Floris Elementary School

Teachers yell to much and call kids out to embarrass them

My family LOVES Oak Hill Elementary! It is the centerpiece of the Oak Hill community. The teachers and auxiliary staff care so much about the students while many of the teachers have decades of experience. You will be more than happy sending your kids to Oak Hill Elementary!

I love this school. They are overwhelmed with children in my opinion due to the building expansion around them. And they still try hard to educate the children with disabilities and no disabilities. Even during the summer they did not forget about their kids with disabilities and offered computers to use for summer programs. I would def recommend them and their before school programs that include a business class selling coffee for 5th graders! That was unheard of for me for elementary kids. So thank you for a great year and all the effort you guys make to take care of the kids.

Former parent. We lasted one year. I do not recommend the school.The spiritual climate of St. Veronica is ill. A question or clarification on school policy with the office is labeled non-compliance and met with a threat of retaliation against children. Teachers are fearful to challenge anything the office says even when the office isn't aligned with diocesan-approved policy. Just walking into the school a parent is met with hostility; the greeting from the staff isn't, "How can I help you?" but rather, "Why are you here?" Office staff will lie about interactions with parents; what could be more unchristian than that. Principal and pastor take no action to stop this.If you are looking for a healthy spiritual climate, recognition of children as human beings worthy of respect, parents welcomed in the classroom, and respectful, consistent communication, you will be disappointed. My kids lost their developing faith in this school. The hostile micromanagement of children is antithetical to the Catholic view of the child as a whole person. While instilling fear and shame can appear to work on the surface, they do not cultivate authentic moral virtue. That the Church's primary message is one of JOY is lost in the teaching of the faith at this school.Overall - the school relies heavily on technology (for ease of grading, which is just lazy), does not communicate well with parents, does not have an open forum for feedback, follows FCPS for weather closures (even when its own lot has been clear for many days) by choice (diocese does not require this), does not welcome volunteers, has minimal outdoor time (15 min/day), and has poor academics. Don't be deceived by the big, green campus; the kids aren't allowed to play in the green space during recess. They are often restricted to the blacktop instead, aren't allowed to climb trees, run fast, pick up sticks, or be normal kids. Staff these enforce rules by yelling at the kids constantly.My children did not make much academic progress; one began the year ahead of grade level and lost ground, finishing far below. My 6th grader was assigned one book the entire year. Extremely flat curriculum; minimal out-of-classroom experiences. We are on the edge of DC with hundreds of opportunities to bring education to life, and the school office only allows 2 trips per year. Parents' ideas to bring experiences to classrooms are typically not allowed by the school office. Rote memorization is the preferred learning method.

Our family has been a part of the Nysmith community for the past 9 years. We have two children in the program, both started in kindergarten, one of which is about to graduate from 8th grade and another finishing up 5th grade. Our son and daughter have benefited greatly from Nysmith's rotating classrooms for different courses with subject-specialist teachers. This learning model keeps children engaged, a chance to really dive deep into topics and offers critical touchpoints throughout the day with over a dozen committed teachers as they maneuver through classrooms. There is plenty of opportunity for academic acceleration for interested students (if your child loves math, the sky's the limit). Besides having small class sizes, we have found that the difference has been the dedicated teachers - they take the time to really know your child. The teachers are phenomenal - whether it be a core subject or an elective course, our kids come home eager to share what they have learned and are genuinely excited to go to school each day. The coursework can be challenging, but kids are learning in a way that does not create a stressful experience. If they are struggling to understand a topic, teachers make the time to help them. In our experience, there is not a lack of resources and many times, teachers knew what our kids needed before we even thought of it - that is the level of care you get at Nysmith. Our eldest will be graduating from the program this year and is more than prepared to succeed in high school. Much credit goes to the supportive teachers at Nysmith who have truly changed his educational trajectory. Our children have blossomed into confident, capable and thoughtful young leaders - we are ever so grateful to be a part of this community.