Harlem Heights

Could've done more for more academically inclined students but overall the normal pace was fine. Most teachers were good of course a few bad apples... They finally stopped with the portables took them long enough. The environment is fine, school is clean, safe area, teachers are decent.

My daughter first year at Cranium Academy and she is loving it and the teachers and the staff is so kind and does a wonderful job.

This school applies collective punishment. Doesn’t matter if your kid is following the rules, if some of the classmates are not your kid will be punished, specially at lunch time, ask about the red cup system. This completely destroyed the mental model of my kids on how to behave. Instead of seeing peers as potential friends, they became potential problems. No nurturing friendship can be made in this type of environment. Exactly the opposite happens, kids pit against each other and the bullying starts. Student of the month is just a popularity context, no hard work or achievement acknowledgment.

StarChild Academy Winter Garden (SCAWG) is a great option for preschool; however, I strongly caution against enrolling your child in the elementary school. The overall positives of the school are cultural diversity among the staff and student body, a family feel, and friendly, caring faculty and staff, as well as building updates on the preschool side.Preschool Pros: curriculumPreschool Cons: Teacher retention; on average, children go through at least 2 lead teachers a year, and it’s a revolving door for assistants.When our children were attending SCAWG, it was advertised as an advanced curriculum school; it’s not. We withdrew our youngest child first because it’s easiest to succeed in surrounding charter schools’ lotteries when entering kindergarten. Youngest attended from age 2.5 – 5 (VPK). Youngest is testing above grade level in ELA (was even promoted to grade 1 phonics class at new school) on Florida’s statewide standardized assessments (F.A.S.T); however, Math results were below grade level. Elementary School Pros: N/AElementary School Cons: no technology in classrooms, teacher retention, no behavioral specialist, inadequate disciplinary action, unrealistic amount of at-home supplementing, ineffective curriculum, no positive reinforcements for academic achievement, no standardized test prep, combined 4th and 5th grade classOldest attended from age 3–9 (grade 3.5; we withdrew after mid-year). For context, in kindergarten, first, and second grade, the oldest had all A’s with 1 B for the whole school year. Q1 of third grade all A’s, one B, Q2 of third grade all A’s, one B. Oldest tested at grade level in ELA on F.A.S.T and below grade level in Math. At SCAWG, they introduce concepts and move on quickly without allowing the child adequate time to practice or retain what they’ve learned. While every institution has its pros and cons, we’re most disappointed by what we now realize is a horrible curriculum and questionable teaching styles. There are better elementary school options in the area than SCAWG, and I urge you to exhaust them. SCAWG Elementary turned out to be a colossal waste of money for us – it shouldn’t have to be for you, too.

It’s an all based about your grades and it’s really much favoritism, and if you have bad grades, they will be so rude to you. If I’m gonna be honest with you in the school is, it’s OK but it’s not bad. It’s not good.