Salt Lake Elementary is located in a quiet neighborhood. Salt Lake itself is in a crater called Ālia pa'akai -- meaning "salt pond" in the Hawaiian language.
While I appreciated the small town feel of the school itself, hearing the birds, looking at the crater, etc., the experience we had was disappointing.
Administration: The front office staff were inefficient at answering basic questions as seemed to be in a fog most of the time. Whenever I called to verify or ask a question, I was given unsure answers, or wrong information.
Teachers/Staff:
Our 5th grader's teacher was so very bland and lacked any kind of enthusiasm when we met her on parent/teacher night before the school year started. It was like pulling teeth to try to get her to open up and talk about the upcoming school year, curriculum, goals, etc.. Anytime we spoke to her, we left trying to understand why she choose this profession. I honestly thought that I was being Punk'd, like there was a hidden camera and people would jump out and say that it was all a joke, but sadly, it was too real. She seemed defeated before the school year even started. It was strange.
Our 3rd grader's teacher was new to Salt Lake and she attempted to come with new ideas, but was unable to execute them. She had asked me to be the homeroom mom and I accepted. I reported to help her one morning and she was at the office for a moment, so I sat in my 3rd grader's desk to await his teacher. Another teacher(?) came across the pod and asked what I was doing there and I informed her that I was the new homeroom mom and was reporting to help. The teacher(?), who did not identify herself, was very rude and told me that I was not allowed to be there and told me to leave. I again, explained that I am reporting to help, and she said that I needed to leave now. I reached out to the 3rd grade teacher to make aware of the incident and to find out if there was a certain procedure that I was to follow as she had told me to just report to the classroom, and I didn't receive a response, so that was the end of being the homeroom mom.
Security:
The security on campus is slim-to-none, and anyone can walk onto the campus and have direct access to the classrooms and children in which the doors are mostly propped open due to no air conditioning. The side gate close to Salt Lake District Park is locked during the day, however, access is very easy to the school via the parking lot. The administration office building is closed off with only a glass door, so it is very difficult to see who is walking onto campus. Daily dismissal is a free-for-all fiasco in which the children are let out of class to roam the school and if you do not have a designated area to meet your child, they will be lost in the sea of children running around. Teachers stay in their classrooms and do not monitor the halls or children. I did see security cameras set up, but with no physical presence in the grounds (other than the lady who told me to leave), there is no one to ID adults walking around campus or make sure that the children are being released to the appropriate family or caregiver, safety is an issue. There is a yellow line that adults are not to cross until the bell rings, however, anyone can walk on campus. Other schools have some kind of protocol for those who walk, drive, or talk the bus, i.e., colored pick up signs given to parent from administration with the children's name, teacher, and grade to post in your car or show the teacher. If you didn't have the sign, you must report to the office to sign the child out. I liked the openness of the school as it was different, but it needs to be secured and less accessible to those who have no business being on campus.
Communication:
I've communicated with the principal on various issues/concerns and while I did receive replies, there was no action or follow-up. I offered to help our children's teachers, signed forms to help volunteer in classrooms, but was not able to make a connection.
Our 5th grader did enjoy being on student council and the robotics team. Our 3rd grader did not thrive in class, the classroom was extremely hot by 7:00 am, and despite two fans, doors and windows open, the children and teachers were sweating and unable to concentrate. read more