Maplewood Elementary School

I am extremely disappointed with the leadership at Ramblewood Elementary School, specifically Principal Dacyany Ibarrondo.I recently had to address a very concerning situation involving my third-grade daughter. Another student in her class made a racially inappropriate and alarming statement to my child, saying that her father is a Coconut Creek police officer and that he arrests people who look like my daughter and would arrest her soon. This comment was deeply inappropriate and should have been taken seriously.My daughter responded by defending herself verbally. However, instead of focusing on the root issue—the racially charged comment made toward my child—there has been an attempt to label my daughter as a bully. This is especially concerning because both the assistant principal and my daughter’s teacher acknowledged that there was no bullying involved.Despite this, the principal’s response has felt dismissive and inappropriate. Rather than addressing the seriousness of what was said to my daughter, I feel that the situation is being mishandled, and I have felt threatened instead of supported as a parent advocating for my child.I teach my daughter to stand up for herself, and I will continue to do so. Situations like this should be handled with fairness, sensitivity, and accountability—not avoidance or intimidation.I strongly believe this matter deserves further review and investigation to ensure that all students are treated equally and protected from discriminatory behavior.

Riverside is one in a million. You'd think I was picking up my child from Disney World, she is that excited about her day more often than not. I'm not a random parent with stars in my eyes, I have taught at three different elementary schools, and my child had speech at Riverside for two years before we got to Kindergarten so I spent an hour a week sitting in the front office observing. The front office staff is both kind and efficient. Ms. Bardisa and Ms. Ortiz are fabulous. It seems like the entire staff is above and beyond. My child's teacher, Mrs. Gentile is not only the kind of rainbows and magic you'd hope a Kindergarten teacher to be, but my child is learning so much it blows me away. Several friends with children in other schools have expressed jealousy at the performances and activities we have (Ms. Berrios is amazing). We have amazing after school clubs. Ms. Balint is a fabulous, present principal. I've listened to two different teachers praise her for her work ethic. I've seen it with my own eyes. The ESE specialist is also unreal; aside from the IEP meetings which she makes pleasant and explains everything, she stands outside with encouraging posters in the morning, she runs one of the clubs (if you haven't read her Newsletter that the children put together, you are missing out). My child has had a new speech teacher every year, but they are all amazing; my child at 6 is aware of her own goals and what she is working on. Even the PTO president seems to be made out of the same kind of magic. Walk around the courtyards inside the school; they are joyously decorated at holiday times. There is a beautiful garden that was also done by the clubs. Again, I worked in Broward County Schools; I was a part of the #1 school in the county 10 years ago and it doesn't even compare to Riverside. Riverside has so many elements that I have grown used to not seeing at schools anymore. It's a breath of fresh air. You just can't go wrong with Riverside, it's an amazing community to be a part of. I had extremely high expectations about my kid starting Kindergarten, and it has been far better than I had hoped. The more I am exposed to in this school, the more I like what I see. It is so important for a child to begin school with a positive experience, and the skilled team of Kindergarten teachers at Riverside will give them that foundation. Thank you, Riverside, I will forever be grateful that we are lucky enough to attend this amazing school.

My child is in their ASD cluster for a few years.Last year, my child has endured a very challenging years. I have always had great things to say but at this point I don’t have anything nice to say about thing that has transpired at the school. My child was moved around teachers and excluded from activities. When communicate issues with staff and teachers, I was met with a lack of empathy and understanding. I was just til they could not handle my child and was told to send them somewhere else. The teachers and staff do not tell the truth about what happens through the day but are very quick to call to pick up your child when they don’t want to deal with them. I am choosing to remove my child from the school because his needs were not being met and due to inappropriate handling.

In my experience and in my opinion, It is a bad school with very poor leadership. Administration (principal, guidance counselor and curriculum coordinator) and some teachers are biased towards certain students and it is very noticeable. In this school, only a small group of students enjoy all the opportunities to be in clubs and activities (which is not much anyways) or have the priority if space is limited. Principal doesn't respond to emails or calls quickly and it is impossible to get a meeting with her. They yell to students on daily basis and give detention to students for everything and anything, always threatening them with detention. The school currently doesn't provide breakfast or lunch for the students. Good teachers don't last and some teachers are too old to teach considering it is an elementary school where kids are loud and energetic and of course that bothers them, even the administration. A Principal must be a young, energetic and full of new ideas who really like children if want to be a principal of an elementary school. A principal should always smile and have a positive attitude, always.