“Caulbridge felt like kismet at a time when my child needed more and wanted something different. Holistic and interdisciplinary, going deep instead of quickly, developmentally aligned, mindful of roots and relationships, rhythms and emotional grounding…Which all amount to academic engagement and the pursuit of not just information, but WISDOM. The faculty and staff see the whole kid. And care, invest, nurture. My child never struggled in public school, always tested at the very top, received nothing but glowing feedback, the best grades, and yet yearned for a richer experience. In middle school — a kinder one. His nervous system is now calmer at the start and finish of each day. The small classes allow him to appreciate and have empathy for each person. Cliques and masks and allegiances that dominate large middle schools have no place here. School is for learning, and the freedom and curiosity unleashed with that are beautiful to witness as a parent. Caulbridge is the antithesis of autopilot. It has been life-changing so far.”
Amy G. Yelp Review
“There is no other school like this in the area! we searched so hard for a private school that provided great academics but preserved childhood magic and let our kid be himself. The warmth and peace you feel when in the campus permeates every part of his day. we are SO grateful!! The teachers here are pure magic. They care so much and help our kids grow and stretch without the judgement and pressure. If you are on the fence take a tour. The magic permeates the place. No school is perfect, and some families might not find it rigorous enough for Marin over achievers but I find it the perfect balance of love and learning. Our children are so happy at this school!”
Joahn G. Yelp Review
“Our son has been at Caulbridge School for the last three years and we think this school is amazing! All the teachers have been exceptionally caring, skilled, and professional. We love the way the day is organized and how much outside time the kids get. The staff truly meet the kids where they are and help them progress academically, emotionally, and socially. It’s so great to drop-off and pick-up your child and know that they are happy at school, learning and growing!“
“My daughter has been at Caulbridge for 2 years now. She is in 7th grade. When covid hit as other children she was in public school and forces to do on-line schooling. My daughter was one of the children that did poorly on-line with little help from her teacher. Well, we decided to enroll her in Caulbridge to help her catch up and has she ever!!!!!!!!!!! The teachers at the school take each child to where they are and help them excel. My daughter loves her teachers and has started liking school again and no longer feels like a failure. The help that this school has given to my family is unmeasurable. They allowed my daughter to achieve her goals and have the confidence to go beyond! Thank you Caulbridge. Debra, your dream for this school has helped so many families. Thank you!“
“Caulbridge is more than a typical school, it is a safe haven for kids and families. I was homeschooling my own kids but the vision for this school made me rearrange our family life to be part of something so special.
The teachers are so caring and always focused on students and their natural strengths and happiness. The administration is professional and always ready to help. If it wasn’t for Caulbridge, we would still be homeschooling.“
“All the teachers at Caulbridge are so caring and have a knack of understanding my daughter, and I assume all the kids, in a sincere and meaningful way. Kids show teachers respect which tells me that they feel respected by their teachers. I notice the kind and direct interactions with teachers have with kids and with parents. Obviously my daughter is engaged with her peers because she comes home happy every day. Can’t recommend this school highly enough.
The founder is doing some ground breaking work in education and we are happy to be part of it.“
“It took our family almost a year to take a tour of Caulbridge School and we immediately wished we would have come sooner. We thought it was a new school and maybe not solid enough in academics, but we were so wrong. The Head of School actually conducted the tour and shared the philosophy behind the methods and everything she said made so much sense for our family. Even before meeting our son, we knew this school already understood him and he would be happy here. We were impressed with how calm and intentional the environment is and when we observed the classrooms the kids were engaged and teachers were kind.
Take a tour and see for yourself, you’ll be glad you did.“
“My children are so happy and really thriving at Caulbridge. My son is so sweet but has a learning difference that was getting worse in public school and he was lost. His brother is a good student and things come easier to him. Both of the boys are excelling with their amazing teachers and they love all the time outside with hands-on type of learning. This good old-fashion kind of school environment seems like a good idea for all kids, because my two are quite different and this school is amazing for both boys!
The teachers are calm and seem proud to be working at the school and are always available to the kids.“
“This is the most innovative school that truly takes a common sense approach. When we found Caulbridge School, our daughter was getting lost in the shuffle in large classrooms because she was the easy child and didn’t cause any trouble. The problem was she was bored and started to hate school. After enrolling at Caulbridge, she immediately became excited about learning and loved going to school. She was all of a sudden much more agreeable at home because she was happy and confident. We have seen her spirit light up and we have our daughter back again. The teachers are so kind and understanding. The classrooms are calm and creative so kids are interested. The Head of School and admin team are always positive and helpful. The campus is just beautiful and filled with happy children.“
“This school has been what we didn’t think existed in education anymore. A preservation of childhood magic combined with thoughtful rigorous academics. My son hated school before we got here and now gets excited every day. He is blossoming before our eyes and I am so grateful. The teachers are the best (lots of them come from other private schools in the area). So why do you stumble upon bad reviews? Because not every school fits your child’s needs. I would have written scathing reviews about schools prior since my son was so miserable. This school is not for the helicopter parent or the traditional Marin archetype over-achiever. It is for the parents that want their children to have a magical childhood and find their place in the world. Ps: my son is over the charts excelling academically.“
“My kids are so happy and really thriving at Caulbridge. My son is so sweet but has a learning difference that was getting worse in public school and he was lost. His brother is a good student and things come easier to him. Both of the boys are excelling with their amazing teachers and they love all the time outside with hands-on type of learning. This good old-fashion kind of school environment seems like a good idea for all kids, because my two are quite different and this school is amazing for both boys! The teachers are calm and seem proud to be working at the school and are always available to the kids.“
“This school has been instrumental in the positive development of our son who truly needed a school and teachers to mold to him, not him molding to the system. The teachers are full of love, support, and each one has a special bond with him. He is excelling and we look forward to our younger daughter joining him soon. What a lifesaver Caulbridge has been for us!”
