Cranium Academy

I wanted to write this review in hopes that it helps other families—especially those relocating from out of state—who are searching for the right school for their child.When we moved to Florida, we initially enrolled our daughter in a well-known private school for kindergarten and first grade. Coming from a state where public schools were underfunded, overcrowded, and filled with overwhelmed teachers, we assumed a private school would provide a better experience. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Despite the big promises, the reality was underwhelming and fell short in many ways.This year, our daughter attended Windermere Elementary School, and the experience has completely restored our faith in public education.From the very first day, we felt the difference. WES has an incredibly supportive and tight-knit community of parents, an exceptional PTO, and dedicated teachers—many of whom have been at the school for over a decade. Her 2nd-grade teacher has been at WES for 12+ years and brings not just experience, but true passion and care. She saw and nurtured our daughter’s unique strengths, made learning fun and engaging, and created a classroom environment that my child couldn’t wait to return to each day. She literally cried on the last day of school because she will miss her teacher so much.Leadership at WES is also something special. The principal and assistant principal know the students by name—and by heart. My daughter gives them a hug every morning at drop-off, which speaks volumes about the kind of culture they've built.Academically, the transformation has been incredible. After two years in private school and nearly $50,000 in tuition, our daughter entered WES below grade level. Thanks to her teacher’s support, she not only caught up—she grew two levels on state testing and made honor roll.If you're looking for a school that will nurture your child—not just academically, but emotionally and socially—look no further. Windermere Elementary School is everything we hoped for and more.

Good choice for Kids. Teachers are nice. Thank you.

StarChild Academy Winter Garden (SCAWG) is a great option for preschool; however, I strongly caution against enrolling your child in the elementary school. The overall positives of the school are cultural diversity among the staff and student body, a family feel, and friendly, caring faculty and staff, as well as building updates on the preschool side.Preschool Pros: curriculumPreschool Cons: Teacher retention; on average, children go through at least 2 lead teachers a year, and it’s a revolving door for assistants.When our children were attending SCAWG, it was advertised as an advanced curriculum school; it’s not. We withdrew our youngest child first because it’s easiest to succeed in surrounding charter schools’ lotteries when entering kindergarten. Youngest attended from age 2.5 – 5 (VPK). Youngest is testing above grade level in ELA (was even promoted to grade 1 phonics class at new school) on Florida’s statewide standardized assessments (F.A.S.T); however, Math results were below grade level. Elementary School Pros: N/AElementary School Cons: no technology in classrooms, teacher retention, no behavioral specialist, inadequate disciplinary action, unrealistic amount of at-home supplementing, ineffective curriculum, no positive reinforcements for academic achievement, no standardized test prep, combined 4th and 5th grade classOldest attended from age 3–9 (grade 3.5; we withdrew after mid-year). For context, in kindergarten, first, and second grade, the oldest had all A’s with 1 B for the whole school year. Q1 of third grade all A’s, one B, Q2 of third grade all A’s, one B. Oldest tested at grade level in ELA on F.A.S.T and below grade level in Math. At SCAWG, they introduce concepts and move on quickly without allowing the child adequate time to practice or retain what they’ve learned. While every institution has its pros and cons, we’re most disappointed by what we now realize is a horrible curriculum and questionable teaching styles. There are better elementary school options in the area than SCAWG, and I urge you to exhaust them. SCAWG Elementary turned out to be a colossal waste of money for us – it shouldn’t have to be for you, too.

I’ve been waiting to write this review now that my child is almost done with 5th grade and I have the full K-5 experience with this school.The teachers here are hit or miss; there are some amazing teachers who truly love children and teaching (Ms. Alday and Ms. McHenry are both good examples), but there are others who are incredibly lazy, I’ve lost count on the amount of spelling and grammatical errors in the emails and communications I’ve received over the years…these are the people teaching our kids! Also teachers’ kids get preferential treatment at this school; they get first pick of class placement and they get chosen for special tasks like safety patrol. My child came home in tears at the end of fourth grade when they got passed up for safety patrol, the morning show, and the school store and they noticed that the teachers’ kids and their friends all got selected for these special roles. My child is a straight A student, in honor society and does not get in trouble and was passed up for all three opportunities!Communication is also not the best. I know that there is a math club and a chess club, but I never received any communication about either of these opportunities. My child excels in math and wanted to join the math club, I’m upset he didn’t get the opportunity to do so.Last, my child was assaulted on the bus by another child when they clocked him in the head with a Stanley cup. I immediately called the school and they just transferred me to a voicemail box to someone who is Spanish speaking and I couldn’t understand who I was even leaving a message for. I ended up calling back and I did speak to the principal and she was helpful but there was 0 follow up after I reported it. Do better SunRidge!! It’s no wonder parents are pulling their kids out of public school after our experience with this school! Middle school cannot come fast enough!

Since Ms. King has taken over as principal, this school has seen a huge improvement in student and staff happiness. The behavior department goes above and beyond to work on social emotional skills with the students who need it. A strong arts and performance presence in the school.