Mountain View Elementary School

Mr. Francis is an amazing principle. He has children returning from charter schools to attend this school. He knows every child and every parent at his school. He walks around thanking all the parent volunteers continually. He shows how much he appreciates everyone that walks in his school. He cares about each student and wants to see them grow. He was able to let go of the teachers that were not meeting the children's expectations and this year we have the best staff ever. Couldn't be happier!
—Submitted by a parent

Mtn. View is an excellent school. Mr. Francis is amazing. The staff and teachers go above and beyond for the kids. We have been so lucky to have this school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a family just moving from overseas to the U.S., we were not sure how our kids would adjust to their new school environment, new classmates or teachers. Our daughters ages 3 and 7, were immediately welcomed by the kids, the staff and the principle. Mr. Francis s energy level, passion and enthusiasm is amazing. The kindness and respect among the kids and teachers are wonderful. A key point for us when deciding on the school was encouraging the desire to learn. We started at Mt. View Elementary in a summer reading program and my daughter was so encouraged by her teacher Mrs. Rondou, that her desire for reading took off. We were fortunate to have Mrs. Rondou as her 2nd grade teacher as well and now our daughter's reading has improved a great deal. The staff s passion for teaching shows as both my kids have improved bounds in both English, math and reading. Our oldest child enjoys all her subjects, which tells me that all her teachers are well positioned. In addition, we appreciate the values they encourage - teamwork to achieve goals, problem solving, creativity, and personal development. The only complaint my youngest daughter has is that the school days are not longer!
—Submitted by a parent

"Words cannot express how Grateful we are to have Mountain View and Mr. Francis as our home school for our 1st Grader! 1st grade. was a critical year for her to figure out how to unleash "the best her" with f, guidance, coaching & refinement. The unconditional acceptance of her big spirited personality & perfectly orchestrated direction of how to appropriately channel it to bring out the best, kindest HER .was MONUMENTAL in her growth this year. She loves school and since walking into Mrs. Kuhn's classroom she has made a conscious decision to want to try hard socially, academically and personally. Thank you Mrs. Kuhn and Mr. Francis for consistently empowering our girl. I am eternally grateful for the support & unwavering commitment to find her the perfect home for 1st grade. Truly, Mountain View has the best teachers and it is so evident that the staff really love what they do."
—Submitted by a parent

We have loved Mountain View and Mr. Francis the Principal has kept the school striving to be the Best ever. He is so involved with every aspect of the school and staff. He truly cares about all the students and is always working on ways to make it a better learning, fun environment for the kids. Staff is wonderful
—Submitted by a parent

We have two children at Mountain View and we have been extremely happy with the school and the teachers! Principal Francis is very committed to the kids and we've had a looping teacher with Stacey Wright and she has been fantastic. It's a fun , focused learning environment for the kids. Our kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hempenstall was also great! We have been very impressed with everything about the school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a past principal and educator- my husband and I were very selective about what school to send our son to this year for Kindergarten. We moved from Tampa to Pradera (Parker) a year and a half ago therefore, we had a lot of time before our son began his amazing journey of education! And, we wanted only the BEST! So we went from school to school to see what Parker had to offer. We toured all of the neighborhood schools as well as the elite & most talked about private schools . It was a big job and I had lots of questions for the principals! YES~ we were particular! It was our child s first year of school we wanted the BEST, the most comprehensive, as well as the school that offered a family style environment~ my son would be with this education community many hours of the day and we sought after the most excellent! Well we found all of these things & more in a school called MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY! For the next 3 years we are confident our son will excel, feel loved, and grow! We recognize it takes the parents and school to partner together to cultivate a child s love of learning and Mountain View offers just that!
—Submitted by a parent

My family moved to Parker last year & open enrolled at children at a school where our friend taught. I then toured our 'home' school, Mt. View & knew from the moment I walked through the doors that THIS school is where our family BELONGED! The office staff welcomed us like family & Mr. Francis was so friendly! When I first met the building engineer, I thought he was an amazing teacher, he interacted so positively with the students!...Only to find out later he was the custodian! Mt. View may not be a brand new building filled with nice furniture, but it IS filled with an amazing group of teachers & support staff who are committed to a standard of excellence that few schools can compete with. I have never regretted our decision to not go to our friend's school. The staff at Mt. View has welcomed us with open arms & provides enriching & positive environment for my children. The families in the Mt. View community are friendly & supportive of the school & the students. My children adjusted so well to our 'voluntary' move that I have never doubted that we made the right decision. THANK YOU to Mr. Francis & all the staff at Mt. View for making a difficult decision seem so easy!
—Submitted by a parent

We have had the pleasure of sending our 3 children to MVE. The entire staff, under the direction of Mr. Francis has done an amazing job of educating and caring for the kids. The school offers a BASE (before and after school program) that is flexible and the staff there also does a great job of working with the diverse personalities of the kids!
—Submitted by a parent

