Walker-Winter Elementary School

Walker-Winter is a hidden gem in this district. People who have any preconceived notions or bad experiences with the Wayne Westland schools need to set those aside. Walker-Winter stands out among all the elementary schools in the district. Aside from the great teachers, principal, and staff, their Lifelong Guidelines program is second to none and the Watch DOGS program, a national program adopted here just last year, is one of the only programs of its kind in this area. The principal has brought these incredible programs to the school and they are teaching the kids skills and other intangibles that will stay with them their entire lives. We even practice the Lifelong Guidelines at home. Other schools in the district are looking to adopt some of these same programs. Parental involvement is not very good, but the parents who are involved are always involved and have built excellent relationships with the principal, teachers, staff, and the kids. The PTO is awesome and the constant flurry of volunteers is something most schools can only wish for.
—Submitted by a parent

I like Walker-Winter the Principal is really engaged in the school and students. I just don't like the small amount of time that Kindergarteners have for lunch.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school.The principal is great, they have great teachers.Its a nice environment for the kids to learn.They have a excellent team of paraprofessional educators.
—Submitted by a parent

Wow! Anyone that doesn't like Mrs. Mytych has not taken the time to get to know her! She is an amazing principal and leads the teacher to do their best also! This school should rate far and above any Charter or Private school and anyone that has had their children go there, knows that. The standards are set high for all children and they are encouraged to keep reaching for the stars! It is a fun place to be and the smile on Mrs. Mytych's face when one of the students comes to give her a hug or tell her about their day, is priceless! She loves everyone of them like they are her own! What a great, inviting place to be! DId everyone read the sign out front that Walker just won the MUTH award??? I looked it up online and this is a very prestigious award! Not very many schools have won it. I think this is a HUGE honor for Walker. The staff and principal deserve it!!!!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

How sad is it when a parent blames the conduct of children on the teachers, the principal, and others in administration. As we often hear, parenting (and teaching) begins at home. Walker has high standards, and implements lifelong guidelines to impact what they can during the school day, but the rest must be nurtured at home. For those parents who wish to blame things on others, please stop making excuses. There is no time, because if you use energy that way, you won't have any to deal with what you need to deal with, which is overcoming obstacles and obtaining your goals. Be a partner with the school, the teachers, the principal, the district - that way EVERYONE wins!
—Submitted by a parent

I have always thought the standards in wayne westland schools are inferior to big schools in Troy and Webster in Livonia. Boy , was I wrong!When I enrolled my son in first grade at walker, I was plesently surprised at how dedicated the teachers were. The teacher challenged and nurtured my son to do more math, challenged with spelling words, writing stories and making the children read a book every day!! That was like a private school curriculam for me!! This year I got admission for charter school but stayed with WW and enrolled my daughter there as well. Great schools are made by great teachers and great leadership. Walker is a great example for that. I hope them all the best.A note to other parents - get involved, teachers alone cannot nurture a smart kid, we need great parents too.
—Submitted by a parent

I disagree with previous parent review. I see the principal, staff and the teachers of Walker-Winter as an achiever team, and to be an achiever you need to know how to work together. If you look very closely, there is a reason why Walker-Winter won the Robert and Patricia Muth Excellence in Leadership Award. Meap score is A for 2009-2010. For sure I can say that I'm very pleased and proud of the great job walker-winter principal, staff, parents and teachers are doing and this is the school I want my kids to be attending.
—Submitted by a parent

I love the teachers at Walker Winter Elementary School but don't like the principal. She has created a hostile environment where staff and faculty, who know the children and their jobs, have very little input when presenting changes for the better. Unruly children run the school and there is very little disipline to change their behavior.
—Submitted by a parent

