Adda Clevenger School

My son started at Adda last year and is now in the 2^nd grade — I don’t think I could have made a better choice of school for my child. My son loves school and I often have trouble dragging him out of there at the end of the day! Adda offers so much that it is hard to summarize here, but I will try:
Academics — My son is a bright kid with a love of science and language. The academics at Adda are rigorous and deeply engaging. In the last year his reading has taken off! And his favorite classes are science and creative thinking and design. Adda graduates consistently go to the best high schools in the City because they are challenged — I know he is in good hands academically.
The Arts — Adda is absolutely not about raising «stage kids,» despite a strong focus on theater and singing. Instead, the goal is to raise kids that take risks, are resilient, and who are poised and confident in front of a group. If you meet Adda kids, they shake your hand, look you in the eye and are comfortable speaking with adults. I already see that my son is emulating the older kids and growing in this way. It is exciting to see!
Fitness — Between gymnastics, dance (ballet, hip-​hop, tap!) and running around at lunch and recess, Adda kids get a ton of exercise. I have a boy who needs to move a lot during the day and he has countless opportunities to do just that. I know it helps him focus and he never has trouble sleeping!
All Day Program — Adda kids go to school from 8am-​5pm. For me as a working mom, this is an amazing and rare offering. They have time for all of the academics plus a ton of exercise and creative expression. And when they get home there is rarely homework to do — they get it done in study hall, which means the evenings are family time.
Community — Many families live near the school and so there is a real sense of connectedness, despite living in the middle of the City. And it is a tight-​knit parent community, full of creative and engaging people who contribute their many talents to better the school.
If you are seeking an excellent, well-​rounded education for your child in SF, Adda should be at the top of your list.

I went to this school for my 6^th grade year. I am 29 now, so some time has definitely gone by. I just thought I would share my experience, which is strictly my experience and may not reflect the experience of others who went to school with me at that time.
My parents put me in this school because they wanted me to have the best of both worlds; a place where I can prosper academically as well as an a place where I could learn to act, sing and dance. They were worried that other middle schools in San Francisco were not very strong academically, and wanted me to get ahead since I was already doing well in the math and sciences. Unfortunately, this school did the opposite of what my parents had hoped for.
I received virtually no math education while I was there, and the science classes didn’t seem to follow a normal curriculum. Sure, I could recite the entirety of Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I was still doing math at a 5^th grade level. My parents saw my academic skills decline so they pulled me out after 1 year. By the time I got to 7^th grade, I tested in at a 5^th grade level so they put me in the lowest math class. Being behind a grade level in math made it much more difficult to catch up, though eventually I did.
The silver lining is that it seems like this school has definitely improved over the years and that many parents are happy with their child’s education, so I hope that my experience is not a common one.

We absolutely love this school and feel so fortunate that we have discovered this hidden gem in San Francisco. When we started, we just wanted to find a school where our daughter who missed public school cutoff age by 1 day to be able to goto kindergarten and had every intention to transfer her to public school later on. But we have completely changed our mind ever since she started at the school. She is so happy everyday and she is doing great academically. But best of all, she has gained a lot of confidence about herself after a year at the school doing concerts and shows. I love how every kid gets a chance to get on the stage to perform regardless their talent level. It really helped our daughter to come out her shell. Every time I visit the school, I’m always impressed by the 8^th grade students since they can interact with adults with great confidence. I can see why most 8^th graders had no problem being accepted by top private/​public high schools.