I have had the great opportunity to work for the new principal Mr. Francis. He is an amazing leader both with his staff and all of his students. He is patient, kind, and caring with all of the students. His promotes and facilitates greatness with his staff, families, and students. The community at Mountain View will continue to foster great learning for students!!
—Submitted by a teacher

The new principal is wonderful. He knows every child's name in the entire school! He is incredibly energetic and very much a forward-thinking leader within the district. Mr. Francis has made some very positive changes for the school. He leads by example! Great job!
—Submitted by a parent

Mountain View Elementary is a wonderful school. The principal, Mr. Drew Francis is an out of the box thinker. He is innovative and very involved on all levels. In spite of the decreased budgets and overall challenges in our public schools today, he is turning this school into a role model for today's mainstream school system. He listens and acts swiftly to improve on all levels. We need more principals like this in our community schools!!
—Submitted by a parent

This is my second year at Moutain View. My son attended second grade last year and this year my daughter is in Kindergarten. We have had a great experience at Mountain View. Both the Kindergarten teacher, and our second grade teacher were amazing. My children are challenged and are learning through hands on activities. The new principle encourages parent envolvement and is very approachable.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's 2nd year at MVE. The new principal is AMAZING!!! He has really forced all the teachers to up their teaching. He brought back the gifted and talented program. In addition, he has added new programs to help the "middle of the pack" kids. With money raised by the parents and community, he put smart boards in all the classrooms and bought science kits for the entire school. Despite deep budget cuts he really is doing everything he can to make this a great school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's 3rd year at MVE & it gets better each year. Yes there have been budget cuts since Colorado did not get the fed/state funding it needed, but the school has retained the best teachers, a very active PTO & great events for kids. A new Principal this year is a huge + & so far seems like a great leader who communicates with families often. They have increased reading & writing demands which I believe will only improve the already excellent scores. I like that the school is offering healthy foods for lunch now and have added health education. They rotate PE, Technology & music. My son's teacher now teaches science and social studies in class every day. Only negative is more kids are transferring to MVE this year, so ratios are increasing. I would like the district to hire more teachers/helpers for this issue.
—Submitted by a parent

We have not been overly impressed with this school and with the many budget cuts, it is getting worse. The science teacher is excellent, but is taught as a special maybe once a week which is not enough. Students only go to PE a couple times a week as well. Health has been dropped along with the Gifted and Talented program. If your child is high acheiving in a certain area, it will be totally up to the teacher to provide a more challenging atmosphere and high acheiving students may fall through the cracks. Many teachers simply do not have the time to do this. Class size is also increasing and could mean up to 31 or more per teacher which is way too many! Parents are not very happy about all the cuts and are left feeling helpless. We are looking for other options for our children's education.
—Submitted by a parent

If you are looking to the Pinery for schools forget it! Yes, my son attended in the eighties when MVE was excellent, but now my daughter attends and it is the worse. I blame this on the current principal who is inept and could really care less, and quite ready for retiremant, after a free ride on the taxpayors. Kindergarten was excellent but first grade is dismal. No math, no spelling, no nothing, just reading and specials, and alot of disorganization. Dummying down to students, in the new no students left behind program. Safety on playground is lacking, in fact it is a very hazardous area as children run rampent with weekly accidents. I want to move, and we have applied for a Charter Academy where children will learn something!! Sorry, but this only warrants one star thanks to Mrs. Hempenstall, an exception to MV rule, she should move on!
—Submitted by a parent

I can't speak more highly of the 'specials' program, particularly PE, Art and Music, all of which are led by dedicated educators, who each present exciting events for the students, staff and community to participate in every year. The regular teaching staff is excellent and many are among the best I've ever worked with in my professional experience. Dozens of parents are dedicated volunteers who contribute hundreds of hours of time to the school to support ongoing programs and special events. The children are eager learners. The newly sodded field is a plus but the playground is disappointing. Sadly, the GT program has been cut, which is a major loss to the school. At present, the school is on a year-round, 4-track calendar, which offers both advantages and disadvantages. The on-site before & after school program is a major plus and will expand in autumn 2009 to accommodate Northeast students.
—Submitted by a teacher

My daughter was in Kindergarten this year and in addition took 1st grade math via the Douglas County online school. When asking the principal how she can acomodate my daughter for next year (taking 2nd grade math in the first grade) she told me essentially that it wouldn't be possible because of the 'specials'. Very frustrating. They get rid of the gifted and talented help and then do not make other arrangements for higher achieving students. How sad.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son has attended Mtn. View for 2 years and has done very well. As a weekly volunteer, I am able to see the staff and how organized this school is. They run like clockwork and handle issues very professionally. We have had 2 great years with 2 really good teachers. The principal is actively involved every single day making sure students arrive/leave the school safely.
—Submitted by a parent