La Petite Academy

I would strongly caution parents, especially parents of color, before sending their children to Alamos Elementary School based on my family’s recent experience.My 10-year-old son was the target of a verified racist incident where two students programmed a school-issued iPad to say “Amir is a N-word” out loud during class in front of students and staff. According to administration, the incident was confirmed and the students admitted to it.What has been most disappointing is not only the incident itself, but also the handling and communication afterward.When I initially contacted the school trying to get information regarding this serious situation, I was told by the front office that the Assistant Principal was out sick and that the Principal was not aware of or tracking the incident because it is “a big school.” During my later conversation with Principal Jenniffer Aynesworth, I was informed that information was inaccurate.I also felt dismissed during my attempts to get answers as a concerned parent advocating for my child. Instead of immediately treating this situation with the seriousness it deserved, the communication was inconsistent and at times felt unprofessional.Principal Jenniffer Aynesworth further informed me that the school would not remove or relocate the students responsible “because of one student.” I was also told that if my son felt uncomfortable remaining around the students involved, my son would instead be moved from the classroom.As a parent, that is unacceptable to me. A child who experiences racial harassment should not feel like they are the one being displaced while the students responsible remain comfortable in the same environment.This situation has emotionally affected my son deeply. He spent the night crying because he was hurt and struggling to understand why this happened to him.Parents deserve to know how situations involving racism, student safety, and parent concerns are handled before deciding where to send their children.

Support system from school is minimal. I actually felt they gave any excuse to get rid of my child. SDC teacher is new and unwilling to learn new strategies to teach kiddos.

Really disappointed with the school's communication and how they handle bullying. My child was having issues with being bullied and the only reason why I was notified was because it had reached a boiling point and my child finally got mad and retaliated back against their bully. That was when they finally decided to tell me this was an ongoing issue and that student had been constantly harassing my child. I really want to like this school, but the lack of communication that the staff has with parents when it comes to bullying issues is concerning. They seem to only reach out only when the issue has erupted into something worse, which feels really unsafe for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the children there. After speaking with other parents, I have found out that several of them are also having issues with their children being bullied by other students and staff doing absolutely nothing to discipline them. This has resulted in many parents removing their students from the school entirely. Despite constant complaints and frustrations, it seems that the staff has decided to just completely ignore the concerns of the parents here.

As a parent of three littles I’m so thankful we landed at this school. The entire team plays a big role in the students success. This includes the SPED team. We moved here just for this school and so glad we did!

Harvest Hill has gone downhill. The principal, Dr. Darlene Painter, only cares about optics. She really is a cold and unapproachable person who gets frustrated when an important issue is raised. She acts defensively instead of being part of the solution. It does not seem she cares about the frustrations of parents. This apathetic attitude spills onto the rest of her staff (not the teachers). The administration in the office is extremely political. My peer of parents are unsatisfied for various reasons. There has been an abundant amount of turnover in the last few years. Most teachers are great. My gripe is not toward the teachers.