St. Marks School - Altadena

TL;DR: You'd be missing out if you didn't check out this hidden gem! I could go on and on about everything, but to save your time and mine I'll point out some highlights. - Low student-to-teacher ratio. Preschool is 15 kids/2 teachers per class. Elementary max of 20ish kids/2 teachers per class. Allows for differentiation in the curriculum so your kid is a lot of attention and being challenged at their level.- Focus on teacher retention: very good, nurturing teachers with lots of experience who are invested in the school long term.- Excellent 7th grade admissions stats.- Amazing school community: I do not know how I would raise these kids without this village and all its resources. People (administration, teachers, parents, etc) are truly authentic and caring. - Episcopalian school but actually very light on the religion. More focus on being a good person and social, emotional, and moral education. Very important in this modern world. Many diverse families here, not just Christian.

I have had the privilege to send multiple children to Saint Mark's School. While I still have a young one enrolled and thriving, my other children got into their first-choice schools and are both doing very well. While being academically prepared is obviously a concern for many parents, I was more worried about making sure they had a balanced upbringing. One of the school's main missions is to "Honor the Student's Childhood." That really resonated with me because, in this day in age, I feel like we are in a big rush to make our kids "grow up" so quickly. The community at Saint Mark's School is very tight-knit and you can really feel the love for each other. Of course, no school is perfect, but I think any of the adversities faced are perfectly normal and end up building character for the child and the parents alike. I feel so lucky to have my family be part of Saint Mark's School and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any young family who values a good balance.

We have been a part of the Saint Mark`s Family for 3 years now, and our two children are thriving for so many reasons. The low teacher-student ratio really helps the faculty get to know each individual student and assist individual needs. Being a preschool-6th grade only, your child learns to become a leader at an early age. Our graduating 6th graders are well-spoken, confident, and compassionate leaders. Community is central to everything. The families come from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and are warm and welcoming. We have made many close friendships here. The families are also very supportive of the faculty and staff. They truly want the staff to continue to grow in their education and other learning avenues. We feel very blessed that our children are able to receive a first-rate education in such a warm and positive environment.