Dapplegray Elementary School

I have two children at this school 2nd and 4th graders that have been there since Kindergarten and it has been great. There is so much parent participation that sometimes it is difficult to even get into the rotation to help in the classroom because so many parents are volunteering. The Art at Your Fingertips and music are great programs in the school and allow the children to not just focus on the tests and scores but to explore the artistic creative sides of themselves. Mr. London is not warm and fuzzy but my kids think he's great so I'm happy. We've had great teachers every year. The grading is a bit weird because in general you get proficient all the time even when you know your child is doing above the bar but I'm actually okay with them not focusing on grades yet. There is an expectation that your child can read at the start of first grade but that's because they teach them in Kindergarten. My son was not interested in learning to read in Kindergarten and I knew the expectation for first grade. I didn't talk to Mr. London but did talk to his teacher and she was very supportive and worked with me to get my son up to speed. Now in second grade he's doing great.
—Submitted by a parent

The education my three kids have received at Dapplegray has been adequate though not impressive. I am not crazy about their approach to reading, it seems like there are a lot of worksheets and not a lot of quality reading going on to prepare them for work they will be doing in middle school and high school. At the high school level thank goodness, there are few meaningless worksheets. I think the reason they are so heavy on the worksheets is for testing purposes. Everything seems to be about getting high test scores and not to to attain a joy of learning. However, the parent participation is wonderful. If you want to volunteer, there are are many good opportunities. Grading is interesting. On a five point scale, my oldest kids always received 4s which meant they were "proficient." Interesting, when they got to middle school (and now high school) they have received all A's with the exception of a couple of B's. Worst part of the school by far is the parking situation. To pick up your child is the biggest ordeal at Dapplegray. Plan on spending 30 minutes a day in line to pick up your kid and be at times be yelled at!
—Submitted by a parent

Not all that shines is made of gold. Unless you're child is able to read by the START of 1st grade, you're going to have issues. On the 1st day of orientation, we're told your child is expected to write a book report each night as part of homework... the best part? Your CHILD is the one that's supposed to do the reading. Seriously? Get ready for TIMED TESTS including for reading/spelling which is absurd when they're just LEARNING to read. It's like throwing a stumbling toddler into a relay race and expecting them to do well. God forbid your child fall from their "average" learning curve because you'll get NO WHERE with the Principal. He's dismissive and will ignore you until you go away (or pull your kid from the school). The one great thing about the school is the parental involvement (you'd think it was a requirement). MOST of the teachers here are amazing but the CORE STAFF (office/administrative/principal) are RUDE. Ask them a question and you'd think they were doing you a favor by bothering to respond. I wish they'd clean house at this school... there'd be a lot of parents celebrating if they would.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at this school for 3 years and it is excellent. I was nervous about sending her to public school, because she is a very high-energy child, and I was not sure she would do well in a conventional school environment. But she has thrived and loves it. The teachers we have had so far are excellent - they go the extra mile. Many of them have children here (or did), and so are very invested in the school - there is a real sense that parents and teachers are here to work together to provide a great education for their children. Parent involvement is very high. As for the comments regarding special needs kids, my own child is not , but she has a classmate who has a full-time aid, and I know that the parents are very happy with the support he has received. It's true that Mr. London can come off a bit gruff with parents, but whenever I have witnessed this, it has been because a parent was clearly violating a school rule - usually a traffic rule in the parking lot. So, yes, he could work on his 'bedside' manner, but there's no question he works very hard, and the school is well-run.
—Submitted by a parent

First off, Mr. London, a big thank you. You work non-stop to provide a better future for our kids. You attend every PTA meeting, Booster club meeting, and go above and beyond everytime even when you are facing certain struggles in your own life. You have a dream of what you want Dapplegray to be, and our kids will be the benefactors all due to your tireless effort! so once again, Thank you. Thank goodness we have a family enviroment with dedicated parents that understand that the funds that Dapplegray does raise all goes back to benefit the kids. Give what you can when you can. If you need to see the difference these funds make, try visiting a school that doesn't have the support from their community. You will quickly realize what a difference every dollar makes, from teacher quality to soap in the bathrooms!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I have to agree with the commentator who posted Dec. 7, 2009.... I know that Principal London isn't exactly warm and fuzzy, but he does a fine job running an exceptionally large elementary school. We have a child with special needs since the beginning of school, and--contrary to so many horror stories we had heard from other parents in the PV district and elsewhere about getting cooperation with the IEP and special needs--Principal London and the school's professional staff have been NOTHING BUT HELPFUL AND WONDERFUL. There was no fighting or resistance in implementing all the aspects of our child's plan, including providing a one-to-one aid. Even with all the budget cuts, they put the child's interest first. Plus, all the teachers we've had have been absolutely wonderful. Too many reviewers on here are obsessed with their competitive fantasies for their own kids.
—Submitted by a parent

