John B. Riebli Elementary School

Riebli is a growing and getting stronger. The principal works so hard to make positive changes and move the school forward academically and as a community. Teachers definitely care about their students and work hard. The addition of the P.E. and garden programs have been fantastic and have brought a more dynamic way of learning to the school. I hope that now that Riebli has become a Charter school that they will be even more creative with their teaching approach as a whole school community- not just individual teachers. I have two children in the lower grades and am very happy with their teachers and overall education. Many parents are involved and the school welcomes volunteers readily. Of course there is always room for improvement and I think that the principal now is guiding the school in the right direction. The school has made huge positive strides this year!
—Submitted by a parent

My child has attended this school since Kindergarten. Scholastically the teachers are amazing and are doing a wonderful job. I believe the educators are some of the best in the county. The current head adminstrator is a detrament to the school. My child is typically not problematic and has only been to the principals office twice in six years of attendance at the school. Those two experiences stem from this year and have been horrible. The principal has made contradictory statements with regard to what she has stated to my child versus what has been communcated to me about the interactions with my child. I am very upset at how she interacts with the children and can no longer recommend this as a wonderful place to send your children.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so dissappointed! Apathy, is the one word that slaps you in the face when dealing with the staff. They are punching the time-clock and most are overdue for retirement. They gave up teaching years ago, and now just show up to pad their retirement. The "administration" quote chapter and verse, from the "I wish we could fix the system" book. Do your children a fovor...find another school, any other school!
—Submitted by a parent

had no complaints until Dr. Heller left. then the school fell to pieces, I had to pull my son out in the sixth grade cause one of the teachers lifted my son off the ground by the neck of his shirt in from of numerous witnesses and they wouldn't even switch him to another class or punish the teacher in any way. Instead they suspended my son for upsetting the teacher, that was his last day there. he had been there since K and I had to pull him in 6th he was unable to graduate with his friends, it was a horrible experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Riebli now ranks a 7, API of 838, and the worst API subgroup scores in the district though it s the wealthiest school. Just shows the tailspin that occurred after Dr. Heller left. The school still feels like a rudderless ship and would probably benefit from a more experienced Principal/leader. We also liked Kindergarten. The upper grade teachers are good for the most part but a lot of the good teachers retired or left. But the education in the lower grades (1-3) was extremely disappointing. My children all struggled because English and Math concepts are poorly taught. Some teachers we ve had don t teach P.E., Science, or Social Studies. The last poster feels that the teachers adore her child. Not every parent feels that way. I volunteered a lot of hours in the classroom and every year observed only a handful of children that were adored by the teachers. I agree that the school climate is very snobby and cliquey. We also experienced issues with gossiping/excluding among the students and parents. I realized if they gossiped about other people behind their backs they were gossiping about my children and me behind my back. There are much better schools all around than Riebli.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been attending this school since 1st grade. She was below average when she started and has excelled greatly. She is always in love with her teachers. They adore her as well. Parent participation is very important to this school. So its pretty much has the similarities of a private school. The only reason i dont give it 5 stars, the stuck up patents/PTA. I have always been willing to help out. Ive had parents talk about me and gossip like a clique. I can tell you I know about a handful of parents in the school that have been welcoming. Its almost like I should just put my kid in an actual private school. But if your above all this, your child will be fine. As far as the bullying, I deal with that in my own way so it has never been any issue for my daughter. My younger daughter will be starting Kindergarden there next year. Otherwise, Great school!
—Submitted by a parent

This School Is Great, Hands Down. I Graduated Last Yr. and I Have Some Of The Best Memories From There, It was Truly Sad To Leave:) To Be Honest, Dr. Heller Was The Best Principle.. Too Bad He Left and We Got Mr. Raines When I entered 3rd Grade. Now For A Few Of The Best Teachers There; Mrs. Aarhus, yes she left but she was my alltime fave., Mr. Crawford, he retired..me and my brother both had him, Mr. Angel, 3rd Grade, And Mrs. Hyde, So Sweet :), Also Mr. Detrick isnt bad. 1st And 6th Grade Were Such Fun Years For Me..They Also Have Great Field Tripsss(: In 4th Grade You Go to Coloma For 2nites, 3 days. Soo Much More<3 Overall, B e s t S c h o o l E v e r . :D

