Drumeldra Hills

My kiddo completed 1st grade and is now in his 2nd grade year at Bel-Pre. In my experience, this school has excellent teachers with trash administrative staff and leadership. Again, This rating is not a reflection of the teachers, aides, or paraeducators - Only the admin and leadership. Actually, I have NEVER felt welcome at Bel-Pre as an EFL citizen (English as a First Language) and Special Needs Parent. Upon arrival, if you are not Spanish speaking, YOU CAN WAIT. You will wait to be assisted if there are other Spanish speaking parents also waiting to be helped. At first I thought I was imagining it, but I was not. The front office staff does not even greet you until you speak to them first - Or of course unless you appear to be Spanish speaking. It's very strange and off putting. No matter how friendly you are to them, they are stone walls - unless of course your appear to speak Espanol. Does it matter how friendly the secretaries are - Definitely. They set the tone for the entire establishment. By the way - My child is Autistic and minimally verbal. Imagine the cringe of entrusting him to extremely unfriendly authority every morning. Nightmarish to say the least. In regards to the leadership - The Principle is not respected by her staff , it shows - And now I understand why. She is a one dimensional leader. Not fit for the task of ensuring that her AND her immediate staff makes everyone feel welcome - including plain ole' English speaking citizens as well as the neuro diverse community. In violation of FAPE, My child was initially turned away, on his much anticipated, first day of school because the Principle failed to prepare for his needs.(As outlined in his IEP) I was told "I'm warning you that he is not safe here!" My kid is still recovering from the anxiety of that day. (as if he does not have enough challenges) In true poor leadership form, there was zero acknowledgement, zero apologies, and zero accountability. She has followed up with the same unprofessional behavior that she condones from the front office staff - No hello, smirking and eye rolling. I had no idea that my kid would not be welcome at Bel-Pre for his 2nd grade year. If I had known, I would have moved mountains to make sure that he never returned there. Last year in first grade, His teacher, peers, and the Special Education staff welcomed my kiddo in all his unique, Autistic glory. This year leadership decided that they did not want to do the work. He was NOT welcome.

There's no boundary setting at this school. The students do whatever they want without consequences. Students with high-intensity special needs aren't well cared for, and parents should be leery about enrolling their children in this environment. Parents should also be proactive in their children's education and well-being at this school and not simply trust that the principal and AP have their children's best interests at heart because they don't. There have been unreported events concerning student safety and unreported incidents to save face, such as when a student ran out of the school building and into the neighborhood. If parents don't speak English and have no family member to assist with language translation, these parents in particular could be at a disadvantage, to the detriment of their child slipping through the cracks. Overall, this school is pretty toxic, and the toxicity starts with the head and trickles all the way down. Parents need to be extra vigilant with sending their children to Cannon Road.

I would have given this school a 5-star rating if it weren’t for the behavior of the principal. Unfortunately, her attitude and lack of respect towards parents—particularly those who don't share her background—were disappointing. While I will refrain from making any assumptions, I do feel it's important for her to remember that as a principal of an elementary school, she is in a customer service role and should treat all parents with respect. A more approachable and understanding demeanor would go a long way in improving the overall experience at this school.

School is good but the teachers getting touchy with my children is a big problem, and everyone at that school just shrugs it off like it’s no big deal.

I simply don’t understand some of the poor reviews on this site…Our experience with Barrie is excellent. The community is diverse and caring. Academics are challenging and project-based.We plan for our daughters to attend through Middle and Upper School.