Knollwood Elementary School

Our family is so fortunate to be part of Knollwood. The administration is constantly making improvements to the curriculum and they really go above and beyond for the Knollwood students. I had 2 children in the district during Covid; the school quickly adapted and worked with the state to get our kids back into school as soon as possible, serving as a model to other schools on what to do. Our kids were back to school MONTHs if not a year before other districts. After Covid, it would have been so easy for the teachers and admins to stop offering the many special events (field trips, 8th grade trip to DC, wilderness getaway and other traditions but they brought all of that back as quickly as possible plus many other improvements (an enhanced gifted program, extra club sports, etc). Beyond core academics, kids benefit from an incredible music program starting in 4th grade, clubs during recess and afterschool, athletics, school plays etc). Our PTA and Board are very involved and offer so many extra programs and experiences for our children (Fall Fair, babysitter certifications, book fairs and so much more that I'm forgetting). I can't give this school and district a high enough rating.

Very supportive, caring, and fun environment. All the staff are enjoyable and engaging. Truly fortunate to be in a community with schools of this caliber.

Part of the reason we moved to Fair Haven was because we heard the schools were great. Perhaps my expectations were high as a result but we've been tremendously disappointed with Knollwood. I wish we had switched to a private school. Administration can be nasty to parents (and often yelling at kids at morning drop off which is a bad tone to set for the day). They seem overwhelmed and react negatively to issues and resort to defensiveness rather than trying to be helpful. Explanations given don't always make sense/not thought through. There are numerous assessments to determine what the kids need but then rely on the data without asking the teachers that know the kids for their input.There is a culture of bullying. Inappropriate behaviors are often overlooked with a "what can we do, they're kids" attitude. Teachers and administration are involved too. Both of my children have heard separately teachers talk about students negatively and inappropriately. My child with a disability has been yelled at and threatened by the administration and a teacher made mean comments to the entire class about them that then spread rumors and comments throughout the grade.Some teachers rely too heavily on technology - ie online math assignments where the students do the math on paper and type the answer in to have the program grade it. During COVID, during the very limited hours students were present in school, my children were sitting with chromebooks watching videos and answering questions so "they could work at their own pace" and having very little social interactions. Communication between the staff and the administration seemed inadequate or disjointed as teachers often didn't know what was going on or being communicated to parents. There does not seem to be standards or methods applied across different teachers - efforts to "empower" teachers means that they may vary wildly. One of my children watched 3 entire seasons of a children's netflix series during school this past year - that seems like a lot to me. Several other parents have made comments to me that "it was a throw-away year" or that their child had "three throw-away years in a row" and they were hiring a tutor. While overall disappointed in the school experience, there have been some fabulous teachers sprinkled in! They are dedicated, know their students and seem to genuinely care about doing their jobs.

We are very happy with the schools in Fair Haven. The administration is responsive and so many great teachers. Everything is wonderful, even things you may not think of like the crossing guards. Great events like transition day and trips to Stokes make memories that are for a lifetime.

Amazing experience. Teachers and administration are generally wonderful and supportive.