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Stratford school
A classroom of collaborators can change the world.
Stratford School offers an unparalleled education where tradition meets 21st century learning. Our unique and nurturing school environment motivates students through high expectations in a collaborative and fun learning environment.
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Preschool/Pre-K
Our premier education starts in preschool as students explore, create, and kindle a love of learning.
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Elementary School
Our accelerated STEAM curriculum balances academic rigor with a caring learning environment.
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Middle School
With advanced STEAM instruction, our middle school program prepares students for high school and beyond.
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High School
Our high school will prepare students for life after Stratford with a rigorous curriculum taught by compassionate teachers.
Coming up at Stratford School
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Coffee and Learn: Explore Our Mandarin Bilingual Program - Altadena Campus
January 11, 2020 at 10:30am
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Coffee and Learn: Explore Our Mandarin Bilingual Program - Los Angeles Campus
January 25, 2020 at 10:30am
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Snapshots from Stratford School
Blog
Setting Expectations and Limits for Appropriate Technology Use
Brought to you by Dr. Michael Slone of the Center for Developing Minds, our latest blog series explores the complicated world of parenting in the digital age. In part one, learn about setting expectations for appropriate technology use.
Blog
4 Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language at a Young Age
Today, competing on a global scale is integral to a successful career. For the majority of occupations, speaking foreign languages makes you more marketable and valuable to any company. Read more about the benefits of learning a second language for your child!
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Why the Arts Are an Essential Part of a STEM/STEAM Curriculum
Research has increasingly emphasized the benefits of an arts education, which is why the arts are an essential part of the Stratford School curriculum. Read more to learn about the benefits that art instruction has on students in STEM/STEAM schools and how we incorporate it into our Stratford curriculum.
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Tips for Managing Separation Anxiety
The first time at preschool or even a new classroom may cause fear, anxiety or sadness for parents and children alike. It is important to remember that separation anxiety is a normal part of child development. As you prepare to drop your child off at preschool, try th strategies outlined in our blog to help your child cope with separation anxiety.
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How Sports Help Students Achieve in School
While we often hear about the physical benefits of children playing sports, the positive effects of physical education and sports are not only physical. Read on to learn five proven benefits of sports that will help your child excel academically.
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How to Improve Your Child's Creative Writing Skills
Whether it comes naturally to your child or not, creative writing is an important skill to develop. Read our latest blog for tips to help improve your child's creative writing skills.
Why Families Choose Stratford
Meet Our
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Neena Bhave
Head of School
““Today’s children are tomorrow’s future.””
Neena Bhave brings over three decades of leadership experience in the field of education to her role as Head of School at Stratford School’s Palo Alto campus.
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Benjamin Guansing
Teacher
“At Stratford, I've grown more as an educator than anywhere else to date.”
Benjamin Guansing teaches math and engineering at Stratford School’s San Jose Middle School campus, and also serves as the curricular lead for the engineering program.
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Laura Morgan
Head of School
“Stratford has allowed me the opportunity to share my love of learning with students and staff.”
Laura Morgan has been a part of the Stratford School family for over 18 years. Before taking on her current role as the Head of School at Stratford’s Washington Park and De Anza Park campuses, Laura served as a principal, vice principal, and taught preschool and elementary grades.
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Vidya Janardhanan
Computer Science Teacher
“I strive to create a safe environment where my students can explore, learn, and grow.”
Vidya Janardhanan teaches computer science to at Stratford School’s Sunnyvale Raynor Middle School campus, and has over a decade of experience in the field of education.
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Sherrie Paregian
Head of School
“I look forward to building the Stratford community in San Francisco and sharing the spirit and values of our school.”
Sherrie Paregian brings to Stratford School over two decades of experience in education. Sherrie's Stratford experience includes 4 years teaching and 12 years serving as principal at Stratford School's Los Gatos, Palo Alto, and Fremont campuses. In addition to her leadership experience at Stratford, she held a Head of School position at a Bay Area private school.
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Rachel Altreuter
Director of Lower School
“I aim to provide a safe space for intellectual and emotional growth.”
Rachel Altreuter has been part of the Stratford School family for over nine years. Before taking on her current role as the Director of Lower School at Stratford School’s San Francisco campus, Rachel taught first grade for five years, served as a first grade mentor teacher, and as a vice principal.
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Asita Anand
Director of Lower School
“Students are best served when they are actively and passionately engaged in the pursuit of knowledge.”
