Morley Nelson Elementary School

I think this school has really good intentions and teaches the children well. However, I did have a hard time with getting some of the staff to intervene with bullying. Other than that it was a good school for my children.

Summerwind STEM is a wonderful community that excellent educators and supportive families. My kids have loved going to school there. From the front office to the counselor and all of the teachers, support staff and principal, our children have thrived both in and out of the classroom. All four of our kids have really enjoyed the STEM class and a shout out to the PE teacher who is just amazing. Our youngest two are still there and our oldest two still miss it.

There are a few things I wish I’d known before enrolling my kids at St. Mark’s. While there are definitely bright spots, including some wonderful teachers and staff, the school is currently navigating some serious challenges.The current slogan, “Together We Rise,” actually highlights the uphill battle they’re facing with teacher and student retention. In my experience, these issues aren't being addressed effectively, and there is a noticeable gap between the school's polished messaging and the reality on the ground.If you’re considering St. Mark’s, I’d suggest digging deeper than the "nice-sounding" answers. If a specific issue is important to you, ask for hard metrics and specific examples. For instance:Retention Numbers: Ask exactly how many students/ families and teachers have left in the last five years and compare those figures to other schools. (Look at the raw numbers rather than the "official" reasons provided for the departures). Over time, the majority of my children's teachers have been brand new to the school and not retained.Hiring and Training: Ask how vacancies (and urgent vacancies) are filled and what kind of support/ training is given to new hires or temporary hires who may not have a formal background in education.Leadership Oversight: Look into the administrative structure. It’s helpful to know who is just an "advisor" (like the superintendent and the school board) versus who actually provides day-to-day oversight for the principal. Behavioral Management: Ask to see a redacted example of a real behavior plan. This will show you how they handle disruptions that affect the whole classroom's learning environment. Use AI to compare that plan with current best practices.School Success Markers: What metrics do they collect and share to demonstrate success? How transparent are they about finances? Is fundraising robust or declining? What are the parent/ family involvement metrics and are they steady or declining?Parental Feedback: Ask to see a recent parent/ family satisfaction survey including the questions that were asked and the results.I truly believe St. Mark’s has potential and I hope it becomes the thriving community it’s meant to be. However, I’ve seen too many great families leave after a long, difficult struggle. My goal isn't to discourage you, but to make sure you have the full picture before making a choice for your children. These are the questions I wish I would have asked before enrolling my children here.

I wish I had trusted my intuition with this school. My child was not kept safe during our short time here. My child was sent on bus repeatedly on days he was supposed to go to after school care. A very serious matter that was reported to me by a teacher involving my child with another was not taken seriously. The assistant principal kept cancelling our meeting regarding the issue. She played incident off I do not believe my child was being watched over in this class because my child specified incident happened a lot. I removed my child. No one ever once reached out to see why he never returned or showed concern. Shame on this school for not keeping my child safe. Sure their eputation seems great, but that's far from what we experienced here. After attending another school, I can say, the difference is night and day.