Ravenswood Elementary School

The principal can run hot and cold with parents. Of course, if you are actively involved in the parent group and fundraise for the school, the principal will love you. If your child has an issue, the principal will dodge you like the plague. (which is not a quality I want in a principal) To her defense, due to cut backs, her vice principal is teaching, so she is doing it all! Ravenswood has a positive discipline approach. The principal is excellent at using the positive discipline apporach with the children, & she has a positive presence in the school. Academics are not as high as they need to be. The school is working hard to improve. The school has a very active parent group with emails going out to inform parents of what is happening. And the parents have a buddy system to match up CPS experienced parents with parents new to the system. The parents are very active in fundraising for the school.
—Submitted by a parent

As one of the first Tuition-based PreK parents I approached Ravenswood with some hesitation. After all I'd been told only magnets were good enough. But I knew two parents who had sent their children there so I took the leap. We've been so pleased. She has the attention she needs with smaller classes. She loves art & needs to move so a school with art & music AND now drama as well as 2 days of PE, wow! I'm sad the library had to die but unfortunately non-magnet schools don't get enough funds for everything. My child's scores have not been part of the stellar, but we also don't hear much sniping about "those sped kids bringing down our scores." She is accepted and incorporated by other kids. When we thought of moving I decided against it because I didn't think starting over would be good for her, nor did I think, where we were looking to live, that we would find another school like this. When we moved here very few people who lived in the area sent their kids here, now most kids on our block go to Ravenswood.
—Submitted by a parent

Four things I love about Ravenswoood: 1. Art Integration through out the curriculum. Students are learning to think about their process of creating, and asking others about theirs. 2.Project based inquiry-students are learning critical thinking skills,where to look to find answers and how to work together. 3. Commitment to small class size. 4. Strong sense of community.Teachers and administration all working with the same educational philosophy. Strong parent involvement. Even within the individual classrooms, a strong community is created among the students. It is warm, welcoming school community. Such a great, great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am so happy with Ravenswood. My son has been here since PreK and is now in 3rd grade. They use great curriculums (balanced literacy and Everyday Math) to teach reading and math, but my son more often comes home talking about science and how much he has learned about life cycles (3rd grade curriculum). I love that the teachers find time to give science and social studies their due, along with lit and math. Ravenswood is so committed to lower class sizes (the most he's had is 25), which is a bonus for my son, who might not get his due in a large class because he's a quiet kid. Last but definitely not least, Ravenswood provides quality Arts education--art, music and drama every week! I have been impressed with all of the teachers--they go above and beyond to make Ravenswood a true community!
—Submitted by a parent

Our son has been at Ravenswood since Pre-K and is now going into second grade. He has continued to thrive is this school. The sense of community and parent involvement is fantastic. The Friends of Ravenswood is a welcoming parent group that has really helped with communication in the population. We are thrilled to have our son in this program.
—Submitted by a parent

My 2 kids have been at Ravenswood for 4 years and I couldn't be happier. I am also a teacher and I absolutely CHOSE this school because of the fantastic instruction and philosophy that the school values. The students are challenged and engaged in authentic learning that is completely differentiated. The staff is extremely talented and the administration is top notch. Our school community is really strong and the amount of events that bring us together is unbelievable. I think the best part of this school that sets it apart from the rest is the unbelievable arts integration program that the kids are involved with. The knowledge my kids have around the process of art, drama and music is more than I could have hoped for as a parent. I would highly encourage anyone who values instruction to look at this school beyond test scores. What a wonderful experience Ravenswood has been for my kids.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at Ravenswood for five years and has had an incredible educational experience. She is in fourth grade and every year she has been challenged and supported with excellent teachers, a deeply integrated fine arts program, a strong emphasis on reading, and an incredible community spirit. The teachers and staff at this school are dedicated to continuous improvement and at least every month there are collaborative events that bring together students, teachers, staff and parents for learning and community building. The principal is focused on rigorous academic standards and on giving teachers the tools and time they need to be successful.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has completed two years of Pre-K and now kindergarten at Ravenswood, and I couldn't be happier. She's well advanced in reading, writing and math. She's learning great social skills and loves the art, gym, music and drama programs. The teachers are enthusiastic, and we've heard great things from friends with kids in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade how great those teachers are.
—Submitted by a parent

