Garfield Elementary School

This school is a hidden gem! They offer an immersion program that teaches kids to listen and speak to Cantonese. A little bit of writing too, but mainly focusing on the oral skills. Anyhow, this school has about 350 kids. (Rough estimate). They have an excellent faculty staff and an awesome principal! The student to teacher ratio is surprising small (16:1 ratio). I don’t know how small or large it is because I don’t have anything to compare it to.
It is located in the foot of the Coit tower with an amazing view. The only disadvantage that I can think of are:
1.) parking spaces are scarce.
2.) by foot travel, you have to walk up a really really steep hill.
I would highly recommend enroll your kids here. They are amazing!

We’re very happy with Garfield for our kindergartner. Our son is happy, and is developing well academically and socially. The PTO is active without being overbearing. Parents are friendly. The after-​care program is a phenomenally good value. The principal, is responsive, energetic and knows how to get things done — plus he’s great with the kids.

I can’t say enough good things about this wonderful school. We didn’t know about it when we started the application process and found it by researching schools in geographic proximity to our apartment (we live in SOMA) — so happy we did! Our son is now in first grade in the Cantonese program and he truly thrives. As non-​Cantonese speakers, I was worried about not being able to help him but he is doing just fine. Once my son began the program, I began realizing how many opportunities there are to practice the language in San Francisco and we are now thinking of a family trip to Hong Kong. The exposure to the language and the culture is really wonderful; I see the Cantonese heritage in the city from a completely new perspective now. The school has a tightly knit community of involved parents and very dedicated teachers, led by an energetic and capable principal. Academics and enrichment programs are strong, as is the after school program. To top it off, the school is located in the foot of Coit Tower and has sweeping panoramic views of our beautiful city, and steps from vibrant North Beach. This school is as diverse, unique, and beautiful as San Francisco itself and we highly recommend it.

My daughter started in the Cantonese Immersion program in Kindergarten 2013 and we just love the school and community. The PTO is involved, the teachers are passionate, the principal is a fearless leader, and the kids are happy. It seems to be a secret how great this place is, but I wanted to share with other parents who are considering the school.

My son goes to Garfield. This school is a GEM! Great principal, great families and kids, and in a nurturing neighborhood. To boot, it has views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and is at the foot of Coit Tower! Wow!