This school is a hidden gem of SFUSD. Not as large as nearby Commodore Sloat, nor as wealthy as nearby West Portal, it nevertheless brings a highly diverse community together in pursuit of excellence. The partnership between the PTA and the school site is really good, allowing them to raise money to hire science specialists, and art and drama specialists to offer hands on programming to the kids at all grade levels every week. The Mandarin Immersion program is a real draw, considering that only one other elementary school in SFUSD has this option. By and large the teachers are experienced and highly dedicated; sure occasionally you will have the "not the greatest" teacher but I think that's to be expected across 6 years of elementary school. I cannot comment on the special day programming, as we didn't take advantage of that option with my kids. I believe they have a special Day Pre-K program and several specialists to assist with to students' IEP's. But I can comment that the community overall is highly diverse, focused on equity in education, lots of very welcoming community events, and definitely worth a look. read more

Has not been the same since principal left. Ms. Washington was a wonderful principal, she gave students a sense of community and helped them whenever she could. When she left, the school started to feel less welcoming, and less like a community. The new principal doesn't have any major issues, however he is unaware of some of the situations students are in or what's going on in the classroom and what problems are in need of a solution. read more

Jose Ortega Elementary School - Outside of the school - Elementary Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Little Infodiva's Alma Mater hehehe Oh my Goodness The memories. Look at my school. I was here from 4th grade to 6th grade. Jose Ortega Elementary School is one of San Francisco's best-kept secrets. Teachers are involved in ongoing professional development and many are leaders in the areas of literacy, math, social studies, science, and art. Jose Ortega enhances student learning by integrating the arts, technology, field trips and a home-school reading program. We value and support our parents by providing many community-building opportunities, including curriculum-based Family Nights, a Literacy Project, Family Day Picnic, Back to School Night, PTA, and opportunities to volunteer on school projects and in classrooms. We develop student leadership through activities such as Student Council, Service Club, recycling helpers and Conflict Resolution Managers. Tel: 469-4726 Fax: 584-7972 Hours of Operation: 7:50-1:50 Mrs. JoLynn Washington, Principal Student Data School Number 746 Grade Span K-5 Avg Daily Attendance 94.0% Student Enrollment 205 Excused Absences 3.5% ELL (LEP/NEP) 51 ( 24.9%) Unexcused Absences 2.5% Special Education 27 ( 13.2%) Dropout Rate 0.0% EDY 62 ( 30.2%) Suspended 0 GATE 9 ( 4.4%) Teacher Attendance 99.2% Free Lunch 116 ( 56.6%) Building (Sq. Ft.) 37,100 Reduced Lunch 34 ( 16.6%) Yr Constructed 1953,1962 Children Center No read more

Jose Ortega Elementary School - Jose Ortega Elementary School OMI 94132 - Elementary Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

As the parent of a child who attends school here, I have only good things to say about the school. Jose Ortega is a wonderful place to learn and grow as a child. My daughter loves her teachers, her classmates and going to school each day. The community is very welcoming and parents volunteer in a variety of ways. The principal is dynamic and dedicated - she really sets a positive tone and clearly has high standards. The small size of Jose Ortega makes it feel like a tight-knit family, and it is refreshing to have that sense in a big city. My daughter's well being is important here, both academic and social, and I see how much the teachers care about all the kids. That genuine caring spirit is rare to find and just what I hoped for in a school for my child. read more

Jose Ortega Elementary School - Gorgeous mural outside school - Elementary Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our son attends Jose Ortega and really likes it. He really enjoys the learning aspect of the school, and he seems to have learned and grown a lot over the last year. He especially loves his teachers. He was very sad last week when he was sick and couldn't attend. The school staff work very hard and are very dedicated. The after-school care program is a perfect fit for our child's needs. The PTA (of which I am a member) works hard to raise funds and support our school. read more

