Sonder Creek Academy, Walnut Creek | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

When our private school Palmer announced the closure after 81 years, there were endless outcries and pleas from the teachers and parents to reverse this decision. After months and all attempts failing, this same group got together and decided defeat was not an option and began creating a new school. That’s right, this group of teachers and parents came together and created a new school, Sonder Creek Academy!

Sonder brings not just the amazing teachers, but traditions and values from its beloved predecessor Palmer. Even better, Sonder brings a fresh new 21st century outlook on education. Parents are encouraged and engaged to participate in building the structure of this new school. Are there any other parents out there that can say that?

We feel excited and lucky to be a part of something from the beginning that will hopefully last many more generations to come.

During COVID and remote learning, Sonder teachers have kept the high standards we expect from an exceptional private school. There are no shortcuts taken, this was not a “coast year” at Sonder, every subject is taught in small groups during a full day of teacher run remote classes. Our first grader was online from 8:30-2:30 with six daily classes(with some breaks of course) covering 8 subjects and taught by five teachers each week. Make no mistake, academics are the key focus and the workload is high at Sonder. This was a grueling year for us as a family, but Sonder stepped up and delivered a first-rate education remotely.

Our daughter has been able to remain with her beloved teachers and friends, this made online school easier and provided a sense of security in a world turned upside down. The continued investment in programs and the excellent staff will keep us at Sonder for the future.

My daughter joined Sonder Creek Academy for Kindergarten and we couldn’t have been happier with the experience. The staff is great and my daughter is especially fond of her teacher Mrs Schroeder. She has learned so much.

What prompted me to come and write a review is the summer camp! I sent my daughter to Camp Galileo last week and no one was happy there. Now that she’s at SCA, things are very different.

Day 1 at pickup time, I hear my daughter excitedly talking about her day and showing me a piece of art. As a look around us, I see plenty of children cheerfully talking to their parents and everybody being very bubbly! It felt good.

Day 2 at pickup time, I arrive 10 minutes early, so the staff helps her out. She’s all sad – why did you come so early, she asks, we are still playing. My team will lose without me! I promised I will come later the next day and immediately, she became all bubbly again.

Day 3 in the car after pick up she asks me – mom, can we make colored ice water at home, it’s so much fun. I explain that fun camp activities are meant to do at camp, not at home. Her response – then can I come to this summer camp every year when I graduate, I really like it here!

It just feels good to know you are sending your kiddo to a place where they want to come back to. With people who genuinely enjoy spending time with the children they are taking care of. If you are thinking about Sonder Creek Academy, do a fun summer camp week and see how your child likes it. As much as it’s fun in the summer, it was an academically grilling school year. The kids deserve both!

Our daughter is currently on third grade and it’s her third year with SCA. She is thriving, both academically and socially, every staff member provides support at different levels of her growth. From the friendly faces welcoming her to school in the morning, her wonderful teachers who care personally about her, those who are monitoring recess and preparing delicious lunches, admin staff… every single one of them have made an impact in her and our Community. We couldn’t have asked for a better situation.

It’s worth mentioning that this entire community of SCA provided a special kind of humanity and support during the pandemic, which we can all agree was traumatizing to our children when their school closed permanently. I have no words that can accurately convey the gratitude we felt as a family for SCA when they spent countless hours figuring out programs, opportunities for safe in-person learning experiences, all while maintaining so much grace against the frustration that many families felt. Then when kids went back to school, SCA was one of the few schools who created a Covid testing system that kept contagion at a minimum. Kudos to the team for achieving what other schools in the area struggled with!

We love this school and we mean it. We can’t wait to see SCA continue to make an impact in the Community and, more importantly for us, our kid, who is super happy to go to school everyday!