Crystal Hill Elementary School

They teach that we live in a Democracy and stick to it even when corrected. Even though they do the Pledge of Allegiance every morning which clearly states, "and to the REPUBLIC, for which it stands".
—Submitted by a parent

I am so impressed with the way CHEMS handles the everyday issues that come up. This is a great school and I would recommend it to anyone. I have a 4th grader and a K and have been very impressed with how great the teachers are!
—Submitted by a parent

Test scores and busy work are what seem to be important at Crystal Hill. If there is somewhere else to send your child I would.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and speech therapists are great!
—Submitted by a parent

I have a first grade child attending CHEMS. I am a teacher myself, and am mindful of everything I see in my child's classroom. As my child entered 1st grade I was/am absolutely AMAZED at the amount of worksheets the children are expected to complete. I remember the 'old' way of teaching when 6-7 worksheets a day were the norm. Things have changed. No, things have 'evolved' since then. No longer do theorists believe students need 'busy work' to achieve in literacy or math. It's a different world and Crystal Hill is lacking in meeting that evolution. I hope they will broaden their mindset and begin to see instruction as life-long learning. NOT test scores and worksheets! My friends have taken students out of CHEMS, but I plan on sticking around in hope of being an advocate for children. I am not known to be quiet when it comes to education.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so proud of our school and the staff. This year has been a year of adversity, first losing teachers due to lower enroolment and then the children had to be relocated so repairs could be made to the building. Our teachers and administrators as well as support staff handled this transition so well, it was seamless. My son and his peers have continued learning and achieving at the same high level and this impressed me very much. it is obvious that the well being and education of our children is top priority and I commend all that work in this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I had two children at Crystal Hill last year. I ended up pulling both of them from the school due to a serious lack of real learning. Everything was a memorizing type of learning. There were never ever any type of school projects that went along with the lessons that they were learning. There wasn't any tutoring available from the school, only from individual teachers that wanted to be paid to remain after school. The administration seemed to only want to please their supervisors, instead of having a real connection with the parents. My youngest child on the other hand had a great teacher who ended up leaving to another school. There are not any extra curricular activities or organizations that the children could engage in. I do not reccomend this school. An elementary school has to be more than just about test scores.
—Submitted by a parent

Have you looked at the test scores this year for CHEMS? They are awesome!!! Our daughter is a 2nd grader and we love it. It's not perfect but what school is. I have friends that have pulled their kids out of private school for kids picking on them,etc. My point is that kids will be kids. I like the fact that CHEMS is a diverse school. There are children from all types of families. I like the idea that my children will go to school with all types of kids just like the real world. I want my kids to be exposed to kids who know how to act and also to kids that aren't always going to be nice. We live in a world where there are lots of people that aren't always nice and friendly. My children need to realize that there are all kinds of people and they need to be able to interact with everyone.
—Submitted by a parent

my children used to go to CHEMS i didn't like it at all. Most of the students although not all of them are misbehaving... there are children who is really mean and starting saying bad words...and when i learned that my two kids are in honor roll at first i was happy but when i attended the award ceremony all the kids in class are in honor roll... i was surprised as well as in every classroom....... and the curriculum not that great either... So my kids just stay for a year and i transffered them to a different school.
—Submitted by a parent

2 out of 3 of my kids have went to CHEMS.. i love this school.. we moved off and have now moved back.. i will do everything i can to get them in this school.. i am also in school to get my teaching cert. I have been a subsitute teacher there and other schools- this one is the best!
—Submitted by a parent

Crystal Hill provided a wonderful start to my son's schooling. K-2 were very positive years, full of challenges, intellectual stimulation, and nurturing for younger learners. In Kindergarten, he read on a 2+ level and his teachers were able to accomodate his need to push ahead for the first three years there. However, as he matured intellectually and began to march to a different beat, the school seemed unable to keep him challenged. He became bored and frustrated, resentful of the system's way of teaching to the bottom of the class. His artistic talents sat idle, his sharp sense of humor was often misunderstood, and his poor teachers had their hands so full with overcrowding, misbehavior, and low achievers that he and his kind fell through the cracks. CHEMS faces the same socio-economic and political obstacles all public schools face these days, but they could do more for high achievers.
—Submitted by a parent

Although my Children were Honor students at Crystal Hill Elementary Magnet School (CHEMS), they were damaged by the school. In 2006/2007 this Communications and Technology Magnet school lacked both communication and technology teachers. The general teaching standards were lacking, and there was no attempt to challenge bright students. My Children s Teachers typically yelled at students and/or went out of their way to embarrass them in from of their peers. Recess was largely unsupervised and unsafe. Parent involvement is waning, because their complaints were routinely ignored. The Principal promised solutions, and provided none. This school appears to be run for the benefit of the teachers, and blatantly shirked its responsibilities to help these children develop emotionally or expand intellectually. My children no longer attend CHEMS, and I recommend that you avoid this school if possible.
—Submitted by a parent

We LOVE CHEMS! Our son is now a second grader here. So far all of his teachers have been excellent. And the school WatchDog program enhances my feelings of safety for my child!
—Submitted by a parent

I have been extremely happy at CHEMS! The teachers are very caring and strive hard to help our children succeed. There is a very active PTA. The campus is in great condition...and very clean. I would definitely recommend CHEMS to everyone.
—Submitted by a parent

I believe CHEMS is a wonderful school, but how ever there are not any sports for the children to do.
—Submitted by a student

We love CHEMS. I wish my kids could continue at CHEMS after the 6th grade. I feel the teachers are concerned for the kids education and the kids not being another statistic.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been wonderful for my child. The administration and teachers here are wonderful and will do everything possible to make sure each student succeeds. Whether a child succeeds or not also depends on each parent. There is a lot of parental involvement at this school, and both the students and staff appreciate it.
—Submitted by a parent