Totally agree with last post. New Principal makes every excuse as to why she can't step up and lead. Kindergarten is great (including the K-teacher who is teaching 1st grade this year). 3rd thru 6th is fine as well. But if your kid goes thru 1st and 2nd here be prepared to pay for tutoring to catch them up. It was a rude awakening. Over last few years lots of kids left because the academics are so far behind other schools or because of bullying. Look at the test scores & stats. Very disappointing.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have had a different principal in the four years that they ve attended this school. The leadership is an absolute joke. I was unimpressed with the Superintendent and disgusted by the Principal, both of whom are new. If your child has special needs, disabled, and an out of district student or if your child struggles, good luck getting support from this leadership. They will find a way to remove your child from the school. Instead of addressing the problem let s just get rid of it great model when dealing with children. The parents and teachers are the heart and soul of this school. I hope they can open their eyes to their leadership and demand changes. Reibli has recently made some great additions to their campus. The onsite Extended Child Care is really amazing. I can t say enough great things about their program and staff - 5 stars!
—Submitted by a parent

It's a cool school. Kids love to learn ,parents get involved.
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school, the teachers are great as are the principals, and the support staff. we also love the Extended Care program.
—Submitted by a parent

My kid is a fourth grader there and has been there since Kindergarten, my other kid went through Mark West. If anything, both schools have consistently improved and when they've made mistakes, they have been quick to fix them.
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child who graduated from Riebli & another in 5th grade. Regardless of the principal situation, the teachers are the heart of the school & I could not have asked for more caring, knowledgeable, & involved educators. My older son is now at a private school and the comparison between the Riebli teachers vs. the private school teachers is profound. The private school is very respected but the teachers cannot hold a candle to the professionalism, education, or the caring that the Riebli teachers put forth. These teachers work together, fight for what they know is best for the children, & will go over and beyond for each of their students. Both of my boys were lucky enough to start from kindergarten & go through at Riebli. I will greatly miss the school when my last boy graduates.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been at Riebli most of my school life and it is not what it was. Bob Raines did not like the girls as much as the boys. The teachers are good except for a few they are olde like 50. They seem cranky a lot. I hope Mr Heller comes back and fixes the school, I left the school and really like my new one because there is no one who is allowed to bully or threaten anyone. I feel like I had the best teachers and the worse. So like all schools there is some good and some bad. As for all the help from parents I think they are great. I think the librarian is great. I miss my friends but not the teachers who could not help the students who bullies for year after year. There should be more rules about that/
—Submitted by a student

I have two children attending Riebli and when considering moving only looked at property within the district. Although the school has gone though a couple of principals in the last couple of years, I feel the quality and welcoming environment has not suffered. The teaching and support staff is top notch and the extended care program is unbeatable. Riebli encourages lots of parent participation and fortunately both my children have classmates whose parents are very active. The teacher/parent commitment to the education of the students of Riebli makes it truly a great school above and beyond even what the test scores show.
—Submitted by a parent

Well when Dr. Heller left so did the school rating. He was replaced by Bob Raines who rarely followed through. The bullying was out of control and parents were having to hire an attorney to get an IEP signed. It fell fast and they have another principal this year who seems to be very focused on having things done her way. However, it is too soon to see where she'll take the school. I think Dr. Heller made the school because he had a very personal touch. The teachers are good for the most part but they can only go so far unless there is good leadership. This school is in crisis and I hope it gets back on track soon.
—Submitted by a parent

Dr. Heller, Principal, has a great rapport with all the students/parents and has an open door policy. When my son was new to Riebli in the 3rd grade, Dr Heller spent time with him during recess to introduce him to the other students and helped my son make new friends. Academically this is a very good school, but what I feel is most important, is my son felt he could trust and confide with his teachers and principal and he learned the value of true friendship.
—Submitted by a parent

I had heard that Riebli was a good school. The reality far exceeded my expectations. There is a strong academic program as well as many other extracurricular activities. Students enjoy coming to school. They look forward to different activities that the faculty and PTA plan. The faculty and PTA have a strong working relationship that works.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in Kindergarten and has had a wonderful experience. The class is unique in that there are two teachers who are with the children all day every day and they co-teach. The children all work 1 on 1 with the teachers to determine if their foundation is solid before moving on. There is quite a bit of parent involvement and a wide array of activities, such as music and are.
—Submitted by a parent

My child received a great education while attending Reibli. She made major improvements in all areas. Her teacher Peggy Swearingen was great. The only problem I ran into with this school was with the office staff and their rude attitudes. And I didn't feel the school took into consideration that some children come from single parent homes. This school requires a lot of involvement from the parents, as it should be, but is not always possible for single parents.
—Submitted by a parent