New River Elementary School

My daughter transferred to New River school this year. The teachers and other staff have been nothing but friendly, professional, thorough, caring, and effective. I am very impressed with the education my daughter is receiving at New River. She has some special needs and I believe she will absolutely flourish at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

My kids have loved both the teachers and principals since starting the school. They make lots of friends and enjoy the family atmosphere at the school. They are doing well in their classes and teachers work great with the parents to help them know about needed improvement.
--Submitted by a parent

Our childen have attended NRE for the last 3 years. I love the campus location and its desert surroundings - beautiful. I am happy with the education and attention my kids receive. The small size of the school is a huge plus for us - my kids' classrooms had no more than 21 or so kids. There are currently 2 classes per grade, which I like better than schools with just 1 class per grade - not too small. The new Core Knowledge curriculum did bring home lots of fun projects this year, but the thing I noticed most with the new curriculum is EXCITEMENT from the teachers to TEACH this curriculum. This can only translate to good things in the classroom on a day-to-day basis! As far as staff, there are some great, some good, some not, but that is with any school. 3 teachers are leaving this year. As far as administration, I really liked Trish Graham as principal, but she too is leaving. So we do have a few changes for next year. My only gripes - I have a child that qualified for SAGE, and there is no Gifted program whatsoever. Also, parent involvement is lacking. Overall, I love New River and am grateful to have the smallest and oldest school in the district right here in my community.
--Submitted by a parent

My son went to New River during his elementary school years. Now that he is about to enter college, I am exceedingly grateful to the teachers and staff for their professionalism and expertise. Because of the solid foundation he received at New River he has received scholarship offers from colleges around the country. Thank you New River!
--Submitted by a parent

I have four children who have attended and currently attend New River Elementary School. My childrens' experiences have been nothing but positive with their teachers and academically challenging. The teachers are dedicated to encouraging responsibility and success in all students. With the implementation of Core Knowledge, we are finding that our children are excited and interested in the subject matter, often teaching us new information at the dinner table! What I understand of Core Knowledge is that there are really no text books, but it gives teachers more ideas and freedom to create fun lessons in the classroom. My children bring home less worksheets and more projects. We love New River!
--Submitted by a parent

My children attended during the time there were great changes in both the campus (new facilities) as well as administration. I had 2 kids attending a grade apart and was very surprised that they received extremely different educations. A good teacher is everything, but there is no guarantee. Several of the excellent teachers that taught my daughter, subsequently retired. My son on the other hand, was always getting new teachers and his needs were definitely not met during his time at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

So happy we live here and have NRE for free! Truly amazing. I had never been exposed to public schools before in my life and I'm very happy here. The kids get treated like they are in a small private school and everyone knows each other. They care about the whole child; very well-rounded and balanced. My kids love going to school and I couldn't ask for more.
--Submitted by a parent

New River is a wonderful place to work because we are small and get to know all the students and families connected with our school.
--Submitted by a parent

NRE has the most amazing teachers and parents. They are always willing to go the extra mile for the students. Up early in the morning and staying late in the evenings to make sure that the students have a great learning experience as well as fun activities.
--Submitted by a parent

This school feels like home. The small school atmosphere creates a warm environment for everyone. Students, parents and teachers all seem to know each other. If it weren't so welcoming I would never have stayed here this long.
--Submitted by a teacher