Erwin Valley Elementary School

My daughter went to this school until we moved to the West. We love this school so much .Very balance between learning and playing. Especially with Mrs. McCaslin. My daughter loves her so much. it's so hard for her when we have to leave. Friends are great. Teachers are great,too.. no problem at all.
--Submitted by a parent

It is a great school with excellent teachers.

Very clean and well rounded with many different tools for all ages of learning and all learning styles needed for all kinds of children
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends and she loves it. Erwin Valley has one of the best teachers in the world...Sara Strong!
--Submitted by a parent

As a public school, its programs are limited by district and state budget. At elementary level, parental involvement is especially important and I think EV Ele. does a great job! School is a learning place for both academic and social skills and EVE provides great service on each. As all have mentioned, this is a very diverse school and has great environment. The school and district also have excellent special education programs.
--Submitted by a parent

Very updated teachers. Excellent student-teacher ratio

I was disappointed to read previous comments that focused on the enrichment program for gifted children. Yes the program is limited but that is not a reflection on Erwin Valley. The problem resides in the limited amount allocated to the gifted program in the district budget. As parents of a highly gifted child we have found the teachers and the Principal very helpful in working on plans to keep our child challenged and interested. There is an exceptional amount of parental involvement at the school that benefits staff, teachers and students. The PTA has a volunteer reading program that helps tutor children who require a little extra attention. Parents and teachers(staff) at Erwin Valley are true partners in education. A child who finds the work too challenging and needs help or a child who needs more challenging work can count on this very effective partnership working for their benefit.
--Submitted by a parent

I wish I would have read the previous comment before sending my child to this school. My child is way beyond the grade they are supposed to be enrolled within. I have fought for testing to be done, which he scored extremely HIGH. The teachers are frustrated because they have too many children in the classroom that my child is not challenged and finds trouble. This school is diverse in ethinic background. However the income level is either very HIGH or very LOW. Very few of us are in the middle. Unfortunatly the school only seems to cater to the higher class families. A great disapointment, my child will be pulled out by next school year.
--Submitted by a parent

We were very excited when our children began at Erwin Valley. The school is one of the most diverse in the area and has high level of parent involvement. However, we quickly were brought to the realization that it was just another NY public school that taught to tests and had little flexibility to meet the demands of gifted children. They do have a gifted program but at the elementary level it is only one hour/week and insufficent for those children that need daily challenge. We found the teachers and staff very pleasant but stymied in their ability to think outside the box. (ie Children went to lunch for 30 minutes then to their classrooms for 10 before going outside to recess for 20 due to teacher contracts even though other district schools had managed better programs). We left the school before the year was complete. Horseheads has better options.
--Submitted by a parent