Winnona Park Elementary School

We have two kids at Clairemont and have been really impressed with the community, principal, and the teachers. In general, I wish all schools would reduce Chromebook use. I know that is not specific to this school, so that's not a factor in my rating. That said, despite the Chromebook presence, my kids thrive and enjoy learning on paper. The art, music, and Spanish classes are wonderful additions, especially since they start at kindergarten, and when needed, both of my kids have had access to additional support. We love the walk-to-school energy; it's like a little village in the middle of a neighborhood. Adorable and so far, a good learning environment as well.

My child and our family did not have a good experience at Friends. We thought being a quaker school that it would be inclusive and that as parents there would be many opportunities to engage and volunteer. We found the parent committees to be cliquish and difficult to participate even in volunteerism that we signed up for. Generally the school is very disorganized when it comes to events and programming making it difficult for working families to have clear expectations that things would start on time, in the location indicated or at all in some instances. Supervision of children is lacking and safety is a concern specifically in transitions and during after school. There are many times when non-teacher adults are supervising the children. Academically, the children who do well are the children who learn easily and are taught at home otherwise, you will not see progress from your children's academic development (at least in the early grades). The high level leadership Head(s) of school have been smart, kind charismatic and caring. Mid level leadership are ill-equipped for their roles and do not have the skills needed to support teachers and foster a professional environment to work effectively with children and families. Due to the school's decades long issue (pre pandemic) with low enrollment and being a tuition driven institution they do not have the resources that other schools at this price point offer to children. They simply do not have much to offer in the creative arts, performing arts or sports. The facilities both inside and outside are in poor condition and generally are not inspiring. Teacher retention is a problem, as well as teacher attendance, throughout the course of the year each class heavily relies on substitute teachers to fill in for chronically absent teachers. This tells me that there is an issue in the health of the school as healthy schools keep teachers for years and years and they show up to work due to their passion for the work and the sense of accountability to their students. It is not unusual to have a teacher leave midway through the year. Friends has trouble retaining children beyond prek & K when other area options open up within the public or private school systems. In the older grades able attract children for whom other area schools did not work out and for them Friends is a refuge. The families that Friends attracts are lovely and the community, if they can retain them are their best asset

STM balances rigorous academics with a supportive community. STM invests in the formation of the whole student—mind, body, and spirit. Through a broad array of academic, curricular, artistic, and athletic programs, students are challenged to discover their God-given gifts. We are thankful for the dedicated teachers who have made our children feel welcomed and safe.

We LOVE Glennwood! The teachers are so incredibly supportive, and the family engagement in this community is outstanding. The school is small and intimate, so every child is known by every staff person. Glennwood staff will support your child and give them every tool needed to succeed. The ideal elementary experience!