Whispering Oak Elementary School

My daughter first year at Cranium Academy and she is loving it and the teachers and the staff is so kind and does a wonderful job.

The gifted program is a joke as is the new principal. The "gifted" classes contain averge (& sometimes below average) students. These classes should be fast paced, but have to be slowed down for the non-gifted kids (who then feel bad because they can't keep up with their gifted peers). There is no difference in the curriculim between gifted and non-gifted classes. The principal only cares about the special education students (& the money the school receives for them). She does not care about the rest of the students. If you are zoned for this school, use other options - home school, virtual school, charter school, private school, school choice - anything but this school. Stay away.

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.

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.