My daughter has attended Adda Clevenger from 6^th — 8^th grades, having moved her from one of San Francisco’s all girl’s schools. Since changing schools, she has been provided with a more academically rigorous educational program, as well as a Performing Arts curriculum, and has thrived in a co-​ed environment. Middle school has therefore resulted in a time of tremendous growth for her, both academically and creatively. She especially enjoys the school’s offerings in gymnastics, musical and dramatic theater, chorus, 4 different types of dance (tap, ballet, ballroom and Chinese Dance), and has acquired strong abilities in Debate, to include competing. The weekly schedule intersperses the performing arts with the academic classes throughout each day, resulting in greater concentration in academic classes and thus better retention of information. The 8:00 am to 5:00 PM schedule is perfect for working families since you no longer need to have someone drive your child to after school extracurriculars. They are all available at school for a more reasonable tuition than the other private schools in San Francisco (there is aftercare or optional classes for middle schoolers until 6:00pm). Plus, Bay Area High schools love Adda Clevenger kids as they find them to be well prepared and well rounded for High School. You owe it to yourself to have your child visit this school, it is like no other and they will leave their visit enriched and invigorated. In the event you are in our situation and wish to change the school your child is currently attending, they accept students in all grades and have even done so mid-​year!

We have 2 boys here. The school brings out the love of learning. My oldest comes home and talks about science, history, and is getting exercise in school! They are learning gymnastics, dance and music, which is providing him another whole depth of his personal growth. We have toured ALL the independent schools in SF. Adda is different. Most schools in SF are alternative, which makes them all the same. Adda encompasses everything from academics to the arts. It is an all day school, which is HUGE! I The main reason we chose Adda was the remarkable difference in the students. We heard students speak at all the popular schools in SF and Adda by FAR had the most articulate, well-​adjusted, confident students speak. These children I knew would have a strong start in life. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but don’t let shiny objects fool you, this is because this school spends money where the students benefit the most, into the curriculum and the teachers. The curriculum is a Major point of difference that one should look at. We couldn’t be happier. The teachers are incredible and you can see that through the students. The admissions director and principal took great care getting to know our boys and us during the process. If you have boys don’t get scared off by dance and theater, it will teach your boys to be comfortable with themselves and the confidence they convey already in the 8^th grade is mind

My daughter attended Adda Clevenger from 1^st through 8^th grade. She loved the performing arts, especially the tap and ballroom dancing. We felt that having so many physical activities during the day helped her focus better during the academic time. As working parents, we found having a longer school day and a longer school year helped us too. She got accepted to every high school she applied to and that is a real measure of success.

Adda Clevenger provided a solid, well-​rounded education to my two children who both attended K-​9. Academically, the school delivered. Both went on to top private high schools and had little trouble earning acceptance. Their SSAT scores were strong and their grip on key subject material matched or exceeded their peers’. As they wrote their high school essays, both kids had solid writing skills and the quality of their instruction was manifest.
The performing arts experience was a huge plus. Our eldest chose not to pursue PA in high school, but the stage poise and ability to speak to large groups has been a real benefit. Our youngest will probably sing for life. The kids performed at Carnegie Hall, two prominent British venues, National Cathedral in Washington DC, and Davies. The choir won several national awards. To see these kids, standing on stage in front of hundreds of people, perform a challenging solo at the age of 12 is unbelievable. Some may pursue careers in the arts, but for most, it will be experience, skills, and confidence they will draw upon through life.
Finally, we’re so focused on evaluating the specifics that we lose site of the stuff you can’t measure — social development. Kids here are having fun, they are building lasting relationships, and they really enjoy being at school. The camaraderie they build through the performances shapes them into solid team players who can take the lead when called on. Because they spend 8 hours/​day together and must rely on one another in the shows, they learn to work out their issues. They graduate as confident, poised, articulate young men and women.
If we had it to do over again, we would have made the same choice.

If your child loves the performing arts and you want them to have a great academic education, then Adda is for your family. We transferred our daughter mid-​year during 3^rd grade. She went from liking school to loving school and being excited about it. She really likes her classmates, which are an amazing group of children who are equally excited to be there. She also likes the rich mix of classes that alternate between arts and academics and the teachers who inject passion into the material they teach, because it’s their specialty. The new head of school has been making positive, thoughtful and progressive changes, which some we had previously suggested.

