El Cerrito Middle School

People say this school is really gheto... they are right in every possible little way.

I have been impressed with El Cerrito! I have had teacher's email me about my child's progress. The PE teacher even let me know my child wasn't wearing socks to PE! I appreciated being told. The school is very good about sending our progress reports etc. Whenever I email a teacher, I get a response within 24 hours I have also had great service from the clerks who work in the front office. On the other hand, the school guidance counselor never returned my call. Overall I would recommend this school. The only reason that I am not giving 5 stars is that there is a problem with bullying between students.

I am an 8th grader in ECMS and it is a great school. Teachers here a respectful and will help you. I have tons of great friends here. I am in many clubs here and they are fun and help others. I am in WEB(Where Everybody Belongs) that tutor 6th and 7th graders academically,advanced band which is really fun,Club Live which does fun activities to help students not use drugs and have fun with thier friends. There is also NJHS(National Junior Honor Society) that does community service, ASB(Associate Student Body) that run the dances, Yearbook that help make the yearbook and do fun games during lunch to help get sales, PAL(Peer Assistance Leadership) that help students around them, AVID that helps students academically to get them in college, Cage Club that helps students phisically and Scrapbooking that makes scrapbooks full of memories of the school year. We also have spanish classes for 8th grade so students could get a year ahead of foreign language for high school. We also have life management, choir, computer, art guitar and drama. And we are the only middle school in our district that has a fitness lab from fundraising. This is why I love this school.

Unimpressed with this school. My daughter was doing poorly academically. I went into office to ask for an intervention meeting with all of her teachers. No response. I called and left a message and received a call back (not from her teacher or principal) stating that a grade report would be sent home. I emailed each of her teachers individually-no meeting set up. In addition...there is definitely racial tension at this school and MANY, MANY fights (mostly between girls) There is a female student there who has been in MULTIPLE fights. Why isn't she expelled yet for repeated negative behavior. Horrible school. Moving to get out of this district.