Lafayette Elementary School

We love Lafayette Elementary! We have dedicated and creative teachers, who show they care everyday. Our fabulous Principal is hugged on a daily basis by students, as well as their parents. Our strong PTA helps with parent volunteers and supports important programs. I am so glad my daughters education is such a positive one!
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school. Our daughter just started Kindergarten and I can't believe how lucky we are to be part of this community of great teachers, parents and Principal. The PTA is so strong, welcoming, and effective. Our child is already thriving.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful School. Our 2 boys attend. Great teachers, administration.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is really terrific. Everyones opinion counts. The school is now putting effort into 'greening'. Working on incorporating gardening/watershed curricula/awareness and on getting a bike rack for all the student bicyclists really makes it feel like an environmentally conscious school community. My two children love this school and their teachers have been great! We couldn't imagine going anywhere else!
—Submitted by a parent

Lafayette Elementary is a great public school with a down-to-earth but active parent community. Our kids are in 2nd and 1st grades, and thus far, we have been very happy with the quality of teaching. The principal provides excellent leadership with respect to her staff, and with respect to the students. There is at times some friction between the administration and the PTA, but nothing beyond what can be expected of any checks-and-balance system, and always resolved with reasonable grace on both sides. The enrichment is entirely enough -- on-staff music teacher, PE teacher and Librarian: Art and Drama (annual school musical) provided bythe PTA; 'Artists in Residence' round out the classroom enrichment with things like poetry and martial arts; a variety of cultural assemblies through the year. The community is diverse, both ethnically and economically. We are all very happy to be part of Lafayette.
—Submitted by a parent

There are so many components that make this neighborhood school a wonderful place for kids to realize their potential the dedicated principal, teachers and staff, the active PTA board and on-site extra-curricular opportunities, just to name a few. There is no question as to why they were awarded the California Distinguished School Award in 2006.
—Submitted by a parent

What a great place for kids to learn! My children feel safe and encouraged here and principal Ruby Brown is exactly what a principal should be - strong, fair and full of love and care.
—Submitted by Helena, a parent

Lafayette is a wonderful community school with a very organized and supportive parent body. The school programs are amazing and my K student has already been exposed to art programs, marital arts, the school play, perceptual motor enrichment, music..and the year is not yet over. She has connected with both the students and the teachers. After seriously considering private schools, we are so very pleased with our decision to educate our children at Lafayette. We can't say enough about it.
—Submitted by a parent

A great neighborhood school with a good comprehensive education, covers PE, Music, the Arts, languages as well as a high standard of academics. Dynamic & nurturing teachers, excellent forward thinking PTA leaders.Great parent involvement. The school has shown a huge shift for the better in recent years. Not yet in the top 10 in SF, but should be.
—Submitted by a parent

Great neighborhood school where most of the teachers live in the neighborhood. The PTA is now run by a real go-getter & has initiated great new programs like 'stop, drop & go' (morning drop off program) and super fundraising efforts (silent auction, school carnival, etc.). Really a place for you and your kids to feel at home. I can't say enough about this school!
—Submitted by a parent

I had a bad experience with after school programs. Parents make sure there is a space in any of those afterschool programs, mostly it's full but if it's available, price is too high.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 sons, one who graduated and another starting kindergarten. My husband and I have always been very happy and enthusiastic with Lafayette! They have added more extracurricular activities now and Lafayette is a very enriching school. They have afterschool chess, science, music, piano, and a fitness club established by our P.E. teacher, Mr. T. A very dedicated teacher has also created a Glee Club, which he devotes his lunchtime to practicing with the students. They also perform for the school. They have a top-rated kickball game, which is coached by a dedicated paraprofessional and are cheered on by the cheerleaders, who are coached by a teacher. As you can tell, Lafayette is staffed by a dedicated, committed staff! You can't go wrong by choosing Lafayette!
—Submitted by a parent

Some amazing teachers at this school!
—Submitted by a parent

Good academic program with enthusiastic teachers. Often an extracurricular activity for a period of 6 wks/school year. Availability of weekly lesson in music/instruments after school hours. Great parent involvement.
—Submitted by a parent

It's not perfect, but we love it! Please take a look.
—Submitted by a parent

What a great time we are having during this, our first year, at Lafayette! My kindergartener is excited to go to school every day. Somehow, her teacher is able to work with many different levels of ability, and effectively engage each child. I love that they are learning about and embracing the diversity around them. (For example, they recite the numbers in each language present in the classroom which my daughter can now recite back to me)! Lafayette has everything I was looking for, including a variety of after school activities and even an annual play. The staff and parents set the atmosphere of this wonderful school by being equally kind, concerned and caring.
—Submitted by Patti, a parent

My son is in the 1st grade, so we've been at Lafayette for two years. Frankly, I'm kind of amazed it's free. The teachers are fabulous, the kids are so sweet, and families are really cool. It's super diverse, in more ways than you can imagine - race, accent, ability, disablity. My son doesn't even know that there are different groups of people in the world -- honest, he thinks every one has a funky name and some secret strategy to bring to after-school chess. If you want some tony thing in the some precious neighborhood, you might be better off some place else, but if you want something real, and solid, and lovely in a way that can't be measured in any of the 6 ratings on the 1 to 5 scale, you should consider taking a look at Lafayette.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two girls at Lafayette and we are very pleased with their personal and academic growth. We have had so many positive experiences at Lafayette, it s hard to know where to start. The teachers are wonderful. They are dedicated, well trained, and caring. Our girls have fun and are academically challenged. They are easily keeping up with their friends in private schools. Our interactions with teachers and staff are always open and informative. Our experience with the PTA has been extremely rewarding. The parents are committed and enthusiastic. There is a family atmosphere at Lafayette that seems to get stronger every day. We recommend Lafayette whole-heartedly.
—Submitted by John Heldens, a parent

My daughter is happy, well-adjusted, and excited about learning at Lafayette Elementary. Her amazing kindergarten teacher patiently helped her burst out of her shell and made it a joy to send her to school every day. Now a month into 1st grade, my daughter does an in-depth retelling after school of the latest chapter read in class of 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. This is followed by a demonstration of the newest skills she is learning in her twice weekly P.E. class with our beloved Mr. T. There is a natural diversity to the school population and an active group of educated, caring, and hard-working parents. The annual school play each spring really demonstrates that art is alive and well in our public schools. The teachers also seem to take full advantage of the amazing field trip opportunities in and around San Francisco. Come see for yourself!
—Submitted by Kim Ellis, a parent

Many factors come into play in selecting the closest thing to a perfect school for your child. Lafayette Elementary should be on everyone s list to visit during pre-enrollment. Just to highlight one of the many accolades of the school, in one year alone, SIX of our Lafayette teachers received the Prudential Realty teacher awards in Spring 2005. Those recognitions speak a thousand words regarding the dedication of our Lafayette staff. Also, our principal won this distinguished honor many years ago when she was teaching at Lafayette. We welcome you to join our school community.
—Submitted by Helen Yee, a parent