Gattis Elementary School

I didn't receive much communication about my son's behavior throughout the school year and unfortunately the last month of school is when it was finally communicated that he was having issues. At that point there was no way to modify the 504 plan he had in place. The communication was so poor throughout the school year. When I asked about homework at the beginning of the year I was met with no response. I should've seen that as a red flag but thought maybe he was completing it at school. Even during the last month of school when my son was reported to have choked a classmate I was not called to pick him up from school. I received the report a week later. Because of the lack of communication, it really does have me question whether any of these events actually happened. If so, why was I, as the parent, not called immediately? I received one phone call throughout the school year, so I know they had the right number on file. The call was regarding my son pushing a classmate. When I received the letter stating he wouldn't be allowed back there were multiple incidences (varying levels from crying to the choking). At minimum I should've received the number of calls that matched the incidences. Receiving one call is unacceptable. Be aware that the kindergarten teachers are the hooks but once your child is in the program for the next year, the lack of communication could be a barrier to your child's education being excellent if the teacher is not invested in your child. The only reason I did not rate this school lower is because of the Assistant principal and the kindergarten teacher from the previous year. I would say this school did a great job with my son's adhd the first year, but this past year was a complete disappointment.

Front office staff; one lady in particular who shall remain unnamed but runs the front desk is extremely rude towards me on different occasions. This is unacceptable and when I took it up with who I believe to be the assistant principal she was very dismissive to my plea. All I ask for is for staff to be respectful and unassuming, here that is not the case. Speaking up now since my child will NOT be returning to this school.

I’ve been disappointed with the recent changes at DFT. The new principal, Lily, appears oblivious to the established culture of the school and the input of veteran teachers. Decisions feel arbitrary, and there is a sense that parent voices are being ignored. The school’s direction feels headed the wrong way, and the lack of receptiveness from the front office makes it difficult to feel confident in the current leadership. Hopefully a change will be made soon for the sake of the students. I'm still giving the school good rating because there really are some great teachers there. It's the admin that could use a lot of improvement

This school is honestly amazing! The parent support is like nothing I’ve seen before. The pta and homeroom parents support the teachers and staff. The teachers seem to actually enjoy their jobs and aren’t burnout. The staff is all so tenured. My second child is on year 4 and I have one that went kinder through 5th and I’ve never had a complaint. Any concern I had was always addressed and followed up with. It is truly an amazing school.

I enrolled my twin boys in the Spanish Immersion Kindergarten program, and unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing. Both of my children had a very difficult time, and their dissatisfaction with the program was evident early on.The classroom environment was not conducive to learning or communication. I made multiple efforts to engage with the teacher to better understand the curriculum and find ways to support my children at home. Unfortunately, my outreach was often met with resistance, lack of communication, and an overall unwillingness to collaborate.When I raised concerns with the assistant principal, I was disheartened by the lack of support. Both the teacher and assistant principal suggested that my children may have behavioral or learning challenges. Following their recommendation, I had my sons formally evaluated by the school, and the results confirmed that neither child had any such issues. This only reinforced my belief that the core issue lay in the quality of instruction and classroom management.I also spoke with other parents in the same class and found that many shared similar concerns about the teacher’s effectiveness and the overall learning environment. When I brought these concerns to the principal, I again received no meaningful support or resolution.Given this experience, I am in the process of transferring my children to a different school. I am extremely dissatisfied with the way this situation was handled by the school’s staff and administration. I cannot recommend this program based on our experience. In fact, I HIGHLY recommend putting your children in ANY other school!!

When my daughter started attending this school I didn’t know if I could trust them because she had been to 3 different elementary schools & was treated horribly. When she got to Windermere I told them about all of the concerns I had for my daughter especially academically & immediately they started the process to get her in classes that best fitted her needs . The ENTIRE office staff ( administrators, nurse , register , principals ) is amazing & very family/friendly oriented! The teachers I can’t even explain how much I appreciate them . There’s teachers that know my daughter that I don’t even know & that makes my heart full. This school keeps you informed about any and everything that’s going on. PARENTS/ GUARDIANS give the staff a chance if you or your kiddos have any issues speak up in a respectful way there’s always someone who can help resolve any issues you may have . SCHOOL STAFF IS HERE TO HELP OUR KIDS , THEY GET UP EVERY MORNING & COME DEAL WITH OUR KIDS & I KNOW ITS NOT EASY ! This is my daughter’s 3rd year at Windermere & let me say I had a few words with a teacher & a former assistant principal who is no longer there but it got better once I actually started communicating my small concerns in a respectful way.