Corpus Christi School

Corpus Christi School is a microcosm of everything that is best about an academic and religious institution; kindness prevails, community is foremost and academics are not trivial. My older child attended a different comparable Catholic elementary school in the area and I can safely say that in almost every way Corpus Christi School is head and shoulders above this other school. Firstly, our Principal, Ms. Katie Murphy is one of the finest Heads of School in the East Bay (and I include high performing private schools as well). She is one of the best educators I've seen, she is child-focused, and she is an exceptional leader. A strong Principal is so important; the faculty feels heard and the staff is supported. Academically, Corpus Christi's School's expectations are high, there is no slacking tolerated. But, with this high expectation comes compassion and understanding. Corpus Christi School is a jewel in the heart of Oakland schools; Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Bar none.

My wife and I were faced with a problem many parents have in Oakland: Finding a good school. The Oakland school district wasn't able to accommodate our requests via lottery, and our local school wasn't up to our standards.

We looked at all options, and after touring many schools we fell in love with Corpus Christi. We're an agnostic family but were still welcomed with open arms. Never have we felt out of place for not being part of the congregation.

The cost is reasonable, the parent involvement in fantastic, the teachers are first-rate, and the administration is not only skilled but loved dearly by everyone.

It's a wonderful school and would recommend it to all prospective parents: Believers and non-believers alike.

Corpus Christi has been a great school for my two children. We have enjoyed the welcoming community and their desire to make the school a better place. Parent participation in all aspects of the school are second to none.

My children enjoy coming to school every day and continue to grow and learn. The teachers challenge my children to grow in many ways from fostering their ability to speak in public to encouraging their academic abilities.

My children have participated in the excellent sports program, from volleyball to basketball and cross country. Participating in these programs has fostered a sense of teamwork inside and outside the classroom.

Overall we have enjoyed our experience and are glad we made the Corpus Christi choice.

A fabulous K-8 school, with great all around academics, strong and active school community with great parent involvement, wonderful sports programs and an unparalleled emphasis on community service, helping others and giving back. The school community is like a family and although the volunteer activities are plentiful it really helps develop a sense of common purpose that the kids benefit from.

The principal has been there for many, many years and is a wonderful, strong leader with an enormous heart for the students. Many of the teachers have been there for years (some over 20 years).

Overall, great school with so many positive attributes.

Great School, Great Community - After a year in public school, we started looking for a school that promoted the same core basic values that we really wanted our child to learn - like respect, and social responsibility. These values and more are a part of the culture at Corpus Christi. The academics standards are high and while the class size seem large, there are so many teaching resources that when core subjects are taught, the class sizes are quite small. I especially like the personal attention that our principal gives to me and my child. She is always willing to listen and create academic plans when appropriate. I also appreciate the focus on technology. Besides all of this, the Extended Care is affordable and fun - my child never wants to be picked up. They focus on doing homework, then fun with Lego, sports, and even Stop Motion movie projects, and Improv.

The parent community is involved and fun. They support one another in so many ways. I am extremely glad we found Corpus Christi !

I love this school. The principal knows every child and checks in with them all. I have one child who is in a highly-competitive high school now and was very well-prepared at Corpus. The classes are large, but there are full-time aides in all of the elementary classes. There is a lot of support for students who learn differently, 2 resource specialists for one school. Technology is constantly being upgraded and used as a tool within the curriculum, not as a separate add on. The best part of the school is the community. People come together when your family or your child needs it, with rides, food, or just a shoulder to cry on.

There are no words that I can use to express my gratitude to Corpus Christi School. I am a Corpus Christi alumni attending the school for eight years graduating in 1980. So when I had my own family, my husband and I never questioned where we would like our four children to go to school. Katie Murphy, the principal at Corpus Christi, welcomed us with open arms and 14 years later has never disppointed us. She, along with a wonderful staff, continue to teach and love our children everyday.

Our children have been exposed to fantastic reading and math programs, Spanish, innovative writing methods, inclusive religion classes, interesting social studies lessons, and an older to younger student mentoring program. The sport programs encourage everyone to participate with the guarantee that all on the team will play. This mentality is reflected inside and outside the classroom.

The Corpus Christi community rallies behind those in need, those who have lost a loved one, or just those who need a shoulder to lean on. We often pray as a community, which includes our principal, teachers, parish leader Father Leo, students and parents. All parents take pride in the school evident through participation in our fundraisers. Corpus Christi has prepared my oldest for Saint Mary's HS and University of Oregon, my second for Bishop O'Dowd HS, and continues with my 5th and 1st graders. Now when my youngest graduates in 2020, I will have been at this school for 30 years (including myself). I think it is safe to say Corpus Christi School is the best grammar school around!

Given my husband was raised in a fairly serious Catholic family and I grew up with very little religion at all, I initially had my doubts about sending my children to a private Catholic school. I would be taking them away from all of the friends they knew and more consciously introducing them to a world that I was less familiar. Both of my boys were also the ones typically crying at the 'goodbye window' at every pre-school drop-off made for as long as I can remember. However, that all changed with Corpus Christi. I quickly learned how open, warm and accepting both the school and parish staff were of EVERYONE to cross their doors -- even incorporating some surprisingly diverse teachings into the curriculum. Additionally, neither child (my youngest, who is now in Kindergarten; and oldest, who is now in 2nd grade) has ever cried once when dropping them off at school. They never looked back and are truly eager to return to school each and every weekday to be with all of the amazing friends they've so quickly made there. I could not be more pleased by our choice of school for our boys.