Reynolds Elementary School

If you have a choice...DO NOT send your child here. Although my child's Kindergarten teacher is excellent, she struggles with still teaching bilingual children their alphabet and sounds 7 months into the school year...leaving my child (who can already read) bored. The school is overcrowded & dropping/picking up your child from school is a MAJOR PAIN!!! Waiting in line for at least 20 minutes to get to the front! Not once did the kindergarteners take even a simple field trip to the fire dept, or anywhere else. They constantly have fund raisers, which only ever pay for 5th graders activities. Obviously this school is lacking in funds from the district to supply a memorable experience for the majority of children/parents.
—Submitted by a parent

My son started at this school this year as a second grader and I have to say I LOVE this school. I had so many problems with his last school and Reynolds just outshines any other school I looked at by far. The staff is caring and always willing to help, his teacher is excellent and overall it is a good strong school. I am very happy I enrolled my son here
—Submitted by a parent

Excuses will not excuse this school. Look at the scores and the state similar schools ranking. Great schools rating of 4? Do research. Something is amiss and its the kids education that suffers.
—Submitted by a parent

We are so glad our kids are out of there. We saw how those Teachers turned on the brave PTO Group that accidently discovered the Principal had been stealing from the kids, the school and the District. at 2 different schools. Even after she went to jail some tried to raise funds for her by selling "Restitution Bread" to teachers & parents. The Principal also allowed a family member to cater lunches there to raise money in her support. They are a vindictive group with a mob mentality. There are a few good Teachers there but not many. Very few ever participated in fundraisers, helped with school beautification projects or showed up for the end of year celebrations. Look at scores and run. It is known as an old school where Teachers go to pad a few more years to their retirement. Just so you know a teacher and the Principal monitor the site daily and write the positive reveiws to counter the truth. Weak Leader & weaker Team!
—Submitted by a parent

This last person sounds disappointed because they sure sound like one of the teachers that the reviewer before spoke of, all correctly. I too, along with many other families, bailed on Reynolds when this situation with the previous principal occured. Not because of the crooked principal or even the new principal who we have no issue with at all. She's quite good actually. The issue with this school is indeed the teachers. Several of them are rude to parents, students (I've witnessed three of them yelling at students at the top of their lungs) they were incredibly rude to the ladies who had the bravery to uncover and report the theft that was occuring. Many of them are burned out and really need to retire. I agree with you though, check the school out. There are a handful of teachers there that make it a great place for your kids. You need to find out who they are and get your kids into their classes and ignore the rest.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed in the review from May 2, 2011 - the dredging up of issues that happened in Spring of 2009, were dealt with by authorities and are NOT affecting our school now. We have a GREAT principal, wonderful teachers, and a very active PTO! Tthere are problems - budget cuts, increased class sizes, lack of material, and lack of parent participation! I am very happy to have found this school. You will see how hard the teachers work with very little resources. Their test scores are skewed by their "genetic" make up -A number of students are English as a second language with Spanish speaking parents. Reynolds has made great strides to keep educating our children in the midst of one of the biggest budget crises in California. I emplore you to visit this school first before making your final decision
—Submitted by a parent

We moved away from Oceanside becaused of the lack of education my children were recieving there. They spend so much time teaching English, they forhet the kids that already know it. We were very dissappointed by Reynold's Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

I have just experienced the community outreach that Reynolds has. Students and teachers came together to send over 20 boxes of holiday goodies to the servicemen in Afganistan. Letters and cards were written to boost the spirits of those that are serving our country. It is nice to see that Reynolds educates the whole child and doesn't just look at the test as a measure for accomplishment
—Submitted by a parent

I have been thrilled with my son's experience this year. He has Mrs. Clark for his fifth grade teacher and she has done an amazing job in motivating him. I am very pleased with his development! Mrs. Thompson is also exellent--she is a very hands-on principal who cares about children.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had two of my children attend Reynolds. My oldest just graduated and went onto middle school and my other son a 4th grader is still attending Reynolds. Both of my children have attended since K. I have mixed reviews and experiences concerning this school. My children are very diverse in the 'learning statis.' One is gifted and one has a learning issue. I believe that all the teacher are educated, the problems I had were due mostly to personality conflicts and my childrens test scores.
—Submitted by a parent

