Admissions
Thank you for your interest in School of the Madeleine, a Catholic parish elementary school that fosters academic excellence in the context of a family oriented Christian community.
Applications can be downloaded here. Any questions regarding applying to the Madeleine, please contact our secratary, Mrs. Mary Schweska, at mschweska@themadeleine.com.
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How to Apply
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Info Nights & Tours
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FAQ's
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Financial Assistance
Admissions Procedure
Application procedures include completion of an application form, payment of the non-refundable application fee, and submission of the child's latest report card and test scores from the previous school. Once received and reviewed, an interview and test will be scheduled if there is space available in the appropriate grade. Once accepted, a non-refundable registration fee and a copy of the current immunization record are required to enroll the child in school.
We seek to provide quality education for children of St. Mary Magdalen's parish as well as other parishes and religious traditions. Our policy is to accept students in the following order:
- Our parishioners with siblings in our school
- Our parishioners with no siblings in our school
- Non-parishioners with siblings in our school
- Non-parishioners with no siblings in our school
To be admitted into kindergarten a child must be four (4) years and nine (9) months of age on or before September 1st of the current school year. By State regulation the school may not have children younger than this without obtaining licensing for pre-school. To be admitted into the first grade a child must be five (5) years and nine (9) months on or before September 1st of the current school year. Where a child has been legally enrolled in another school s/he may be admitted to the school and placed in a lower grade as age appropriate at the discretion of the admitting school. An original birth certificate is required.
The parents will be interviewed by the Principal and, whenever possible, the pastor. This interview is for the purpose of acquainting the family with the school and also to answer any questions that the family might have.
Student assessments and testing takes place in January and February. The Kindergarten teachers interview and evaluate K applicants in small groups. Students applying for grade 1 will spend a half-day with the current Kindergarten class. Applicants for grades 2-8 will spend a whole day with their current grade where they will be observed and given a variety of aptitude tests in a relaxed setting.
A waiting list is maintained and priority is given according to the date of receipt of the application and the above criteria. All students entering grades K-8 will be evaluated. Our general policy is not to accept students at the junior high level. Exceptions will be determined by the Principal in consultation with the junior high teachers. All new students will be on probation for the first trimester. (see Probation) Students will ordinarily not be accepted into the school after the second trimester. Exception to this policy will be made by the Principal in consultation with the faculty member involved.
Information Nights & Tours
School tours
8:30 to 9:30AM - All are welcome to attend morning prayer beginning at 8AM.
November 3rd
December 2nd
January 8th
February 9Registration is required for a School Tour. Please call the school to register for a tour (510) 526-4744. Tours are from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Please arrive by 8:15 AM to register at the school office. If you wish, you are invited to join us for morning prayer (8:00 AM in the schoolyard).
Parent Information Nights
October 28th & November 19th
A panel of school, parent and student representatives share info and experiences about the School of the Madeleine. Information nights are held in the Parish Hall. Enter schoolyard at corner of Henry & Berryman
Kinder Presentation 7 - 7:30PM
1 - 8 Presentation 7:30 - 8:30PM
Open House
January 31st - 10:45AM - 12:30PM
Teachers will welcome you to their classrooms where the students' work will be displayed. Meet the leadership of the school and the parent organizations. You are welcome to join us at a Catholic Schools Week mass at 9:30 AM
Principal Interviews of Parents
January and February, by appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you deal with large class size?
- How is safety handled on campus?
- What is the community like?
- Has the school changed from how Catholic schools "used to be"?
- How are students disciplined? How do you handle student conflicts?
- How involved is the church? How are religion classed conducted? How are non-Catholics treated?
- How strong is math, science, art, and other classes?
- How is the Kindergarten structured?
- How is the Extended Care Program?
- How is the Sports Program?
- What opportunities do parents have to socialize and build community?
- What makes your school special?
How do you deal with large class size?
Madeleine class sizes range between 28 and 35 children and there is one class per grade. In fact, however, the teacher student ration that is effective for most of the day is 18 to 1. Most of the classes are split for key lessons so that a partner teacher or specialized teacher (music, Spanish, PE, computer, library, and religion) takes half of the class while the class teacher works with the rest. For example, half the class will go to music while the other half goes to Spanish. With each class having a teacher assistant and a classroom teacher, the "large classes" are actually not bigger than in any other school.
