Van Arsdale Elementary School

I have had three (very different) kiddos at Sierra and it has been a wonderful school for all of them so far. The Specials team is fantastic! They have Art, Music & PE and days called ROAR days that my crew absolutely loves. The building is light and bright. Administrators are visible and accessible. Two of my kiddos have had IEPs, and they have been well supported.

I engage with the staff and administration at this school regularly and feel I have a good sense of Stott. The Principal The principal weighs the family perspective as a top priority when making decisions. If a decision doesn't sit well, she always has excellent reasoning for why decisions are made a certain way, and makes sure everyone wondering understands the reasoning. She has always made time to sit down and talk with families who have questions and concerns. The TeachersThe teachers care firstly about student well-being, growth, and engagement. They seem happy at Stott and to be in their positions, and this positively affects my child's overall experience. Happy teachers have happy classrooms. The teachers I know are cheerful, know about their students beyond just test scores, and there's little turn-over. Many teachers have been at Stott long enough to see entire families start in kindergarten and move on to middle school, high school, and beyond. They always look for ways to support and challenge students' abilities. EngagementStott has come a long way with student and family engagement over the years by hosting implementing weekly STEM classes during the school day, fundraising activities like the Fun Run and Read-a-Thon, after-school extracurricular options like Robotics, Art Club, Dance, and more that I'm probably forgetting. The teachers communicate frequently in a number of ways -- in person at school events or at the door during arrival and dismissal, e-mail, phone calls, apps like Class Dojo, newsletters in Friday Folders, and even postcards when students really go above and beyond in behavior or academics. There is a small but mighty cadre of consistently involved families who support through the PTSA or other means as they're able, and this is a HUGE part of Stott's improvement over recent years. StudentsThe students at Stott are generally hardworking, kind to others, and respectful. All schools see conflicts between students, but Stott seems to have the kind of kids who treat each other with kindness without much in the way of bullying. The mental health awareness and support at Stott is fantastic with responding to concerns and communicating with families about issues students might be experiencing. Stott recently adopted an Autism Spectrum Disorder center from a school that closed, and its presence has certainly raised my child's awareness and acceptance of differences among her friends, and her empathetic skills.

Absolutely horrible school. As a current student I wish I didn’t go here and the principal doesn’t care about the students nor do the teachers

I have two children at Meikeljohn Elementary and could not be happier with the staff and school. Every teacher has been wonderful and my children are thriving. The entire community is supportive and caring. Highly recommend this wonderful school.