Strandwood Elementary School

Between our two girls we have been at GG for 10 years so far, with 2 more years to go. The principal really makes this school special, unique and inclusive . She literally knows every child’s name and the kind of car the parents drive. Her amazing-ness also shines with how all the teachers are with the kids.The teachers know their students and truly want them to be and do their best. All the support staff is also friendly and knowledgeable about any question or issue you may have. We love this school so much!

Perfect school, i’ve had the best years learning with many different kinds of fun activities.

Since Ms. Pappas took over as the principal, the school completely went downhill. She has been a complete disaster for the school and the kids. A bunch of the best teachers left the school because of her poor leadership. Just look at the school’s ratings. This school used to be rated 9/10 and now it is 6/10. I don’t understand how Ms Pappas is allowed to continue destroying what used to be a very good school. Teachers keep leaving, ratings keep going down, class sizes keep increasing. Ms Pappas’ innovation is to create classes where one teacher teaches 2 grade levels in the same classroom. Teachers hate it, kids hate it, and parents hate it. Ms Pappas is the only one who likes it. And I don’t know where the money is going. I haven’t seen any improvements to the school since she took over. I guess the district likes her because she is probably saving them a lot of money by increasing class sizes and driving out experienced teachers who probably cost the district more than new hires.

1. Only cares about their numbers. If you mess with their numbers, get out. That’s the message. 2. Very little support with social emotional development even for kindergarteners. 3. Outdated teaching methods. 4. They aren’t teaching BRAVE spelling or blended sounds, just drilling sight words for K 5. Constant fundraising. School also gives out toys/prizes DURING CLASS to kids whose parents sign them up for the fundraiser. Aka leaves out kids whose parents didn’t. Tears ensue. Principal doesn’t care, it’s all about the $$. 6. I’m pretty sure the only reason the schools numbers are decent is because 1. They eliminate those who aren’t performing, and 2. High parent involvement. 7. Pick up/drop off is a mess. No parking and most of the streets nearby say no parking so it’s an issue. Don’t go unless your home school is really really bad. Do private if you can.

It has been great. Students who don't enjoy the classroom environment can attend a couple of core classes with others and then can work independently to complete their high school credits. It is not a school where you are "given" credits. You earn them. Students go on to post graduate work in places as diverse as Johns Hopkins, Cal East Bay , DVC, and trade schools. If you like to work on your own or simply have no desire for the typical high school hallways and activities, this is the right place.

My daughter is in kindergarten, and sending her to this school has been a wonderful decision. The environment is nurturing, compassionate, and encouraging. The older students are especially kind and treat the younger children like little brothers and sisters. I imagine that comes from having been welcomed and supported by older students when they were younger themselves.It is a close-knit school, and when I look at the high school students, it seems clear that many of them will remain lifelong friends. If you are looking for a welcoming, supportive, anti-bullying environment, this could be a great school for your family. We are not especially religious, but we have never felt that our daughter’s day-to-day experience was overly centered on religion.