Walker-Winter Elementary is a wonderful school with kids from all different backgrounds. The teachers and the principal are very nurturing and understanding and go above and beyond the call of duty to make all families feel welcome into their little community, which makes this school an even better place. The classroom sizes are large, which hinder the perfect scenario of a learning institution but the staff constantly makes efforts not to let this hold them back in any way and gives each child the special treatment they deserve to progress in life and make a better future for themselves.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been going to this school since the fall. The teachers are wonderful, the principal is very approachable and always seems to be involved. Th class sizes are large, but that is more to do with the funding and not the quality of work that this school produces. I am not looking forward tot he splitting. As far as a previous poster stating '[the teachers] dont seem to have time to really help the student under stand some of their work and then they start to strugel. and cant seem to catch up.' is unfair. Learning starts at home. They can only do so much and if you can't step up and be a parent, shame on you. There are after school tutoring available that the teachers offer for free to help the students.
—Submitted by a parent

Walker-Winter Elementary is a diverse school with high learning standards. The teachers and support staff show how much they care about the students daily. The school community is welcoming and caring. Walker-Winter has won The Lighthouse Award as well as The Blue Ribbon Award. Both of these are examples of the successful teaching methods at the school. The principal is approachable and fair. Whatever the weather may be, the students can count on seeing her standing outside in front of the building greeting buses, students, and parents as they enter school grounds. Any concerns I have brought forth have been dealt with quickly and fairly. Walker-Winter is a school of choice for my student and I am completely satisfied with the education received there thus far. It's a great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I have children in this school and I have to say it's a great one. It was great before Julie Mytych came and now it's even better!!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter's experience at Walker-Winter has been very positive. Finances forced me to move my child from a private to a public school, and I was pleased to find that the public school classroom work just as challenging. The only criticism I have is the class size. I wish my work schedule allowed time to volunteer in the classroom to help these very dedicated teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall, I would rate this school as pretty good. The class size is large and effects the teacher-student interactions time resulting in less time to teaching for understanding. Reduced class size would give the teachers the ability to identify their students strengths and weakness while knowing when a student requires (more or less) challenging curriculum. My daughter was reading at a higher level, and more difficult reading materials should have been assigned for homework. More attention needs to be taken with Math to ensure the students understand. The teaching staff doesn't look like the student body. There is a lack of diversity with the teaching Staff.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers at this school are very involved in the kids in their classrooms but class size is much too big! The principal is oblivious and often unresponsive to parents. There is a lack of after school opportunities in the form of plays or clubs which is sad. The music class is not really music as the students never get to touch an instrument and I wish one of the specials was a foreign language for the students who are more advanced. It is basically a school and nothing more. There is nothing really special about this particular school besides the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

The entire staff at Walker is dedicated to the students. While some parents are put off by the security procedures of having to have a visitors badge before going down the hallway, I find that this is all in the effort of safety for our children in this uncertain world. The custodian is even a huge help and participates with students, especially during March is Reading Month where he sets up the lobby according to their theme. The class sizes are a little large, but there is support staff that helps struggling learners. Parents are welcome to come and support the school, but unfortunately the community has a lot of working parents and they cannot come during the day. This year there is a Podcast Club, Girl Scouts, Boyscouts and Homework Club at one of the mobile home parks as well as a Newspaper club and math tutoring.

I find that because of the number of students in the class room the teachers (at least the ones I have delt with ) dont seem to have time to really help the student under stand some of their work and then they start to strugel. and cant seem to catch up.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm just amazed at how much the teachers believe in the children.They push our children not to settle for ok,its to push their selves above and beyond. Excellent Teachers!
—Submitted by Penny, a parent

The teachers are great and obviously concerned with the individual needs of the children but overloaded classrooms spread them pretty thin. Walker-Winter uses 'Chicago Math' which is a confusing and frustrating system for both children and parents trying to help with homework. They don't even use it in Chicago anymore. They have music, art, PE, library and media. The upper grades get each class each week but Kindergarteners only get these special classes once every two weeks. There is an art show in conjunction with a music performance each year to showcase the children's projects. Parent involvement is very low. There is a small group of parents willing to help on a regular basis.
—Submitted by a parent