West Cary Middle School

HORRIBLE SCHOOL! Coming from the best middle school in another state made us very biased. We relied on the GreatSchools website to pick out a neighborhood so we could enroll our child in this school. Big mistake. Very behind the times, very little technology, rude registrar, no communications from teachers (I have to send quite a few follow-up emails to get a response). Registrar was so rude, the family in front of me walked out! They were asking how to deposit money onto their child's lunch account. The registrar had no idea and just kept repeating that they will have to find out themselves and to research on-line. Unbelievable. Never get update calls from the principal, which was really nice where we lived and we actually knew what was happening at the school besides hearing it from our children. IMO, it showed the principal cared about the children and parents alike. Security is bad. I dropped my child off after an appointment, walked in the door, past the office and nobody ever stopped me. Nice. Had I been able to tour the school before moving, I never, ever would have moved to our current neighborhood.
—Submitted by a parent

i went to school here about 4 years ago. i am now in 11th grade and when i look back it was the most fun i had in my life. If you don't like the teachers or the principle isn't emailing you back, get used to it. That's what high school is.

I am new to this school in 7th grade, and they are very nice. The staff are the nicest, and also, that was the past, but this is 2013, and we have a big variety of classes. Now one thing, a lot of people brag about their smartness, even though they are not smart. Well duh! That is why they give tests. Also, one of the bus drivers required a sixth grader to have paperwork to get on the bus, because she changed buses. But that won't happen again. Don't think that everyone are bad in West Cary, because 85 percent are really good. Just the bad apples cause the most complaints. Our school has contests, fun activities, and a lot of hope for our students. Not one hall has no sign that doesn't have a hope sign on it. I can guarantee, that if you send your child here, they will have the best time, with out nice staff, and our friendly children, your child will succeed, have fun, and most of all, make friends! People instantly come up to you and say, " Hey! You want to go to the library?" They are very nice, and you will be happy that you sent your child ot this great, heart-warming, wonderful school. Everyday, someone is smiling, and nobody is racist. Great people, succeed!
—Submitted by a parent

The students here In my grade are snobby kids who all live in Preston and if you don't they don't even look at you I am a new student in 7th grade and I was never there in elementary school so nobody talks to me. I was trying to make a converstn with one girl and she blank told me "I don't want to talk to you" i mean the academic system is fine and such but the students are mean and there not that many after school activity other than sports

One of the smallest Middle Schools on this side of Cary. However, it has the reputation of having a very poor administrative staff even with its small size. Previous reviews mentioned the strings program. The school does not have a strong reputation in the arts.
—Submitted by a parent

I can't wait to get out of this school. I am now in eighth grade and i strongly dislike this school, they should pay more attention to our opinions and some of us aren't treated fairly and the principal is a NIGHTMARE. They should also do some renovations, the lockers are so disgusting (gum, food, etc.), another thing I found annoying was that two staff said "Im getting paid to do this", like they don't even care for our learning just the money, also not much opportunites for electives and clubs. Can't wait to leave!!

I am a parent of a current middle schooler and a child attending Green Hope in the fall. I feel that my rising 9th grader is well prepared with the education received at West Cary. The teachers are attentive and caring, and they have a great arts program - including strings which you don't find at a lot of schools. A school can only give if the student is willing to receive, and in that aspect I have no complaints. The teachers at West Cary care about their students and prepare them quite well for high school, which is what middle school is all about.
—Submitted by a parent

Let's go to the bottom line, forgetting all the comments about the administration's lack of sensitivity to parents' requests: graduates of West Cary continue to do well at Green Hope, Panther Creek, and Cary High Schools. My daughter is at Green Hope and her background is at least as good (and in some cases, better) as that of students from the vaulted Davis Drive Middle. In addition, she has been in an environment that is much more like the real world.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had two children in West Cary and I love all the teachers. There are many deficits, however. There are very limited electives. There are no after school clubs (except for sports and the yearly musical). For this year AND last year, an entire grade (7th last year, 8th this year) had to eat lunch with their previous period classmates instead of their friends because of the behavior and messiness of a few. This went on from the middle of the year all the way to the end of the year last year and this year it is still ongoing. I can understand a week or two, but half the year?! I wrote an (very courteous) e-mail to the principal protesting the length of this punishment and she did not even do me the courtesy of answering my e-mail! How unprofessional! And recently all the students were kept after school for about 20 minutes (my kids told me after the fact it was for a lecture on drugs) with no prior notice and no letter afterward, or communication of any kind! I was really worried about where my kids were and they did not even bother to tell us, even after the fact? Bad communication and bad policies.
—Submitted by a parent

as a 9th grade student I have to say leaving this school all i have to bring with me is a fifth grade education, truckloads of hilarious story's of incompetence, a ridiculous vice principal who would probably rather be a CIA agent and a school principal who i could easily beat at a grammar-off (if there is such a thing). Sure i had good times, i just didn't learn anything.

