Only At San Jose Home / About Us / Only At San Jose Choosing Merryhill School We know that parents have a lot of choices for their child’s education. So, why do families choose Merryhill Elementary School and stay with us until their child graduates? It’s because so many wonderful things happen at our private school, #OnlyAtSanJose. Let us tell you more! Dragon S.P.I.R.I.T. At Merryhill San Jose, we inspire students to be their best selves by embracing the Dragon S.P.I.R.I.T. — being Strong, Persistent, Inclusive, Resilient, Innovative, and Trustworthy. Our school community starts each day with morning meetings where students exchange greetings, share personal stories, and learn about one another, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect. Every two weeks, our Character Development program brings the entire school together to explore and celebrate the 7 Habits of Happy Kids, reinforcing values that shape compassionate and confident leaders. Dragon Spirit is also a tangible part of our school culture, radiating through our hallways and in every interaction. This school pride fuels our students’ motivation to excel, knowing they are supported by a close-knit community. 4th Grade Rube Goldberg Machines Each year, our 4th grade class gets to create their very own Rube Goldberg machines, (machines that showcase a chain reaction of objects). These machines require a great attention to detail and a ton of creativity. Our students engineer their Rube Goldberg machine from scratch with features such as levers, pulleys, and slides. Not only is this a fun, hands-on experience, but they can even use their machines for everyday tasks like opening a door or turning the pages of a book! Art & Author’s Night Creativity comes to life in a showcase of our students’ art and writing. Every spring, each student has two pieces of artwork framed and displayed in our multipurpose room. The students choose something they have written this year and add illustrations and a cover. The work is then bound into a book. The topics covered for the Art and Author’s Night are multimedia collage, modern art, optical illusion art, idiom books, an ideal weekend, and much more! When the books are finished, the students are recorded sharing their work. Buddy Bench Our buddy bench is a bench for our students to sit on if they are looking for friends to play with. When other children notice a friend is on the buddy bench, they can invite them over to play so that no one feels left out. The bench is a great way to promote the themes of kindness and belonging within our student body. What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? When asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, our students don’t just think about a path they have to take. Rather, they think about all they can achieve and how they can apply their passions and interests into ways to change the world. This question culminates into a project where our students map out their future. This includes research on how they can transform interests into careers, brainstorming ways to better society, and reflecting on all they have learned in school and how that can shape their ambition. We Build a Family Merryhill San Jose is more than just a private elementary school – it’s also a family. Our students, staff, and parents are intertwined with the many amazing events we have to offer at our school in addition to academics and extracurriculars. We include families in fun activities such as our Trunk or Treat, Holiday in the Parking Lot, Coffee Chats, and Carnivals. Families are also involved in educational activities such as our Tech Challenge, Spelling Bee, Speech Competition, Math Competitions, and Maker Faire. It is important to us to build a strong relationship with our students and their families so that they love coming to school and always feel included.
