Welcome
Sylvia Mendez (formerly LeConte) Elementary was one of Berkeley's first schools. Started in 1892, it began as a six-room school and by 1900 there were 258 students. The current school was built in 1951. In May of 2018, the Berkeley Unified School Board voted unanimously to change our name to Sylvia Mendez School.
From our successful Two-Way Immersion Program, and the pioneering Sylvia Mendez Farm & Garden Program, to the inspiring Music, Art and Science woven into the school curriculum, Sylvia Mendez is made of incredibly dedicated teachers and staff who are supported by a vibrant and diverse family community.
Vision:
Sylvia Mendez seeks to honor and understand families. We educate with heart and intention by providing empathy through the In’Lak’Ech philosophy. We are a multilingual, multicultural, talented and dedicated staff. We bring our diverse experiences and expertise to nurture bilingual, biliterate and multicultural resilient students. As active teachers and lifelong learners, we create a positive bilingual and bi-literate learning environment for each family in our multicultural community.
At Sylvia Mendez we provide opportunities for vertical and horizontal school wide collaboration to encourage a variety of voices, viewpoints and expertise. We do this by modeling, guiding, explaining, facilitation, differentiating and tapping into students' cultural capital in creative ways. This includes providing responsive curriculum and connecting with families and using district support for ongoing professional growth.
Two-Way Immersion Program
“I love the diversity of students here!”
Sylvia Mendez is Berkeley Unified School District's only Two-Way Immersion (TWI) school. For the last 12 years, students have received instruction in both English and Spanish, however the year 2018-2019 marked the first year of the program in which all classes were in the TWI Program. Please visit our TWI Program page for more information.
