Fox Elementary School

Beware, this school does not flag children for learning differences in the kind., first or second grades. Elementary schools have an affirmative duty to tell parents that they have reason to believe a student may need special help and to suggest an evaluation. Fox does not do this. This has been the culture of the school for many years. The names and birthdays of the children change..however, the negligence continues...I do not recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Sadly, Fox has gone downhill in the past few years that our kids have been there. Some of the teachers are strong, but there is only so much they can do when the classes have grown so big. Sadly, I don't think things will get much better. The community will weaken due to the move away from school boundaries. Those in Hallmark and Skymont should be fine, but those down the hill will be scattered between the expanded Nesbit and perhaps the other schools. The planned expansion will take away much of our lovely fields. Chris M. is very personable, but I wish he were more aggressive in advocating for Fox at the District level and pushing out many of the teachers that have been there for 30+ years and lack zip. The aftercare (aka Calamity Corner) is horrific.
--Submitted by a parent

If you have a preschool child w/special needs and have to deal w/the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, do NOT enroll your child in Fox's morning special day class. The teacher lacks integrity-she says one thing and does another. She will smile in your face and reassure you that your child is in good hands but it's not true. Friends of ours sent their child to this program and had the most negative experience with this teacher. If we experienced what they experienced, we would have pulled our child out also. This teacher showed a lack of concern for their child's health/well-being and showed a lack of respect/consideration for the child's parents' concerns. Instead of apologizing to these parents, she defended/justified her actions-unbelievable! The worst part is that when these parents expressed their concerns w/the Director of Special Educ, this director defended/justified this teacher's behavior! The director made patronizing remarks to the parents such as, "I'm sorry that you feel that way but WE FEEL...blah, blah, blah". Basically, she didn't care how the parents felt and had no concern for "their concerns"-b/c of this, we are not sending our child there either.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a really good school with dedicated teachers. The PTA is very active and the parents are very involved. They have a garden that was just built with the help of parents. My child is new to the school and I have been very impressed with the warm welcome! I would highly reccomend it.
--Submitted by a parent

Positives: -Good teachers and small class sizes. -Excellent PTA. Highly educated and involved parents. There is a very large group of parents who do a tremendous amount of volunteer work on a weekly basis. -Nice, safe campus with wonderful play structures, playing fields, lots of fresh air and open space. -DIverse student body economically and racially. -Organic hot lunch program and milk program. -For the most part, well behaved students. -Don't have to pay tuition. Need to work on: -Not academically rigorous. Doesn't prepare students well for middle school. -Very little personal attention for the students. -There are so many holidays and vacations the students are barely in school. -Every Wednesday is a half day!!!! That is a joke. No wonder we are falling behind every country. For a public school in CA Fox is probably as good as it gets. However, if you can afford it I would highly recommend looking elsewhere...
--Submitted by a parent

Fox is not a school for any child with learning differences. The teachers and principle do not want to be bothered with any student that does not fit the mold of the perfect student!!
--Submitted by a parent

I have had two children go through their entire elementary education at Fox School. Many of the teachers care a great deal about the children and are highly self motivated. Some are not stimulating. I guess that's the nature of any school. California schools are in poor financial shape..which is partially why programs are limited for advanced achievement. In a perfect world, there would be more programs for rewarding excellence, rather than just meeting the state standard. The campus is wonderful and gives them a great opportunity to play with other children in a comfortable, safe setting. The principal cares about the children and most importantly, the children love him and trust him. The PTA is very active and strong. The aides are outstanding. We've had a good experience at Fox.
--Submitted by a parent

I feel that Fox is the best elementary school in the area. It has an excellent staff who strives to give the children the best possible learning environment. My children have had teachers who have always gone beyond the state standards from learning about classical music and their composers, to literature, to artists and their work. They have gone on field trips that have related directly to what has been taught in the classroom. It has a beautiful campus with a lot of room to run and play. It has a wonderful support from parents whether the are working parents, single parents, or stay at home parents. There is something that any type of parent can be involved. Most importantly, there is a wonderful staff of teachers, aides, and specialty teachers. The principal is friendly, approachable, and really enjoys being around the children. I would recommend Fox School to anyone.
--Submitted by a parent

I found not much help from the teacher and principal when my son struggled in 1 grade. Thanks for nice PTA people. They helped us trough the year.
--Submitted by a parent

I have had two children attend Fox with the youngest just leaving. Some of the teachers were very supportive of my child but the school definitely lacks leadership. The Principal sets no clear direction for the school with a handful of teachers guiding the school's direction. There appear to be conflicts among the teacher's themselves and no sign of mutual respect. There has been focus given to students on the low end of the spectrum but not much attention paid to the high achievers. There is a wonderful music program which benefited both of my children.
--Submitted by a parent