Mission Avenue Open Elementary School

Sometimes I can't believe that most people (many are) aren't knocking the doors down to get their child into this school. While there are many great schools within the San Juan Unified School District and the surrounding area, this school stands out for for reasons including academics. The learning at this school is enhanced by the projects, field trips and the parent involvement that each student experiences. This school is a community and a great example in today's world. To put it simply, a school official emphasized that this school offers a private school education but is a public school in the San Juan Unified School District. http://www.sanjuan.edu/MissionAvenueOpen.cfm?subpage=157900
--Submitted by a parent

I've been a parent at Mission for many years now and Mission used to be a really great school. Administration changes have taken the "open" out of it and for me, the cliques of parents and the total inequities that take place on a daily basis ("rules" or not), got very old to me and my family. The elementary grades are wonderful, starting with Kindergarten. Many students leave after fifth grade, rather than staying for sixth grade for many reasons. This is a school where one of the parents should not work so they can be in the loop of favorites with teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers at this school are great. The only problem that stood out for my child and I was the fact that sometimes there was a lot of clicks and some minor bullying. There was also a little too much parent participation to the point of gossip and clickiness among the parents as well. Overall my daughter's experience academically was excellent but socially she was lacking. She loves the new school she is attending socially and academically.
--Submitted by a parent

I attended Mission many years ago and now my oldest son is lucky enough to attend, everything is as great as I remember. The teachers, principal, assignments, parental involvement and field trips are fantastic! My son is at the end of his first grade year and we were lucky enough to have Miss Rausch as his teacher. We look forward to what second grade brings our way. We are truely blessed to have or son attend this school and our youngest in a couple years!
--Submitted by a parent

I loved Mission when my daughter first started there. It is a very good regular school. Changes in the past 4 years have really removed a lot of what was special in the 'old days' when it WAS a special school. For kids who are self directed, this is a great school. Lots of field trips. Good for high acheiving kids too. But if your child needs any services or help, you had better be ready to fight for it. And smart kids need services too sometimes, speech for example. Many parents leave Mission instead of fighting for help.
--Submitted by a parent

Mission Ave is an amazing elementary school, and I could not have had a better experience. The teachers and programs are excellent, and Mission produces truly unique kids. I could not advise a better school to send your child to.

A totally wonderful school - the Best!!
--Submitted by a parent

Mission Avenue Open Elementary is an awesome school. It follows the Open Philosophy which believes children learn best with hand-on and real world learning. They take incredible field trips, some multi-night. They emphasize public speaking and presentations. I have heard high school teachers comment that kids from Mission Avenue have a lot of confidence and are easily able to talk to and relate to adults. Kids love attending Mission Avenue. This is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mil,l reading, writing, math, no fun school. There are too many special events to list here, but suffice it to say each day is a new, fun adventure.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two boys at this school one in KG and one in 2nd Grade. Teachers and Principal support the open philosophy with tons of extra curricula enrichment options and really get parents involved. Children are challenged to move forward in their learning no matter where they start. The teachers empower the students to have a presence and a voice. How can kids loose if they are both smart and confident. The expectation is that your child will do great things! Graduates show that is true.
--Submitted by a parent

After several years at Mission, we are having a very hard time deciding if we want to keep our children here. It is a very average school, and we didn't sign up for average. What was failed to be stated at our initial review is that Mission functions best for families with a stay-at-home parent. The loose, fun classroom structure works better when a parent is present. As I've seen in the last two years, with more parents having to return to work, the class environment is suffering a lot. And sad to say, the test scores support what I'm saying.
--Submitted by a parent