Marvin Elementary School

I have 2 children at Marvin and love this school. Parents are friendly and we love the teachers. I volunteer in my childrens classrooms and always feel welcomed and are surrounded by nice people. We live in the community and walk to and from school with is especially nice. We have a great science program where the kids go to science class weekly. There is a Marvin Garden, PE program, art program, marvin orchestra, GATE and Seminar classes and a lot of parent involvement. I highly recommend this school. I believe attending your local elementary school and not choicing out is the best way to create a strong sense of commiunity and ultimately will make your community school better. Children will attend schools with kids on their block and it will promote more parents to be involved.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been going to Marvin since Jr K and I have nothing but positive things to say. The prinicpal has been approachable and effective. I have volunteered in each class that my daughter has been in and feel as though they are getting quality education. Most of the parents are very involved and the PTF raises enough money for programs to be funded, such as art class, science class and PE. I believe that it is not only the teachers and principals that make a difference in the school, but parents as well. Marvin has this. There a quite a few teachers that work at Marvin that went to this school as children. They are now teaching at Marvin and some of them even have their own children attending Marvin. This says alot. This school is a small neighborhood school that I feel safe sending my daughter to. She has grown by leaps and bound and I have nothing but positive feedback!
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at Marvin and I've been very happy with the experience. Our JK teacher is fantastic - She is funny and kind, she appears to treat everyone fairly, and she has been totally open to all communication - my emails are promptly responded to, and she will chat with me before and after class. Any problems I've had have been addressed immediately. I believe communication is a 2-way street and parents MUST bring issues up with teachers AND make themselves available and willing to hear feedback. The school grounds are beautiful - clean and full of mature plants and trees. We toured nearby Hearst (a better performing school) and I was dismayed to see so much trash on the ground. Another nearby school was stark concrete with high fences like a prison. The surroundings of Marvin were a significant factor in our choice and we will probably return next year. I want to add that I wish Greatschools would filter results. Reviews with one sentence like, "The principal is bad" are not helpful to anyone, and so many such reviews for Marvin here make me think there is a troll lurking. Please elaborate your reviews, and PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD'S TEACHERS.
—Submitted by a parent

There is a problem with a male teacher bullying students and the principal will not help.
—Submitted by a parent

We're not happy with this school at all. My child attends kindergarten and we had a bullying problem, they did nothing to help my child. The teacher allowed boys to bully my son and the principal is condescending and refused to notify the parents of their childs' wrong doings. We are looking at better schools for 1st grade.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is very safe and the teachers are very caring. They work very hard and have the best interest of the children in mind. Some of the reviews on this page are ridiculous and mean. If you have a problem, go to the teacher, don't write a review on the internet slamming the whole school based on one off day.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal has a couple of years until retirement and is just biding his time. He regards parent concerns with condescension and does nothing to make sure there is a culture of communication with teachers and parents. Teachers don't respond to emails, and only respond when you see them in person. We have this modern tool called computers, which apparently the teachers are not encouraged nor required to use. We will be trying to transfer our student next year.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is going down. I enrolled my daughter in it based on the reviews, and the score. but they made my daughter she is in the K hates going to school. teacher doesn t care about the students feeling and has no emotional effect on them at all and the worth thing ever is; my daughter had cut in her neck deep one and no one bother to call us or even tell us when we picked her up from school. I don t recommend this school to parents who want their kids to be in a safe environment and looking for good learning experience to their kids.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter had always enjoyed going to school and learning until this year. The first day of the current school year she came home crying and had actually spoken the words, I hate school ! Not something I had expected to hear come out of her mouth. Part of the problem is Marvin has some wonderful teachers and some not so wonderful ones. The Principal at the school is ineffective at leading. The GATE program is a joke. In the third grade, they introduce GATE seminar/cluster kids to the wonders of the GATE program and what they can achieve in it. Then in the fourth grade, they turn their backs on the cluster kids and only provide GATE learning for the seminar kids. If they can combine seminar/cluster for third graders, why can t they do the same for fourth and fifth graders? They say the GATE cluster kids are in a combination GATE/non-GATE class but all of the kids in this combo class are learning the same things at the same speed. They are not being challenged. We had been happy with Marvin until this year. Hindsight is a powerful tool. Had we known what this year would be like for our child, we would have switched schools when we had the chance.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughters 3rd grade teacher Mrs Henetz ---FABULOUS !! The best experience ever. She teaches 3rd gr GATE seminar and integrated learning and fun into her ciriculum. My daughter excelled in every subject because her teacher made learning fun. The kids were crying the last day of school, because they were going to miss her. Marvin also started an art program and PE program along with a fun science program already in place. It just became a Calif Distinguished School, and so it should be. I went to Marvin and loved it and now my kids get to experience that too.
—Submitted by a parent

