Orchard Hills

All three of my kids are at Thurston, and I have been pleased with all of the classroom teachers. My perception of Thurston is that it is a friendly environment that values collaboration. All staff and faculty work towards a common goal: creating a family of lifelong learners.In particular, I am extremely impressed with the 'specials' which include Music, Art, Library, Gym, PLTW (engineering) and Mandarin Chinese. The level of teamwork among teachers shows that in addition to teaching the curriculum, they also forge bonds in a way that helps students build character. All of my students have developed a love for reading while at Thurston, and although the math program is not very rigorous, students have the option to take a self-paced math course starting in 5th grade.Finally, I find it impressive that the staff knows every kid's name as well as which family they belong to.Students, families and learning are valued at Thurston. Tests are used as a resource to help students mark progress, but more importantly, kids at Thurston grow to love learning and to love school.