Pennington School

Pennington is an excellent school with very nurturing teachers. My first daughter graduated in 2009 and she had a wonderful time at the school. Ms Usini, Ms Castaldi, Ms Lucadamo they were very caring teachers. The principal is Mrs Marrow is very involved and knows all her students by name. It's a shame though that the Board of Ed would not allow the PTA to continue the very economical and wonderful afterschool program that they had. They used to have a very very wonderful music and arts program too but those have been cut due to the budget and the dishonesty that was happening in Mount Vernon.
--Submitted by a parent

Pennington has changed since my children attended. It still serves the basic needs of the students, but its major failing is that there is not a school librarian. When the previous excellent librarian was cut due to budget concerns, the children lost the opportunity for in-depth research, projects relating to their studies, and time spent with meaningful literature. No matter the quality of staff or administration, Pennington cannot be rated as excellent without a librarian. The school library is the backbone that supports all areas of the curriculum. If you want a strong literacy program, you must have an good school library and a certified librarian to staff it.

I think that Pennington is a school that has been way too much acknowledgement and credit. The school has been a long time discriminatory entity that only wants children with gifted abilities and parents of higher social economic backgrounds enrolled in the school. The PTA is very supportive of the children in the school. However, they are very demanding of things that are not always beneficial to each and every individual student. The school and the families that support it seek to isolate the school from any children that may require special needs and alternative settings. The school does do well academically according to state guideline but that is becasue they do not allow children that require special attention and those with learning abilities to remain in th school. As a former graduate of Penninton it is sad to say that Pennington is no longer what it used to be!
--Submitted by a parent

Pennington school is a wonderful academic institution. The teachers are top notch professionals, and the principal is very nice. Mr. Constantinedes has made my daughter's sixth grade experience a wonderful one. Thank you Pennington!Thank you Mr. C.
--Submitted by a parent

Pennington Elementary is a wonderful, diverse, nurturing environment, and they have some of the best teachers I have ever encountered. The children who attend this school are, for the most part, well mannered and friendly, and the parents enjoy being part of the Pennington community and are very much involved. My daughter has enjoyed learning and making lifelong friends there. The PTA also runs an amazing (affordable) afterschool program for all grade levels. The program includes activities like theater, dance, cooking, sewing, sports, and so much more. My daughter has so many wonderful memories there. I love this school and so does my daughter. I am saddened that she will be graduating the 6th grade next year and will have to move on to another school. I am hard pressed to find a school that matches up to Pennington.
--Submitted by a parent

Teacher's really worked well with my child. Mr. Constantinites was an excellent teacher. we will miss him!!!
--Submitted by a parent

The school is above average for Mt. Vernon. Unfortunately as word spread of its achievements within the city it has now become overcrowded. The K-8 pilot has resulted in even more overcrowding. On top of that the school taxes are very high in Mt. Vernon and unfortunately we do not get what we pay for relative to other municipalities' school districts. As a result of the poor middle school and high school achievement test results, overcrowding at Pennington and very high taxes I have decided to move and enroll my 2 children in another school district. It is unfortunate but a sad reality as we love the neighborhood but our children's education comes first.
--Submitted by a parent

Pennington and its educational community, from well-prepared teachers, a dedicated principal, an active PTA to the many involved parents, has provided so much to our children. By the numbers (test scores), Pennington Elementary School measures up, but it excels by providing a nurturing and challenging learning environment for students.
--Submitted by a parent

This school was a disappointment, on parental observation the staff was often insulting students. There are no signs of parental inclusion with discussing bullying of children that were singled out and labled by teachers. We hope they can overcome these reputations that we beleived could not be true but are regretful of our family's experience there.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent whose child attends this wonderful school so far. I especially like what the PTA does for the children. I try to make myself available if class parents need me and to assist the PTA. Parents have to realize the key to success is to get involved. Therefore, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Pennington. The After School Program is wonderfully organized and my son has a great time with the activities.
--Submitted by a parent