Caliente Elementary School

I have been extremely happy with my childrens' experiences at Caliente Elementary. The teachers and staff work hard to provide a supportive, nurturing atmosphere where the children are motivated to learn and grow. The classes are small and the children receive lots of attention. There is never that feeling of being 'just a number'. This is a very small town and the elementary school is the heart of it. I wish I could give them more than five stars for the work they do.
--Submitted by a parent

Small class sizes, good curriculum based instruction and teachers who really know your child are all reasons I am happy that my child is attending this school. If any child feels unchallenged at this school, it is due to thier own lack of motivation. 'Smart' students want the teacher to give them 'harder' work, the challenge to the student is to do the work they are given in a quality that equals their IQ.
--Submitted by a parent

Our schools test scores have been steadily increasing due to the efforts of dedicated teachers/staff. Also this year art and PE were added as additional extra curricular components to the daily activities of our students. These activities encouraged lower performing students to complete core classes in order to participate in activities where they might have interest. We saw many students striving for increased performance where before they lacked motivation to do almost anything academic. I believe it the process we have in place to help our under achieving students choose a more balanced education.
--Submitted by Terry Holton, a teacher

As I was recently made aware of this sight, I was shocked that our school was ranked so low. Our school is one of the best in the Nation as far as I am concerned. My child gets nearly one-on-one help due to the small size of the classes. The teachers, principal, and other staff are caring, loving, and giving to each child. They also work extremely hard to make parents and other community members feel at home and welcome if the are in the school. I hope my comments will help to increase the ranking of our school!
--Submitted by Wendy Malcom, a parent

As our Principal made us aware of this sight, I was appalled that our ranking was this low. I am a para pro at this school and have worked in our A.P.P.L.E. Program this year. We have worked with our 'watch list' kids and have been able to impact the lives of many who would have otherwise been left to struggle without any help. Several of our kids were able to work out of the program and go back into regular grade level work. What a satisfaction for us! This tutorial program has given me the motivation to continue my educational pursuits and possibly become a teacher myself one day. Where else would I have that opportunity. We are small but we are mighty in the work we do for the kids of our community!
--Submitted by a staff

As I was prowling the internet and found us listed here, I was unnerved by the ranking we had received. I brought this to the attention of my staff and hope that they will address the wrong that has been done to them. I am departing the school to take another job but the work they do is phenomenal in my opinion. Given their size, budget, and state support, they have taken very little and worked wonders. They should be held up as a beacon for others to follow. They have created model programs, shown continuous steady growth through their test scores, stayed strong as a staff through all the NCLB turmoil, and above all, shine in their community. I value and praise them for the tireless hardwork that they do. They have earned and will always have my respect and admiration!
--Submitted by Nykki Holton, a administrator

In response to the last article about the math program here. As a parent I have been very impressed with the time and attention the teachers give to the students. I recently moved from a school that averages about 35 students per class to Caliente Elementary where the student/teacher ratio is closer to 20. My children are struggling but mostly because of the habits they brought with them. The school expects each student to hold themselves responsible for their behavior and for getting in their assignments. The math program is set up so the student can do the minimum or do more if they are bored with waiting for the rest of the class. If you look at the national averages for math they are all in the 60+ percentile. The staff is very cohesive, they work together to the best interests of each individual student.
--Submitted by Kathleen Covington, a parent

I think this school does a student a great disservice. My child is very intelligent compared to the rest of the classmates and suffers because of it. The work is made easier for the students who are not up to par, I feel, in order to make the statistics for the school look better. If you look at the test scores, you will see that they are very low. The math program is the worst I have ever seen. The concept behind it is great other than the lazy kids and lazy parents seem to be content to not try to achieve. I don't feel that my child is being properly prepared for 'real world' schools. We are looking for a different community just for that reason.
--Submitted by a parent

There are great teachers as well as the rest of the staff. The principal insists on parent involvement and interaction. Definetly a great environment for any child.
--Submitted by a parent