Columbia Middle School

Overall, cms is a pretty good school. It provides good teaching, a fun environment, and good food. It's fun and hasextra ways to help students that need it. Although its a good school, as a student, some teachers are kind if mean, strict, and overall bad teachers. Some teachers are bad at explaining things, or just walk away. But actually, cms is a great school.

As anyone can see by my profile picture, I just got promoted from this school. Columbia is a really great school and provides a scholarship with Stanford University called UPP, which I was enrolled in all 3 years I was there. The teachers also try their very hardest to help the students when they struggle. This school has been known for having "fights" but in my 3 years there, there was only one fight , but the staff recognized the behavior of students and quickly found the 2 students. They also remind the students every year the consequences of this kind of behavior. These fights are made from drama, but if you hang out with the right students, you won't be involved with them. They also have after school programs later in the year, like Dawgs of Rock, our school rock band
coding for girls, basketball,volleyball,softball, and soccer. We didn't have any real lockdowns, but we practiced them every few months. We also practiced fire drills every 2 months or even each month. The band and orchestra teacher, Mr. Scott is amazing. I had him in 6th grade for choir and I know a lot of students that love him so much. I know that they are now looking for a new choir teacher. The music program is a very fun program to be involved in. If your life-skills grade is above a 3 in all classes, you have a chance to perform in Anaheim and have a few days in Disneyland. In 8th grade choir, students also perform for the elderly home, it brings smiles to the students faces and to the elders faces. They also perform for the incoming 6th graders at the end of the school year before they leave. They also have a program in 8th grade that teachers nominate you for, called W.E.B or Where Everybody Belongs. As Web Members, your job is to complete 10 or 20 hours of community service every trimester, the teacher, Mr. Felicano gives the students chances to sign up for community service. As a full time Web Leader, we planned all school dances, rallies, and 5th grade visits. We also had the chance to go to SJSU with Web and Stanford with UPP. Columbia gives so many opportunities to students and that's what I really liked about the school.

A very promising middle school located in the middle of "nowehere" in Sunnyvale, CA.

Actually, it isn't anywhere in the middle of nowhere as this school's location has been pretty much reputed as not really the safest place for a school to be. In about the three years that I have been sending a "trophy" here, there had been about 2 - 3 lock downs and those aren't funny.

Columbia Middle School has pretty awesome staff and very cool teachers too, according to the 2 kids I am now sending here. Not to forget their pretty dedicated band director and music instructor, Charles Ancheta. I have personally met him and his passion for his job makes the Symphonic Band members inspired and in tune to their instruments.
I have attended about 90% of their concerts in the last 2.5 years and these students audibly improve a lot each time.

Student population ranges from 6th graders to 8th, with a majority of Asian-Americans and Hispanic Americans. Their teachers are of different ages too, but I have not heard anything but praises for these teachers. I definitely havea very high regard for primary and secondary teachers as these educators mold these kids and are basically the instruments for practically shaping up these kids for the future.

Oh well, bullies are present from there to here....I mean, is there ever a school without these dingbats? Columbia Middle School seems to be pretty strict about bullies (they better be!), I have had about 2 occasions where one of the kids got bullied and I got a few follow-up calls from the vice principal as to how the case was being handled. I have absolutely zero tolerance to bullies and zero tolerance to parents who refuse to straighten these kids up.

As with keeping their kids healthy, CMS is also pretty strict about food brought from home. No candy bars, no chips, no sodas. Food is affordable from $1.75 breakfast and $3 for lunch. Kids don't complain! Physical Education is also pretty proactive. These kids have running and swimming seasons. Their swimming pool is big enough and is also kept clean. I used to swim a few laps in their pool everyday in the summer before I moved in to my place now. Deepest is 10 feet, I believe....so diving may not be a good idea.

What about parking and traffic?

During peak hours (8am and 3 pm), there're the usual traffic volunteers that defintely help a lot in easing traffic flow. There is a parking lot to the right side of the main gate where parents would normally wait for their kids. Right now, however, that space is being limited as half of it is being used for makeshift office for the Columbia Neighborhood Association as the main building is getting renovated. Street parking is allowed but NOT on the side of the school.

Morse Avenue is located between Ahwanee and Maude avenues. It's a little bit in the middle of the outskirt, if I may say, and so this had earned a little rep of being a little unsafe. Therefore, several cops would patrol the vicinity at certain times of the day. Soooooo, beware of parking violation and Mr. Officer on his bikey.

I have hight hopes, for you CMS. Keep up the spirit and continue providing good education to our aspiring teenagers!

