Patrick Henry Middle School

My daughter is in 6th grade at the STEM magnet, and so far we could not be happier. The Academics are great; her courses are rigorous but there is support for the students to meet the demands, and she is excited about what she is learning in each of her classes. Her teachers have helped her navigate the huge transition from elementary school, all while keeping her engaged and challenged. The rotating schedule, clubs, and I&E are innovative and are one of the ways PHMS stands out. The biggest reason I'd recommend this school, though, is that every day she is coming home happy. Honestly, that is not what I was expecting with middle school, and it has a lot to do with the school community there. The teachers are kind, the kids seem nice and chill for middle schoolers, and the uniform keeps the middle-school clothes drama at bay. Her friends from elementary school all went to other middle schools, so we hear about a bunch of them, and they all seem to be facing a much harder social environment. I don't know what their secret is at PHMS, but I appreciate the outcome of their hard work and would recommend PHMS to anyone.

I am a student at Patrick Henry and there are a lot of thing that this school could change or look out for more.

My daughter recently graduated from Patrick Henry's STEM program and had a great experience. The principal is supportive, and the staff is dedicated to making a difference in their student's lives. Yes, there may be a few teachers that aren't so great - but that's the case at all schools, but our experience was that the overwhelming majority care about students as individuals and go above and beyond to help them succeed and make lesson plans that are educational, engaging, and bring learning to life. Teachers would take time to volunteer outside of class to put on fun lunchtime and after school events and 8th grade students were given the opportunity to go to DC and Northern California to tour colleges. As a parent, I loved how the curriculum was integrated between subjects. For example, my daughter wrote a report on Egypt in History and had to create a website for Computers. Her teachers also prepared her for high school by making Cornell notes a standard for everyday work. PH is unique to other schools as it has a built in I&E period during the day to assist students who need additional academic support. Yes, their test scores may be low, but they are doing something to address the gap. And for those students who don't need the additional support, they get an additional enrichment class to take during the period (it's like having two electives). I am personally a fan of the CTE elective that allows students to get a jump start on career exploration. Another unique thing about PHMS is they do a rotational schedule for classes. My daughter loved this because under a regular schedule she would have struggled having math and history after lunch the whole year, but under the rotational schedule, those classes moved to the morning through the week, so it balanced things out. With respect to the downside, the biggest challenge was finding friends she identified with. My suggestion would be to come into the school with a couple of friends so they have their core group to hang with. Otherwise, it can be hard to find your place. Yes, my daughter probably grew up faster than she would have been at other schools, but the school does a good job to keep it a safe environment and I feel she is better prepared and a stronger person going into high school. In closing, there are so many wonderful opportunities to rise and shine if you make the effort to take advantage of them. You just need to know your child and have faith in them to to make the right choices.

My 14 yr old transferred to this school from another Valley middle school and PHMS is far superior in community and support for the kids. My child loves school again because of the administration, counselors and teachers at this middle school. I highly recommend both Magnet programs at this school as I have children in both.

My son have a great time, learn a lot, take advanced classes, he atend at. STEM Magnet program and enjoy his Robotics class also make new friends, I really recommend this school. All the teachers very professional. Thanks!