Gracy Woods

I have been a NYOS parent for 10 years. I've had one child graduate and the second is in elementary school. The elementary school is wonderful with one exception, the principal. She is cold and uncaring, very removed from the feeling of community. I'm very close to the teachers, and none I've talked to like working with her. It's a shame because NYOS is known for having a warm community.

This school helped kids learn a lot, but its been bad (at least in 2025, currently). They make the children run laps nonstop sometimes, plus they make them have silent lunch, even though lunch is one of the only times they get to talk freely with each other. The lunch monitors make the kids go outside after their lunch, and make them run laps, also wasting one of the only times they get to talk and have free time. Their excuse is: "Oh, we expect more of 5th graders because they're the leaders of the school." Also, whenever one student does something bad during lunch, like face the opposite side of their food, the WHOLE 5th grade gets in trouble, and they can't talk for the rest of lunch. Their excuse for this is that "5th grade is a team". Like what? Your punishing them all for something small, and something 1 person did? Some of the staff just seem really controlling. But either way, I think this school is good to send your kid to.

The principal is amazing, made me feel like I belonged when I was a student there, the teachers are amazing, and bullying is highly discouraged.

Teachers at McBee work really hard. The administration always has a smile in their face. However, I would say that does not matter how much effort the staff at Mc Bee put into these students if parents do not work together very little could be accomplish. Many schools today, Mc Bee included, have the philosophy that parents are so busy that the staff have to do everything they can for the students and avoid homework because many parents are not supportive. If we as parents do not provide the time our kids need how could we expect that teachers do their job and ours too and at the top complaint about their hard work. I read several review about students failing and parents not knowing anything. That is ridiculous. If you do not know how your kid is performing at school what are you doing? that should be your priority.

Both of my kids attended BCS from kindergarten through 12th grade. My oldest child just graduated with honors from her university with her bachelor's degree and my youngest just graduated BCS and has been accepted to his first-choice university with an academic scholarship. I am so grateful to BCS for walking alongside our family on this journey, reinforcing our family values along the way, and providing so many opportunities for my kids to discover interests and talents in clubs, competitions, sports, and fine arts as they grew up. They have been so well prepared for their next step in life!