Bell-Graham Elementary School

My experience with this school has been absolutely wonderful. We moved here interested in St. Charles schools. Our daughters has had a very positive experience. I'm impressed with what she learns and the skills she has developed. We are very glad we are in school District 303.

My daughter was enrolled at the Wasco Kindercare for nearly two years. When she first started there in preschool she had a wonderful teacher that left nearly a year later. I always had reservations regarding the director- she wasn't very professional and seemed to have a bad attitude, but I stayed because we liked the teacher. Fast forward to this past October when I received a phone call while my daughter was at school. It was the assistant director calling to tell me that my daughter didn't know any of her letters or how to write her name and that kindercare staff believes my 4 year old has dyslexia! I was initially concerned, as any parent would be. I told the assistant director that my daughter does in fact know how to write her name and she does recognize some letters but not all. After all she is only 4! She suggested I follow up with our pediatrician and I agreed. That afternoon I walked into the pre-k classroom (which has a new teacher) and I saw my daughter sitting at a table alone- being chastised in front of her peers by this teacher with tears in her eyes. Once I got into the car with my daughter she said "Mom I don't know how to do anything right, I can't even write my own name." This is not something my daughter would normally say or believe about herself- talk about heartbreaking! The next day, I didn't feel comfortable sending my daughter to kindercare so I decided to call her off. When I called in that morning the director answered the phone and asked what was wrong. I told her everything that happened the day before and she told me that "I wasn't taking her condition (dyslexia) seriously and that I was making excuses for my daughter." I was flabbergasted that she would speak to a parent that way! I ended up taking my daughter to her pediatrician the next day. The staff at kindercare provided a list of reasons why they came up with this diagnoses that I brought into the doctor. My pediatrician looked at this list and said I have nothing to be concerned about. I would like to know who at kindercare is qualified to diagnose a child? I ended up withdrawing my daughter out of the center and putting her into an actual school with "teachers" that actually have degrees and experience. I am writing this review so that another child will not have to experience what my daughter did and so that the parents will recognize if their child is acting differently after leaving kindercare.

School went through major transitional period through 2018, and going into Covid times. Current Principle and administration has been with school for at least 5 years, and has made many changes that has greatly improved moral. The school is not perfect, but there are shining segments of the school community that are worth looking into.