I can’t be more happy with Adda Clevenger. My son is a kindergartner who loves this school. There was a time when I treated private school as a pre-​cursor to when we might get into a good public school in the city, but Adda has changed that. We’ve moved closer to Adda thinking that this is a long-​term proposition and we’ve stopped even applying to public schools.
At Adda, the curriculum allows my son to find confidence in the things that he does best. Add to that the fact that the parents are some of the most forward-​thinking, tech-​friendly people in the city, and you have a great, great school.
A+.

We have two children at the school and they love it. And we love it. They get a great academic education and they both are learning so sing, dance and perform in front of groups of people. The self confidence that they have developed and will continue to do so over the next few years is bar none the best education they can receive. Best kept secret in education in SF.

It’s been a great school the past 2 years. She has excelled academically and truly enjoys going to school

Adda Clevenger is completely different from other schools and ideal environment for our high-​energy, outgoing kid. The emphasis on theater arts sets the school apart. 45-​minute sessions of studio art, drama, dance, choral music and PE/​gymnastics are integral parts of the 8-​hour school day. The quality of the musical theater productions, in which all students participate, is impressive. Upper school students travel to the eastern US and Europe to perform. Academics are solid too, with most graduates attending Lowell and competitive independent high schools. Even in kindergarten, the kids have subject teachers in different classrooms, just like middle school. Teachers specialize in subjects they like to teach. No child is stuck in a class with a teacher they don’t work well with all day, every day, for an entire school year. Classes are small, with a teacher and an aide in each class, so behavior is well-​managed and each child gets plenty of attention. Generous lunch and recess breaks afford plenty of free playtime. The student body is diverse for a private San Francisco school, and the parent community is unpretentious and friendly.

I wish I could have gone to school at Adda Clevenger. This school not only excels in academics, but also in fostering creativity, curiosity and physical health. My son is thriving there. You’ll never hear him, or any of his friends, say that school is boring.

Adda Clevenger School is a great place for kids. The dual curriculm is european based for academics (a great deal more rigorous than other schools) and custom made for theater arts. This school teaches kids how to be comfortable with public speaking and they are immersed in music.
These kids work hard! and it shows :)

I transfered to AC in middle school from a public school. Mrs. Harrison wold constantly refer to public schools as «government schools» and would make me feel really horrible about being a lot different than the children she had molded. The 2 years I spent there were torture. The children were always innapropriate with each other and the staff definitely knew about it. We spent more time in some classes talking about our teachers home problems than actually learning. Thank god one of those teachers drifting through had some empathy and spent time tutoring and mentoring me. She was the only good thing about my experience there. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO THIS SCHOOL!

I graduated from Adda Clevenger several years ago. Throughout my years there, I made many friends to whom I got very close. I always felt that the school lacked much though. For example, I always wanted to play a sport, but this school never allowed me to because of the extremely long school day. I also feel that having 3 major shows a year are unnecessary when we should be having more academics. The academics in this school are incredibly weak. This is because all the school focuses on is the performing arts. Another thing that really distressed me was how the teachers would change constantly. I never was able to bond with any teacher.
On the other hand, this school helped me get in to one of the top high schools in the Bay Area. With all the shows and trips, I stood out from many other kids applying to high school. So, in the end it did pay off. I wouldn’t recommend this school to any children who want to enjoy activities outside of school because they simply wont have the time.

I attended Adda Clevenger from preschool to 3^rd grade. I was one of the first 10 students to start the school back in 1980.
I absolutely loved this school! I have such fond memories of going here, when Mrs. Harrison was still teaching out of her house in the Sunset. I loved the day trips, going to Santa Cruz or Golden Gate Park. I loved the performances (my parents still have some of those on video tape! yikes!), loved being in the Nutcracker, loved being in that Pat Benetar video! (Man, I was so cool at 7 years old, and I didn’t even know it!) I loved the friends I made there. I loved summer school and ballet and gymnastics and music and art…
I feel that this school gave me the foundation I truly needed to become a pretty smart and decent human being. I just hope that when I have kids one day, they too, will be able to go here. Actually, I just hope that I will be able to afford the ridiculous tuition! :D