After reading the last two reviews, I have to say that Dapplegray is one of the best schools on the Peninsula. INCLUDING the principal. He is blunt & straight forward & doesn't beat arround the bush. He is always on the go, trying to do whats right for the kids. How do you make 500 + parents happy? You don't. So you do what is good for the kids, deal with it parents! Hes not gonna go easy squeezy softy on you. Is the world gonna hold your childs hand every time they walk out the door? No. My kids are stronger more independant, they listen and thrive at this school. They LOVE their principal, he speaks to them at their level, he lets them know the bad and good but also what he expects of them. The teachers here WILL make your kid smarter even the special needs child.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has special needs in Sec. 504 and the principal is so judgmental. His teacher last year and his teacher this year both gave him so many negative reports because they consider his special needs to be 'bad choices that he makes' He comes home crying most of the time and the principal encourages the staff to take a no-exceptions approach when it comes to what they call 'disciplinary behavior'. He was going to private school before this economic time hit me so hard, and I wish I could send him back... Good public schools are so hard to find and my son has to suffer in the meantime. And this school deserves a low rank, not because of the quality of education; but because of the quality of personnel.
—Submitted by a parent

Dapplegray would be such a perfect school if the principal leadership were a little better. The teachers are just fantastic. There are many teachers that seem to go above and beyond what they need to do. We are very proud to have had such great teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

We love Dapplegray school. The teachers are very experienced. I do have to agree with some of the other parents, that the school is lacking principal guidance and that at times he seems very unprofessional. The schools is in a great location and the district is also excellent.
—Submitted by a parent

Dapplegray's teachers are excellent. Unfortunately, I will have to lower the rating because of the principal. He needs to understand how to talk to parents in a nice way. There are many parents that have had bad experiences with Fred London. Other than that, the district and teachers are excellent.
—Submitted by a parent

My family love Dapplegray and the school's commitment to excellence. All the teachers that my children have had contact with are all wonderful. The parents are very involved and supportive of most school functions and activities. The only concern I have is perhaps the teachers are pushing the younger children too hard academically to keep up with the high API scores that the school maintains. I want my kids to enjoy their first years in school without getting overly stressed out by weekly testing just to prepare for the 'real' tests' to come in the 2nd grade. I'm one to challenge kids intellectually but I don't want them to be broken. Weekly spelling tests in the 1st grade I think is absurd, especially when only a few months back parents were being told to allow the children to use their 'kid spelling' and let the children learn to read and recognize
—Submitted by a parent

The Dapplegray campus is wonderful and on the whole my children have had great learning experiences on many levels. I have found that some teachers seem to be doing their jobs without the enthusiasm I saw 4 or 5 years ago. I have always been concerned about the safety of children at school. They are dismisssed from classrooms onto a grassy area, without any adult supervision during pick-up. This seems extremely dangerous, and thoughtless. At times there is a administration member helping to direct traffic, but this has been extremely erratic as of late. The pick-up/traffic situatioin is chaotic for the most part, as parents who are eager to collect their children ignore previously agreed upon 'rules of the road' at Dapplegray. The Principal seems indifferent as he sometimes is present outside at the end of school, but does not consistently intervene with problems, and doesn't watch the children.
—Submitted by a parent

Dapplegray is a fabulous elementary school. Our children are very lucky to attend!
—Submitted by a parent

Absolutely excellent school...without question.
—Submitted by a parent

Dapplegray is a great school. The teachers team teach and there is consistancy between the classes. They love what they do and help bring out the best in the children. Fred London may be harsh at times, but only with the parents - he is great with the kids, and he knows what he is doing. His leadership has brought the largest elementary school on the peninsula to a level of excellence that will help all of our children succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Although I was pleased with the first two years at Dapplegray, I have found the 'political' aspect of the school to be overbearing. So interested in collecting money. The principal is more interested in siding with the teachers than finding out what the real problem is. I was very pleased with Mrs. Gonzalez as a teacher, she should be rewarded. The school seems so nice from the outside, however, there is a bit of poison within which they so eloquently try to hide.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing, it has helped me through some 'education emergency' and the teachers are incredible- I used to go there and I loved it!
—Submitted by loker sarden, a parent

So far we have enjoyed the school. Although I wish the PV school district had a 'winter break' in addition to 'spring break' for families that enjoy winter activities
—Submitted by a parent

So far the school is great, but it's seem too much students in this school. The teacher is hard to take care it.I am really impress all the parents work together in this school.
—Submitted by a parent