As well as I know the school and staff, this school sucks the living souls out of its students. Although, things are starting to look bright for CMS, most of the staff has been swapped out for new members that actually do their job, and students are actually learning core academics and the dangers of drugs unlike when I attended this school. Over all I hope I made it clear that Columbia isn't the best middle school to enroll your students in, please take into consideration sms or a private school...

I love this school. It as great staff and is very interested in there students education. Also they very good programs like web for the 8th grade is amazing.

This school is top-notch. The teachers are 100% invested in students' success, and the principal is great. My children have thrived at this school. My children have felt completely supported here, and we always hear from the teachers and the principal if there is a problem.
I wholeheartedly recommend Columbia Middle School.

I would rate 'no stars' if I could. As an actual student I know what it's like to be in this school and I know what i'm talking about! Like parents think, (being outside of school) they think the school is great. Yes, it is great towards a certain point. The teachers are VERY helpful and the classes are great. As a junior in high school now, I attended ALL three years of school and if you're worried about your daughter or son's mental health I wouldn't recommend Columbia Middle School. Curious to know why?

In my own personal experience as a 6th grader I was bullied throughout all three years from girls and boys who were OVER competitive bullies who always, ALWAYS tried to appear as mature even though we were ONLY in middle school. (something that was always funny to me) I was bullied because I stood out from the group and there were so many times I could tell you about the times I attempted to commit suicide because of these pricks. Everyone always wanted to get in a fight or see one. One time I had to quit summer school because a big group of girls said they would gang up and drag me out to the fields to fight me and another time rumors were spread and people were teaming up to fight me based on those rumors (Rumors and gossip IS NOT new, there's always something new to be said about someone) There were always new trends to keep up with and if you didn't have that materialistic item you would feel left out and people LOVED to show off what they had. It didn't matter who you are, no one cared unless you were popular or good looking or had a good reputation.

To be specific I had to talk my friend out of a fight one time and lunch was extremely loud so I literally had to raise my voice in her ear to think other wise while there was another girl on the opposite side going, 'dude, when are you going to fight her?!" "Just fight her already!" "Do it!" Eventually my friend listened to me and didn't fight anymore but the girl that WAS telling her to fight called me a b___ for making my friend think otherwise and because of that, my friend almost fought HER!

I know gang members in the school and in 7th grade I knew people in 6th grade who were already smoking weed from neglectful parents and coming to schools with hang overs. I'm not the only one who went through such an experience because there's SO many other students who were suicidal and depressed from this school. Students in this school always ALWAYS felt like they had to be in a relationship. There were always people asking each other out, getting played, etc. I don't think this school is very professional considering the fact that school is a place where you go to learn but instead you have people dressing to impress, gossiping, and dating. Cheating was a big thing in 8th grade because that was the time that we had to have good grades in order to walk across the stage and graduate.

After my three years of Columbia Middle School I was relieved but I will NEVER forget my experiences. As a person who was bullied and traumatized. Rumors was a big thing about me and because of everyone having cell phones someone thought it would be smart or funny to pass around group messages saying 'if you think this girl is a bitch and a slut send this to ten other people' NO ONE cared if you said you were 'used' by a guy they always were on the guy's side because he was better looking or he had a better reputation.

As a student in high school now, I realized it took me a LONG time to regain my confidence, to truly become content and happy with life again. I remember questioning my self value as a person or wondering if I was ever worth even being alive or walking on this earth, I use to cut myself and cry everyday hoping someone out there would at least care but you know what? Columbia Middle School is just a school with self centered, spoiled brats and I would NEVER send my daughter or son here in the future because i'm scared he/she will be influenced by these people to become very negative and insecure about himself when he should be focusing on why he's going to school in the first place, to learn. In freshman year I heard rumors from Columbia Middle School that a 6th grader got pregnant because her boyfriend was moving away and they had sexual intercourse as a last resort type of thing and i'm not surprised

As a parent, you just focus on the activities, the classes, and the teachers but it's IMPORTANT that you do research on what it's like from a ACTUAL students perspective. If you send your kid to a school there must be a balance of good teachers/classes/activities and student behaviors/bullying/ attitudes. Be there for your child, don't send them to any old school and wonder why they aren't very happy anymore like they use to be. So that's my final opinion, I wouldn't recommend this school to anyone at all unless you're prepared to be there for your student's mental health and what they will be facing in this school

I love this school I'm in 8th grade and I love being a web leader and being here and I live the web leaders mr filicano and ms choi also the music teachers mr Scott

Columbia has a partnership with Stanford University, lots of extracurriculars, and an excellent principal. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good, safe school for their children.