I was so disappointed in this school. I had heard a lot of good things and read many great reviews of this school. My daughter went to this school for 4 years (K-3) and i desperately wish i had pulled her out sooner. Her 2nd grade teacher told her repeatedly that she would fail and be left behind a grade if her reading didn't pick up. Instead of helping her, she turned my daughter away from books. This school has no extra programs to help kids with reading and when i had spoke with the assistant principal she told me that the teacher really pushed her students and that was a good thing, but some kids couldn't handle it. I allowed my daughter to stay at this school for 3rd grade because she didn't want to leave the friends she had, but that was a mistake her third grade teacher was by far better than her 2nd, but there was no extra help for my kid.
—Submitted by a parent

From Teachers, office staff and test scores, to campus grounds and atmosphere Marvin is wonderful school to attend.
—Submitted by a parent

My second child is about to promote from this wonderful hidden gem. We have 10 amazing years of learning and playing here. The PTF has just funded a PE classes and an art program. We have a full time science teacher and the library is still open at this school on most days! This school has a great gate/seminar program that my son has been in .Their special ed programs are amazing and my daughter was in that program for her whole time there. The PTF has great events and the campus is beautiful including a garden. We are going to miss it!
—Submitted by a parent

Marvin is a wonderful school. My son went through the Junior Kindergarten program and is now in Kindergarten. The teachers are very approachable and work with parents to provide the best experience for the children. There is a high level of parental involvement and the PTF does wonderful things to support the school and the teachers. We have made lasting friendships with other parents and children in the neighborhood. I would highly recommend Marvin to anyone looking for an A+ community school. We have been very happy here.
—Submitted by a parent

Marvin has a great Pre-K class for younger children not ready for K. The teacher Mrs Livingstone is amazing and my son loves her. The class is structured and FUN and the kids learn a ton. I would definitely recommend this school for pre-K or K. I have family members in Mrs Hana's class and she has a very good reputation. I am not sure about the teachers in higher grades. I have not had any issues with the principal.In my experience he is very accomodating to your family's needs. He has always been very friendly to me and my son.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are good, at least those ones my kids ever have are. As for specialty there is a science lab and kids get to have one hour a week science class in there and that's about it. Don't expect any other program or extra-curriculum. Seminar program is so so and combined grades class doesn't seem to work as good , plus the curriculum is loose, don't seem to be challenging enough for the gifted kids. poorly managed, rude principle and admin staff.parents participation is low.Lot of neighborhood kids choice to Daillard, Green, Benchley or Hearst, where your kids can get classes like music , PE during school hours and even the academic score is much better . This is a going down school don't bother to choice here unless your kid needs to go to the special ed program.
—Submitted by a parent

not a fan of the principle, but why does he matter at all? the teacher is great and the kids are thriving!
—Submitted by a parent

wonderful positive school principal and teachers. my child went from special ed at another school with possibly needing a higher level of care to a normal classroom got caught up in academics and no behavioral problem, amazing!
—Submitted by a parent

Outstanding School - like a private school w/o the tuition! Our daughter just graduated from 5th grade today, she has been a part of this school since Kinder, less Military moves, she's been to a blue-ribbon school in Orange County, and a public school in Washington state (Seattle). We live in Allied Gardens, but actually choiced into Benchley Weinburger in Kinder, but changed over. Let me say that Marvin beats all the other schools hands-down bigtime! No other school even came close. The Principal and faculty are absolutely superb! Great, safe environment for kids. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, and listen to any needs or concerns you have in your child's academic success. This school also has an excellent PTA/parent support group, and the after-school program (SAY) is top rate; A+++!!! There's absolutely nothing bad to write about this school!
—Submitted by a parent

Marvin Elem. has turned out to be a great school. I am from a small midwest town with only one school and being confronted with the decision of finding the best school for my son was difficult and stressful to say the least. We are there on an interdistrict transfer and all of my expectations have been exceeded. His Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Hannah is excellent and is caring with her students but she's got great control of the classroom but is also a lot of fun. We are only 4months into the school year and he's on the verge of reading! Excellent school!!!
—Submitted by a parent