My 2 children attended (are attending) Reynolds and have since K. Overall I believe this to be a fairly good school. The teachers/staff are generally caring and educated(there have been some exceptions.)Dr. Graz was amazing! I think more needs to be done to cater to individual needs of the children that are not based upon test scores. This system does not work. It should be 33.33%on tests scores33.33% homework 33.33%classroom. I think that parental involment should be mandated through legislation (this I realize is a whole other issue.) I think classes should be offered to parents on giving homework help.( We can't help them if we don't remember ourselves.) Children who need extra help aren't recieving it and children who are doing OK need to be challenged more. I feel that this is a state wide problem.
—Submitted by a parent

Reynolds is a wonderful community with involved parents and teachers. The newly implemented reading program is geared to reach each student at his or her level. This maintains high standards not only for struggling students but average and gate kids as well. I've never seen a better way to reach the higher achievers than this and have seen amazing results. It is important for parents to stay involved and aware of what is happening specifically in the classroom. Parents should come to the classroom or office to discuss any concerns or celebrate achievements. Change can be scary and difficult but I have see the teachers at our school remain dedicated to the classroom and school as a whole.
—Submitted by a teacher

My 3rd and 1st grader have attended this school since each were in kindergarten. This last 2005-06 school year has experienced some changes with the implementation of a reading program, which greatly benefits the poor readers. My only regret about the school is that the school's focus, in my opinion, is more on helping the poor students at the expense of the gifted students. (Students identified as GATE students have no GATE programs available to them.) Overall, my experience with the school has been relatively positive. The saving grace being that my children have had excellent and committed teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Reynolds Elementary School is an excellent school. Teachers are highly trained, qualified, and dedicated. They accommodate all students with varied learning styles and needs. Teachers share the common goal of enabling students to think and act like scholars. Students are empowered to learn. The student population is diverse. Students attend school in a safe, and nurturing environment that is conducive to learning. The use of technology is evident in classrooms. The school P.T.O. is awesome! Year after year, this parent organization has raised funds for field trips, student assemblies, school equipment, educational supplies, and more. Parents are active in volunteering in classrooms and for field trips. High school tutors also volunteer their time to read with students and assist teachers. The monthly school newsletter, weekly school mail, school web site, and teacher letters keep parents informed. Reynolds Elementary School is one of California's Distinguished
—Submitted by a teacher

This is an excellent school. The teachers are compassionate and well-trained!
—Submitted by a parent

The students at Reynolds seem to be very happy in this environment. My kids are very pleased with their teachers, as I am. We like Reynolds very much. I only wish that the teachers were able to spend more time with art, music, and p.e. It is a shame that the SAT 9 preparation and testing means that all kids get less of an all around education. I think, as parents, we need to take a stand against the state's testing program. This test makes everyone and every school stressed and unhappy and prevents teachers from offering an sound educational program to our kids. Let's stand up and let our voices be heard. One test does not make a student, nor do I want one test to determine whether my child is 'smart' or will be a productive citizen in this world.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter enrolled in Kindergarten this year. She had a phenomenal teacher but there are 32 kids in her classroom, about half of them English learners. This has affected the quality of the programs. I still think that my daugher has learned a lot because she has an exceptionally good teacher.
—Submitted by a parent

Way too many students! Teachers are okay, but i'm not impressed. Really a mediocre school. It's a distinguished school due to it's esl program.
—Submitted by a parent

Many of the Reynolds Elementary classrooms sport an innovative mathematics curriculum based on cognitively guided instruction (CGI) where number sense trumps being able to compute. Children learn how to manipulate numbers and use them in real world settings. The curriculum is accessible to students at all states of development, and makes math fun, relevant, and engaging. Students at all levels are challenged and able to grow with use of hand on manipulatives. In the classrooms I observed traditional academics are the focus, but art, music, and physical education are integral elements of most classrooms and often are utilized to support traditional instruction. The school supports a philosophy of collaboration between teachers, parents/school, and between students themselves as much of the instruction incorporates a variety of team work and communication development. Overall: many very innovative and experienced teachers collaborate to create an effective educational environment.
—Submitted by a teacher

Two of my children have progressed through the grades at Reynolds Elementary. Every teacher has been wonderful. I know that both of my children have had a great education at Reynolds. My children have been involved in mathematics programs that encourage problem solving not just math facts, they have read novels and had great discussions, and my son was totally prepared for middle school. I know that my daughter will be too. A school is definitely more than its' test scores. In fact, I could care less about test scores. What I care about is the success of my children and if they do well, then I know that the school and their family is providing what is necessary for a great education.
—Submitted by a parent