Irish Elementary School

This school has been exceptional for my two children. One of my children was in the gifted and talented program at Bauder (99% for literacy) and through their time at Bauder also increased their scores on CMAS for math by fifteen percent (going from 81st in 3rd to 96 in 5th)! They ended up also being identified GT for math in 5th grade after growing tremendously. This was huge for entering into middle school. My other child was a struggling learner and reader in first grade. They needed additional support, which Bauder provided, and they went from being in the low 20's on testing to scoring well into the 80th percentile on MAPS and CMAS now that they are in 4th grade. The teachers at Bauder are kind, committed to the kids and great at teaching. We have been so happy with our experience! There is also strong parental involvement at Bauder with an exceptional PTO. We have a lot of fun doing activities with our neighbors and feel so thrilled with our choice.

It's not an easy time for students, teachers and staff. We feel a lot of compassion for how challenging it must be. Due to Covid we haven't been allowed IN the building so we can't make an assessment of the facilities, beyond the playground, which is well-kept, the friendly crossing guard, and helpful pick-up/drop-off staff. Academically the school seems decent, and certainly after closures, virtual school, etc. there must be a lot of catch-up to do. The subjects and material don't seem very interesting or engaging. Nor is there much of anything that creates community or binds the student body, or families together with the school. There are no fun events. No field trips. No outdoor activities. No special guests. What we really take issue with is all of the drama, bullying and lack of proactiveness we have experienced in our child's classroom. It's awful. The school just doesn't haven't have enough resources to keep up, (they don't even have a dedicated art teacher, and many of the staff and teachers are doing double duty in areas, and the turnover of para-teachers and similar seems high). Our child comes home not just in tears, but no longer wants to attend in general, and they used to love school. There also seems to be a lot of punitive action by our child's teacher, so that when certain children are out of line the entire class must pay for in, recesses are taken away as well as activities when homework isn't up to snuff. We have even received a few general emails from the teacher expressing disappointment in the class, their work, etc. But upon follow-up not specifically our child, so it seems these should be sent on a case-by-case basis, not to everyone. These general "blasts" of negativity, from a teacher who hasn't been present much throughout the year are upsetting. Again, it's got to be a tough time to be a teacher, but we're generally considering moving schools.

Putnam is a gem! I've had two students at Putnam for eight years, collectively, and I cannot emphasize what a great school this is! With only 200 students, teachers and admin know every single student by name. They are committed to growth and consistency for each child. The principal and assistant principal are outside on the playground at recess and greeting students as they come in the building (and leave for home) every day. They have the highest academic growth in the entire district, but more importantly - they take nurturing little hearts very seriously. I can't sing their praises enough...we LOVE Putnam!