St. Marks School - Altadena

We started our journey at St Marks in fall of 2020 with our eldest starting preschool. At an unprecedented time, the school did an unbelievable job of creating an incredible in person learning environment! We have now been at the school 5 years with two kids enrolled and are so happy with the choice we made to attend this gem of a school. My husband and I grew up in the area and had always heard unbelievable reviews of St Marks from our friends, family and coworkers. And now, we are in that grouping of people who speak so highly of our beloved school. The children gain a deep love for learning and learn how to learn. Their wellness is important as well but not in a way that overshadows academics. It's the perfect hybrid of strong academics, taught in age appropriate ways- with the child's wellbeing taken care of. And on top of this, everyone we know that has graduated and gone onto prestigious independent schools in the area say that St Marks prepared the students incredibly well. We are beyond happy with St Marks and what it's provided for our children.

We have been with Saint Marks for 8 years! My oldest first started in the 3s preschool and will be graduating from Saint Marks in 2 years. We couldn't be happier. Saint Marks has exceeded our expectations in every way. The teachers are dedicated and genuinely invested in each child's success. This really rings true for my youngest who has a learning difference and needs a little extra help. His kindergarten year his teacher went above and beyond and connected with his tutor to make sure they were aligned and working on the same thing to ensure he kept on track. She also started the morning out with math after she noticed he excelled at math, it built up his confidence at the beginning of the day to ensure the remainder of the day ran smoothly. This year his teacher connected him with a learning specialist on campus during group reading time to give him the extra attention he needs to build up the confidence to read in front of his peers. The teachers really know your child and will do whatever it takes to ensure they are all getting the exact attention and help they need. The administration is approachable and responsive, always putting students first. There's a real sense of community here. Both of my sons have gained confidence and a love of learning thanks to the nurturing and engaging atmosphere. We couldn't be happier with the quality of education and care provided here and couldn't recommend Saint Marks enough!!

We are endlessly grateful to Saint Mark's. Before our very eyes, we have watched our child grow into the very best version of who she is meant to be, supported every step of the way by devoted and expert educators who guide her to learn and flourish in ways we never would have imagined. We began there in the 3 year old program, and honestly didn't know much about the school beyond the preschool. When it came time for Kindergarten, your child automatically has a spot in the elementary program (a huge plus), but we still wanted to look around at all the competitor schools to make sure we were choosing the best possible place for our family. Our child was so well-prepared coming out of Saint Mark's preschool that she was accepted everywhere we applied. An amazing credit to the preschool! In the end, as we compared all the independent schools in the area, Saint Mark's was the place we found that equally prioritized strong academics, social emotional wellness, extracurricular opportunities, and just being a genuinely good person. We looked no further, and haven't looked back.Lots of these schools will help your child become the best version of their kind of student--Saint Mark's helps your child become the very best version of themself.

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.