Highland Park Elementary School

I can't say enough positive things about Highland Park Elementary. We have had a positive experience, and my daughter is performing just above grade level in all areas. She is in third grade and has been at this school since kindergarten.

My kid in Special Ed got an unexperienced, meek and weak teacher, he was bored in the classroomovercrowded, to big and

We've had children in this school for three years now, and every year has been great! The teachers are wonderful, the community involvement is astounding, and we love the student diversity. It is amazing that we can have so many cultures coming together and learning together in a supportive environment. There are minor things here and there we've been less happy about. For example the homework load in kindergarten and 1st grade seemed a little too much for their age, but overall we are really happy with this school!

The teachers here are dedicated and professional. They truly care about the students. My son loves to visit the teachers he's had in previous years. The teachers actually get along with the principal, who is very visible and involved. The teachers are accessible, and keenly assess the kids. We are so happy to have our son here.

When we moved to the area, I was uncertain about how well my son would enjoy this school based on earlier reviews. However, every concern has been solidly put to rest. He is an advanced reader and generally ahead of his grade level (academically)... Socially, he's a classic 5.5yr old. We never had to bring this up with his teacher because she proactively recommended him for assessment, made adjustments for him to participate in reading groups with a higher grade level and is setting up early testing for placement in the TAG program. This is the effort at the Kinder level. These teachers are on-task and they care from day one. They want every child to succeed.At the orientation, I saw older students visiting teachers from the previous year(s) just to say hello and tell them they would miss them. The older students are also apart of the pick-up system (helping kinder and 1st graders to the pick-up with adult supervision). As a former educator, it speaks volumes to see an excited, respectful older student body that is already engaged practicing a mentor-mindset. The school has an amazingly active PTO and there's always a chance to participate in community building activities. In addition, the culture among teachers is wonderful and not lacking in diversity. A notable part of the school culture is "Celebrate Diversity!".The curriculum is refreshingly progressive and hands-on. Their science activities involve projects in the school garden, studying nature through the senses as well as early scientific method practices. The homework (at Kinder lv) is "assigned" via a menu sent home at the beginning of the month. Students are allowed to choose activities to do 4 nights a week. These activities incorporate, movement, documentation through writing and drawing, engaging in family activities (helping prepare meals, helper tasks, learning to read food labels.). There are zero worksheets or busy-work assignments.I know this is a very long review, but we have been so genuinely impressed with this school. We thought we might have to send our kids to a charter... not with HPES as our neighborhood school. Thank you for being excellent.