I have 2 kids at Jose Ortega - third grade and kindergarten - and both have had a great experience. The school prides itself on being a welcoming and diverse place. It has general education, Mandarin immersion, and inclusion programs, and the staff works hard to combine the classes in different ways (during lunch, recess, PE, dance, after school, field trips, etc.) so that the kids can make friends among the programs. The staff seem particularly good to me and have a great love of teaching. Several of the teachers have been teaching at Jose Ortega for 20 years. It's so sweet to hear two teachers talking afterschool about something cute that one of their students wrote during the day. The principal started at the school as a reading specialist and has been involved with Jose Ortega for 20 years. She knows every child by name and takes great care to be sure each student is being challenged at the right level. The teachers are all trained in differentiated learning (this may be true for all of SFUSD) and the school works to provide extra resources for both struggling and accelerated students. Some examples are free afterschool tutoring that begins each January for students that the teachers determine need extra help in some area. The tutoring is done by the teachers, who know the students best, and is partly paid for by the PTA. Another project the PTA is taking on this year is to provide more higher level reading material to each classroom so that the teachers will be able to easily make reading assignments at multiple reading levels. We have a great PE teacher that the students adore and a fantastic nutritionist who gardens, harvests, and cooks with the kids. Each classroom has a garden plot and the teachers incorporate planting into the science curriculum. The PTA is active in fundraising to provide money for art (we have an artist in residence each year - we're doing a mural this year), music programs, greening projects, technology (providing digital projectors to each classroom this year), family nights, and more. The school is located in a quiet residential neighborhood on a hill with a view of the ocean. We have quite a few neighborhood families that walk to school. There is a park and community garden right behind the school that the teachers use for science lessons. Come tour our school or look at the website for a video - www.joseortegaschool.org read more

Jose Ortega Elementary School - Jose Ortega Elementary School - Elementary Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

5 Reasons Jose Ortega Elementary School ("JOES") is a Great School! Jose Ortega Elementary School 400 Sargent Street San Francisco, CA 94132 1) The Teachers: JOES Has Teachers Like Molly Serra, Shari Sawamura and Sarah Griffith. JOES has a very small student-teacher ratio (at least for the K, 1st, and 2nd grade levels). More importantly, it is an outstanding student-teacher ratio. We quantify this by the wide-spread smiles. Ms. Griffith is a hidden jewel at JOES. She is a top-notch teacher by day and a secret creative artist superhero by night. My little girl made a multi-colored gourd that could have been auctioned at Sotheby's. Ms. Sawamura is a JOES original 1st grade teacher. She has taught kids and trained teachers. She is a seasoned professional who has kept her humor and enthusiasm - both are highly contagious and after talking to her, I am always left with a big smile. She never has a down day! When my child was left with Ms. Sawamura, I always knew that she is in good hands - Ms. Sawamura is an excellent professional and nurturer. Ms. Serra is a 2nd grade teacher at JOES who has the awesome ability to stimulate the children's academic mind and at the same time balances the children's emotional and physical health. She encourages the children to derive at their answers through logic, not memorization. She starts Friday mornings with a fun yoga session in the cafeteria - the kids learn the poses through funny animal poses. In the afternoons, the children relax their mind and body through mindfulness. Go Crafternoon! 2) The Staff: Ms. Ginny is in the House! Ms. Ginny, the school secretary, doesn't just answer phones, she checks up on the kids. She one time went out of her way to personally walk down the hallway to check to see that my child had arrived to her classroom after her babysitter dropped her off. It was a small but important touch - especially with the new addition of construction work underway at JOES. She keeps everything together. I could go on even longer about JOES' beloved principal, Ms. Washington. It is no secret that Ms. Washington is a stellar principal. She remembers names (both children's and parents'), keeps the school updated on placement, and making JOES move upward and onward. 3) Parents: JOES is a School and a Village. At JOES, the initials PTA should stand for "Phenomenal Team of Assistance" (by parents). Parents get involved. Big time. Drive up to the school - it's a neon, orange-vested parent volunteer directing traffic. Parents stop in to read to the classrooms. Parents man the booths to sell goodies at the annual Harvest Festival. Parents help stage events like the beautiful Winter Program where the children sing holiday songs before the JOES community. The parents have their own Yahoo Group to talk about school issues and brainstorm. From techie to trekie, parents are fine tuning the JOES website to boldly go where no website has gone before. At the end of the year, the parents invite the teachers and staff to celebrate the conclusion of the school year with a rockin' auction party where the fruits from fundraising are sold to benefit school programs. Parents are integral in their fundraising efforts and introducing exciting new science projects which run the gamut from lab work in liquids to examining what makes a tree. 4) Environmental Awareness: JOES Has a Co-Op Garden. The children LIVE sustainability through their hands-on experiences. The kids plant stuff; they work a compost garden; they watch caterpillars turn into butterflies. JOES nurtures the kids, the kids nurture nature. Sprinkled across JOES are the fruits of their labor. Literally! For example, during the course of last year, I drove by the schoolyard each day and watched the pumpkins grow from hand-size to huge. There is something very Thoreau about that. 5) The Kids!: Team JOES Celebrates Its Kids. JOES never forgets that all the hard work, participation, and teaching are for the purpose of creating a great school environment for the kids. The hard work pays off. The kids are vibrant, curious, and eager to learn. Kids in the dynamic General Education and the much touted Mandarin Immersion programs love their teachers and each other. Bullying is not tolerated. Kids are eager to turn in their homework. I have watched my little girl develop confidence in her opinion and artistic ability. She plays with children of all backgrounds. She loves ideas more than stuff. read more

