Williamsburg Middle School

My three kids started at Jamestown in 2010 and my youngest just graduated in 2022 and we have been overwhelming thrilled. Yes, there were changes during that 12 year period but the school was always evolving for the better. The staff ALL work so hard and do such a good job of meeting the students where they are, supporting them, and helping them grow. Certainly there were a few teachers that maybe weren't our favorite but those never lasted long as the principal is so invested in the community. She supports her staff while being responsive to parents and fostering the amazing work going on there. We feel so well served by Jamestown.

The school district closed McKinley elementary school in 2021. The building it was in now houses Arlington Traditional School, a different Arlington public elementary school. There are no McKinley teachers here, and no students. GreatSchools should remove this listing. It’s confusing to people. How can it have “above average test scores” as of September 2023, if McKinley has been closed since 2021?

This is one of the most engaged and active community learning environments you can imagine. We have multiple children attending the school and the staff has been fully engaged, very proactive in communication, and the kids feel excited to go to school. The school hosts multicultural night, STEAM night, and seasonal festivals that really tie the community in with the school. There is a large concentration of parents who have high expectations and clearly have the resources to make sure that the kids get what they need. Nothing is perfect but this school is incredible.

Serious attitude problems from the front desk receptionist. Not sure why. Would it hurt to show just a smudge of politeness? If you a miserable then it makes the school look bad.Secondly, the amount of days off and half days at this school was ridiculous. There were at least 1-2 per week. Some are legit holidays, but many are bogus teacher days that leave dual-employed parents scrambling to find child care.

I have a second grader at this school and we have had a wonderful experience at Kent Gardens. The principal is about as engaged as can be and many of the teachers are long-time veterans who are so skilled at what they do, but also still have the passion after so many years of teaching. We have been thrilled with the teachers who go above and beyond. We have regular communication with them and I really get the sense that they care. Even though the French immersion classes are rather large in comparison with non-immersion classes (both at KT and other schools), they have extra help in the classroom and no one gets left behind. My child has attention deficit challenges and her teachers recommended her for special education. My child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and we think the special education chair and her staff are really wonderful and supportive. When my child was testing behind the mark, the school rallied and organized small group work during 'PRIDE' time, set up the goals for improvement, worked with a counselor to learn some time management type skills during special lunch sessions and we supported as much as we could at home. My child had incredible growth in a very short time because of this.The school promotes respect, inclusion, diversity, and kindness. They have green, yellow, red, etc. houses representing different values that they promote and the kids and teachers are really enthusiastic about this. They also have a 'buddy system' pairing younger kids with older kids at the school, which has been a hit. Sixth graders are often put in leadership positions at the school and it is fun to see them thrive. I disagree with previous commenter about a 'toxic' environment. I haven't seen that at all. This school is special and the French immersion program is such a great offering. 5 stars!