How is safety handled on campus?
Making the school a safe and secure environment for our children is one of the main priorities of the staff and faculty. In fact, the parents of the school rate safety as one of the aspects they most appreciate about the school. The Parent Handbook outlines a number of safety guidelines that the school implements: visitors and parents must enter through the main entrance and sign in and students are never left unattended in classrooms or on the school yard. The pick-up and drop-off via the parking lot is carefully monitored by teachers and safety coordinators. The playground and after-care activities also undergo specific guidelines. Above and beyond the issue of safety, students are encouraged to be respectful of one another and to handle conflicts verbally or with the help of teachers.
What is the community like?
The strong parent community is one of the aspects parents most appreciate about the school. The Madeleine school community is welcoming, supportive, nurturing and inclusive. Parents have a strong informal network with one another as they meet in the morning for morning assembly or pick-up. A number of volunteer activities exist both in the classroom as well as in numerous committees that organize events and raise funds. Parents in individual classes are organized through the room parents and organizations such as the Parents' Association and School Board hold monthly meetings that are open to all parents.
As the Madeleine is a relatively small school, students know each other and care for one another. Popular community building programs among the students are "Faith Families" and the "5th grade-kindergarten buddy program". Older students (Grades 7 & 8) go on overnight retreats that focus on spiritual and personal development. The students who graduate the Madeleine are confident and secure individuals who have a strong sense of "belonging" as a result of these programs.
Has the school changed from how Catholic schools "used to be"?
The School of the Madeleine is a Catholic school which is guided by Christian teaching and a spiritually based education. However, the school is not taught by nuns or priests and only about 60% of the student body is Catholic. The school follows a curriculum that is based in Diocesan standards as well as the California standards and aims to provide a Christian education with a high academic excellence to students of all religious and ethnic backgrounds without discrimination.
How are students disciplined? How do you handle student conflicts?
As a Catholic school, the issue of discipline naturally goes hand in hand with our moral and ethical framework. Students are encouraged to be "good to one another" and inclusive. They are taught to be responsible and self controlled and to build on our sense of Christian community. Incidents of abuse, harassments or threats to other students or teachers are not tolerated. They result in meetings with teachers, the principal and possibly suspension.
The school does have school counselor who works with children who need emotional support and guidance both individually as well as within a classroom context. She evaluates children who are going through a difficult time and coaches them. If a class is experiencing a particular challenge, she will also work with the whole class to create a better understanding and affect more positive behavior. The community relies on a harmonious school environment so conflicts are handled discretely and respectfully but are monitored carefully. Generally, the school has a very hands-on-approach - the principal is very involved with any issues, teachers take time to talk to students and encourage resolution and parents are informed and included in the discussion of any incidents that affect their child.
How involved is the church? How are religion classed conducted? How are non-Catholics treated?
The All children attend "morning prayer" every day – a school-wide assembly intended to come together, briefly focus on part of the gospel, announce special activities for the day or week and to begin each morning with a prayer and the golden rule – let's be good to one another". In addition, children attend Mass on special feast days or celebrations once or twice a semester. Religion classes are held for every grade and are age appropriate in the depth of their analysis and understanding. All second graders go through first communion preparations with their entire class and special parent meetings are held on weekends to engage the parents in this big event. Children who are not Catholic are included in these classes but are free to choose not to participate in the actual sacrament.
Catholic religion is gently and warmly incorporated into the curriculum. Students with other religious beliefs are respected and encouraged to share their thoughts. The non-Catholic children of the school are welcome to fully participate in all religious activities in as much as they are comfortable. With roughly 40% of the student body being non-Catholic, the school stresses inclusion and respect for all beliefs. The school teaches and celebrates holidays of other traditions and holiday concerts always include Hanukkah and Kwanza songs.
How strong is math, science, art, and other classes?
The School of the Madeleine has a high standard of academic excellence and all of its graduates are well prepared for the best public and private high schools in the Bay Area. Students and teachers have developed "Schoolwide Learning Expectations" that describe the goals that our graduates have: to be a spiritually developed individual, a person with self-esteem and resilience, a responsible steward to our society and the environment as well as a life-long learner.
