John Muir Elementary School

We love John Muir Elementary. It is just the right size and has a great community in a great neighborhood.
--Submitted by a parent

great school but needs some work when it comes to do dealing with problems. tend to turn their heads and hope things will just work themselves out and this is terrible for our children. outstanding teachers such as Christian Carter, Norma Vallejo, and Lulu Benitez.
--Submitted by a parent

I love John Muir! My son is in kindergarten with Ms. Hyatt. She is amazing! She is so kind to the children and parents. My son is reading and writing and he adds, subtracts, and even multiplies. The P.E., music and art classes/teachers are great! The parents are kind and there is a lot of cultural and economic diversity which teaches my son about the real world.
--Submitted by a parent

I love John Muir at first I was worried that since it was public my daughter wouldn't get the same educational oppurtunites or saftey. But it's great there's a wonderful communication between parents and teacher's The new Principal is very nice, she understands the needs of children and parent's. I had concidered going to SMASH which is another wonderful school (both connected) but I can't find one single reason to do so. My daughter's kindergarten / 1st grade class learns so much. (Ms. Herman ) her teacher knows what she's doing and does it quite well. She also encourages parent participation in the learning and development.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been a proud parent of the John Muir community for three years. Each year brings an increase in pride and confidence in the school as I have witnessed the growth of the students, the commitment of the teachers and the improvements to the administration. There is a new principal this year who is proving to be a phenomenal addition to the school. Her leadership, dedication, attention to pertinent issues and consistent follow through could very well propel this school to its fullest potential. Parent involvement is embraced and is greatly increasing every year which makes a huge difference not only in terms of the strength of our community, but for the implementation of programs such as art, science, music and computer lab through the efforts of our PTA. I would recommend this neighborhood school to other families without hesitation.
--Submitted by a parent

We actually had a choice of schools in Santa Monica and opted for John Muir after learning about the wonderful programs (including art, music, computer and science) as well as realizing the rich experience given the diverse population. Parent input and children's individuality are highly valued and the sense of community is strong. Our son has had a great 2 years there and our daughter can't wait to start kindergarten there next fall. We highly recommend this gem of an elementary school.
--Submitted by a parent

In my opinion, John Muir is a great school! This year, my son has a great teacher (Ms. Vallejo). She has a consistent system of rewards for her students as a part of her great classroom management skills, and she adjusts her teaching style and academic materials to the students needs (i.e., based on progress that she evaluates throughout the school year). Her lessons appear meaningful and fun, based on my son s reports. I feel that, as a result, my son was able to develop a positive attitude about his school and learning in general. In terms of buildings and grounds, John Muir Elementary School is a colorful, pleasant and well maintained environment for kids. The principal is open minded and cares about the community. She participates in all school related functions and is an integral part of our school community.
--Submitted by a parent

I feel good about John Muir. It's a small school which is wonderful. I love that we know so many of the families. The parent involvement is great. The kids have a good time and I appreciate the freedom they have in the yard. The teachers we've had so far have been excellent. Nurturing, but with enough discipline to keep things together. It's a charming school with diversity, a small town feel, caring teachers and principal. The kids seem to feel comfortable and supported. I'm really thrilled so far!
--Submitted by a parent

Both of my children have attended John Muir School. If you have a child that is in need of special education services, this is not the best venue. I found the principal to be very ineffective in leadership. However, there is a lot of parent involvement and a handful of the teachers in general education are outstanding. Safety is also another area where this school needs a lot of improvement due to the lack of disciplinary actions that are taken against students who bully other children.
--Submitted by Debra Shepherd, a parent

My son attended Muir from Kindergarten through fifth grade. We loved every year there. The campus always felt very safe; the teachers were caring and experienced. The classrooms were large and clean. There were sufficient numbers of Apple computers for all students to use. We has some memorable tecahers, including Sue Beltran, Daniel Wheeler and Luis Brizuela.
--Submitted by Anna Grace, a parent