Sligo Creek Elementary School

We have a child at Sligo Creek Elementary School. We find the school to be average. Our child's class sizes have ranged from 26 at the low end up to 28. We find most of the teachers to be wonderful, but they have expressed their frustration about the limitations put on them by the Principal in how they can teach. Forget about going outside for a spontaneous teaching moment, if going outside is permitted at all. Recess is often held indoors when the slightest of weather conditions occur. The Principal is not responsive to parents and is condescending to both parents and children. The PTA is a nightmare, social-wise -- very clicky. We were warned about it before we sent our child there and all the tales turned out to be true! The great thing about this school is the French Immersion Program. Everything else is average, but mainly due to the leadership and not the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Sligo Creek is a wonderful school. My daughter has had outstanding teachers. Class sizes have been good -- 17 to 20. The facility is well maintained. The Principal and other school leaders are doing a top notch job. There's also a very caring ethos -- lots of nice kids, good parents, healthy diversity too.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been at Sligo Creek since Kindergarten and has loved every minute of it- until this year.... Ms. Scott in K and Ms. Martin in 1st grade were phenomenal. He is gifted in Math and they recommended he attend the next grade level math program all without any parental encouragement (in a good way!) This year (2nd grade) he also had 4-5 different teachers by mid-year and I haven't been impressed with his now full time teacher. She was withholding recess as punishment and justifying it because there were behavioral problems (you wonder why- after 4 different teachers!!) I did talk to her and she changed her methods- which is great- but it wasn't without alot of headache on my end and a very upset child for some time. So overall- the school is a very good one, but if you aren't careful and involved, there are some disappointments. And unfortunately alot of teacher turnover.
—Submitted by a parent

We feel so lucky that our child has the opportunity to attend this wonderful school and the French immersion program. Every teacher has been outstanding. Yes, the gym teacher is simply the best and the art and music teachers are equally great. I can't speak to the academy program, but the french immersion program is wonderful.
—Submitted by a parent

I want to say that I believe that this school has a lot of great people working there. Unfortunately last year in 2011 this school lost their Title 1 and received an influx of FARMS which has increased the overall strain on the schools human and financial resources. My son had 4 teachers before the middle of the year which had to deal with the major behavioral issues in the classroom. My son found it very difficult to focus and concentrate and was not progressing academically.
—Submitted by a parent

Best school ever .French immersion program is the best.Principal and assistant principal very nice .BEST GYM TEACHER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our child is in the immersion program. We feel that we are blessed to be in this school. There is a lot of parent involvement, an excellent PTA and lots of teacher support. Our child is doing very well and I would highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

We feel extremely fortunate to have found Sligo Creek Elementary School for our two children. The leadership is strong, the staff is dedicated and the facilities are warm, welcoming and adequately equipped. Our children transferred to Sligo Creek ES from an independent French immersion school and we feel that the structure of the Montgomery County curriculum undergirding the immersion program is an improvement. In addition to the language-based program there is an Academy program with a focus on math, science, and technology. Both programs appear to be given equal attention and resources. The community is fantastic--we are dedicated to the school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. I attended private school, including college, my entire life. I would encourage all parents to enroll their children.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has some issues. The teacher turnover rate is very high. The french magnet program is extremely good but the academy program really does not have the support it requires. I loved the teachers but was very dissapointed with the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Have been very happy with this school. Caring teachers, wonderful extracurricular and arts activities, beautiful facility, and active parents make for a nice place for kids to spend their formative years. My child was in French Immersion, and what a gift that was! Fluency in another language and much more of a world view than I ever had at a really early age. There is a lot of teacher turnover this year though (2006), but I still expect good things to come out of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Very good school. Teachers are dedicated and parents involvement make a big difference. Also offers a french immersion program.
—Submitted by a parent

SCES is more than just a school, its the hub of our community of communities. Because it has a French Immersion Program side-by-side with an excellent Academy Program, it pulls students and families from outside SCES's base area in Greater Silver Spring, truly creating a community of communities. SCES has a good core of established teachers that focus on bringing diversity, the arts, math and science into every aspect of the learning experience. The community is very involved with a major focus on volunteerism, outreach and positive progression. SCES stresses the enjoyment of education. It also is unique in many other aspects starting with its co-location with Silver Spring International Middle School at the site of the Old Blair High School. SCES is split articulated along with SSIMS where some students proceed into Northwood HS, others into Blair HS. SCES is within the DownCounty Consortium providing educational choice among 5 HS's.
—Submitted by Sean Kirkendall, a parent