When I visited the school, I felt welcomed and I could feel a sense of community. My daughter was coming from a private school and she entered Jose Ortega on first grade. She integrated right away, no issues at all. She's happy to go to school and loves the YMCA after school program, which is provided in the same school. The PTA is very active and with a lot of energy to do stuff. The principal, miss Washington, is very energetic, likes to be involved and is a little engine behind all the school activities. I am really impress with the art the kids create and the wonderful job the art teachers do. Normally there is a Community Art project where everybody is invited to participate. The school is close to public transportation (Muni M and 29), and to a SF Public Library branch. the neighborhood is very good and it is at teh side of a park. The view of Lake Merced and Daly City is wonderful. My daughter loves her school and I also love this place. Ahora, para los hispano parlantes: La primera vez que visité esta escuala, me sentí muy acogido y pude sentir inmediatamente un sentido de comunidad. Mi hija entró a primer grado y venía de un coelgio privado. Se adaptó sin ningún problema, inmediatamente. Mi hija adora su colegio y le encanta el programa de cuidad o despupes de clases que provee la YMCA, en el mismo colegio. El PTA es muy activo y con muchas ganas de hacer nuevas cosas. La directora, miss Washington, es muy energ[etica, y le gusta estar involcrada en las actividades del colegio. Ella es un motor que da energia a as actividades del colegio. Un aspecto que me impresiona es el arte que los niños hacen, y el hermoso trabajo de las profesoras de arte. Es noraml que haya un dia de Arte Comunitario, donde todso los integrantes del colegio participan (padres, alumnos, profesores). El colegio está cerca de tranporte público (Muni M y 29), y cerca de una de las sedes de al biblioteca pública de San Francisco. El barrio en que está localizada es muy bueno, y está al lado de un parque. La vista del lago Merced y de Daly City es preciosa. Hay varias familias hispano parlantes, y los niños qeu no hablan español tratan siempre de aprender palabras nuevas para tratar de conversar conmigo. Mi hija adora su colegio, y yo también adoro este lugar. read more

