MacFarlane Park Elementary Magnet School

I am surprise to hear the comments about the lunchroom staff. I volunteered in the lunchroom (lunch) for five years and never witnessed this behavior.Often times, students will not report Incidents of bullying. Please encourage your child to talk to you and report thhese incidents. Finally, I am sorry your child did not have positive and rewarding experiences. I am looking forward to having my grandson there 2013
—Submitted by a parent

This school is welcoming and committed to providing a quality education for their students. The teachers are engaged and do a fantastic job balancing fun with work. My son is completing his second year at MacFarlane and I'm excited that our second son will be a kindergartener next year.
—Submitted by a parent

This school provides an excellent education! I am a new parent to the school and I have felt very welcomed by the staff and by the other parents. The PTA is welcomed in the school and has an obvious presence. We appreciate and support our teachers. My daughter has had a wonderful first year! My only complaint is that more children don't have access to this kind of experience. I hope to see even more IB schools open in the future.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has some real "issues" at the administration level. They offer great programs, and "most" of the teachers are good. Its the few that are not that make the experience less than desirable. New kids are not integrated effectively and there is a lot of bullying from the older kids. The workers in the lunch room are disrespectful to the kids. Kids are people too! Not worth it unless your kid starts at the kindergarten level!
—Submitted by a parent

What can I say about this school other than from top to bottom, it is excellent! The administration is exceptional, the teachers are absolutely, hands down, the best in Hillsborough County and the PTA is the strongest I have ever seen. My kids left their neghborhood school to attend MacFarlane and they have never looked back. They are studying Spanish, play violin, attend art and scrapbooking clubs, are challenged and rewarded on a daily basis, and genuinely look forward to school each day. When you walk through the halls of MacFarlane Park you will see smiling teachers and staff, happy kids who are eager to show what is happening in their school and parents who feel very comfortable in the school and proud to help their school in any way possible. The school is very clean and I feel confident in my children's safety as well. The IB program challenges kids to learn about the world and their role in it. The school is very involved in outreach programs locally and worldwide. It is important to this administration and the teachers, to show the children they can make a difference in the world and to give them the best education possible. We love our school!
—Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane Park is full of wonderful teachers who care about the children inside and outside of the classroom. The diverse curriculum allows the students to excel...we are so pleased to be part of the MacFarlane Park family.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been extremely pleased with the school including the administration, teachers, faculty, staff, students and parents. There is a true community at Macfarlane that cares about the success of all of its members.
—Submitted by a parent

We have only been happy with the quality of the school, its teachers and the expectations of the students.
—Submitted by a parent

I decided to take my child out of this school after being at MacFarlane for many years. The teachers are great and I have never had any major issues with that, but the fact is that the administration has been focusing too much on issues that are not relevant to my child's education. The teachers seem to be busy preparing for events rather than teaching what they are supposed to teach. I knew that the scores would be lower this year, and a few parents and myself have been waiting for the scores before we pulled our children out of this school. It is a shame that with such wonderful teachers and kids, that there is an administration that is bringing this wonderful school down. New leadership is needed at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane Park has exceptional programs, teachers and administrators. The teachers develop innovative ideas and strategies to reach and teach our children.
—Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane is a very good school. However, there is a great deal of pressure on teachers and therefore, students, to achieve top scores, awards, etc. This school may not be the best choice for some children. The PTA is excellent. Because it is a magnet school drawing from a large area, there is a small core group of involved parents, but many are uninvolved.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so happy with MacFarlane Park. The school culture is committed to excellence in academic achievement. More than that, it's committed to making the world a better place, starting with the surrounding community. My son loves going to school, and I'm happy to take him here.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at MacFarlane IB. Our two children were coming from private school. They are very bright and go getters. We had concerns about whether the curriculum would measure up in continuing to challenge them. It has! The curriculum focuses not only on just academics but cultural, social, environmental, the arts, etc. There are numerous programs for the children to get involved. The environment is very organized/structured but loving and caring. The kids love it and the parent participation is awesome! We have become a part of the MacFarlane IB Family and couldn't be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall, I am very pleased with the school. Our teachers have been great and really care about my child's education. The guidance counselor is wonderful and is an asset to the school. In my experiance, I don't think the principal shows impartialty in dealing with parents and faculty,
—Submitted by a parent

Very happy with the educational quality of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Outstanding from top to bottom. Great teachers, great leadership, great curriculum.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have been attending this school since its opening in 2004 and we just couldn't be happier. The teachers are amazing! They really work hard to provide authentic opportunities for the students to learn new material and apply it to their lives. The administration is excellent, always there to assist parents in any ways necessary. Because it is such a small school, it feels like a family where everyone knows each other and celebrates each others' successes. Just walking down the halls you can see the enthusiasm of the teachers and the students. They do a wonderful job of keeping the students engaged and on task, while allowing them to be themselves. I can't imagine my children attending school anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

The schools goals are great. I love the curriculum and the vision of the school. I just do not think all the teachers hired are qualified for this type of school. The faculty is not diverse enough to reflect the student bodleay and populations. International studies also should mean that all the staff knows the learning styles that differ and come along with the different cultures. My children go there and overall they like their friends they have made and the school has more than enough activities for the whole family to get involved in.
—Submitted by a parent

I could not imagine a better place for my daughter. She was always the shy type, but Macfarlane's caring staff and friendly students have turned her into a new child. It is amazing to see how comfortable and happy she is when she is there. As I walk down the halls, I peek in the windows of other classrooms, the classrooms seem like they always have enthusiastic teachers, children with smiles on their faces, and parents helping out. I believe that those are the three things that make a school excellent. Also, the PTA does an outstanding job with holding fun events that make everyone feel apart of something special.
—Submitted by a parent

Just amazing school! is the BEST. I'm sure.
—Submitted by a parent