West Woods Elementary School

I've done my research and will have to agree Westwoods is a great school. The front office could use a refresh as the front desk ladies don't appear to like their jobs as they are unfriendly and not helpful. They do not give a good first impression.
--Submitted by a parent

Great teachers who go the extra mile to challenge every student.
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is doing great at this school. Excellent teachers, nice facilities, high parent involvement, safe and well organized.
--Submitted by a parent

The school has demonstrated considerable improvement in the last year to extend high potential children and offer them additional challenges for subjects where they excel. For example, my daughter was placed in a math group that concentrated on math skills 2 years above her grade level. Likewise, my third grader has been given additional projects through 'Wolfpack' to dig deeper into content areas. I don't believe these extensions are available, however, for children younger than 3rd grade. In addition, this year we saw a significant increase in the availability of extra curricular activities after school. For a nominal fee, students can participate in art, foreign language and theater classes. Parent support is very high at this school leading to high expectations. This may be the reason the school has experienced an unfortunate turnover in principals. Nonetheless, teachers are high caliber in every grade.
--Submitted by a parent

I agree with the two previous reviews. This school is fine for students who are average or struggling - they are very concerned about their CSAP ratings, so any extra classroom help is geared toward helping those kids who may pull their scores down. Children who are above-average are not served at all, it seems that very little attempt is made to challenge them. Many feel that Westwoods is an 'excellent' school, but base this only on their CSAP scores. It's unfortunate because this school has the parent support to do so much more. In addition, many have found the overall atmosphere in the front office unwelcoming and unhelpful, which makes the overall experience less than it should be.
--Submitted by a parent

We pulled our kids out of Westwoods, large class sizes, overworked or tired teachers, lack of leadership. No hands on learning, science and math programs are not adequate
--Submitted by a parent

West Woods is a great public school for average and below average students. Like most public schools it does very little to challenge students that are above average. The CSAP scores at this school are excellent because there is a high ratio of above average students. It is located in an affluent neighborhood where most parents send their kids to the school instead of private schools. Thus, many of the kids are above average and need challenges. There are few extra curricular activities at the school and no advanced math classes for students like at other schools in the same district. Also, there is little involvement in science education at the school. If your child likes to read it's a good environment, but if your child is more inclined to math and sciences it lacks support.
--Submitted by a parent

We have had nothing but great experiences with West Woods. Great teachers and strong administration combine for excellent academic achievement. Both our sons have gone on to higher levels successfully, ready for anything middle and high school hand them.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is great for a self sufficient student that doesn't need any extra help or challenge. Some of the classrooms are at 30 students to one teacher. Teachers have too many students to offer individualized learning. There are very few field trips and the upper grades do no science experiments or hands on learning.
--Submitted by a parent

I have found this school to be very lacking in discipline. Disruptive children are often rewarded as an incentive to behave better. This just reinforces their bad behavior. Repeatedly, I have watched teachers ignore rude or inappropriate behavior by students. The administration does not seem to take parental complaints or concerns regarding their teachers seriously.
--Submitted by a parent