I have had 2 children go through West Cary, the last being the 2010-2011 school year. The school improved a lot this last year. Many students got reassigned to newly opened schools, so the student body got much smaller and more controllable. However, the principal is a disgrace. She is unorganized, unprofessional. Her use of the English language is terrible. There are many good teachers, but there are some HORRIBLE ones that, despite complaints and evidence, just got shuffled around from grade to grade, but stay at the school. My child had one such teacher for English, it it amazes me that the teacher is still on staff. My children are basically good students, so the experience at W. Cary did not hurt them, but they got nothing out of it. My next child will not be attending this school, even if we have to go private, unless something gets done in the next few years. The community is good and the school could be awesome. I really believe the administration is terrible and needs to be overhauled.
—Submitted by a parent

I went to this school and the principal was putting up unnecessary rules such as "no silly bands because they cause confusion" and when i was in 7th grade, she said that everyone was running and pushing and shoving on the way to the cafeteria, and it was "unsafe" no one was pushing or shoving or ANYTHING like that. She made us be walked to the cafeteria by our 6th period teacher, and then we had to sit in classes "temporarily" (it lasted the rest of the year). A lot of the kids at this school are distracting, and the lockers are dirty. I had some used gum from who knows when stuck to one hook of my locker and my locker got cramped because i wasn't using the dirty hook. The technology is horrible and we don't have a SINGLE smart board that i know of that actually works. That may sound trivial but look at Millspark! They have a smart board in EVERY classroom!!!!! One of the teachers i had is completely clueless! Someone needs to fix this school!

WCMS, is now a very nice school, i know this because i am a student there. They have a no fail police, which means if you fail a test you are forced to retake it until you pass, which to me is great. And, if you do not do an assiment teachers cannot give you a lower grade than a 50 so your basically automatically given 50 points. And not to mention the AG program,Collage Prep( collage is possible for me), which i am currently in it educates you about collage,but you can only be nominated to get in this program. But with all these good thing theres gonna be a bad, the kids at WCMS aren't the nicest kids.

This school has a very poor understanding of students needs. I have had a bunch of medical issues over the years and many of the staff have been cold and harsh toward my family and one of the counselors insulted my family. It is an ok school for learning, the teachers are ok, but the times in between classes are 4 minutes which is insane when it is such a large school! I am very upset with them most of the time and they always stress me out as a student. The only nice experience I had here was the first day I got there and that is about it.

Wow. I feel the exact same way. We moved here in August also and thought West Cary was ok based on Great Schools reviews, but it is not. We tried to get a transfer to both our Magnet school and Davis drive and we were denied. There is no way coming out of West Cary the kids will be prepared for high school. It is sad that such disparity exists in the middle schools in Cary.
—Submitted by a parent

IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET YOUR CHILD INTO DAVIS Dr. We live almost equidistant between the 2 schools, but ended up at West Cary. I was just wondering which Middle Sch. the big fancy houses across from Weatherstone Elem. School were zoned for? Davis Drive is clearly the far superior school. Why can't they bring West Cary up to that level? I thought Cary had such an excellent school system & was so proud of that reputation? The School Board needs to give West Cary some immediate attention to address this disparity. Where did the School Board disappear to after the election?? This isn't a "neighborhood school" issue. I don't reside in the "projects. My home is 2/10ths or a mi. further from Davis Dr. When I moved here I never expected to come upon a "bad" school; I had heard all the schools in Cary were "great".
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended this school for 2 years and I am so glad he's been reassigned for 8th grade. This focus is on the school's performance, not the student's, and they don't seem to realize this ulitmately hurts the students. The lowest grade my son ever received was a 60, even when he didn't do the assignment. Bullying is rampant, and the administrators pay lip service to "zero tolerance" but don't really do anything to stop or control it. The teachers run the gamut from very dedicated and passionate about their jobs to those counting the days until retirement.
—Submitted by a parent

Being a student at West Cary, I would know about the lack of support and care we recieve from our faculty and staff! I have to say that some teachers are supportive and helpful! But for the most part, teachers are on the verge on insanity! I do enjoy all of the students attending. Overall the school is mediocre and the students are great! We do enjoy the boys attending, being teenage girls! LOL!
—Submitted by a student

I love West Cary because the kids there are amazing, but unfortunately don't have a lot and the school is very run down. It would make such a difference if they could win the 20,000.
—Submitted by a parent

I think that every thing that people have been saying in here is very true! The staff does everything from the book, parents don't know about anything that's happening in the school.There are very few clubs you can participate in! My friend goes to Lufkin middle school and there are a bunch of clubs and extracurricular activities in their school. If you want to get ahead of the crowed by going to a higher math class, even if you have straight 'A's' like me and a-lot of people they just won't accept you and I'm not just talking about them not accepting you,they don't even listen to your opinion in that school! lets not even talk about the principle she is just a nightmare, I think we were much better with Mr.Thilman but now that he is the principle of Cary high I think this school isn't going to last.
—Submitted by a student