4409 S 17th St
Omaha, NE 68107

Having had a child attend this school from mid kindergarten on through the final grade (4) I feel I am in a great position to give a review. Teachers: Top Notch. While the actual school curriculum is limited legally by state mandates (meaning everyone is equal and children who excel in learning capabilities will not be given advanced work outside of those regulations) the teachers themselves are all very good at their jobs. All seem highly competent, have a true enthusiasm for working with children from all sorts of backgrounds, have patience, and truly want the best from their students. The feedback from teacher to parent is very open. Be it notes or other communication, they are quite willing, within reason, to work with parents on a child's needs. Discipline: The teachers and admin staff can and will be firm when it comes to if discipline is required, using a positive reinforcement method and discussions with the child on appropriate behavioral alternatives. Bullying is not tolerated, is quickly addressed, and I've found that most cases of bullying (which stems naturally from children) does not ever progress to a level where self esteem is being consequently damaged. All parties needs are met, be it the bully or the person being bullied. The school has counselors on staff who work with kids, or provide the resources to get children extra help outside of school if that is required. Special Needs: My child has ADD/ADHD, and the school and staff are wonderful with helping kids with this to learn methods for self control. This is not to mean they are more lenient with expectations, but they do understand what ADHD is and help kids work through it. My Pre-K child is autistic, and again the staff is excellent in working with these kids. The kids themselves: I've seen many kids at this school through the years, older and younger, and the behavior is always consistent. The kids who go here are HAPPY and it shows. I've never seen a teacher or staff member walk through the hallways without many cheerful shouts of "Hello Mr./Ms __) Kids run up and hug them at Parent teacher conference night. All the kids behave respectably, while still being kids. The education received here might be pretty standard, but all in all, the confidence and happiness the kids attain are incredibly useful too. More schools should be like this one.