Ridgeview Elementary School

I have a child in this school and almost a year has gone by and I am not impresed. I have seen lack of supervision , lack of redirection, yelling at kids making them cry, detention for 2 to 3 days in a row for very minor offences ( I volunteer there ). The princapal is not a parents friend she is all about protecting her staff and just following policy. The last 3 reviews below are from the schools staff so of course it is biased. Also bought so many school supplies for the students and have yet to see any of it used for them. I am pulling my child out for the 2013-2014 school year and placing somewhere else. The school looks good on the outside but inside is what matters.
—Submitted by a parent

Ridgeview has excellent teachers who frequently put in lots of extra hours to prepare lessons and experiences for their students based on needs as demonstrated by formative assessments. Ridgeview teachers truly care about their students. Ridgeview has strong leadership, with a principal and assistant principal who are willing to take risks and try new things. Our principal is supportive and innovative. She is great to work with. Ridgeview has challenging academic programs, particularly in writing and math. Also, Ridgeview now has all full day kindergarten, which is good for kids.
—Submitted by a teacher

Ridgeview is a quality learning environment in which the teachers and staff provide excellent academics and extracurricular activites for a well-rounded student. I am thankful that my child was able to attend Ridgeview for second thru fifth grade!
—Submitted by a teacher

I believe RVES is a great school! Excellent teachers who strive to help students excell, strong leadership from the administrators, and great academic programs. When my children are school-aged, Ridgeview Huskies they will be!
—Submitted by a teacher

I have been very happy as a staff member and a parent at Ridgeview. My child is choiced into Ridgeview. I feel that the curriculum in Kindergarten and First grade have been rigorous and appropriately challenging for my daughter. I also feel that the school as a whole does a great job of meeting the needs of students and teaching the standards. We frequently get students who come to us without the skills the grade level requires, and we work diligently to get each student to grade level. I feel the staff is friendly and communicates effectively. I believe the staff has the best interest of each child at heart, and wishes only the best for each child. Ridgeview is working to increase math ability, written communication, vocabulary and of course reading. I have seen a dramatic increase in the ability to problem solve, understand advanced vocabulary, and write to a higher level in recent years. We are also working to reach students who have interests outside of academic areas. I am proud of what the staff is doing. I am proud of the students and appreciate the community that supports our efforts. Ridgeview is a great place to work, and a great place for children!

My son attended RVES for 5th grade only. We were really worried about him fitting in, making friends, and changing curriculum at the end of elementary school. His 5th grade year went really well. Not only did he make great memories, but he also transitioned to the Colorado curriculum with little difficulty. His 5th grade teacher found ways to motivate the kids to learn and to keep them engaged. I never really had a need to speak to the principal concerning a problem, but she always was in attendance at PTA and special functions. I found her to be visible, actively involved, and friendly.
—Submitted by a parent

I love working at RVES! The principal is present & works hard. The staff works hard to educate every child, by building meaningful relationships with families & students. My nephew will be starting Pre-K and I look forward to seeing the arts, inquiry, math, & science focus that Ridgeview has.
—Submitted by a teacher

I couldn't agree more with the post from July 2nd. My 3rd grader NEVER brought home reading or writing homework. As far as the homework she did bring home, it never had any instructions or examples to help the students. My Kindergartener never brought home any reading or writing homework either. The only reason she knows how to read is because we practice it at home with her everyday. There is also a huge bullying problem there and the staff seems to want to brush everything under the rug. We had to speak to the principal on several occasions and she was not supportive at all. Needless to say we are not returning this year.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been at the school for a year. That's all I need to know that I don't want to come back. Teachers are friendly but academically my children have suffered. My 3rd grader NEVER brought home reading or writing homework and my 1st graders reading skills have actually gotten worse. There is a lack of substitute teachers and students may be shuffled around to classrooms if their teacher is unable to find a sub. The principal does not communicate with the parents at all. The two things this school has going for it are the extra curricular activities for the kids, and the music/ arts program.
—Submitted by a parent