This is a gem of a public school in the Oceanview, Merced, Ingleside Heights District. We are in the Mand. Immersion Program, starting 2nd grade, and we are impressed by the level of academics (English and Mand) that the teachers achieve. We are very pleased and happy at the quality of education that our son has received. Location: Fantastic! We live in the neighborhood. It's safe and friendly. This was our first choice and we got it! See, the SFUSD Assignment system does work for some! When I tell people about this school and the location they usually say that it's "way out there." But If you go to Stonestown or know where SFSU is, this is less than 5 minutes away up the hill! There are large boulevards and easy freeway access. I love living in this side of the city. Downside is that we are in the fog belt, but being native San Franciscans we dress in layers and the sun does come out, but usually not in the morning. Staff: They really make the school. The teachers and staff are all genuinely interested in helping your child learn and thrive. It's not fake. They are here because they really love kids and want to do this. They spend so much time preparing for their classes. They come in early, stay late, work on weekends! There is weekly email communication from the teacher and a Weekly Communications Folder that your child will take home. You can always call the staff via the old fashioned way of telephone. They are very accessible. The principal, Ms. Washington, has excellent leadership, managerial and communication skills. This is a caring community where everyone knows everyone. Academics: Pleased and an excellent quality. If you want your kid to get the most out of school, you need to be prepared to spend time to assist them with homework and other activities at home. There is homework as well as other home-based enrichment activities/programs (i.e. home reading program, DVD program in Mand, etc.) that you should do with your child. The teachers gives the kids their best, your child has to make an effort as well as you! It's a family decision! Facilities: A new playground has just been installed (as of June 2010), large main yard (larger than Lakeshore), and other small yards. Aggressive and impressive greening plan (we're raising $), Cafeteria/auditorium. The school is not filled to capacity so there is a lot space. Clean school with a caring janitor that also takes on a lot of the gardening in the school gardens! Greenhouse on site. Plenty of kids art. Mural on the front of the school may be replaced very soon (dependent on grant funding). Pickup after school system: can double park in the queue and walk to the front stairs to pick up your child. Street parking available however this school is on top of a steep hill and surrounding streets are steep or have a moderate incline. Population and Atmosphere: Kids are diverse, friendly and have fun. They are happy kids. My son loves going to school and looks forward to each day because it's a welcoming, supportive community not just for the students, but for the teachers and families too! Other Activities and Programs: There are PTA activities. For the past two years we had events such as silent auction, Umoja Carnival, Annual Walkathon, Talent Shows, Winter Program, Greening Activities, Science Night, Art Gallery, etc. There is an after school program that the Stonestown YMCA administers onsite. We are not a part of that program but I have heard great things. The also hired a Mand. tutor to help kids with their homework. We love it and I highly recommend the school. Check it out. read more

My daughter has been at JOES, as we affectionately call the school, for one year. I love JOES for many reasons. First, we have a great leader. Principal Washington sets a great tone for the school - she believes in innovative child-centered teaching, strives for academic excellence, but also emphasizes helping children grow emotionally, socially, and physically. She knows each child's name, and she greets them with a smile as she walks down the hall. She is never too busy to talk with a child in need of some extra care. Second, we have fantastic teachers. Despite a 1:22 ratio in kindergarten, my daughter's teacher was able to tell me detailed information about my daughter's personality, needs, and academic progress at parent/teacher conferences or when I sought her advice. The teachers attend professional development in the summer. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, they also lead school committees on a variety of topics - math, English language arts, science, restorative practices, etc. As committee members, they attend conferences in their area and then return to teach their peers. Because I volunteer at the school a lot, I eat lunch in the teacher's lunchroom often. Our teachers like each other, they seek each other's advice, and they work together. They are happy and this spills over into their classroom teaching. Third, we have a great community. We have one of the most diverse student bodies in the city both ethnically and socioeconomically. We have both general education and mandarin-immersion classes, but the emphasis is always that we are one school. Kids don't fully realize they are in one program or another. They refer to each other by their classroom numbers. All of this diversity is embraced through school celebrations of different cultural holidays, music, art, etc. We have an active PTA that hosts community events and fundraisers. At our spring social, parties hosted by parents are auctioned. I just attended a murder mystery costume party and hosted an urban campfire party This raises money for the school AND builds community. Last, we have a great curriculum. I love the reader's workshop and writer's workshop used to teach English. All grades - even my kindergartener - spend each trimester studying a different style of writing. My daughter wrote a persuasive piece about why people should visit CAS after a field trip to the museum. She wrote five non-fiction books. That's only a snippet of the writing she did. Plus she learned to read. We have two science consultants working this year to ensure each class does one hands-on science experiment each week. There are so many good things happening, but what I love the most is my daughter is happy, growing, safe and welcomed each day of the school year:) read more

