Gorrie Elementary School

The principal is 1st rate. The FMM lets Gorrie park in our lot every day but the 1st Fri monthly. Our aud max 385 is available for Gorrie FMM 809 W HORATIO ST TAMPA, FL 33606-2230 Apn for Membership Date: I hereby make application to become a member of the Friday Morning Musicale. $30.00 dues to accompany application. Active Members consist of those who appreciate the significance and importance of music and related arts in American culture, and may appear on programs when requested to do so, and will serve as luncheon host or hostess at two meetings, and will participate in all fund raising activities approved by the membership. Name: Address: City, zip: Phone with area code: Email Address: Interests (instruments played, voice, dance, etc.): Endorsed by: CN BN Please list information about your musical background, interests, and experience. I would like to serve on the ___ committee. Some examples of committees are: phone, lunch, fund raising, yearbook, program, guest book, chorus, piano accompanist, etc. Please make your check payable to the Friday Morning Musicale and send it to Dr. Carolyn D. Nicholson 2604 W JETTON AVE, TAMPA, FL 33629-5325 (813) 259-1438

I feel this school deserves a 4 out of 5. It would be hard for me to give a 5 because I believe that there is room for improvement. I have a first grader and a 5th grader here. We have had a very good experience every year except 4th grade. Her teacher did not send one email or update her website the whole year. Poor communication. This year is much bettter. The thing that puts Gorrie ahead of other schools is the parent involvement. This school has parents that make up for supplies and resources that the district doesn't provide. I find the children humble and very well-behaved relative to the affluent area from which they come. Most of the parents of these children have at least one parent that works outside of the home who are sending their kids to public
--Submitted by a parent

I have 2 kids that have been going here since K. Not only do they love it, but I do as well! Parents and teachers are both very involved. Help is always available when needed. Communications A+! Mrs. Slade (1st) is great!
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in 2nd grade at Gorrie. I am highly impressed by the faculty and staff and the discipline in this school. If you can send your child to Gorrie, don't search anywhere else..
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Gorrie for 1st grade last year. Her instructor was wonderful. The reading instructor and her classroom faculty were approachable, compassionate, and worked miracles with her. She moved from a reading level of 4 to 16 in five months. The facilities are cramped and the lunchroom is in need of an updating.
--Submitted by a parent

My nieces go to this school. They often come home saying how bratty some of their classmates are. In my opinion parents should stop creating such an artificial environment for your kids, get a grip...it is a public school for God's sake! There are some kids that go there for the hot meal of the day. PTA should fundraise to purchase portables and break down some classrooms to bring their ratios down for real not just in paper. School should make an effort to retain good teachers. There are some people in their staff that are clogging the system. Teachers should also learn to treat all students equally, despite the fact that some parents give them big 'bonuses' throughout the year.

A new principal is arriving summer 2008, so she may shake things up (the current principal has been at Gorrie for over 3 decades). I feel the school could be made safer, a gate at the front of the school at least. Class sizes are at the maximum allowed by state law, but since the school is in a historic building they can't build or remodel to make more room. So they pull students out for 'specials', 'gifted', tutoring, etc... to keep the number in the class at any given time fairly low. This makes for a lot of coming and going, but the teachers seem to handle it well. Students don't wear uniforms, but there seems to be a a lot of talk that they are wanted, and maybe the new principal will be open to uniforms (the current one isn't).
--Submitted by a parent

Just a quick response to the May 2007 review: I have made repeated efforts to resolve problems regarding the guidance counselor and criticism about not valuing the parents' insight and suggestions on child placement but it has fallen on deaf ears. So, just for the record, this parent HAS taken the time to attempt to resolve problems through the proper channels. That said, I still think the teachers are wonderful and the parents are great at Gorrie.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is top notch! Every teacher goes way above the call with each student . The teachers are lead by a principal that really cares about the the school and student body. The people that have complaints about the school I doubt made the time and energy to resolve their issues properly. I guess it is easier to vent in this format. These teachers have paid for trips, Christmas gifts, birthday parties (out of their own pocket) for a child that might have not been able to be provided with such special things. The teachers even volunteer after school to tutor and provide after-school clubs. I know this to be true because I am one of those teachers that also attend classes on my free time to better fullfill the needs of my students.
--Submitted by a teacher

Very difficult for a parent to keep up with what their child is doing on what day, let alone the child. The FCAT scores should be good, right after Christmas break they start intensive cramming in preparation for the FCAT probably have something to do with it. Mastering of the fundamentals is just not there. Check out the parent/teacher ratio, there are definitely more parents teaching.
--Submitted by a parent