Green Oaks Fundamental Elementary School

My child is now in first grade at Green Oaks and I couldn't be happier. The structure the school provides makes the kids feel safe and provides a routine that helps them know what is expected of them. I like the school rules even though at first they seem excessive, but then you come to find out that they have simply thought in advance about how they would like things handled. This means there isn't any guessing as to what to do as a parent or kid and the rules aren't made up as they go along. I like the principal and have found him to be very fair and thinks things out before coming to a decision. He consults the staff and always tries to implement a policy that is best for the kids. The key to this school is the parent volunteers. With all the help from the parents the teachers can teach instead of doing paperwork, go on trips that otherwise wouldn't be possible and do projects that require a lot of help. In our first grade class we have 30 kids and 21 parents who volunteer to work in the class on a rotating daily basis. The other parents do work at home, help on special projects, etc. All the parents helping means even if you are not in the class that day, another parent is.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our second year at this school (our kid was in K last year) and overall it's been a great experience. It was important to me to be involved in my kids school, and I have found Green Oaks lives up to that expectation. They teach your child good study habits right from the beginning, and how to work independently. For a different opinion from another comment made, in Kindergarten we never had homework for 1 hour a night...yes, there WAS homework every night (not the weekends) but it took our child at most 1/2 hour. Just wanted you to hear a different side.
—Submitted by a parent

A previous reviewer wrote that there are a lot of rules and conformity on this campus. This is true, as a parent, I find the campus rules (stay off the grass, parking, etc) very annoying! I often feel like I'm about to get scolded and being a grown man, it's not a feeling that I've warmed to. That said, my two boys love this school. They are challenged to be creative, to use logic, and to always do their best work. Both of my boys love their teachers. They are excited about what they are learning, I know this because they come home looking to show me what they can do now. If occasional annoyance is the price of my kids getting a great public education, I consider Green Oaks an unbeatable value.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended in K. She learned a lot and it gave her a good foundation. We chose to leave the school primarily because of the stress they put on conformatity. The academics are very rigorous, and she did fine academically. However, they expect perfection and conformity on all things, like art,handwriting, etc. We felt the education did not consider the child's individuality. It seemed that the staff also went to great lengths to teach and disipline parents. I spoke to many fellow parents who were nervous on campus of doing or saying the wrong thing. I felt the staff talked down to parents and students. There is a lot of homework. We had closr to an hour's worth in K. That in itself did not bother me, but after a while it seemed excessive. It felt like they were just training the kids how to take tests so they could maintain their schools high test scores. We found a school that is more concerned with teaching the whole child, teaching more to the individual than stressing conformity. Overall I do not regret my daughter attending G.O., but I think it would have been damaging for her to remain in that environment. She was starting to hate school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the school which my neighbor told me about. I really like the school. Parents are so involve in classrooms and they are great. My son's teacher is great but a little seriouse than a teacher should be. She is not very much friendly. When I want to talk to her about a matter, it is hard to find time to do so. I wish we,as parents could have more friendly time and talk with teachers. Mostly when they have an event coming up, most of the parents whom are not working in class, are not aware of the details of what the kids are going to do, or if there is fieldtrip, no details of what they will do when the go for the firled trip, which is a big concern for every parent. the principal is friendly and he is always around the school . I did not have any diret contact with him, but I appreciate his responsibility and help for afternoon dismiss. overall, it is a good school and my kid likes it. i wish there was a way, parents who have little one at home, can participate in class/fileld tirps.
—Submitted by a parent

Not only do I believe this is the best public shcool in the district, test scores prove it. My kids have had nearly every teacher on staff and each one is dedicated to the model of teaching independence and leadership within our children. You won't find many shy ones in the bunch after all the public speaking and classroom performances that these kids do. It's an art really. These teachers bring the curriculum alive through projects and activities that highlight the important standards, but also teach the whole spectrum of content.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent, I love Green Oaks. The staff wonderful and caring. My boys have learned so much. Reading by the middle of Kindergarten - WOW. Parent involvment is a must, but it is so worth it. The staff appreciate our being in the classrooms to help and the kids enjoy it too. So glad we are here - wouldn't change for anything.
—Submitted by a parent