The school also has an articulated grade-by-grade curriculum, which is available to all parents on this web-site as well as in published form. These guidelines form the basis of the teaching for each grade level and assure that the school follows a well-rounded and complete curriculum on all grade levels. Test scores of our graduates are generally very strong and science and math are particular areas of focus in the upper grades. With the skills, discipline and confidence that students learn at the Madeleine, they perform well in whatever academic direction they choose in High School.
How is the Kindergarten structured?
The Kindergarten effectively has two teachers. The early bird/late bird format allows for more individualized attention. Please refer to the curriculum part of this website for more of an introduction to the academic goals. A big part of the program is providing basic understanding of math and the alphabet in a tangible and hands-on way. Special activities include Library, Spanish, Music, Cooking on Fridays and Field trips. All Kindergarten children have a fifth grade buddy and they participate in Faith Families
How is the Extended Care Program?
The fee-based on-site Extended Care program is excellent – it offers art, games, out door activities and includes snacks. In addition, enhancement courses are available, such as Chess, Science Adventures, Cartooning, Tap Dance, Ballet, and more.
As part of ECP, the MAD Band provides weekly music lessons (individual and group) each school day, and 3 one-hour band rehearsals per week at the Madeleine. The rehearsals are completely underwritten by the Parents' Association. The rehearsals are done by level (Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginning) and are held on Wednesday. These lessons and rehearsals are coordinated with the school's after-school care program, making it easier for working parents.
How is the Sports Program?
The Madeleine Sports Program which is open to all children and grades really bring the community together on a regular basis and develops children's sense of team-work and common goals.
It includes Basketball for boys and girls; Track & Volley Ball in some of the grades. The school participate in an eastbay Catholic school league. Although the older grades get increasingly competitive, the emphasis is not so much on the winning but more on sport's skills and good sportsmanship.
What opportunities do parents have to socialize and build community?
The School of the Madeleine provides many communication opportunities between parents, staff, students and all members of the Madeleine community and every family is expected to volunteer at least 20 service hours to the school.
There are countless opportunities for parents to volunteer and become part of the Madeleine community: The School Board, Committees of the School Board (Marketing Committee, Finance Committee) the Parents' Association, Events planning committees, classroom volunteering or help with our vast sports program.
The school understands that some parents can help the school a great deal while others do not have a lot of extra time but parent involvement encouraged and required. The Family Handbook notes that those who do not have time to fulfill this expectation can purchase these hours at a fee.
The Madeleine also sponsors a number of social events that help build community and create a fun environment for parents to spend time together. Some of these are: Back-to-School night, Fall Festival, Christmas Reception, Crab Feed, Spring Auction and weekly Sports Events, games and receptions.
What makes your school special?
The community building programs such as the Faith Families, 5th grade -kindergarten buddies and community outreach really make the school a special place. The 5th grade boat trip is a tradition as is the 7th grade Caritas and 8th grade retreats, all of which build community and self-respect. Parents appreciate the school's emphasis on stewardship, moral awareness, moral development, personal development and respect for others. The Sports Program and the MAD Band are great programs that are unique to the school.
The school is really working on creating inspiring supplemental academic programs such as the school-wide MARE program that is implemented in conjunction with the Lawrence Hall of Science and culminates in a week-long "Ocean Week" for the entire school.
The Madeleine tries to educate children on all levels and continually broadens students understanding of their environment: our recent visit by a disabled woman and the resulting disability training is part of this effort. The school hires inspirational speakers to talk about social issues to the students such as feeling "left out" or bullied. The school also fosters parent education and frequently has speakers address issues that are timely and interesting such as homework tips, teen-ager issues, developmental and social changes for different age groups, coping with divorce etc.
The administration is open to new ideas and very approachable. Parents contribute a great deal of the inspiration for some of the special programs the school implements so if you have a particular area of expertise or a passions that could benefit the school on a whole, you are encouraged to implement your ideas!
Financial Aid
The Diocese of Oakland and School of the Madeleine provides financial aid to cover up to 50% of tuition. The goal of Catholic education is to provide financial assistance for as many as families as possible. Applications are available in February and must be submitted to the school by April 1st. The application evalutates the family's financial need which constitutes the basis of the financial aid awards. Three types of financial aid are available. School of the Madeleine provides financial aid funds in our budget and the Diocese of Oakland provides the two programs, FACE and The Basic Fund. Click here for more information.
A family's emergency financial crisis is handed by the principal on an individual basis.
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