Maplewood Middle School

I recently graduated from this school, and my experience was HORRIBLE. I attended that school since Kindergarten, and I always had to deal with rude students, rude teachers, and rude staff. Not to mention, one of the ELA teachers treated me like she had something against me. For example, throughout most of my 8th grade year, she NEVER said my name. I absolutely HATED going here and so will your children. I could go all day talking about how bad this school is. Like oh my GOD, the amount of built up anger I had while walking through those hallways. OH, and there is more! The teachers pick favorites, and they make no effort to hide it. The principal seemed to have something against me as well. There is still so much I could say, I am so glad that I graduated. FINALLY. And the school is dirty! They have rats and roaches!

Clinton is a fantastic school with a vibrant, multi-cultural community, excellent teachers, and a proactive administration. There is definitely a sense of pride and a welcoming community. The inclusion classrooms are a HUGE plus for parents of students with special needs. Our son is thriving in his inclusion class and we have seen a major improvements in his development across the board.

My 2 children have attended South Mountain Elementary ("The Big School") and South Mountain Annex (just down the street) over the past 4 years. Strong academic and social emotional focus at these schools. Homework was light K-2, but picked up around 3rd grade. Older grades focus on teaching grit and self-reliance. When one of my children started falling behind in reading, the school connected him with a reading specialist who worked with him in a small group until he caught up to the rest of the class. Now he's reading at a grade level above expectation, thanks to the individual attention. His confidence is back and he's excelling across subjects. When my other child started showing developmental delays, the school provided in-class supports to ensure he has what he needs to succeed. Strong PTA and community engagement -- fall/spring festivals, back to school night, book fairs. The kids take walking field trips to the Reservation, plus bus trips to the zoo or local museums/arboretums. The Kindergarten kids have their own "Kinder Garden." There is a social worker in the school who helps children with food/resource insecurity or other family issues. There is a musical for kids in the older grades. Lots of diversity compared to other towns nearby - in fact, 17% of the kids at South Mountain identify as mixed race. Cultural day is awesome, as lots of kids have interesting and unique backgrounds and food/religious cultures to share. The one piece of critical feedback that I have is around the overall liberal mindset of this town overall, and its impact on learning. When we prioritize funding and overall resourcing at the district-level, sometimes big ideas take precedence over practical application. For example, during Covid, we were so preoccupied with keeping schools closed (in the name of equity, moreso than safety, as data showed that kids were relatively insulated from the worst of the effects of the pandemic), we unfortunately let learning slip for ALL groups.

As a student at OLS the environment is so welcoming and the teachers care about you so much. I feel at home at OLS and I couldn’t imagine going to another school!