James Knowles & Monica Egan
Monarch Chiropractic
“To be honest, I was nervous about moving Valentino from public school to private school. My wife really felt Val needed a change because he wasn’t learning. But we had spent a lot of time establishing his IEP and I felt that we might not get the attention he needed in private school. I was completely wrong. Caulbridge School is such a better fit for our son. We couldn’t be happier.”
Michael Alvarado, MD
UCSF Surgeon, Assistant Professor of Surgery
“Instead of a child that came home from school un-regulated and un-focused, I now had a child that came home completely calm, happy and eager to keep learning. Now he is in 1st grade at Caulbridge School, and his aptitude for numbers and math is shining through. He continues to impress me with his burgeoning vocabulary: “disintegrate” and “evaporate” are examples. We are so grateful for this school’s common-sense approach to learning, where kids have movement breaks, access to nature, and each child’s interests and abilities can be fully realized. Thank you Caulbridge!”
Stephanie Williams
Development Manager, North Marin Community Services
“Every morning our son wakes up excited to go to school and comes home every evening happily sharing new things he has learned with us. His teacher knows exactly how to engage with him to help him learn the best. We’re very happy to find Caulbridge School.”
Tomoko Isogai, RN
School District Nurse at San Francisco Unified School District
“Caulbridge has been an amazing experience for our family. As soon as we switched my son to Caulbridge he was a different person – happy and excited to go to school!
We switched our son mid-year (in Kindergarten) because he was so bored and unhappy at our local public school and not progressing in his learning. Within the first couple of weeks at Caulbridge (literally) he was reading with enthusiasm and wanting to learn more! His math sense and passion for numbers and understanding of complex math equations has been astounding. And this learning has only accelerated now that he is in first grade.
The teachers are amazing and due to the small class sizes, they are able to give Aidan a lot of personal attention. Their knowledge of all the kids’ learning styles and their ability to differentiate so that each child is getting what they need has been transformative.
The campus itself is stunning…. Full of nature and beauty. The kids are outside a large part of the doing hands on projects, exploring topics related to their units of study, getting fresh air and movement, and of course lots of fun during recess!
He comes home full of knowledge about their different units of study which seemed to be filled with facts and well thought through science projects, handcrafting, and more. And he is inspired to learn more about these subjects brimming with deep and thoughtful questions at the end of the day.
My only regret is that we did not find Caulbridge sooner. I didn’t even know such an amazing school could exist. It has exceeded my wildest expectations.”
Narahya Byrne
former Middle School Teacher, San Rafael, CA
“I had a fantastic visit to Caulbridge School. It was a complete joy to watch my student so engaged and learning so dynamically.”
Patty Tobini, M.S.
Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
“In my 20 years as a pediatric occupational therapist, I have never seen a school quite like Caulbridge. Focus, as Debra writes, can (and I think should) be taught. In a wholistic and developmentally appropriate way, this school attends to the sensory motor, emotional, academic, and social needs of our children. Caulbridge School is a gift to the Bay Area.”
Lindy Joffe, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
“As a psychotherapist, I see the impact of our non-adaptive educational system on people from all walks of life. Our fast-changing world is making ever-increasing demands on all of us. Ms Lambrecht is insightful as she eloquently presents a new model of education that I believe will go a long way in contributing to raising happy, healthy children.”
Vicki Goodman
MA, LMFT
“Why are we inspired about Caulbridge? Because Caulbridge School understands that behavioral issues at school is a communication of an unmet need at school. Our job is to identify what that unmet need might be, then work on ways to meet that need. It should never become a power struggle. Learning comes from a state of self-regulation. If a student is dysregulated, like fidgety or anxious, our job as educators is about prioritizing self-regulation first, so students can then be in the right state for great academic learning.”
Julie Hartman, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
“Small class sizes along with excellent research-based core curriculum, teaching techniques and philosophy make Caulbridge School very responsive to unique learners, including kiddos with anxiety. Debra has spent years and years as an educational consultant coaching schools in best practices, and recently opened a school based in all the tenets she has been teaching about — including, learning starting in the body.”
Diana Kennedy, MA
Board Certified Educational Therapist
Chair, Marin Educators in Private Practice
“That’s what is so great about what Caulbridge is doing. Observation skills, courageous learning, and positive self-concept: these are what it takes to show up, understand what is happening, jump in, and start making change for the good of the community. I think Caulbridge School is a bit ahead of the curve and truly that is what it is to be leading, breaking trail.”
Peter Poutiatine
Marin Educator and Evaluation Consultant
Edutopia / George Lucas Education Foundation
One St. Vincent Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: (415) 481-1243
Email: admin@caulbridgeschool.org
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