Hendricks Avenue Elementary School

Really top-flight. Wonderful teachers in charming physical plant built in the early 40s and spotlessly maintained. Prinipal--RB Rhoades--is very progressive and loved by the children. Our child transferred to Hendricks from San Jose Episcopal Day School in Jacksonville last year. We found that the students at Hendricks were much better prepared than those at San Jose in math, reading and writing, and enjoyed much better enrichment opportunities. Why pay $9000 a year for a sub-standard private school education when you can send your child to a top-flight public school at no cost? Teachers email you at least twice a week and are always available to discuss your child's progress. I wish I could give this school a 6 out of 5. It certainly deserves it!
--Submitted by a parent

Great school, great atmosfera.
--Submitted by a parent

Great office staff, Very dedicated teachers and the Principal as well as the Assistant Principal are very hands on in the implementation of school projects. Parents are also involved in PTAs / school activities. There are also a wide array of extra-curricular activities available for kids to hone their skill and talents. Great School!
--Submitted by a parent

I have heard nothing but good things about this school as with the previous comments. However, I am finding a few things disconcerting with my child in first grade. Neighboring schools with children in the same grade have, for instance, weekly math homework, weekly reading assignments which the teacher will assess the child's comprehension of the work at the weeks' end. My child has absolutely nothing brought home aside from a list of seven spelling words and Sunshine Math. Where is all daily work?? The concept of S. Math is progressive difficulty. But if I have no standard of where my child is with math concepts with no homework then how do I explain math equations that have progressive difficulty?? So I have no measure of where my child might be struggling or where I can help. I'm concerned that this school is keeping up with the progress of neighboring schools.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm 44 years old, went to this school and choose to have my two children there rather than private schoool. Many of the parents at Hendricks could afford private but are smart enough to take advantage of this public gem. Some commenters have taken shots about focus on religion (not true, but not a bad thing in a deteriorating society) and uncaring staff (not true). Regarding comments about 'no talking' in the cafeteria; I have lunch with my children and can tell you a period of silence is imposed if the chatter gets too loud - nothing extreme.... my wife and I volunteer and there's a reason the school has had 100% PTA membership since something like the mid-70's. The teachers are the best - they routinely come to their students' sporting events! While the principal might exhibit some 'unapproachable' tendencies as some have posted, she gets the job done.
--Submitted by a parent

We have loved this school and would not be happy with any others in this area.
--Submitted by a parent

The negative reviewer must be confusing this with another school. Everyone who is involved with Hendricks Ave Elem, absolutely loves this school. Their are many people who attend the school from out of the school boundary because they want their kids to go there. It is quite an excellent school and the kids are taught very well by caring staff and there is much support from parents both financially and in person. Great school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have 2 sons in Hendricks. Our family enjoys the yearly 'Reading With the Stars' night as well as the carnival and ice cream social. We are proud that our children attend a school with high standards for BOTH academics and behavior. The FCAT is a huge focus and I agree that that could be brought down a notch, I also feel that more emphasis should be put on math to balance out the overall education. Every school has things they could improve upon. Unfortunately, state funding is making our arts and physical education classes suffer. For the most part, my sons have had good, kind, nurturing teachers. One son has had a medically challenged child in his class for years. This school is not a below standard, stifling, useless school as suggested in another review. Let's not forget that this school has been an ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT MAGNET for several years.
--Submitted by a parent

Hendricks has a fantastic educational environment. My child attended another local elementary school and Hendricks is by far superior in all respects. No complaints about anything.
--Submitted by a parent

Hendricks is staffed by teachers who for the most part are uncaring and dismissive of their students. They have also been known to be discriminatory to children with medical issues. The principal leaves her work to the vice principal. They have no positive programs in place for children's quarterly successes and place far too much emphasis on the FCAT which leaves the children for the majority of the year, uneducated in the remaning subjects at hand. This causes children who leave the school to be ahead of the game in FCAT aspects but behind in others. There is not enough physical activities planned nor is there a grade level music program. The art programs leave much to be desired. I moved my daughter out of this below standard school to a much better one in a different state and wow! what a difference!!! Stifling, rigid and useless is what Hendricks is.
--Submitted by a parent