Jonas E Salk Elementary School

I am sad to say that this is my last year as a parent at Salk. I wish it went all the way to eighth grade. I've read the responses below & can't believe the negative ones. My child is also in the fourth grade & is taught Social Studies....Mrs. Bonin & her staff are always willing to go that extra step to help. There is no child left behind becasue of lack of help. I choose this school becasue it is the best in our area & I can't afford to move. If your in the district you should research the others & see what they are like. Results won't be as great as ours. Salk keeps things intresting by creating challenges & goals with rewards at the end. As far as no talking at lunch... they are allowed to talk just at a resonable level. If they are allowed to be as loud as they want to be you will never know if a child is chocking. I have volunteered at Salk for 7 years & have learned a lot from being in the building. More parents need to be involved & then maybe you would see things differently & understand! I know I have. Thank you Salk for giving my children a wonderful education & memorable experiences!
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in fourth grade at Salk and is bored with it. They are all about the academics (reading and math only) and do not offer anything fun to keep the kids interested. The principal is unapproachable and so is her staff. Im being told this year that they are not teaching science or social studies. I have never heard of anything like this before. I fear my child is being left behind at this school system. Not a happy parent but I can't afford to move.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in 2nd grade at Salk nd he loves it. The teachers and principal are great. They have a wonderful academic program. They make sure all the students get what they need to learn.
--Submitted by a parent

The staff at Salk is wonderful. They are very motivated and really care about the children and their jobs. Mrs. Bonin, the principal, sets a great example for the rest of the staff and demands excellence both from the staff and the students.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in her first year at Salk. She is in first grade and loves it. I, myself, am impressed with the school from the principal down to the wonderful ladies that escort the children out the doors to be picked up after school. The level of communication is high, however the level of parental involvement is astoundingly low. Perhaps parents would understand more about the discipline and rules enforced at Salk if they were more active. I personally have no issues with the school or it's policies.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter began attending Salk Elementary in K and now is in her last year there (4th). What a phenomenal school. Mrs. Kara Bonin is a wonderful principal trying to balance administration, faculty and the best interests of the students. I agree that the students need a bit more 'down time' vs the rigid rules at lunch time however if the students not following rules were punished, so to speak, then perhaps everyone could enjoy lunchtime. I can honestly say that in the 5 years of communicating with teachers I have had always received a response by phone or email until the issue was resolved. Our teachers wear many hats and I commend them for being so involved. The PTO sponsors varied and interesting programs for the students and we love the year end dance for families. You can't please everyone all the time but honestly this school tries.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent school. There is no other elementary school in this district even comparable to Salk. I give a lot of the credit to the principal, Kara Bonin, who is very involved with the students, teachers and parents. The only reason I didn't rate the school five stars, is the lack of extracurricular activites, but as far as the academics, teachers, and the helpfulness of staff, it is outstanding. I also had a son to attend Iddings for a while, and what a disappointment. I feel Salk really cares about my children and I communicate with their teachers on a regular basis via email. The school is located within a very quiet community and I have the peace of mind knowing my kids are in a safe environment, being taught by caring, competent teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

I feel the academic program at Salk Elementary is outstanding. My concerns are related to discipline. I feel discipline is too strong. The children are treated like military personel. Kids need time to breathe. Kids need to beable to express themselves and to be kids. Recess and lunch time are the kids chance to relax. A mental break from their already stressful lives. Please do not think that I am saying children should not be disciplined. I feel discipline is important. But what the school lacks is balance. Imagine working a 6 hour job without a break or lunch. What if you were unable to talk to your co-workers during your lunch or that your conversation was timed. How would you feel about it? Now ask yourself, how well would your job performance be?
--Submitted by M Rios, a parent

My son has been here for 3 years now, and we love it. We started at Iddings in 'K' and it has gone down. The new additions and major renovations are great, not to mention the wonderful principal to go along (Kara Bonin). I'd like to see more diversity with the teachers, but overall we are pleased.
--Submitted by Lynette, a parent

I feel that this school along with others in the Merrillville School System (because I have children in Pierce, MHS and Salk) could use a little more updating in regards to the actual educational and support environment. They are doing a great job on the buildings exterior but have little to be desired on the interior. Some of the teachers are a bit hard to deal with in regards to the best interest of the students and the curriculum. Now I am one to understand personality but when it comes to the betterment of the education of my children I feel that teachers, principals and parents should be more in step with one another and unfortunately I don't feel this at Salk. I feel more as if it is parent against school officials.
--Submitted by Arnetta, a parent