Farrand Elementary School

We think Farrand is an amazing school! Our children are thriving, and love going there everyday. The teachers are amazing and work extremely hard to provide the best for their students. The PTO is better than ever and is working to provide the newest and best technology for the school. Farrand doesn't get the recognition it deserves, it truly is A Great Place to Learn.
--Submitted by a parent

We think Farrand is great! We have two boys at Farrand and they are very happy to go to school every day. This is our third year as a Farrand family and we have enjoyed the peace of mind that our boys are safe and getting a quality education from capable, caring teachers. We have had many opportunities to be involved in their education by volunteering in the classrooms and on the playground, movie and party nights, fundraisers, and showing up to PTO meetings and events like ice cream socials and Coffee with the Principal. We love the Positive Behavior Support system and the anti-bullying campaigns. Our kids are recognized with praise, special privileges and reward for positive and appropriate behavior. We can really tell how dedicated and knowledgeable their teachers are. We are especially grateful to the staff at Farrand for going above and beyond to include and support our son with special needs to get the education he deserves. The staff is resourceful and creative and go above and beyond on a daily basis. We are proud to be a part of the Farrand community of excellent teachers, a principal motivated to truly lead and help our kids with challenging academic programs.
--Submitted by a parent

Farrand is a terrific elementary school. I actually read the reviews that were posted in 2007 and 2008 - before my son started there and I was a little worried. THe reviews could not have been more wrong. Farrand is a great place and my kids are getting a fabulous education. The teachers are great and engaged. THe PTO is always doing really great fundraisers and events. The parents are hands on and involved. We couldn't be happier with this elementary school - it is unfortunate it suffers from a bad reputation. I would put the education here on par with any school in the state. The new principal is excellent, engaged and dynamic. He will be a great leader for this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Farrand is a great school in the middle of a large, established subdivision. Many of the parents and neighbors are actively involved in the school either thru volunteering directly or thru the very active PTO. Many of the teachers live in the neighborhood and/or have children that currently attended Farrand or did so in the past. I think this gives them more of a stake in how the school functions and what type of education they are providing the kids. I know that my daughter has loved all 3 teachers that she has had so far. They are enthusiastic about teaching, are keeping up with technology and allow the kids an opportunity to shine. I volunteer quite a bit at the school and I can tell that the staff really care about the kids. I have been impressed with the new principal so far. I really think he is bringing a cohesion back to the school that may have been missing for a while and I expect there will be many more positive changes to come.
--Submitted by a parent

Our child is currently attending Farrand Elementary school and we have found the teachers and administration there to be outstanding!! The technolgy that is being used in the classrooms is leading edge and the teachers are top notch! Our child is thriving there and we could not be more pleased with this school.
--Submitted by a parent

Farrand Elementary is an outstanding educational environment. The teachers are bar none the best around. They work incredibly hard at meeting the needs of every young person who attends this school. I have been teaching in a public school setting for 23 years and I have every confidence that each of my four children (one has moved on to middle school) will get a top notch education at this school. In wearing my teacher's hat I am sometimes hypercritical of the educational setting that my own kids are in and I can assure you that I have never been less than excited about what goes on at Farrand. I have been actively involved with Farrand for seven years now and the staff just keeps better at what they do. What they do is care about kids and at the end of the day that is what matters the most. In terms of administration, our community is so excited to put past issues behind us and welcome a new and dynamic leader to our forum. Great things are happening at Farrand Elementary everyday!!
--Submitted by a parent

Overall, I found the teachers responsive to my questions and inquiries. I would highly recommend the school's multi-age program which allows 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to work in a highly collaborative environment. The PTO is a great organisation which organises many fun family-friendly events for the kids at the school. My only complaint is that there seems to be many times when a substitute teacher is teaching my kids rather than their primary teacher.
--Submitted by a parent

I think Farrand is a great environment for my 1st grader. He is learning faster than I expected him to this year. I appreciate the homework they provide me to help me reinforce his learning after school. I am very happy with the teachers and administrators and am trying to do my part to be more involved in school activities. I believe the key to learning is providing a healthy attitude about school, the curriculum and learning. I am tired of hearing parents complain that their children aren't 'challenged.' Typically, I see this used in cases where the child needs to have more learning support at home not due to the school's shortcomings!
--Submitted by a parent

I ,also, had two children attending Farrand last school year. I was surprised reading some of the feed back provided by other parents. I understand that no body is perfect including myself. My family went through difficult times last year and the school principle and secretary were very helpful, professional and very nice about if. They helped my family feel at home. My son and daughter never complained about their teachers, principle or secretary. In addition, I have approached the principle couple times regarding a student who was bulling my son. She listened, talked to both my children and handled the issue right away.
--Submitted by Amy Rahhal, a parent

I have had two children go through Farrand elementary, and I have been disappointed many times. although we did encounter some incredible teachers, I think the biggest problem with the school is the principal. Luckily, she is retiring this year. Hopefully for the students, this will greatly improve the feel of the school. It was not a lively or exciting atmosphere at school, the principal wasn't warm or approachable, and did her job 5% in my opinion. It always seemed she'd rather be napping. The secretary in the office, although I can see she gets her work done, is horribly impersonable and rude. She has spoken to me many times as if I were a child. My children avoided going into the office, even when injured, to avoid the secretary and principal.
--Submitted by a parent