Frequently Asked Questions

Our people and our location set us apart from other independent schools. We use the City of Oakland as a living classroom, inviting real-world application of developmentally appropriate academic experience.

An Episcopal education nurtures the whole child academically, socially, and spiritually through respectful dialogue, character formation, service, and a welcoming learning environment. 

St. Paul's is rooted in the Episcopalian tradition of dovetailing strong academics with strong moral character. 

Lower School:
● Arrival drop-off is between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. at the white zone in front of 116 Montecito Avenue,
● Dismissal at the White Zone in front of 116 Montecito
○ Grades K-1: 2:30 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
○ Grades 2-3: 3:00 p.m. - 3:10 p.m.
○ Grades 4-5: 3:15 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.
● Do not double park at 116 Montecito or near the playground at any time.
● Do not make a U-turn on Montecito Avenue at any time

Note that parents can also park at Veterans’ Green (between 8-8:30 am and 2:15 pm-3:15 pm
and walk over to the school to drop off/pick up their child(ren)

Middle School:
● Arrival drop-off is between 8:00 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. on Lennox Avenue.
○ Please do not double park on or make a U-Turn on Grand Ave
● Dismissal is at Fairyland @ 3:30 p.m. (After 15 minutes, they will be enrolled in the After
School Program (ASP).
○ Seventh and Eighth on the right by the hill
○ Sixth on the left by the Lawn Bowling
Grades 6-8: 3:30 pm

Before school care is offered from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Children in the Before School Program meet
in the Lower School building at 116 Montecito for reading, games, and socializing. At 8:00 a.m., teachers will walk children to the playground, rooftop, or Middle School to join their classmates.

ASP takes place in the Lower School building, gym, and library; it serves the childcare needs of parents and students and fosters the same community atmosphere as during the regular school day. It is available to all students from class dismissal time until 6:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except on certain holidays when no ASP is available (more details will be on the school website and will be updated for the new school year). For more information about ASP, contact Kenton Young, Director of ASP, at kyoung@spes.org.

Teachers provide individualized guidance and differentiated instruction to help each student grow academically and socially.

Regular activities are offered through the After School Program. For middle schoolers, there are multiple athletic opportunities available each season that support teamwork and good sportsmanship.

Lunch for Grades K – 8 is approximately 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (times vary for Lower School and Middle School).

We strongly request your support in limiting the number of sugary foods brought to school and also encourage you to send lunches from home in reusable containers. Also, St. Paul’s has a no peanuts or tree nut policy. All food must contain no nuts and must not be prepared in nut oil.

Pizza Day is a fundraiser for eighth-grade field trips that happens at lunch every Tuesday. Students who sign up (for one semester or the full year) get pizza for lunch each Tuesday. There is a sign-up sheet on the website's Parent Portal (or you may contact Michael Birkhead at the Middle School mbirkhead@spes.org).

Choice Lunch is an outside vendor that provides a hot (or cold) lunch option that is
delivered to the school every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. More information about setting up an account is available through the Parent Portal page on the website (after July 1).

For Lower School: Call or email Heather DeBose, K-8 Operations Manager, at 510.285.9604 or
hdebose@spes.org; or Destiny Doxey, Lower School Registrar, at 510.285.9600 or ddoxey@spes.org.
For Middle School: Call or email Michael Birkhead, Middle School Registrar, at 510.285.9606 or
mbirkhead@spes.org.

Full narrative reports on academic and social progress are available in December and June. In addition, parent-teacher-student conferences are scheduled in October and March to share information and set goals. You may contact a teacher or specialist at any time for an
update on your child’s work. The School email format is typically FIRSTINITIALOF
FIRSTNAMELASTNAME@spes.org (e.g. John Smith will be jsmith@spes.org)

There are many opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or at school-‐wide events. As a reminder, it is part of each family’s contract with St. Paul’s that families contribute at least 15
volunteer hours per parent per school year. For classroom-‐based volunteering opportunities, you can contact your child’s teacher or the room parents. 

The school also maintains a community engagement calendar, including regular service opportunities in the city of Oakland. You will be able to follow this calendar as part of the weekly newsletter which begins in August.

Co-ed cross-country September (Fall)
Co-ed flag football September (Fall)
Pickleball September (Fall)
Girls’ junior & varsity basketball End of November (Winter)
Boys’ junior & varsity basketball End of November (Winter)
Co-ed volleyball March (Spring)
Co-ed ultimate frisbee March (Spring)

Everyone gets to play based on their participation at practice. There are try-‐outs, but everyone makes a team. The tryouts will determine placement on junior or varsity team. Meets/games all take place during the school week. Students are transported to meets/games with the assistance of parent drivers. Students are returned to the Lower School after the meets/games unless otherwise arranged with the parent drivers.

If you have questions about team sports, please contact Athletic Director Dee Henderson at dhenderson@spes.org

We do not teach or promote religion. The weekly Friday gathering seeks to bring the school community together to share in student learning. Our students plan and lead Chapel to feature units of study from the classroom, from cultural celebrations to explorations of identity and the importance of friendship. We cultivate a caring atmosphere where students learn from and about religious traditions beyond their own and are encouraged to discover their own truth.

Families are always welcome to attend Chapel (8:45 a.m.- 9:10 a.m. or so).

❖❖ Back-‐to-‐School Night (September)
❖❖ Walk the Block (October)
❖❖ Halloween Parade (October)
❖❖ Holiday Concert (December)
❖❖ African American Culture Evening (February)
❖❖ OakTown (March)
❖❖ Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day & Spring Concert (a half-‐day event held in spring)
❖❖ Spring Art Show (in spring)
❖❖ Olympiad, all-school track and field day at Lakeside Park (late May)
❖❖ Graduation (fun night for all and an important night for kindergartners to be with their eighth-grade buddies)

Dots are the circles marked in the concrete right in front of the lower school entrance. You will find classes lined up ‘at the dots’ when going from one building to another and out into the neighborhood, city, and Bay Area.