An Independent Day School for Grades 6-12
Admission

Meet Our Middle School Students

Our students are what makes Crystal special, and they want to share their stories and experiences with you. This page was designed by them for you, the prospective family. Please take some time to get to know them. If you have any questions, you may reach out via email (askanambassador@crystal.org). Please include the name of the Ambassador you would like to hear from, or send a general email and you will be connected with the student best equipped to answer your questions.

List of 18 items.

  • Caroline

    Interests: cross country, flag football, soccer, basketball, performing arts, dance, musical, and piano. Also involved in mathcounts, debate, and was an anchor for Crystal news.

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Mateo, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Baywood/College Park

    At Crystal, one of our core values is fostering kindness and inclusion. On my birthday this year, my friends surprised me with things such as decorating my locker and bringing cupcakes, which was amazing. The part that showed how close of a community Crystal is was that same day during lunch. My friends started singing happy birthday, and to my surprise, the entire grade joined in. Even though it was kind of embarrassing, I am so grateful that the community I'm in is so kind and welcoming.

  • Chas

    Interests: Tennis, flag football, soccer, and basketball, and art

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Burlingame, CA
    School attended before Crystal: The Carey School

    Crystal's teachers are helpful and supportive of their students. They also plan engaging classes that always have students leaving class with new knowledge. I also love that I get to express my ideas during class. Using the Socratic method of discussion we can find ways to come up with solutions to questions and share our thinking progress. It makes us feel we can all contribute.

  • Clara

    Interests: Crystal sports and clubs 

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Challenger School

    One of my fondest classroom memories was when I was in English class preparing for a test. Just as our teacher was about to begin, the Head of Middle School came over the speaker and announced that it was Snow Day! I couldn’t hear the rest of the announcement because everyone was screaming so loud. It was the first time I experienced a Snow Day, so it was so fun for me. Our teacher knew already and gave a sly smile that we had all been tricked! Crystal teachers are kind, compassionate, and care about you, and at the same time super fun!

  • Dylan

    Interests: soccer and clubs

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Millbrae, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Meadows Elementary School

    What I enjoy the most about being a Crystal student is that Crystal isn’t just focused on academics they also focus on other stuff such as arts, and you are encouraged to try out for the play, learn an instrument, sing, do painting, drawing, or ceramics.
    One of my favorite things is PoP (Pursuit of Passion). We take a week in the spring where our teachers share a passion of theirs with us. It can be yoga, Jam session, baking, creative writing, anime, or card games! The classes are not your regular classes but they are super fun and mixed grades.

  • Gracie

    Interests: Student Council, Choir, Musical, Lip Sync, theater, volleyball, Random Acts of Kindness Club

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Atherton, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Phillips Brooks School

    I love the opportunity to try out new experiences without feeling judged or different. For example, when I joined the volleyball team this year with no experience AT ALL, my whole team cheered for me on the sideline. I have been able to try so many things since coming to Crystal and not feeling I need to be a certain way gives me the confidence to try it!

  • Kendall

    Interests: Musical, cru, instrumentals, and the play, cross country, soccer, basketball, flag football, volleyball.

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Burlingame, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Washington Elementary School

    I chose Crystal because I noticed the teachers have a big passion for teaching. They teach in a way that you are having fun while also learning a lot. They support you and will put effort into helping you succeed. The thing I enjoy most about being a Crystal student is being around so many people who are passionate about school like me.

  • Kiki

    Interests: Theater, community service, and performing arts. 

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Hillsborough, CA
    School attended before Crystal: South Hillsborough Elementary

    Crystal’s performing arts program is amazing.

    I remember the first day of in-person school with the whole middle school. When we arrived at school, all the 7th and 8th graders were cheering and welcoming us. It made me feel super happy and welcomed. It made me think about how we have such a great community at our school.

  • Liliana

    Interests: track and field, cross-country, and clubs

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Burlingame, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Hoover Elementary

    One of my fondest “so Crystal “ moments was when we were doing Crystal Olympics. We were all having so much fun, doing our best, keeping it competitive, and encouraging each other. It shows you how kind and inclusive people can be passionate and enthusiastic at the same time. On top of that, I enjoy all of the leadership opportunities and growth challenges at Crystal, which I can enthusiastically do! There are so many extracurriculars, clubs, PoPs, and Performance groups to choose from.

  • Luke

    Interests: baseball, theater, clubs, and dance 

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Atherton, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Phillips Brooks School

    The Crystal teachers I have had so far are always very engaging and easy to talk with. If I need help with something, they are willing to help, whether it is academic or not. I also enjoy all the freedom I get to choose clubs, pops, performance groups, and affinity groups. It lets me experience new things and find new passions.

  • Ma’Lia

    Interests: Sports, Student Council, clubs

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Bruno, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Rollingwood Elementary

    A funny story I remember happened during Study Hall. A friend and I decided it would to say hello to Mr. McCracken, our math teacher, in his classroom. Little did we know that all the math teachers were there having a meeting. The bell song came on and we began singing and dancing not knowing we were being watched by the whole Math Department. Still to this day, we are known as the dancing duo by Ms. Dupree. The teachers at Crystal are fun, kind, and have an amazing sense of humor.

