Zion Lutheran School

Zion is a K-​8 school in nestled in the hills of Piedmont/​Oakland. My list of reasons for considering Zion Lutheran to be a blessing to the children who attend could be much longer, but I will keep it brief.
— high standards/​academic excellence
— skilled and experienced teachers who have been at Zion for years and many for decades. (a stable teaching staff speaks well of any school)
— a joyful, thoughtful and respectful student body
— very involved parent/​community
— small class sizes
— robust before and after school programs
— the children have recess and are able to play!
— daily p.e. for all students
— a hot lunch program– catered. The hot lunches are great. I have had a couple of opportunities to share in my daughter’s school lunches. They are tasty, high quality and healthy. Yum!

I went to Zion from K-​8, and the well-​rounded education I got there was invaluable to my next steps in life. Thanks to the experiences I had at Zion I was able to go on to one of Oakland’s best high schools,
College Prep, and eventually to Columbia University in New York.
Academically, I had the grounding to excel in competitive scholastic environments, and the 1-​on-​1 attention I received showed me the value a teacher can have on a child’s trajectory. Mrs. Heinitz, the 4^th grade teacher, is still the best teacher I’ve ever had, but every teacher in every grade added something special to my childhood. I also made friends for life in those halls.
Some highlights include a trip to the Gold Country in 4^th grade, outdoor education in 7^th and 8^th grades, church performances such as a Christmas production where I was able to play (and further understand) Pontuis Pilate, and sports excursions to play other Lutheran schools as far out as Napa and Redwood City.
I can’t overstate how important Zion was to my development, and how much fun I had while I was there.

We are so happy we found Zion for our children. Our son graduated from Zion in June and just started his first year of high school at St Mary’s. He is more than prepared for his Honors English and Honors Geometry classes (content and homework load). Within the first week of high school, our son wrote a thank you note to Mr. Heinitz!
Our daughter is in the 3^rd grade at Zion. We are very pleased with the reading and math programs (K-​8). Our daughter is a competent and analytical reader, which allows her to excel in all subjects in school.
One more note on Zion — the school does not have cliques (parents or children). The classes are small and all of the children play with one another. The kids (K-​8) at Zion are thoughtful, well-​rounded, loving and respectful.
Zion is a true gem!

Honestly… this is the best kept (academic) secret on the hill!
We are new to ZLS this year. We moved our son from public middle school to provide him with a better academic environment. So far it’s been great!
He has had to spend a lot of time catching up to his peers academically, but the teachers have all been very supportive and helpful, encouraging him and helping him achieve success. We feel like he is finally on the right track!
On the positive side: small classes, focus on fundamentals, great extra curricular subjects, accountability (for both the teachers and the students). And the cost/​value is surprisingly good. Very high quality. Very affordable — much more so than many other private schools in the area.
The school is small, which my son doesn’t like. He would prefer a larger student body. And they are racially imbalanced, which is something I’ve addressed with the administrators and they are taking action in their current enrollment campaigns.
If you’re considering a private K-​8 education for your kids, you should really check out ZLS.