My 3 children have attended this school since Kindergarten( beginning in 2006), and while their teachers have been really great ( with the exception of a single teacher who is no longer at the school) the school has gone through many changes. The administartive staff and pricipals were something less to be desired at first, but 2 years ago the school did a teacher and principal overhaul and I couldn't be happier. The school is organized and timely and the front office staff are friendly and effecient and communication is the highest I have ever seen it. My children will attend this school through the 5th grade as long as everything continues the way it has since the changes. My kids are happy and well adjusted and there is no question about how well they are being educated . Every school has it's ups and downs and that will continue as long as funding and overcrowding come in to play. But if you want a school with good teachers, and effective curriculum and an organized and friendly front office staff this is a great choice for a school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am so unhappy with Ridgview, don't even know where to begin! If your child is average or above, then they don't get any attention and will get ignored.
—Submitted by a parent

Verbatim from the D49 official Falcon Flyer received 8/30/2011: "Overcrowding has been a hot topic in District 49. Falcon continues to be one of the fastest growing districts in the state. We currently serve about 14,000 students. This is perhaps the first year that our overall student population has not increased, but that does not change the fact that overcrowding continues to plague our district. Eight schools in District 49 are currently over-capacity. They include Woodmen Hills Elementary, Falcon Middle School,Falcon High School, Evans International Elementary, Springs Ranch Elementary, Odyssey Elementary, Ridgeview Elementary, and Skyview Middle School. Of the remaining schools, not a single one of them is less than 75% full...Teachers struggle when thirty or more students outnumber them..."

I have one son in 2nd grade and two sons who went all the way K-5 at RVES. They all had really great teachers. The office staff has always been friendly and helpful. The teachers send a weekly e-mail and communicate very efficiently. Whenever I go to volunteer at the school, there are a lot of parents around helping out. All of my kids really liked this school.
—Submitted by a parent

My experience with the teacher is good, but this school seems especially crowded. I have not had any good experiences with the staff and am not impressed with the principle at all.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 sons that have attended this school. The teachers are ok. The office staff is not nice and you rarely see the principal. Don't expect her to help you out with any concerns either. I have visited her a couple of times and nothing was accomplished. My younger son was enrolled in speech therapy...which was a total joke! If one person is sick, don't expect your child to get any speech therapy for weeks! I have had several problems there. More than I can write. Moved my kids over to district 11 schools. Awesome! Their needs have been met and my boys enjoy school more!
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at this school and I love it. They are very happy. They love the teachers, the football team (go huskies) and their grades are better then ever. I will keep them here as long as I can!
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at RVES now and one of them has been there for 4 years now and I don't see much progress in the overcrowding, parking, or academics. I was blessed to get great teachers for K & 1st grade but not much luck since then. The communication is lacking, the staff could be more professional. and I will seek another school for my kids next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I LOVE this school and most importantly my kids love this school. Their teachers have always been wonderful and caring. I have not had any of the concerns that any of the other reviewers have. Ridgeview has great programs like AIM to help struggling students, and they use PBS as their overall behavior management program. There are ample opportunities to volunteer if you want to get involved. It is a great place!
—Submitted by a parent

My oldest son attended half of his first grade year and a few days of second grade at Ridgeview. It seemed like someone was always dropping the ball and blaming someone else. We felt as if the school as a whole was unorganized. The office staff isn't friendly and no one there seems to smile much. They didn't seem to care for the students as individuals but as a number. The principals were rarely visible. However, my son's first grade teacher was great. She made a good decision to transfer to another school. My son now goes to Remington and has made so much progress. They are awesome!
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school and the staff/faculty. We've been at RVES for 2 years and have been very happy there. My kids really enjoy going to this school and have improved a great deal academically and socially. I have read the other reviews and do not agree with them. The teachers and staff are very friendly and are willing to assist in anyway necessary. My children receive one-on-one time when it is necessary. They have a great reward system in place for 'Safe, Responsible and Kind' behavior which I have found the students try very hard to earn a 'Husky Paw'. Parent involvement is highly encouraged. I've never felt unwelcome! If we were not moving out of state this summer, I would definitely be keeping my kids in this school. I only hope our next school is as great!
—Submitted by a parent