My two kids love this school. The key to the success of this school is the parent envolment and outstanding teachers. I feel very fortunate to have found such a welcoming and caring public school.
—Submitted by a parent

My two kids go to this school. Parental involvement is required, homework is nightly and rigorous, and the teachers have many years of experience. The expectations of the student body from the classroom to the playground are very high - the kids must treat each other, the faculty and parents with respect or there are serious consequences. The environment is competitive and supportive, and it is a privilege to attend the school. I cannot say enough positive things about this school - my kids are receiving as good an education as any private school could provide.
—Submitted by a parent

AWESOME School and every teacher my son has had has been just great. Third grade was the best year for him, he will never forget Mrs. France. They are kind, caring and communicate well with the parents. The new principal is definitely not my favorite person. The kids really miss Mr. Cook a lot. Hopefully he won't make any drastic changes because the kids here are happy. It's a lot of work for the parents. The only thing I disagree with is that the kids are given missing assignments if a parent misses a signature, which has nothing to do with the childs performance.
—Submitted by a parent

It is all about the kids at this school! Not only are there great teachers but also great parent support --parents who donate their time to provide a better learning atmosphere for their children. Parents donate their time to do yard duty, to promote the arts by providing special art classes, to teach dance and musical theatre, to organize talent shows and many other special projects to help teachers in their classrooms. Very lucky to have this school for our children!
—Submitted by a parent

This is such an amazing school because of the dedication of the teachers and the commitment of the parents to see every child succeed! The curriculum is much more aggressive than the standard school and something, as a parent, you need to be prepared to support. To provide this sort of opportunity to your child in a public school is just amazing. The after school opportunities for the extra curricular activites are wonderful. They have great band, choir, piano and art classes available. The sense of community and support amongst the parents is something not found in a typical public school. It can be challenging to navigate the enrollment process, but worth every minute of it!
—Submitted by a parent

Many of the teachers have become spoiled by the amount of parental support. When the teacher doesn't grade the papers, how can they understand where the students are having trouble? The involved parents are what make the school special. The teachers should be here for 5 or 6 years then rotate back to traditional classrooms.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing school! Our first grader has learned so much. A lot of work is expected from the parents and we're all very well trained to be heavily involved in the kids' studies. The parents, teachers and principal are all dedicated to keeping this a top notch school. We miss the old principal, but realize that Mr. Reynolds has some very huge shoes to fill.
—Submitted by a parent

Best school ever! But the old pricipal was better.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school. They are disciplined and the children seem to behave well. They teach the children to read and write by the end of the kindergarten year. They have great field trips and activities as a school. the principal works so well with students and teachers to truly help them succeed. The class size is fairly low and in turn the teachers can know each student well.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has learned so much just in 1 month at Green Oaks. The teachers are wonderful and give detailed feedback about your childs progress.
—Submitted by Lisa Billings, a parent

Great school and great kids. High performing students and caring and experienced teachers.
—Submitted by a staff

My son attends G.O. and we love what it's done for him. It's a lot of work, but your child is worth it! We have two year old twins, and even though it will be twice the hard work for us, we'll do it because we think this is an amazing school. Teachers care, principal knows all the kids by name (not because they end up in his office) and there's no violence - they acutally uphold their Zero tolerance policy! Just love this school and can't rave enough about it. Drawback - not enough room in the Discovery Club. No one leaves this school, so vacancies beyond Kindergarten are non-existant. Wish we could get another Dis. Club there.
—Submitted by Jan H, a parent

I give Green Oaks an A+. The staff, parents and students make this school out of this world. I only wish it went on through middle school years. I am finding it hard to imagine going anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent