Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School

Great school and great teachers, Teachers take great effort in children good performance in academics. The leadership provided by the principal and her staff is great.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in K. She wants to go to school 7 days a week. She is on reading level 16 now. The teachers there are the best. They spend a lot of time working with kids.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Matsunaga K-1st and she is always happy to go to school. Matsunaga is a great school, great academic performance, strong leadership, responsive teachers and caring administrative staffs. The teachers are very attentative and they really work with students to meet the individual child's need. The on-site before and after school child caring program is very convenient, safe and fun for the kids. We are more than pleased with Matsunaga. 5 stars!
—Submitted by a parent

We relocated here last summer & before we settled we interviewed 12 principals & viewed 14 schools on the MD side of the beltway. This school was hands down the best! The leadership is outstanding! The teachers teach to each child's individual ability & are very caring. The PE, Art & Music teachers are all top notch & highly qualified. The PTA is very active & offer several extracurricular activities & school functins weekly (ie. foreign language programs, school break activities and several fundraising programs). Parent volunteers are encouraged & welcomed daily throughout the school. My two children have attended the school for half a year & they love going to school. We have been very impressed with the diversity of the classrooms & the special ed programs. The Great Schools Rating for this school is way off and not valid in my opinion. This school is the best!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Matsunaga K-1st, and as the other family (who Posted March 29, 2009), we moved to California as well. Now almost a year later after comparison I just want to say that Matsunaga is a great school, great academic performance, plenty excellent extra curricular activities, and strong leadership (especially the Principal) The school my daughter is attending now is rated by GreatSchools.org 10, while Matsunaga only 8 - Don't be fooled by this, In my opinion, Matsunaga at least should be rated 15 by comparison. (you know what I mean.)
—Submitted by a parent

Very Good school -- Very good leadership role from the Principal -- our son got very much motivated teachers both in Pre-K & 1 st grade
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter attended Matsunaga K-4th. The challenging curriculum has put her ahead of students in her California school. She received a superb education while attending Matsunaga. The extensive extra curricular programs offered and the PTA events provided many family opportunities to share in her experiences. Matsunaga is missed by this military family. Our daughter's education has suffered by the transfer to a California school system. This family would choose to return to Maryland, in order, to place their children back in Matsunaga. The exceptional leadership ability of the Principal is reflected throughout the Staff members. Each one of the teachers and staff that we worked with and had the pleasure of knowing through our daughter's student years strive for the best for each student. For military families, your children would be blessed to attend this school, you will not want to transfer again!
—Submitted by a parent

My special needs child has received wonderful care and instruction at this school. He has only been to one other school so I do have a limited school comparison, but he has been in early intervention programs since the age of 9 months so we've been around the block so to speak. His teacher has done a terrific job of making him feel welcomed in a mainstream classroom, and she is always trying to think of new ways to break through his academic shortcomings. I could not be more pleased with his progress.
—Submitted by a parent

Matsunaga is an excellent school. My 2 daughters attended this school for 2nd through 5th grades. The teachers and administrators are caring and passionate about helping the students thrive. The students are challenged to learn. For example, if your child learns math at an accelerated pace or is advanced for the on grade level material, he or she is placed with a teacher teaching the next grade level math. The children also have music, art and p.e. each week as part of their curriculum. Instrumental music is optional for 4th and 5th graders. Chorus is optional for 5th graders. They can also take a foreign language (spanish, french or chinese) before school for a nominal fee. The PTA is phenomenal. Check out the school's website for all of their activities to include bingo night, family fun nights, etc... There is before and after school care available at the school as well.
—Submitted by Vicki Ingram, a parent

I have 4 children that have gone to Matsunaga and 3 that still do. What can I say but the best school there is the teachers are there to help in anyway. I have 2 children with IEP's and feel they are getting great help at Matsunaga and are improving greatly. We are thinking about moving to another state and I have been looking up the other schools and nothing comes close to the test scores, teacher involment and parent reviews that I see and know about Matsunaga and the other MCPS that my children attend. If you are looking for a place to send your children here it is.
—Submitted by Sherri M, a parent

Best Quality The Extracurricular Activities are very good. 45% Parent involvement to train the kids at home.
—Submitted by Johnson Sab, a parent