Bel Aire Elementary School

I would never allow my child to attend this school again. I do not appreciate the way the children are treated. An earlier post compared it to a prison. I would have to agree. My daughter cried every day. I watched my child go from loving school and excited to wake up every morning to becoming miserable and fighting to go to school everyday. I disenrolled her and moved. She is much happier and back to loving school again.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers have bad attitudes. There is no fairness. Teachers cant manage classrooms and teach various levels to fit the classroom.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was in the first grade this past school year and I can honestly say, that he had done an excellent job. He loved his first grade teacher, enjoyed his recess time and just loved going to school. It may be due to the school having a new principal, but all I know, is that the school has done an excellent job with him and I hope it will stay the same as he attends the second grade =)
—Submitted by a parent

I gave the school a below average rating because while the kids are learning alot, the place is run like a prison. The principal acts like she wants parents there, but she does everything to discourage it. Communication is really poor. We were always getting notices on the day of for meetings and activities. My child didn't have recess last year at all. And she was in 3rd grade. That is just ridiculous. I was standing in the hall one day waiting for my child, and I saw a teacher tell a student she was going to write him up because he was not in the third block. This place is like a jail, and I hope to break my child free next year.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has gone to Bel Aire for 3 years and this year is by far the worst. She is in third grade and has had three teachers this year alone and not because I move her to different classes. Apparently the teachers keep being shuffled around to different grades. But, I feel like that certainly hinders my child's learning ability because all teachers have different teaching techniques. Her grades have gotten much worse and I always ask what I can do to help my daughter and the teacher responds by saying that all the children in her class are having trouble in that particular subject. It's just frustrating really! Anyway, I love the staff but I just want my child to be as well educated as possible and I don't think that's going to happen at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so disappointed with this school this year. I am frustrated with the lack of any fun at school. I am tired of my child being so grumpy and irritable when she gets home because of how stressed out everyone seems to be at that school. I wish I could put her somewhere else, but that is not feasible right now.
—Submitted by a parent

My step-son attended Bel Aire this year because it is our district school. The staff and his teacher were always friendly, but I was very dissappointed to learn that they have no music or art classes. I was also appalled when my son reported that they only get recess sometimes on Fridays and they go to PE just as much, where all they did was run or play kickball. I'm sure that they did more than this, but it was not much more. How do they expect children to behave when they give no time for them to run off energy. I am upset because our nation is struggling with lazy, overweight children and statistics show that Mississippi has the highest overweight population. Whats up with this lack of concern? From reading about other local schools it seems this is common. I am sad that our kids are not allowed exercise.
—Submitted by a parent

It has been a strange year at bel-aire, my daughter is doing worse than before she went from being a A-B student to an C-D student in 2-weeks!, she has not had a great school day yet! their security lacks everything. you totaly need to be in their faces. the staff is very nice but the students lack control.
—Submitted by a parent

Bel Aire is like a different place this year. The new principal has gotten things under control this year. Kids don't get enought play time though. The kids don't get to go to recess anymore. I think the teachers are harder this year, but that is a good thing
—Submitted by a parent

I'm not at all impress with this school at all.It needs a lot improvement from the front staff to the over all activities. We went to open house and I was very disappointed that the teacher was not sure how my child was doing because my child doesn't ask ant questions,wow. I'm hoping the new principal this year will turn things around if not I will take my child out of school even if I have to move.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed with Bel Aire. The teacher does not respond to my notes and is not consistent with the assignments. The only feedback she sent home was negative.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has autism and has been attending Bel Aire for 2 years now. The autism class is wonderful and my child has learned more in the past two years than I ever thought she would! The staff at Bel Aire is wonderful too. Everyone treats my child perfectly and they all do really care about the children. I recommend Bel Aire to anyone at all.
—Submitted by Stacey Bell, a parent

My kids have attended Bel Aire for 4 years. I am upset to see some really good teachers get a bad rap in reviews. Those teachers deal with some serious issues. Being in the classroom is like being in group therapy. So there are lots of behavioral issues. My son has had a couple of exceptional teachers. Mrs. Gegenhimer was our fave. She was teaching kindergarten and is moving to third grade. Our daughter will be in her class next year. I hope my son will get to be in Mrs. Albritton's class. She is great too. Just be really active, and your child will do fine here.
—Submitted by a parent

The school focuses to much on discipline, the discipline that the teachers enforce take over the entire focus of the class.Yelling, screaming from the teacher's all the time and the children were not aloud to talk during lunch time everyday. The children that are behaving and being good are punished for the bad children in the class. We had a teacher who everyday punished the entire group for no recess rather then just the children that were misbehaving. Its completely unfair for the children that are being good and respectful. Our daughter would come home crying everyday not wanting to return to school at Bel-Aire. She is a straight A student honor roll and has been for 7 years.Our daughter was there for three years and it was a horrible experience. Again way to much emphasis on the discipline in the entire school.Teachers are horrible!
—Submitted by a parent

It saddens me to say that the quality of teaching in my children's classes are lacking compotence and structural learning. Either the teachers are not well equipped in their profession for effective learning or there is no concern to become an effective teacher in the profession. Perhaps, it's just a job... Is my impression of such attitude. In that case, children should not fall prey to this injustice. Open and willing communication with parents to assist learning, and not pettiness in every ordeal in behavoir would be one good step. Hopefully, sooner or later, the teachers would not become so easily offened, just because there are concern parents versus nonconcern parents.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has gone to a total of three schools in the state of Mississippi. All I can say is Bel-Aire is the BEST.The staff is GREAT. I can visit my sons classroom anytime I want,and believe me I do. I believe my son is learing more at this school than any other he has been enrolled in.I hope I can say a teachers name so here it goes. Mrs Taylor (1st grade) you are doing a great job.
—Submitted by a parent

I have gone to all the trouble to out of district my children to this school and it has been well worth the extra effort and commute everyday so that my children can go to this school. The teachers have been great to work with and they have a very active PTA.
—Submitted by Michelle, a parent

My child has attended this school for two years and I have been very disappointed. There is very poor communication between the school and home. The social environment is very poor because of excessive behavioral problems in the classroom. Most of the time in class is spent in behavior control. Both teachers he has had in the past two years are obviously under a great deal of stress and are not very open to parental involvement and my child has not gotten a lot of enjoyment out of learning. The teachers also do not offer various teaching techniques. The principal is not heavily involved, although the vice principal is very acessible, well-liked by the students, and very personable. There is also not arts or music programs and the gym classes are not structured.
—Submitted by a parent