  • Mihir

    Interests: flag football, basketball, baseball, and theater productions

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Atherton, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Phillips Brooks School

    I chose Crystal for its great education and amazing teachers. One example of this great learning environment was last year in English. I really enjoyed doing the Midsummer Night’s Dream play. Our teacher had us rewrite scenes and act them out. It was a funny and unique experience that made the entire class step out of their comfort zone. It accounted for plenty of laughs and we learned a lot about Shakespeare! 

  • Mira

    Interests: Sports, clubs, and art

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Mateo, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Baywood Elementary School

    Crystal puts a lot of effort into not just academics but also activities that bring the community together. Traditions Day was one that was “so Crystal”. Traditions Day was very over-the-top and an opportunity to bond with the whole grade. Crystal wanted us to celebrate all its traditions that we had missed over the school year because of COVID in one fun-filled day. I really enjoy the opportunities I am given inside and outside the classroom to build community.

  • Sarina

    Interests: a sport every season, volunteering, reading and writing as well. 

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Mateo, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Baywood Elementary

    My fondest classroom memory was in 7th grade math, despite me not loving math. We were doing an interactive lab called the Choo-Choo-Beep-Beep. In this lab, there were two different baby toys, one a talking train and the other a music playing car. We had a circular track formation, but we weren't allowed to touch the train or the car to the track. The only other material we had was a yardstick. We were placed into teams to try to figure out how fast each vehicle would get around the track, and the team that got the closest or most accurate answer would get a prize. It was never about the actual lab for me however, it was about being in a team and working together, laughing together, and listening to the train rambling for an hour straight. We were still discussing it at recess, and by next class, everyone felt good. The competitive element added brought out the best in all of us!

  • Sarina

    Interests: I play all four seasons of sports, I’m in dance for performing arts, I helped start and lead a Jewish affinity group..

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Carlos, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Arroyo Elementary

    I enjoy being challenged every day, from learning new subjects, to sports, and to real-life issues in community time. I have so many fond classroom memories at Crystal, but one that stands out is when Ms. Ramsey did pushups in front of our class as a way to think about what is important to civilizations! A moment that is so Crystal is Lip Sync, the all-school competition is a fun way to come together from 6th through 12th. Students are not just excited to do their own choreographed dance, but they cheer for every grade as they go up on stage. Even the PAC gets into it and performs! 

  • Scout

    Interests: Soccer, theater, Writing tutoring, Basketball

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Woodside, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Woodside Elementary

    Crystal teachers are all very passionate about the subject they teach. They all have high energy and something unique about them. I love how Crystal teachers are relatable yet can guide us through new material and keep us on task. The teachers are really engaged and want the best for us. If you ever forget or need materials, they will lend you what you need. They are also understanding, if work becomes too stressful, you can talk to them and figure out a plan together.

  • Shreyans

    Interests: I play the piano, volunteer and participate at my religious Jain center, am on a swim team, and participate in Hindi classes.

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: San Mateo, CA
    School attended before Crystal: The Carey School

    Crystal teachers are very organized, well planned, and always are fun to be in. You can walk in any time during their office hours and get help on any assignment! In my opinion, the most important thing about Crystal teachers is the fact that they are kind. Even if you don’t do as well as you wanted on an assignment or assessment, they will sit down with you with a positive attitude and help you figure out what you missed. I appreciate all of these opportunities to learn more and challenge myself to learn more!

  • Tochi

    Interests: Volleyball, Dance, Track, Student Council

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Pacifica, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Thomas Edison Elementary School

    My fondest classroom memory was in advisory. We had our weekly potluck and we all told stories about what we did that weekend. We all learned something new about each other and we learned that most of us like the same things. A few friendships formed from the one advisory session and I think that Crystal is a place where you can make friends and new relationships. And that’s one of the things I love most about Crystal. There is a mix of different personalities. There are lots of clubs or athletics that you can join and you could find something that you are passionate about. And you can even make new passions from joining them. Everyone is special at Crystal and you get to learn something new about everyone every day.

  • Wyatt

    Interests: I am in the spring musical and robotics!

    Class Year: 2027
    Joined Crystal: 6th grade
    Hometown: Redwood City, CA
    School attended before Crystal: Phillips Brooks School

    How can you not get excited to come to school at Crystal. Teachers are all very passionate about the subject and come up with created ways for us to learn. Once in English when we re-enacted a riot with paper swords! Crystal teachers are funny and kind and they always do everything they can to help the students understand their subject. I love the community and the many friends I have made. Everyone is super kind!
GENERAL: (650) 342-4175 | info@crystal.org    ADMISSION QUESTIONS: admission@crystal.org

Middle School

10 Davis Drive  |  Belmont, CA 94002  |  (650) 645-1000

Upper School

400 Uplands Drive  |  Hillsborough, CA 94010  |  (650) 342-4175
Nondiscriminatory Policy: Crystal Springs Uplands School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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