Harbordale Elementary School

The administration is not friendly and hard to get direct answers.

Here is what I wish I would have known; it's a public school, period ( before being a Montessori school). So your main question to answer as a parent if you are wondering if you should send your kid to VSY is the following: If VSY didn't exist/ wasn't an option, would you send your kid to a public elementary school anyway? If your answer is yes, then go to VSY because its probably the best public school around. But if you wouldn't send your kid to a public school, but you are thinking about making an exception for VSY, because of what you've heard from other parents, because of the "Montessori," then don't. Go private and you won't regret it. VSY is 100% a public school, not Montessori..coming from a genuine Montessori background, I can say it truly isn't. No comparison. They use some Montessori material for some lessons, but the philosophy isn't Montessori inside the classrooms. Also, your kid will have homework, lots of it; think 24 pages per week for a 2nd grader, because the school teaches to the test.

This was the worst experience we have had as a family with a middle school child with a disability. The teacher were the worst in communicating or getting bact o us in a timely manner or to address concerns. We were looking for a small setting with the same religion we practice at home. Sad to say we encounter no empathy or compassion a lot of judgment. Will not want to wish this experience on no one or refer anyone to this place. Here our child started experiencing huge mental set backs related to the stress she was put through without any help from them.

The school has been so good to my daughter! She received speech therapy since PK3 exceeding our expectations, she has made great friends and loves to go to school everyday. It feels like everybody is family, they are very welcoming and the teachers are top notch very communicative and caring. They work on individualizing education for your child's needs to make them thrive academically and socially. It is not easy to get in but if you do you’ll have no regrets ever. It’s a wonderful, safe and intellectually stimulating learning environment in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

My daughter is currently in Bethany Christian for prek-3 and my husband and I couldn't be happier. She is learning so much, and the teachers are very nurturing as well as the community. The security is exceptional, with the world today this school makes me feel secure in my decision to send my daughter to Bethany. Looking forward to see all their new expansion projects and for my daughters to be part of it.