Asita Anand has been part of the Stratford School family for five years and has over ten years of experience in private elementary education. Before taking on her current role as the Director of Lower School at Stratford's Fremont Osgood campus, Asita served as the Vice Principal at Stratford School's Fremont Curtis campus.
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Aleatha Alston
Assistant Director
“At Stratford, we foster growth for the whole child.”
Aleatha Alston has been a part of the Stratford School family for four years, and has 15 years of experience in the field of education. She currently is a teacher and leader in training at Stratford School’s Fremont Boulevard campus.
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Lisa Weiss
Grade Level Chair
“Every morning I wake up with a true excitement for the day's lessons.”
Lisa Weiss teaches transitional kindergarten at Stratford School’s Santa Clara Winchester campus. She has over 30 years of teaching experience, and currently serves as the curricular lead for Stratford School’s transitional kindergarten program.
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Kristi Chung
Math Department Lead
“I focus on helping students learn skills and reinforce values that will be helpful in their unique futures.”
Kristi Chung teaches science at Stratford School’s San Jose Middle School campus, and has over a decade of experience in the field of education. She also serves as the curricular lead for the science program.
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George McAusland
Curricular Lead
“I try to engage my students through insightful, Socratic questions.”
George McAusland has been in elementary education since 2011, and currently teaches at Stratford School's San Jose Middle School campus.
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Mimi Tamrat
Director of Early Childhood Education
“I believe in every child’s ability to become motivated and excited learner.”
Mimi Tamrat brings over 30 years of top, diversified early childhood experience to her role as Director of Early Childhood Education at Stratford's new West Los Angeles campus. Before taking on her current role, Mimi taught preschool children and served as the Preschool Director at other local preschools.
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Dalhi Sanko
Spanish Teacher
“I hope to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them.”
Dalhi Sanko has over 25 years of experience in the field of education, and 12 years of experience teaching Spanish. She currently teaches Spanish to preschool students at Stratford School’s Santa Clara Pomeroy campus.
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Mary Kiely
Director of Lower School
“My job is to be a humble servant to our Stratford students, employees, and families.”
Mary Kiely has been a part of the Stratford School family for over a decade, a place where she feels at home. Before taking on her current role as the Director of Lower School at Stratford School's Sunnyvale Washington Park campus, Mary taught preschool through kindergarten, as well as served as a vice principal and preschool principal.
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Michael Rosenberg
Teacher
“My personal philosophy has always matched Stratford's of high hopes.”
Michael Rosenberg has been a part of the Stratford School family for 11 years. He currently teaches fourth grade, and serves as a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) lead at Stratford School’s Washington Park Campus.
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Sanny Figueroa
Head of School
“Education is about leading people into the light, giving them the opportunitity to change their lives for the better.”
Sanny Figueroa has over 30 years of experience in the field of education, with experience teaching elementary through high school students. Currently, Sanny is the Head of School at Stratford School’s Pleasanton campus.
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Camilla Lindh
Eighth Grade
“For a future job, my aspirations include a horse trainer, an astrophysicist, a biomedical engineer, a vet, a marine biologist, or a National Geographic photographer.”
If Stratford has taught Camilla Lindh anything in her eight years as a student, it is that she can accomplish amazing things with hard work and the right support. An eighth grader at our San Jose campus, Camilla’s proudest moment was achieving a perfect score on the National Spanish exam – a feat not possible without her favorite teacher, Ms. Sanchez. Ms. Sanchez “makes learning extremely exciting” with her animated and fun personality and makes learning a new language more accessible. Camilla also has a passion for the arts, as she feels that she can express her creativity through a variety of mediums without a set format or formula to follow. Her diverse set of hobbies include baking, playing volleyball, making and editing videos, swimming, horseback riding, singing, and more!
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Twesha Ghosh
8th Grade
“I want to build a career in product design and chase my passion in accessibility awareness.”
Twesha Ghosh is an eighth grader at Stratford’s Fremont Middle School campus. History is Twesha’s favorite subject in school, and naturally her favorite teacher is her history teacher, Mr. Fox. Out of her eleven years at Stratford, Twesha’s best experience was when she was cast as Rafiki in Stratford’s production of Lion King, Jr. She worked very hard to prepare for the production and felt proud that she was one of the only younger students cast in a major role. When she is not studying history or practicing for musicals, Twesha enjoys arts and crafts, reading, blogging, and singing. After Stratford, Twesha wants to build her career in product design and chase her passion for accessibility awareness.
