Sylvan Hills Middle School

Come see what we are doing at SHMS!!! New adminstration came into place as school started August 19, 2009. Please know that lots of things have changed in the last couple of years! We are not perfect but we welcome parents and the community in our school at any time. Come see what and how kids are learning, teachers who are happy and working hard and an administrative team committed to excellence. Failure is not an option at SHMS! The admin team and our teachers run Z.A.P (zeros are prohibited) and Lunch Bunch (student struggling with D's or F's in core subjects) as well as celebrating "Bear Pride - Blue Friday" allowing everyone eligible to be in school blue spirit shirts and blue jeans (for students who have not been to ZAP, d- hall, or to the office for disciplinary reasons)! We have excellent sports and fine arts programs. Our core and elective teachers do a terrific job of preparing students through terrific instructional practices! Our students are actively engaged in reading daily on their own level with book goals for each nine weeks and incentive rewards in place for those who meet or exceed those goals. So much more to tell- come in and hear more about SHMS!
—Submitted by a teacher

I was very reluctant to send my daughter to Sylvan Hills Middle School because of all the bad reviews, but I decided to give it a try. I have been more than impressed with the staff, teachers, and school. The vice-principal is out of this world awesome and is very involved with the kids. My daughter is thriving in her work and I make sure to stay on top of things through Edline. As of right now, I would recommend this school...as I would also recommend parents to be very involved also.
—Submitted by a parent

the teacher do not give alot of hope on the kids
—Submitted by a parent

I have enjoyed my daughters going to Sylvan Hills Middle School. I haven't had any problems with teacher returning my calls. I have even had teachers call me to tell me they enjoy having my kids in their class. I think this is a great school. My daughters have enjoyed their school year. They have even asked if we move if they can go back to Sylvan Hills. Maybe some people have had problems, but it not the teachers to raise the kids. Some partent may have problems due to the way the kids act . Parent that are having problem my think about going to parent conferences . This way they can express their issues. Thanks to all the staff for a great school year.
—Submitted by a parent

Sylvan Hills Middle School does not promote parent/teacher/staff relationships. I am a parent and have had problems getting the principal and teachers to call me back whenever there is an issue that needs to be resolved. The teachers seem to be waiting for retirement instead of teaching their students. Very disappointed and wish my child could be transfered to another school.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been going to Sylvan Hills Middle School for two years now and it has been a challenge. I thought I was the only parent not getting my phone calls returned, but after reading these other posts, I now know that I am not. It took two months to get a situation resolved with a teacher and my child. Very unacceptable. I do not see that parent involvement is a problem with the school - it is hard to for Edline to keep a parent informed on their child's progress when you cannot get a teacher to help you understand what is going on in the class. There are a few teachers that are interested in our childrens' education and I thank them for that. Very unsatisfied and the school has had low test scores for years. Looking for a way to transfer schools. :-(
—Submitted by a parent

I think Sylvan Hill is a great school to me! I feel that i learned alot and that it's not a school of alot of learning though' I feel it's a fashion show! Also, I feel that the behavior is well taking care of! Last, I hope this years better I'll be back!
—Submitted by a student

I had a child in this school in 2006-2007 and we have moved to Cabot. The child's grades have went up and the behavior problems that were at SHMS, we don't see at this school. I hated the way things were run and there was very little teacher contact... I felt like they did not have control on the students behavior and some of the teaches didn't take enough effort to keep their kids under control during class.. So it cause the kids not to learn as much.. This school needs to have alot of attention on discipline and learning.. It has a long way to go.... I would not suggest this school to anyone...
—Submitted by a parent

Overall I have been very pleased with the school. My daughter loves the school and is truly enjoying school for the first time in several years. I was a little disappointed in the parent/teacher communication at first (I was used to a much smaller school), after having attended parents night and meeting my daughter's teachers I am very pleased. Aesthetically the school could certainly use some improvements, but that will be taken care of with the new building. I do think that the level of parent involvement is an area that could use some improvement. I would also be interested in knowing how involved the parent are or were that were so critical in their assessments.
—Submitted by Niki Gray, a parent

Very disappointed would be a understatement. My daughter has be going here for one year and her level of knowledge has fell. The teachers in the core classes are pretty much worthless and just seem to be pushing the students through without any level of comprehension. I have tried numerous times to get a conference but always get forgotten. I have arranged to get the weekly progress reports but they always come back incomplete from the teachers. I am definitely looking for another school to send her to. If this is a example of Arkansas schools; it shows why the state is at the bottom in comparison to the country
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's first year at SHMS, and overall we've been pretty happy. The new principal is an effective leader, and I believe the teachers will continue to benefit from that. I've found the teachers to be extremely helpful and feel that they really care about my son's progress. I hope the construction of a new facility will help SHMS reach its full potential.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed in the school so far. I have a child who loves to learn and is a gifted child and this year is the worse her grades have ever been. I have had nonstop trouble throughout this year and will not be sending my child back next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm very disappointed to learn that shms has no lines of communication between teachers and parents. With todays technology i should have no problem getting on line to check my childs progress, or lack there of, daily homework and test scheduling. I went to the parent meeting hoping to meet his teachers and be able to discuss my child with them. I was more than upset to learn that only one of his six teachers showed up.I have been on line, made phone calls to the school, i'v even been to the school, still no progress. My concerns is if the teachers cant communicate with parents, how will the ever communicate with our children?
—Submitted by a parent

This school is not good new, at all. I had my daughter attend this school for almost 2 years. She didn't like going there, and i didn't like her goind there either. Staff is horrible, the school just looks like nothing, and the students are very violent towards each other. I wouldn't recommend any of my friends children to go here, not even my enemies children. The school is just disgusting!
—Submitted by a parent

I am going to allow my son to try it one more year. Last year was very disappointing. Don't understand the values of the teachers. I would receive an immediate phone call / D-hall slip if my pre-teen laughed 'disruptively' with others in the class, but no one notified me if he was slipping in his grades...something you think should be noted in a gifted and talented child with good grades. Overall, I was extremely disappointed in most of the staff, the principal who always disappeared long before the day ended, and the structural condition of the school. In short, it was the worst school experience we've had. If not for my child's continuity and for giving them another chance, I wouldn't hesitate to put my son in another school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am in the 7th grade and go here i think it is a pretty good school.They have alot for kids to do.I am in choir and am trying out for the high school cheer squad!So when sending your child here don't expect a automatic liking it takes a little while to fit in!It took me a year and now I love it!
—Submitted by Holly Bain, a student

This school is the best ever! I have good grades and have lots of friends Im also part of the cheerleading team. They have tons of fun things to choose from,from sports to clubs. This is my last year here and I will really miss it! I plan to go to Sylvan Hills High School because I loved the middle school! You should try it! Its great!
—Submitted by a student

This is the best middle school in the central Arkansas area. The teachers have high expectations for all students and are the best faculty I've encountered. The office staff is exceptioanlly helpful and professional. This is the third year my daughter has attended SHMS and the first year for my son. Any parent who complains about the quality of education his child receives at this school is probably in denial about his child's own motivation or behavior problems. Bad behavior is not tolerated at SHMS which allows teachers to actually teach and students to actually learn.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been going here for three years and I like a lot. Whenever I need help i ask and the teacher gives it to me. I have learned a lot in this school. No one can say the teachers don't care because if they didn't they wouldn't have a tutoring program.
—Submitted by a student

Iv'e been going to this school for 3 years and I never liked it. I makes good grades but thats not because the teachers. The teachers aren't helping me at all when I actually need it. So I would not suggest your child to go to this school.
—Submitted by a student