its a great school with a model arts integration program, a strong emphasis on literacy, excellent after school programs. Ravenswood is going to grow by leaps and bound in the next few years with a talented and commited princapal leading a dedicated staff. The parents at Ravenswood are very involved in developing a close knit diverse community. This is the school any parent in the city will want their children to be part of.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is AWESOME this was my elementary about 7 years ago i loved Field Day i actually won 2nd place in the softball trow and also i love the times when we had World something were all the classes chose a country and we would bring stuff from that country and we would not have class on that day !!! :) Mrs. Donovan was a good principal not sure if she is still there.... oooh yea security guard Mr. Willis he was such a good loving person...

The principal and lower-grade teachers are very enegetic and dedicated. The school has a great learning environment for younger kids (that's what I have). I predict that we are going to see an upswing in the test scores over the next several years, but the important thing is the high quality of education that the kids are receiving.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids are each in their fourth year at Ravenswood. For our family, it is exactly what we were looking for in a school: challenging academics with differentiated instruction, fantastic teachers, administration with a vision and the skills to deliver it, and a strong, diverse, close-knit school community. To really appreciate it, you need to dig deeper than test scores and come for a visit.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel lucky to be part of a school where the teachers and parents know all the kids and care for each other as a community. After a fire displaced 2 families this week, a call went out for donations. By the next afternoon both families had beds, other furniture, dishes, clothing, TVs and even toys, which police donated. I was not surprised, but reminded about the compassion that adds to a great learning environment.
—Submitted by a parent

The tuition based pre-K is amazing - probably the best kept secret on the northside. The teaching staff is extremely energized and dedicated to the students and parents. We have seen our four year old excel in just a few short months in writing, reading, and having a better grasp of her emotions.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been at Ravenswood for 4 years now. The school has struggled a little in the past couple of years but they seem to be righting themselves now that we're firmly into a new administration. I enjoy the after school program immensely. Even the afterschool takes the arts integration mission seriously offering drumming, dance, theater among their choices. I can't quite give a five yet but, as a prior parent wrote, I expect one could be coming in the future.
—Submitted by a parent

Ravenswood is one of those Chicago Public Schools that is in the midst of making that difficult but rewarding leap from 'just another Chicago Public School' to one of those schools that is sought after by parents both in and out of the district. The administration, parents, teachers, and community are all excited and working together to complete the transformation. This is a special school that is truly striving for excellence. I'm expecting to add the 5th star to my rating in a few more months.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son is in the Tuition Based Pre-K program and it is fantastic! Great parent communication from the teachers to the principal. Our son is thriving and we are very happy to be a part of such an amazing program and school!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from this school in 2008, and it has helped me prepare myself for high school.

New principal, new assistant principal, new LSC, new PTA - you can feel the spirit and the excitement in the school raising dramatically! We've come through what looked like a bad storm that's turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. This academic year is full of promise and the teachers, administration and staff are fantastic. This school has 30 fairs and events, after school workshops and clubs, summer camp, tuition based pre-K, the list goes on and on. I'm thrilled to be a part of it and wouldn't put my two kids anywhere else! Seriously - check it out.
—Submitted by a parent

New principal and new LSC, as of July 1, 2008. New principal looks really promising - very positive attitude and cares about the students - not just metrics. I was in the office yesterday filling out paperwork and noticed a marked improvement in staff attitude. It will be a big transition year, but the school has a lot of potential. Great teachers, involved parents, and promising new administration.
—Submitted by a parent