Jose Ortega doesn't SUCK! In my opinion, It's FANTASTIC, and has one of the best principals I've ever encountered. She is a principal who successfully balances student academic achievement with social development. The school is extremely diverse and includes many wonderful educational programs: a Mandarin Immersion Program, a Full Inclusion Program for Special Education Students, and a General Education Program. All of the teachers are dedicated to student success and that has been demonstrated by jumps in recent Standardized Test Scores. The school has an active PTA, afterschool care, an on-going artist in residency program, and an awesome PE teacher. The school sits on top of a scenic hillside in San Francisco with views of the ocean and a natural undeveloped City Park. Our daughter will soon be in the 3rd grade of the Mandarin Immersion Program and has loved every year of her education at Jose Ortega. Our second daughter finished her kindergarten year and can't wait to start 1st grade! I know others have complained about the Mandarin immersion Program, but one must keep in mind that immersion learners benefit cognitively, showing great non-verbal problem solving abilities and more flexible thinking. In fact, as children make their way through immersion programs, they tend to score higher than other children. However, a child who leaves the immersion program too early might test lower than his/her peers, especially if they are tested in English-only. A child in an immersion program is learning concepts in another language and to say that a child from an immersion program tests lower on an English-only test or is "1 and 1/2 years" behind his/her peers disregards that fact. I would worry about a principal who was almost in TEARS over a poorly performed assessment of a student's abilities. I would expect a thoughtful principal to be a principal who looks deeper before he/she sheds a tear. Last year our daughter was having trouble with reading in English. The teachers at Jose Ortega stepped in and quickly found ways to motivate her and help her find pleasure in reading. Working at home with your kids can no longer be considered an option. With California, our richest state, spending so little on education, we must as parents bridge that financial gap and support our children at home in their learning. I'm continually amazed at the miracles that Jose Ortega can perform while receiving so little support from the State of California. By the way, on November 2nd, vote for California Proposition 25, so that all legislative action on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote. It's time to stop allowing our great state to have its budget for education and other social services determined by a minority who doesn't want to properly fund anything in our great state. read more

i love my elementary school. back in the days it was really cool because we all played together as one big happy family. nowadays the school system in middle and high school the kids seem to keep to their own race which really sucks. all i have to say is i love this elementary school. class of 2000!!! read more

My daughter has been a victim of racial discrimination by a chinese classmate who walked up to her at there water fountain and said she doesn't like black girls. My daughter was sad by that and told me the teacher did not bring it to my attention the principal was not even aware. Whe wwe beought up our conserns to him I wanted to request a letter to be sent out so they can explain to their children that there are all different types of people in this world and how it is wrong to treat people like that they shunned it away and said there's no need. My daughter has also been bullied punched in the face, shoved, and picked on by the same kid 3 days in a row and when the principal was not aware. When he became aware for the very first incident he said that there will be consequences. The kid bullied my daughter again. I ask was there a 0 tolerance for bullying he said he didnt consider it bullying the kid was not suspended or expelled this school is a joke when it comes to issues they are afraid to address they need the old principal back AND WHOMEVER FINDS THIS FUNNY CAN ROT IN HELL read more

I went to elementary school here, best years ever! The teachers were really nice and fifth grade was the best! We go on a camping trip and a picnic trip! It's super fun! read more

JOSE ORTEGA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a really good school.The teachers are kind and know what there talking about.I just love the school it is a kind school.With hard working students. read more