West Hill School

Having come from Glastonbury Public Schools and being a former public school teacher I felt compelled to share I’ve been impressed with John Paterson Elementary. This school has highly-skilled veteran staff that work well together in each grade band. Class sizes have been 16-18 students- which I find incredible given most districts have maximums at 27 students. I’ve consistently been impressed by each teacher my child has had. I get weekly updates on what they’re working on in class and pictures of their activities. They offer enrichment, as well as targeted interventions, for students to ensure everyone’s needs are met. My child absolutely loves their school and has found good friends. Math and reading instruction are on point. I also love the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity here- it’s such a better representation of the real world and offers an abundance of teachable moments. Students get to learn about all different cultures and make friends with students who speak multiple languages. I’ve also been pleased with the social-emotional curriculum. I understand the “great schools” rating goes off of test scores, but schools are so much more than that. My kid is happy, enjoys learning, is performing above grade level, feels safe, and likes going to school.

My kid loves her school. She is very happy and learning with great passion.

Some teachers and staff are genuinely good, but overall the environment is unwelcoming. Many people come across as rude or unfriendly, and the surrounding community feels the same. There’s a sense that some individuals act pretentious and believe they’re above others, which makes it hard to feel comfortable or build trust.

I agree with pretty much everything the other reviewer said. I’ve had my child attend for three years and I’m pulling her. Admin is a joke and doesn’t listen to any concerns a parent has. They are only concerned about money and funding. The security guard may as well be prepubescent and escalates issues with parents rather than resolving or de escalating a situation (which is worrisome that this would be an actual dangerous person’s first interaction here and with today’s climate this is EXTREMELY concerning). I gave it two stars instead of 1 because my daughter has had some nice teachers. The building is pretty, they have some cool gadgets the kids can play with and a nice playground, but when push comes to shove, I don’t feel safe sending my child here with the complete lack of concern admin shows and their inability to hire people actually qualified for a security position.