Leewood K-8 Center

This school is truly the definition of a miracle! I bet it says it on the dictionary! Well as you may know that this school is the best in Miami Dade County! All of my (3) kids have attendid this school for many years now. My oldest son is a senior in Harvard, my daughter is a freshman in Keiser universerty, and my youngest son is currently attending Brown Mackie College! That's what Leewood did! Leewood is the reason that all kids are going to have a bright future 100% just like my kids! I cant believe that GreatSchools rated it a 4 star! It should be a 5 star school all the way! Teachers are great! If they see that one student is struggling they do their best to try to make them undderstand! And for all you, new kids, Leewood is the best way to make new friends, and the best of all bullying is never accepted in this school~! And now I notice that it's a K-8! This school is truly a gift from god! Love it!
--Submitted by a parent

This is the best school in Dade County. I have 3 children currently in the school and absolutely love it. The Principal and Staff know every child by name and is very pleasant to talk to. They care about your children. The middle school is still too new and has room for improvement but time will change this. The teachers are great and they take personal interest in your children. I had a teacher that actually took her lunch time to tutor my child in a devastated family situation. I absolutely love this school and with the leadership of the principal this school is now an A school for 9 years. I strongly recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

All three of my children have or are currently attend Leewood K-8 Center. All are performing well above the average and I attribute it to a combination of good parenting and a good partnership with the teachers and the administration. It's a two way street and parents have to step up to the plate. With increasing budget and salary cuts, the quality of teaching has not waned. The more I put into the school, the more I get out of it. I consider my children some of the luckiest public school kids in Miami-Dade County for having a Leewood experience. My oldest is a freshman at Harvard, my middle is an honors student at Southwood Middle and my youngest just achieved Superior Honor Roll in the first grading period of the year. Like I said...it's a parent/school partnership.
--Submitted by a parent

I think the school need to improve the office staff, my experience with them hasn t been very pleasant. Every time I go into the office I wait till someone approaches me which normally takes a while. I can t bounced around between staff cause no seems to be able to help me with simples things like paper work. It s the same thing when you call the office no one can take responsibility for the mistakes that are made, and when I tried speaking with the AP, she would even let me speak and was quick to defend her co- workers. Teacher are great, but office staff needs improvement.
--Submitted by a parent

I being a middle school student at leewood k-8 center think that that it is a great school but to me there are some things the staff could improve on.I also have younger siblings in 2&3grade and I think that the amount of homework that they give is crazy they are up thill 8:30 doing things that I learned in 5 grade. Sometimes I notice that the teachers seem to only be as you say "teaching from the book" and not letting the kids explore learning or do it in an interesting way. Also if you have a middle school student they might not be found of the so called fun that they have a the school. I admit I do enjoy the Harvest Picnick and other activities but the basis of the electives are not a high point. There is not really much to chose from So in the end I think leewood is a good school but can focus more on getting good fcat scores than really helping out the students

A wonderful school with a wonderful environment. I agree with all the reviews stating that this school is a private school in a public school. I took my kids out of a private catholic school that had a 'supposed' great reputation. I was pleasantly suprised with Leewood since it has teachers that care and really TEACH, a principle that is extremely involved (my middle school child says he knows EVERYTHING that is going on) and academics that are stronger than the private school we came from. The reviewer that said you don't need to buy a house in Palmetto or Pinecrest is right... You have to experience it to believe it!
--Submitted by a parent

So far my experience at Leewood could not have been better. Having grown up myself in this area, I had heard that Leewood was fantastic, but it exceeded even my expectations. I attended Pinecrest Elementary, which is considered the 'best' in this area and to me Leewood is better for several reasons. It is smaller, less crowded, has a wonderful principal/AP and is a LOT less pretentious. I have preschool mom friends who paid $$$ for homes in Pinecrest just to attend that school who are kicking themselves now. A house in the Leewood district costs roughly half, for the same if not better education. If you are moving to this area please don't be convinced by your realtor that Pinecrest/Palmetto are the only places to be. After being here 30+ years, trust me, that is not the case.
--Submitted by a parent

Parents get involved. Not all the teachers are great as the reviews mention. The principal knows this and nothing is done to replace these teachers. I am extremely worried for what I saw in my kid class today. Very VERY tense atmosphere, I left the room and felt the urgent need to find another school for my kid. Parents observe your kids teachers and get your own opinions. Compaints about certain teachers are well know and nothing is done to resolve.

My 5th grader just started at the school (yes, mid year). She came from a small private school in the area, where she'd been attending since pre-k. She had never attended public school, but wanted to try it. So far the experience has been great! She loves it. It is quite different from private, however, the classroom sizes aren't too different from what she had in private school. Academically, the curriculum is, in my opinion, more challenging than what she was used to in private. All our parent friends told us this is a public school with a 'private school feel' and I must concur. The administration staff has been wonderful to us and very concerned about us, since we're new to the school. The families are also very down to earth, quite different from private school. I am also excited that this school will now go through 8th grade.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school, very good scores. Small private school feeling, parents are welcomed. The majority of teachers are incredible and strive to help each student. One of my daughter's teachers took her own lunch time to tutor my daughter when she was having trouble. This was done on her own initiative. All teachers communitcate through the agenda, all parent have access to the parent portal where you can check grades, assignments. I've heard that there is a select few of teachers that are not so good. However this is about 2-3 and everyone knows who they are. My daughters both attended Leewood, my youngest still there. They have had a great experience, are motivated, love school, and love being at school. The AP is great, very involved. The P is a little more aloof but my kids love him. He seems to connect with the kids and knows them.
--Submitted by a parent