for a school that offered «academics-​plus», which in our minds was an emphasis on academics (whatever that is, but beyond just the ABCs and 123s) and more – a strong emphasis on art, or music or language. I suppose, the kind of thing you would expect in exchange for private school tuition. We had not heard of BPC until we went through the school tour process, and when we heard the head of school, John Carlstroem, articulate the philosophy of the school, we were sold. And now, years later we are very happy with how the the school has delivered on that promise. From the «standard schoolwork» to the weekly music instruction, Spanish classes, Computer classes, PE activities, drama performances from time to time at the weekly lower school assembly, and more, we find our son constantly engaged, intellectually curious and excited about learning. He eats it up. And as we observe the kids in the upper grades, we see the kind of smart, thoughtful and creative teenagers that we want our second grader to become.
The school community, from the educators to the parents, is also a great plus. The families are a diverse group, with an interesting mix of cultures, ethnicities (we are an Asian family) and work backgrounds, which adds to the overall experience for the kids (and parents). And if parental involvement is important to you, there are so many ways to participate and have your say.
One of our biggest concerns during the school selection process was the apparent lack of facilities – really the lack of that classic big, grassy field. And due to our job situations, our son spends a lot of time at the aftercare program. As it turns out, even the aftercare program has been a great experience for him. Given the cozy size of the school, it has allowed our son to become good friends with the older kids. And during good weather, they spend a lot of time climbing, running, playing basketball, soccer, baseball and more. And last Fall, the school added a climbing wall to add a new opportunity to for exercise, as well as a new way to learn skills for how to overcome life’s obstacles (an ongoing theme at the school…).
Bottom line, we (including our son) have been very happy with our experience. Check it out to see if it is for you.
And good luck with finding the right school for your child.

We drive our girls from Orinda, where there are good public schools available to us, to West Berkeley every day because we love this school so much! My girls are in Kindergarten and they’re very happy and excited to go to school. They come home every day with stories about what they’ve learned and done. It’s a small, supportive and caring school with interesting academics, a great music program, daily PE, art, gardening, science and math specialists and Spanish. What sold us on BPC, however, is the commitment to Socratic method and encouraging the children to think for themselves.
The students at BPC are incredibly nice kids who seem to treat each other kindly. When my girls come and go from school, they are greeted by older students by name, many of whom come over to give them a hug! When the Kindergarten class performed in front of the school, all the kids clapped and cheered loudly. When I talk to teachers at the school, they seem to genuinely know my kids and have positive things to say about them. It is clear that my kids aren’t just another body at the school.
We’re very happy with BPC!

Black Pine Circle is an extraordinary place and one of the very best schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two years ago, when we were looking at kindergartens for our now-​first-​grader, we checked out just about every private school in the East Bay and all of the public schools in our Berkeley district. When we stumbled upon BPC, we knew almost immediately that it was where we wanted to be. Some of the highlights:
–Small intimate school where all of the teachers know my kids (including my preschooler who isn’t even attending yet) – and we know them.
–Two top-​notch, inspired, respected teachers in every classroom of 17 – 20 kids on average.
–Most importantly, we didn’t want to have to choose between a school with strong academics and a progressive school attuned to the social and emotional development of every child. With BPC we got both.
–About a third of every day is dedicated to the arts: music, visual art, dance, and drama, and the arts are integrated throughout the curriculum. I absolutely love that our son has been playing cello and performing since kindergarten. Educational research shows clear connections between the study of music and math/​science, so it’s no surprise that the upper school math team consistently ranks among the best in the entire state. No small feat from a small school.
–The Socratic method isn’t just talk. Kids are learning through rigorous questioning.
–It’s a diverse school and most families have two working parents – the common thread is that they’re all committed to helping their children get the best possible education and to become actively engaged with the local and global communities of which we’re all a part.
–John Carlstroem, the head of school, is the real deal – an educational visionary and talented administrator with whom you’d also want to hang out over beers. He’s dramatically increased the scholarship fund in the last few years and has made a very serious commitment to continuing to build diversity at all levels. Plus, he personally teaches a history of philosophy course to the eighth graders! How cool is that?
I don’t know of any other school like it in the East Bay. We couldn’t be happier.

Schools! I visited them all
staring at drawings on walls
question the teachers & parents
remembering my childhood’s halls.
it’s a goldilocks story,
looking for a «just right» place
I wanted rigorous math, science and writing
but not a mad race
Great art, music and drama,
all aspects of voice.
There are a lot of good schools
and I made a great choice.
Now it’s 4 years later
My kids are 3^rd and 1^st graders,
(one bold and one shy)
I’m very pleased with our choice
and I’ll summarize why:
Each week my kids will encounter +/​-​14 teaching adults
sharing their passion & professionalism, and yielding academic results.
But what truly puts me at ease
about the tuition we pay
is that I know my kids are seen and loved
each and every day.
Oh yes, and what’s more,
parents don’t put on airs (just be as you are!)
There might even be some carpooling
if you live rather far.
The website (
) has details
but make time for the tour
Good luck with your search
Be sure to open BPC’s door!

Our daughter loves BPC and we’re right there with her. Socratic learning, music, small classes, strong teachers, great friendships. I wouldn’t consider sending her anywhere else.

I love BPC! My 3^rd grade son and 1^st grade daughter run to the gate every morning eager to start their day. The teachers, specialists, staff and administration all know both of my kids as individuals. I am impressed by the rigorous and engaging curriculum and by the dedicated professionals who deliver it. BPC is a magical place!

We have been very happy with BPC. Our daughter is a 1^st grader and has thrived with their Socratic learning environment. They do a wonderful job of integrating subjects, and encourage thought process and discovery. Mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn rather than failure (something we have really appreciated as our daughter’s reading and writing skills emerge).
Ten of the twenty families in our daughter’s class, including us, are mixed race. We have found BPC to be very welcoming.

My kids have thrived at this school. The small classes with low ratios, the curriculum that integrates hands-​on science, music and art into thematic learning has made them enjoy learning and look forward to school. They’ve preserved their sense of innocence in a way that I love.

Black Pine Circle is a wonderful school and one that, from what I can tell, keeps getting better. They manage to provide real academic challenges as well as attend to a child’s social development — it is a joy to watch children progress through the grades there.
The present head of school, John Carlestrom, is a truly inspiring educator and thinker, and extraordinarily committed to issues of diversity, inclusiveness, and progressive education. In recent years they have increased scholarship funding by 300% to try to bring in more students from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds — no small thing in this difficult economy. I have been impressed by the school’s willingness to acknowledge that they need to do more to achieve greater diversity, and my sense is that they are following through with those goals. My child is extremely happy there socially and academically. He loves the science, music, art, PE enrichment, exciting field trips, and thoughtful teachers who pay attention to the «whole child.» And as a parent, I am delighted to see how nurturing, thoughtful, kind, and creative his teachers have been, while still maintaining appropriately high academic standards. Overall, this school has been a wonderful place for our family.