Riverside Elementary School

The principle Consolla is a witch. She trespassed my son for knocking on the door to use the bathroom after school hours. Avoid this school at all costs.

We have had a great experience at HMES, and would highly recommend parents giving it a chance This is a hidden treasure among the FFX county schools.

My daughter was so excited and proud to be accepted into the full time AAP program and start 3rd grade at Stratford. What we didn't account for with the transfer was an hour long bus ride in each direction, teaching methods that were much more technology heavy than our base school, and a yearlong feeling of disconnect from what she was learning in the classroom. Over the course of the entire school year, my daughter didn't bring home a single spelling test, worksheet, or graded paper or test... one of the key ways parents can monitor progress and ciricculum. We never saw an art project, or any project for that matter. It's wild that in 3rd grade students can be pushed onto computers so heavily that there is no tangle parts of their education that come home. My daughter boards the bus at 8:05 each morning, and get's dropped off at 5pm each evening... for a standard school day. We have participated in most every major school event, I've volunteered in the classroom and chaparoned school trips, but I never felt that my interaction with other parents or staff members was sincere... it was a big let down. The school lacks warmth. We were expecting something spectacular, and were met with mediocre. Needless to say the transfer forms have been filed.

The Principals and Leading Staff are incredibly respectful, sensitive, responsive and focused. Be their example the entire school has established a culture of learning and respect.This school has a unique diversity of income, ethnicity, languages which the school embraces and uses as a strength. The parents and families who can contribute or volunteer often do, and it benefits everyone.The building is in excellent condition on a quiet Mt Vernon street. In 2021-22 the school was completely renovated and expanded thanks to a bond which Fairfax county voters supported.

Teachers too soft on students, some kids who go to special classes basically get to skip the entirety of the normal class. Teachers only focus on the bad kids more then the other kids which makes the bad kids more motivated to be bad, not to mention the excessive bullying of other students, Mr Flynn (The art teacher) is the only teacher who teaches right, and treats all his students equally. Also "recess" is WAAAYYYY too short to be even considered a "recess" they also expect all students to be able to keep up and be on the same page as the teachers. Would NOT recommend ESPECIALLY if your child is younger then 7.