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Nikki Agrawal
Eighth Grade
“I hope to become a writer or work in marketing, because I love writing and have always wanted to create my own world.”
Nikki Agrawal has been a Stratford student for seven years. Nikki loves that she can explore both her creative and analytical side at Stratford. She solves complex problems in Computer Science class with Mrs. Dastur and demonstrates her creativity through art in Mrs. Vasquez's art class. Outside of school, Nikki enjoys reading, writing, and skiing. A recent project involving propoganda prompted her interest in marketing, which she sees as a potentially exciting career path.
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Erik Rulkens
Eighth Grade
“I love science because of the fun, hands-on projects we get to do.”
Erik Rulkens is an eighth grade student at Stratford’s Milpitas campus. A lover of science, Erik’s favorite teacher is naturally his math and science teacher, Mrs. Braun. Mrs. Braun helps bring lessons to life with fun and interactive hands-on activities. Stratford has also encouraged Erik to try new things. For instance, Erik decided to join the basketball team when he came to Stratford, even though he had never been a part of a sports team. Flashforward to this year, where he led the Stratford Milpitas basketball team to an undefeated season as captain. Not only does he love the sport, but he enjoys the expereince of being a part of a team and the strong bond of friendship that he has developed with his teammates. In the future, Erik hopes to pursue a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) career because he feels that they are fun and worthwhile careers. He also hopes to travel the world to learn more about other cultures.
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Herin Kang
Eighth Grade
“At Stratford, teachers don't just teach you and leave at the end of the day - they truly care about you and your individual passion for learning.”
A Stratford student since kindergarten, Herin’s loves the challenging, yet caring environment at Stratford. Her favorite subject has been biology since second grade, but enjoys geometry as well. She feels an abundance of support from her teachers and mentors at Stratford, especially Mr. Guansing, Mr. Takemoto, and Ms. Chung. When Herin is not strategizing on how to solve complex world problems, she enjoys playing ukulele, reading, watching documentaries, and playing badminton. She also enjoys conducting mini experiments at home, especially when they involve looking through a microscope and collecting data to analyze. After Stratford, Herin is interested in attending a STEM school and wishes to study biomedical engineering in college. Herin plans to use her prize money to invest in a new microscope and other science equipment so that she can continue learning and exploring the world.
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Ashton Liu
Eighth Grade
“I enjoy a plethora of hobbies in my spare time such as playing the piano and violin, reading, and playing badminton.”
Driven and hardworking – two of the best ways to describe Ashton Liu, an eighth grader at Stratford San Jose Middle School. Ashton, who has been a student at Stratford since third grade, always has his eyes on his next goal. His favorite subject is Math, as he believes it will provide the foundational skills needed for a successful future career, and he also enjoys the challenging curriculum of Ms. Datta’s language arts class because she encourages him to think critically. Overall, Ashton feels that Stratford’s advanced curriculum has prepared him well for the challenges he will face in the coming years of high school. After High School, Ashton aspires to go to an excellent college so that he can continue working hard and study Computer Science or Pediatrics. Someday, he hopes to be a pediatrician or a software engineer at a major Silicon Valley company such as Google or Apple.
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Kyle Lou
Eighth Grade
“I aspire to develop a new type of operating system that will be more popular than Windows.”
Athlete, politician, accomplished student, future entrepreneur – Kyle Lou does it all! From the moment he got to Stratford School in seventh grade, Kyle immersed himself in the community and ran for class representative. This year, he is representing the entire school as President of the Student Council. Student Council is not his only hobby, however, as Kyle is also an avid swimmer and plays on the school basketball team. In school, Kyle enjoys science and his favorite teacher is his science teacher, Ms. Braun, who makes difficult science concepts easier to understand. In the future, Kyle hopes to go to a top university and become a software engineer and entrepreneur.
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Leynah Nguyen
Eighth Grade
“Without Stratford, I would have never found my true passion.”
Before Stratford, Leynah Nguyen had never been on stage - an experience that has been nothing if not life-changing. In fact, the drama program at Stratford has inspired Leynah to dream of a future pursuing her passion for performing arts. Drama is not Leynah’s only talent, however, as she also enjoys exploring her more logical and analytical side in Math class as well as the challenging literature concepts in Ms. Datta’s Language Arts class. When she is not studying or on stage, Leynah enjoys video editing, graphic design, composing and writing songs, playing piano and ukulele, acting, and golf.