Plaza Elementary School

My child is currently attending this school. I am very please with the curriculum and the attention she gets in her classroom. This school is an excellent school. There always been a teacher parent relationship if you want to know about your child or at any given time you wants an update on your child's progress. Parent involment is very important also. I love this school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent with a child that has special needs, Plaza school is very accomodating and caring. Parental involvement is a must! We have a diverse and close community.
—Submitted by a parent

They are like a family with caring teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

As the President of Plaza PTA is warms my heart to see all the positive feedback Plaza Elementary and our PTA is getting. The staff and faculty of Plaza goes above and beyond for our children. Plaza PTA is a driving force behind all the childrens Cultural Arts Assemblies. Our members work hard to fund raise throughout the school year to offer our children the best in educational and fun events. After serving Plaza PTA for 14 years my youngest will graduate to Baldwin Middle School in June 2010. I plan to make the most of my last year here at Plaza, and if you would like to join me... e mail plazapta@aol.com for details on becoming a Plaza PTA member! Barbara Garrett PTA President 2002-2004 2008-2010
—Submitted by a parent

Plaza is a great little school. The parents are very involved, the faculty cares, and the kids learn while having fun. Its a very progressive school whether we're talking about kindergarten or 5th grade. Its a diverse student body and that alone is worth its weight in gold. Plaza is the best elementary school in the district
—Submitted by a parent

Outstanding School...my son just transferred into the 4th Grade from an area Catholic School and I'm happy to say that he finally belongs. The staff works countless hours and supports the children in all aspects of learning and development. The music program is unlike any other and the students are very well behaved and happy. Classes of 22 students are not large (compared to Catholic School where there are 28 students per class) and there is so much hands on learning during the day. We are so happy with Plaza that we are transferring our two younger children next year.
—Submitted by a parent

Awesome! my 5th grade child has learned more than my son in 7th grade!
—Submitted by a parent

Plaza is a bit overcrowded, but manageable. The academic are not very challenging and too routine. Subjects such as science and social studies sould be taught more on a daily basis. The band teacher is well equiped, informed and a very great outlet for all those involved. He is a great instructor and a blessing to the school. There is not much of an art program or science exhibits. The school has a great PTA, where the parents are all involved in doing extra curriculum activies for the children. The PTA is a blessing for the Plaza school and the children of Plaza. The overall environment of the school is great. Most of the children are well-behaved and respectful. Most of the teachers are very nice and supportive.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in 1st Grade at Plaza. My child has had specific struggles in keeping up with the general academic level and both his K and 1 teachers have been amazing in working with him to create an individualized learning plan while maintaining goals for him that are on par with the rest of the class. The class sizes are 22 kids, but the teachers manage to customize learning for all kids, be it a child with advanced skills or below average. Parental involvment is highly encouraged and I have always felt warmly welcomed into my child's class. The cultural environment at Plaza is great. People from every background live in the neighborhood and it makes for a diverse, yet close-knit school community where parents get to know each other through involvment in the many family-related activities during and after school. It's a great environment for kids and families.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends the first grade at Plaza. The academics are satisfactory. I feel that if students are capable of learning more that they should be challenged. The classroom size is too large. There are 22 students in each class and there are 4 first grade classes. The music, art and physical education program are very good. The teachers are very competent. The school is diverse which is great. All holidays and cultures are celebrated. The leadership is excellent. I only wish that there were fewer students in the classroom to allow teachers to provide more individual attention and to move beyond the curriculum.
—Submitted by a parent

My oldest child started K this year at Plaza, and I couldn't be happier. I'm a teacher myself, so I can be picky, but I also know what it takes for a school to be top notch, and Plaza is defintely up there. My daughter loves her teachers, the music program is excellent, and her art and phys ed time is well spent. Her teacher is simply amazing - finds time to work with each child and eveything she does is done with so much love and attention to detail. The administration is warm, friendly, and caring as well. On the downside, the school is crowded and the lack of space, in my opinion, keeps it from being the best it can be, though I must hand it to the Principal and staff for making the best of the limited available space.
—Submitted by a parent

Academics are adequate - preparing for the increased state testing takes up a lot of class time. The music program is fantastic - my son has music every day, including a weekly horn lesson with 1 teacher to 2 students. The PTA is active - raises money for cultural arts & class trips. My main complaint is that the school is increasingly crowded. No music classroom, no art classroom and lunch & indoor recess are mob scenes.
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child in the school for the past two years. The teachers have been energetic and caring. They seem to put 200% effort into their classes. We love the music program. There are two full-time music teachers, a string orchestra, band, jazz band, chorus and select chorus available to the students beginninig in third grade. The art teachers guide the students in beautiful projects. The Phys ed teacher is loved by everyone- parents, teachers and students. The PTA is extremely active, providing many activities for the students. On the down side, the school operates under all of the constraints of any public school. The curriculum is formulaic, even if some individual teachers try to make it more interesting for the students. Student teacher ratios are about 20:1 in first grade, which is below the maximum but sometimes seems to be too much.
—Submitted by a parent