Sleepy Hollow Elementary School

We are entering our 7th year with children attending Sleepy Hollow and could not be more pleased with the school. The quality of education is excellent. The teachers are amazing, as is the level of parental involvement. Our children are challenged daily in a caring and supportive environment. Sleepy Hollow consistently receives outstanding test scores.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent teachers and administration; challenging course work. Great opportunities for the students. Amazing parent involvement.
--Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately, I agree with the negative comment of Dec 5, 2008. I am afraid that the smaller school is more impacted by an entrenched bureaucracy of tenured teachers who have lost their enthusiasm, and have become lazy. The high scores of the school result from its demographic profile, not teacher effort. I do not see an emphasis on academics, and too much emphasis on the easy way of arts and crafts. In a small school a parent is afraid to say anything negative because you can be punished by an entrenched, tenured, established faculty. I would like to see a more active parent involvement in stimulating more academic work in the classroom, rather than the present emphasis on social activities and fun and games. Is the parental money contribution for class aides merely a way for the teacher to put in less effort, and let the aid do the work? I see many tired teachers, and I am very sorry to say this.
--Submitted by a parent

Sleepy Hollow is a sweet small school where everyone knows each other and the teachers are outstanding. Are you expected to donate to the school to support it? Yes, but it is well worth the cost. While other schools have had to give up small class sizes and instructional aides, SH has managed to hang onto them, and more. They have upgraded technology, art, music and PE. Sure, in other states you don't need to pay for those things, but in California they are going the way of the dodo-bird. SH is older and a little tired looking, but the education is anything but...this is a great school with an outstanding parent community to support it.
--Submitted by a parent

Facilities mediocre, staff unhelpful, defensive and overly full of how great Orinda schools are supposed to be. My daughter's teacher is unimaginative and does not read kids well. This teacher made an enthusiastic learner hate school in no time. They push an alarming amount of the instruction load onto parents, which is disappointing for second grade. My audit shows that more than one-half of school time is non-instructional. You pay through the nose for 'extra' programs that aren't extra in other states, such as music and languages. The quality of instruction there is poor, too. Everyone here's gleefully unaware of what a ripoff it is, paying thousands of dollars in 'donations' to get this level of mediocrity.
--Submitted by a parent

Similar to all other schools in Orinda, Sleepy Hallow benefits from community involvement through fundraising and sponsored activities. We welcome a new principal at SH for 2006 who will join an inspired team of top-notch teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great school with unparalled parent involvement.
--Submitted by a parent