We have been a part of the Estes Hills family for seven years and continue to be extremely pleased with the school. Our children have flourished, thanks to the wonderful faculty and staff. Our principal and her administration have always been very attentive to our needs, there is ample opportunity for
... Read more parental involvement, and there is a wonderful community spirit among the families. We feel very fortunate to be able to send our children to this excellent neighborhood school. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/26/09
Estes Hills is a WONDERFUL school. The faculty and administration put the children first and do a wonderful job in preparing them for Middle School. The campus is old, however it is finally being cared for thanks to our Administration. Our Principal has been instrumental in spearheading a host
... Read more of capital improvements to the campus including state of the art technology to keep it in line with other newer schools in the district. Estes Hills is like a large 'family', with students, teachers, administrators and parents working together to make it a great place to learn for ALL children. The school provides a caring atmosphere where the students learn, play, create, are challenged and make life long friends. Thank you Estes Hills! Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/24/09
I am disappointed with Estes Hills school and the administration's decision to not celebrate American holidays or including more time for art projects associated with these holiday themes. After several attempts to provide ideas and fun activities on how to include these into the children's daily schedule,
... Read more I've been told by the principal that the holidays must be part of the curriculum or they aren't included. The school's focus is centered around End of Grade tests and following the curriculum. Our previous elementary school in Illinois provided many more opportunities than just 45 minutes a week for art, and during the holidays, projects included seasonal themes such as concerts, festivals, and classroom decorations. In the 3 years since my son has attended Estes, there hasn't been one picture colored of a Christmas tree, one snowflake cutout, pumpkins decorated, etc. The kids don't know what they're missing. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/07/09
Estes Hills has made great strides under its new principal, Cheryl Carnahan. They have implemented policies that are more supportive of individual students and managed to keep classroom aides even though budgets have been tight. Our child has benefitted greatly. The one thing is some older teachers have
... Read more lost that real sense of extraordinary concern for the kids and perhaps should retire soon. Read less
Posted by a parent on 12/18/08
The school would be rated much higher not only in parents opinions but in academic standards if not for the new principal. She is basically running a huge daycare and has shown no interest when concerned parents approach her about the curriculm being 'dumbed down' for many students. Her response when
... Read more students are ahead of her given curriculm is for the children to stop learning for a few years. She has a habit of wanting to show people she is in control and has power over them rather than trying to actually help. It is very frustrating. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/27/08
I am a parent of 2 children in this school and I have been very unsatisfied. One of my children has special needs and the every person from the classroom teacher to the principal were unresponsive. There doesn't seem to be much teacher accountability in this school
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 08/26/08
We have two boys who have attended Estes Hills. Chapel Hill Schools are truly outstanding, and Estes Hills is no exception. We have been thrilled with all but one of their teachers. The teachers invest time in learning how to motivate each child individually, and they do an excellent job giving children
... Read more the freedom to pursue their own academic interests. I do agree with one parent's concern that gifted kids are sometimes ignored (this is partially due to a separate program for 'extremely highly gifted children'), and our experience is unfortunately also that the new principal (2008) is somewhat dismissive of parent inquiries, though hopefully that will improve with time. Overall, though, we are very happy with the district. Read less
Posted by a parent on 02/06/08
I volunteer at this school through a program I am involved with at the local university. Having taught in Durham for approx. 3 years, I can only say wonderful things aboutt Estes. Unlike many schools in Durham, parents and staff at Estes share a mutual respect for one another and are truly looking
... Read more out for the benefit of the child. Awesome school! Read less
Posted by a other on 01/24/08
We came from a large school district in another state, and I'm just blown away by the level of individual attention kids get at Estes Hills. Great staff, good resources, excellent PTA.
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 11/27/07
We've been at this school for 2 years -- my daughter is in 3rd grade. We moved to Chapel Hill from an area well-known for the high caliber schools. Estes is a good, solid, traditional, elementary school. The facility is old (probably dating back to the '50's), and the teaching is solid and old-fashioned.
... Read more We don't have a TV studio , rock climbing wall, or Rennaissance Garden like we did in our previous school, but the teachers we've had have been superb. We've been very satisfied. The principal/vice-principal do a good job hiring good teachers, but aren't quite as strong in making the parents feel heard and valued -- that is an area in which there is much room for improvement. I'd recommend Estes for average and above average kids - the school does seem to struggle with meeting the needs of exceptional students at both ends of the spectrum. Read less
* In 2007-2008 North Carolina used End-of-Grade (EOG) tests to assess students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math. The EOG tests are standards-based, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of North Carolina. The goal is for all students to score at or above the proficient level on the tests.
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Chapel Hill schools — Estes Hills Elementary School is located at 500 Estes Dr, Chapel Hill NC 27514. 500 Estes Dr is in the 27514 ZIP code in Chapel Hill, NC The school district for Estes Hills Elementary School is the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Sd. Estes Hills Elementary School is a Public school that serves grade levels K - 5.
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Test Score Ratings
Test score ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results reported by this state. These ratings may help
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this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
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experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
