Bay Point Elementary School

I have a daughter in second grade and a son in kindergarten and I absolutely love the school. To be honest the school was not my first choice, but now I realize it was meant to be. I love the teachers, many of them have been there for several years and you can see their pride in the school. My daughter's teacher has a masters degree and is so creative and motivated that she almost makes me wanna go back to school. My son's kindergarten teacher is not the warm type, but she has the kids best interest in mind and she gets them acclimated to school. She also teaches them responsibility and cause and consequences. I think My son has the same teacher mentioned in a review below, and by the way- she referred both my kids for gifted testing. I love the on-site gifted program, the Spanish program, the media center, the science lab, the music teachers, and the PTA. The parents at Bay Point are involved and the PTA sponsors awesome programs such as Fall Festival, BPE campfire, skate parties, gymnastics night, bully musical and more. Pick Bay Point and you will love it.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in First Grade at Bay Point Elementary. We have had a wonderful experience at Bay Point, and love being a part of the family there. My son is very bright, and I have been extremely impressed with the teachers he has had and all that they have done to challenge him. He was tested for gifted in Kindergarten and began at the start of First grade. Due to the high number of gifted referrals, most children do not get processed before that. If you want your child tested early then you may have to do it on your own. My childs first grade teacher has gone above and beyond to challenge him. She has him in an accelerated math group, and even has him working with a second grade class once a week. I love the Spanish program. It is total immersion every day. The Science lab is awesome, and I love hearing about the fun lessons they do there. My only complaint would be in the schools leadership. They do not seem concerned with what parents or teachers think. Fortunately, the school, like any family, is made up of many parts. The wonderful staff, extremely active PTA, and overall community feeling make BayPoint a great school!
--Submitted by a parent

I would give this school zero stars if possible. My son's kindergarten teacher is awful. My child is extremely bright and has tested as very gifted. His teacher stated, She did not see anything gifted about him, but then admitted she had never taken the time to find out what his vocabulary is after 6 months of having him in her class. We had to pay 200.00 to a private co. for gifted testing as the school is so useless. Went to the principal to complain but fell on deaf ears. What an extreme disappointment. The current principal is from a D rated school. What were they thinking? We have spoken with other parents and they are having the same issues. My child was tested the first month of class and already knew enough to be in first grade yet they will not transfer him because "they just don't do that". Really? How sad. We may file a formal complaint w/the superintendent or school board but don't waste your time this school is terrible. So disappointed, especially after we went to almost every open night before we picked this loser school. They teach to the dumbest kids and let the smart kids regress. My son is so bored , we had a great preK. Very sad. stay away!!
--Submitted by a parent

Our son has just started Kindergarten at Bay Point this past fall and we are so happy with our choice. His Kindergarten teacher is exceptional! Spanish daily is a great bonus and we catch him singing in Spanish on a daily basis and trying to test his spanish whenever he gets the chance. All staff we have encountered at Bay Point are super including the ever patient cafeteria crew. Even though this school is not in the greatest neighborhood we feel our child is 100% safe at Bay Point.
--Submitted by a parent

At first, I was a little sceptical of my childs teacher as she entered the school grade K for the first time. Her teacher taught my child very well and my child has mastered what she needed to know ( plus some)...to move onto the next grade. I'm very impressed with the Spanish thats shes learned as well as the reading level that she has accomplished. Thank you very much BAYPOINT for your support in my childs learning.
--Submitted by a parent

While I can't criticize the teachers at Bay Point, my experience there has been average, at best. I have yet to really see how this school is a math and science magnet, for my kids are not getting any enrichment in the sciences and math. I feel that the teachers are very bogged down with discipline issues, and, unfortunately, many of these disruptive children were accepted before the 100% magnet status, so there is nothing that the school can do. I find that many of the active parents are the same small group of parents, year after year. The gifted program is excellent, and that is the sold reason we have kept our children at Bay Point.
--Submitted by a parent

it shows a get pride in helping children succeed, expecting each child to do their best at providing fun learning experiences. Bay point really gets into a child's brain to fill it with valuable knowledge they need.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent School! I have had three children attend this school. At first we were concerned because math was not our (mom & dad's) favorite subject and a school for the arts would have been our 1st choice. Magnet luck put us here and now my children are so fantastic in math, we couldn't be happier. My daughter in now entering H.S. in the IB program. All 3 children have scored very high on tests and do very well in school. Now we have one son remaining at B.P.E. and we are not thrilled with the change to uniforms. We are free spirits but are willing to put up with uniforms, for the wonderful education this school offers.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school. The teachers are so dedicate to the kids. As a parent I am so happy that we were able to show the importance of the magnet program by getting it 100% application. This will only make the school better and create more parental involvement!
--Submitted by a parent

I'm disappointed in the choice to become a 100% magnet elementary school. Bay Point is a part of the Pinellas Point community and I'm afraid that this decision will neglect Pinellas Point area children. I also really HATE that the SAC committee had the only vote on mandatory uniforms for the upcoming school year - this is something that impacts the entire Bay Point family! As a parent I'm starting to feel disconnected from Bay Point Elementary.
--Submitted by a parent