Natoma Station Elementary School

Natoma Station has a new principal who doesn't have a lot of experience. the kids are crammed into the classrooms like sardines. Forget about going there if your child is Special needs. they will not give you ant services unless you have an advocate.
--Submitted by a parent

Natomas Station Elementary school has some of the best, most dedicated teachers I've ever met. I'm proud to send my daughter to school knowing that she will get the best education available. Their 'no bullying' policy cuts down on the destructiveness that I've seen effect schools in other neighborhoods. I get reports online about my daughter's progress from her teacher that could warn me if she's getting off-track. Most of these reports, I'm proud to say, are of my daughter's stellar performance. (pardon the bragging)
--Submitted by a parent

Every child we know at this school has many many homework assignments and feels a bit overwhelmed. They rarely have time for other activities. This is great for children who are advanced, normal kids may just hate school.
--Submitted by a parent

My child went to Natoma Station last year for kindergarten. There were 32 kids in his class!!! They justified this because the a.m. teacher and p.m. teacher were in the class at all times. I have seen quite a few kindergarten classes (at different schools) and both teachers are also there most of the time, but they still keep it to 20 kids. I was impressed with how well behaved 32 kids in one class could be, but I did feel that the younger kids and the kids that were slightly behind didn't get as much attention as needed. The centers were not as hands on as they should have been because there were just too many kids to keep on task if a project needed a lot explaining. Lots of printables! The principle and teachers are great, they just have too many kids to work with at a time.
--Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school! I couldn't have asked for better teachers. I love Natoma Station!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a student in 6th grade at Natoma Station. I just started going to this school this year and I always went to a school that was not the greatest. At this school I feel safe and I know there are not going to be any 'gangs'. You can tell that the kids are great, but when it comes to teachers it's not that 'fantastic'. My teacher does not care for the kids and acts like he has a whole other job and that 'other' job more important. I have two other teachers, one is plain rude and practically scares the kids with yelling. The other teacher is fine, she is nice, but ways to much homework for the avrege kid. As it goes for the principle, he is a cool guy. He is nice, funny, and always put a smile on your kids face.
--Submitted by a student

My kid is always bored in his 3rd grade class. He's in GATE but they don't seem to do anything challenging--he almost never has any homework at all. In math they have him doing division over and over again when some of the other kids in the same class can't even do subtraction. I have to struggle to keep him interested academically because there's no instruction of value. The class sizes are too large and they won't skip him to the next grade level.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been going to NS and Michelle, Mr. Burns, the teacher and staff are helpful and terrific in their jobs. The activities are above average an the school is well kept!
--Submitted by a parent

My son has been in Natoma Station for almost 2 years now and so far the teachers are great academically! However, I feel compelled that the teachers are not really 'open' to the parents as much as I could like them too..
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Natoma Station from Kindergarten through to 6th grade. Overall, she had a very positive experience. Most of her teachers were very good, but two weren't so hot. The curriculum is good and the music program is wonderful. My daughter loved going to this school so much that she couldn't wait to go back after each summer break. She excelled overall and was on the principal's list. I feel pleased with her education there. In addition to the school, she attended daycare located on campus before and after school. While this is truly geared more for the younger kids, I did like the fact that it was structured so that she had time to complete her homework and didn't have to bring too much home as a result. We could spend quality time at home at night. It really is an excellent school.
--Submitted by a parent