I'm extremely disappointed with the overall quality of this school. Unfortunately, our experience…read morehere over the past few years has been frustrating and discouraging for several serious reasons.
First of all, the leadership is completely unstable. The principal seems to change every year, and that lack of consistency trickles down to the rest of the school. It's hard to feel confident about any long-term improvement when the administration is constantly changing.
Beyond academics, the school really doesn't offer much extracurricular activities which is a missed opportunity for students who want to explore interests outside the classroom.
But by far, the most concerning issue has been how poorly bullying is handled. My child has been bullied--physically and verbally--by the same student for three years in a row, ever since 2nd grade. Even though they've been in separate classes since 3rd grade, the bullying continues at recess. We've reported this multiple times, and nothing meaningful has been done. No disciplinary action has been taken against the student responsible, and we are baffled as to why the school refuses to take stronger action.
To make matters worse, when my child finally stood up and defended herself after being hit, she was the one who got in trouble and was warned she might be suspended. That kind of response is incredibly unfair and discouraging. It sends the message that defending yourself is more punishable than being the one causing harm.
Yard duties are also a major problem. Either they're not present during conflicts, or they simply ignore the situation altogether. When someone is hurt or gotten into arguments, they were nowhere to be found to supervise the kids or just stood by doing nothing.
There are also some strange and frustrating inconsistencies with staff behavior. On one occasion, my child stepped on a roach and was told not to kill it because "it's nature"--yet the school doesn't apply that same level of care or concern to the kids who are being harassed daily. A teacher once even told the class that a rock is a living thing, which is just flat-out incorrect and makes us question the quality of education being provided.
We've also had some concerns about the overall school environment. For example, there were a few instances of theft in my child's class, but it didn't seem like the teacher was able to address them effectively.
Every year, the good kids my child connects with end up transferring to other schools, and now we're starting to understand why. The ones that stayed doesn't like the school either. Over the years, we've noticed that several families who value a positive learning environment have chosen to move on, which has made us wonder if ongoing issues are prompting those decisions.
When I ask my child if she misses this school, she immediately and firmly says 'No' without hesitation -- which, to me, speaks volumes about her experience there. This school desperately needs better leadership, more active, caring, and responsible staff, and a serious commitment to creating a safe, nurturing environment for all students. Until then, I would not recommend it to any family.
