La Mesa Dale Elementary School

My 2 nieces go to this school. They seem to always love thier teachers. I personally am not impressed with the school. The teachers are rude & some of their rules to pick up your kids are on the rediculous side of things. As for what they are learning; a whole lot of nothing. The girls come home without complete instruction on how to do their assignments. I'm often the one who helps them & it's hard to help when you don't have instructions to read.

My daughter attended K-3rd at this school. I feel the only year she was pushed to excel was her 2nd grade year thanks to a hard working, caring, "strict" teacher. Her 3rd grade year was horrible, in my opinion. I had to not just help but explain her homework every.day! My daughter knew more about the teacher's personal life than I was comfortable with from overhearing adult conversations in the classroom. I decided to homeschool and have seen great improvements in her academics and behavior with siblings. The snobby "attitude" was very mild but it's gone. My daughter has a much brighter future ahead of her now that she's a homeschool student. We don't dumb anything down and she has more time for sports.
—Submitted by a parent

La Mesa Dale Elementary is a great school. There are a lot of students there so there tends to be more drama then I care for. But.... the principal does a great job keeping the kids safe and on track! Thank you!!
—Submitted by a parent

My grandaughter goes to LaMesa Dale. I live almost 300 miles away, but I am impressed withthe knowledge she is gaining from the school. I attended one open house and the teacher was very caring and interested in the way her students learned.

Hello everybody. I'm nobody special but did go to La Mesa Dale in, let's see, about 1957 in the 6th grade. I think the teacher's name was Mr. Rose, and he had quite an effect on me. I wonder if there is any "alumni group" or ever yearbooks for that period back there. When I returned to SD after a long absence I drove past the school and was happy it was still here after have a century, and looked about the same.

I am a community volunteer at La Mesa Dale and I feel it's a real privilege to be able to work with these wonderful and staff. Everywhere you go the children are smiling and ready to learn. The front office staff always gives me a warm welcome and the principal is always out and about with the children. With everything else a principal needs to do, Dr. Avery finds time almost everyday to monitor the lunch lines and chat with the children about their day, their weekend, the latest book they've read. She knows so many many of them by name and you can see how much she genuinely cares about them. The teachers are very compassionate with the children. I've heard Mrs. Howard talking to the children in her room with such genuine love that I only wish my children had such a teacher when they were in school.

I love this school! Despite all the budget shortfalls that schools are experiencing now, the principal at this school has found a way to still offer great assemblies, field trips, after school clubs, and intervention teachers to support our children. The principal and staff are always warm and welcoming. This year my family went through some very difficult financial times and the principal worked some miracles that I can't begin to describe. This school not only puts learning first but truly cares about the individual families that attend here.
—Submitted by a parent

While the teachers are wonderful, the principal is not visible on campus. I can name 3 families who have moved their children to a different school this year because of the violence on campus that the principal is unwilling to deal with. It is unfortunate because this school desperately needs a strong presence on campus, a leader, a disciplinarian. Our child will not attend this school next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I absolutely love this school! The teachers are warm, caring, supportive individuals who make learning fun for my kids. The principal goes above and beyond to make personal connections with the families. I know of one instance in particular where she acutally helped a family find housing when they were suddently homeless. She is always visible on campus. The kids love her. Parents are always welcome to sit down and speak with her. My kids have been at La Mesa Dale for the past five years and each year it just seems to get better.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in kindergarten and his teacher is absolutely great! She lets me come in early even though I have a 10 month old baby as well. They constantly test the kids to make sure they are learning what they need to before moving up. I love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

My two girls were at La Mesa Dale for three years. We had a terrific learning experience! Both of my girls had Mrs. Varhola for 3rd grade -- she is great! One of my daughters had Mrs. Richardson for two years as she was in both a 4th/5th combo for 4th grade, and then had her again for 5th. Mrs. Richardson is also a fantastic teacher. We have moved and won't be there any longer, but truly appreciated the learning environment.
—Submitted by a parent

The majority of teachers at this school are great! We've had all three of our boys there and with the exception of two teachers, their experience has been very positive. We have a child with Asperger's so finding the right fit in teachers is sometimes difficult. Luckily Mr. Crispell and Mrs. Fleischer were outstanding teachers! Very patient, caring, compassionate and giving. However, our experience with another son's teacher has been a nightmare. I don't believe the teacher or the principal have his best interest in mind. He went from a happy-go-lucky-loves-school kind of kid to hating it. The office staff could use an attitude adjustment as well. PTA is more of a social clique than anything else but they do a lot for the school. They need more extracurricular/sports/are/music activities and more parents need to be involved.
—Submitted by a parent

In general, I have found the teachers at La Mesa Dale to be excellent. The principal, now in her second year at the school, is strong, though not universally liked. There is some music and some art offered, but I wish there were more extracurricular activities. Compared to some other schools with huge PTAs, there is a relatively small number of involved parents, but those involved accomplish a great deal and definitely enrich the school environment through their volunteer efforts. I have felt that my children have received a solid educational foundation at the school, though I would not say that it has been exceptional or could not be improved, especially in the upper grades. Through my many years in the parent community (three principals!), I feel that my views have been respected and my involvement has been valued.
—Submitted by a parent

My child just ended his 2yr I have watched tons of friends remove their children from this school 4 the same reasons(I am also considering not returning)Poor teaching being 1 There are a couple of great & caring teachers but for the most part the staff is rude & disconnected from parents unless you are PTA or active volunteer.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a great art teacher who visits for the first several months of the school year, as well as a pilot art docent program, parent reading program (they volunteer as readers to the classes). However, I have found that nearly no parents volunteer to fulfill these programs. Participation and interest by parents is very poor, and I think this is evident all over the school, in academic performance of the kids, general environment, etc.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending La Mesa Dale for 2 years. Both of his teachers have been great and super at communicating with parents. Both have sent weekly parent bulletins. I would rate the academic programs as high; my son was reading before the end of kindergarten! PTA is very active and does many activities throughout the year. There are not many extracurricular activities available. The ESS after school program is a great option for working parents. The one area that needs improvement is the attitudes of the office staff. They could use some customer service training.
—Submitted by a parent

Kidergarten starts on Wednesday, and we don't find out what program am/pm our kids are in until the afternoon before school starts. How irresponsible is that? The kids do not get to meet their teachers as promised and look over their classrooms as promised at the orientation. Very disturbing and unprofessional. The school secretary is surly and rude also.
—Submitted by a parent

If this review for La Mesa Dale Elementary, maybe the only one submitted and writen by a very disappointed parent. I know of other parents with simular views and concerns. Clearly understandble that the principal would not want to advertise failure to any degree. My child is smart and wants to learn. But when classwork is dull, overused, without challenge. Plain and simple not good enough for any student. No variety, no challenge. Kids loose interest then they aren't learning. Poor to no communication skills of Office staff. This elementary is in dire need of improvment. It has fail my student. Two years ago, prior to the change principal, this would have been positve review.
—Submitted by a parent