Richmond Hill Middle School

School is way overcrowded, 30-35 students per teacher, bus systems is overcrowded as well and unable to handle the number of students. Richmond Hill schools is a major reason Richmond Hill is growing but whith the hight teacher student ratio and lack of a proper bus system the schools ratings will drop and they will no longer attract new people to this area.
--Submitted by a parent

Students are extremely MICRO MANAGED as well as the teachers. Students in 6, - 8th grade still need to line up for the bathroom. Teachers still walk students to the bathroom in between regular bathroom breaks. Teachers are not permitted to make any decisions as to what goes on in their own classroom without asking the principle. The simplest of things requires a referral to the principle who acts more of a disciplinarian role more than a leader. The smallest of "crimes" gets in school suspension or "saturday" school when in a normal school atmosphere is would have been a simple reprimand or glance from the teacher, that is how petty these issues are. My child is a straight A student that has never been in trouble or sent on referal before so I am not just a coplaining parent.
--Submitted by a parent

This school over all is just average. I do like the current principle, however, i believe this school falls short with the teachers. Not all of them, but the bad ones seem to just keep right on teaching there and slide by. This school is a bit micro managed when it comes to student behavior. I am all for teaching my children self responsiblity, however, some of the punishments seem to far outweigh the behavior. I do like how you can keep up with your childs grades over the internet, but teachers are not held to standards to keep up with keeping you informed. Weeks can go by before grades are entered. When that happens, what is the point? The sports programs are good, however like most places, 'politics' clearly can get involved.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been very pleased with the way this school is run by the administration. I have a great deal of respect for the principal who does run a tight ship. Kids more than ever need to know that in the real world you have to follow rules even if you disagree with them. The school has many high quality teachers who really care. My only problem is the facility itself.
--Submitted by a parent

Overall, RHMS is a decent school with high standards. My daughter (now in high school) was a SEEK student, and I feel her academic experience was better in many ways than my son's. He is an 'average' student and struggles with ADHD...follow-through on his accommodations has been inconsistent. *Teacher quality is excellent for the most part, but communication can be an issue. *The principal is very involved in daily activities, but the strict dress code enforcement is extreme. Punishment for forgetting to wear a belt borders on the ridiculous. The principal has mistaken me for a student in the halls (more than once), and I hate to think any child would be treated so brusquely. *Music education is excellent at RHMS. *Exploratory classes are nicely varied but assigned randomly. *Facilities are decent and have been expanded, but class sizes are still large due to population growth in RH.
--Submitted by a parent

Richmond Hill Middle School was a great school. I felt the principle's extensive involvement was impressive. As a new parent to the school she took the time to show me the school and explain things to me. My children enjoyed their year at the school also. The band program was impressive. The school does have a variety of extra classes available that I haven't seen in a middle school before. The classes picked for the student though are done randomly. The student only gets to pick if they want band or choir. Overall I was impressed with the school, teachers, staff, and the education that my children recieved while at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Im a former student and i was not impressed with the school at all. The rules wre not fair and the punishments were way to harsh over little things we did. The principal was always in peoples business and inspecting people. It made students feel uncomfortable. Some of the teachers were pushy and were a bad example to the students. Other teachers I knew were great. I was greatful to have them. Band was my get away from my troubles. I love music so much that I looked foward to music class everyday. I learned a whole lot and I felt like I was always improving. The music teachers were the greatest teacher I ever had. It broke my heart when I left for high school. The music program was outstanding. Everything else was not as impressive as the band. This school was like a prison for everyone. improvement is needed greatly.
--Submitted by a former student

The people who complain most about this school are the parents who have difficulty with the idea of holding students to a high level of learning and conduct. Students who perform poorly generally do so because of lack of personal accountability and lack of parent accountability. The teachers do set a high bar, but they also provide students with the skills and knowledge to clear that bar if the student and his or her family values education at all. As for the principal, call her condescending if you wish, but there is nothing wrong with standing up to unreasonable treatment by parents. Platinum status is not achieved simply by the minute number of SEEK students, nor from the growing population of transfers. Standards for achievement are established and all stakeholders-students, parents, and teachers, are held to these high standards.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is fine for advanced self motivated students, however the average student is left behind to re-teach at home. Very dissappointing. The transfer students and the seek students have given this school its platinum status. There are a few good teachers. Unfortunately not enough. They should also monitor their subs more closely. There is great parent involvement. Richmond Hill is a very nice community to raise a family.
--Submitted by a parent

*The academics are okay. *This community is well known for parental involvement in the schools, so there is ample opportunity to become involved in your child's school experience. *There are some wonderful teachers who are professional enough to make their own assessments of a child. *Music/arts are not as highly valued or supported as sports in this community, although the music program is excellent at this school. Athletic achievements sometimes even overshadow academic achievements.
--Submitted by Parent Who, a parent