A Montessori Education at The Renaissance International School

The Renaissance International School is a warm and supportive community of students, teachers, and parents. No one gets lost in the crowd!

We are an international school. Our curriculum, faculty, and student body reflect a global perspective.

We begin with a deep respect for the child as a unique individual. We work from a sincere concern for his or her social and emotional development. We consciously teach our students to be kind and respectful.

Hands-On Learning
Our goal is to develop students who really understand their schoolwork. We believe there is far more to an education than mastering facts, so we are not focused on rote drill and memorization.

Our students learn through hands-on experience, investigation, and research. They become actively engaged in their studies, rather than passively waiting to be spoon-fed.

Our curriculum is carefully structured and integrated to demonstrate the connections among the different subject areas. Every class learns critical thinking, composition, and research. History lessons link architecture, the arts, science, and technology.

We not only teach, we facilitate learning by coaching our students along, and getting to know them as friends and mentors.

Outdoor Education
We instill within our students a love of the natural world. Ecological studies and outdoor education are an essential part of every student's life. Read about our middle school's trip to Mono Lake.

Our students learn to collaborate by working and learning together. They strive for their personal best, rather than competing against one another for the highest grade.

In addition, Montessori students are not afraid of making mistakes; they see them as natural steps in the learning process.

Recognizing Different Learning Styles
Our educational program is consciously designed to recognize and address different learning styles, helping each student learn to study most effectively. We challenge and set high expectations for all our students, not just a special few.

Our Graduates Are Successful
Our students develop self-discipline and an internal sense of purpose and motivation. We have seen first-hand that these values truly pay off. Graduates are happy, well-rounded individuals who, upon graduation, attend public and private high schools including Head Royce, The College Preparatory School, Bentley School, Bishop O'Dowd and Lick-Wilmerding High School.

Students from Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Alameda, and other San Francisco East Bay cities attend The Renaissance International School, a private Montessori school in Oakland for toddlers, preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Our students are age 2 through middle school.