David D. Jones Elementary School

While the Spanish is a terrific opportunity and well executed, it's also the "hook" that drew us to a great school. The principal wonderfully serves two school populations.. The traditional portion of the school is called the Neighborhood Leadership Program- giving the non-immersion students pride and group identity. The library has the highest circulation in the county. The art teacher is a top teachers in the county and the culture teacher is especially engaging and beloved. It is socially, culturally and economically diverse. Warnersville while rough in spots, takes a great deal of pride in its school. The school uses the Warnersville Rec Center so there are great spaces to play. As for the immersion program: The parents self-select an environment where they know their involvement will be necessarily higher. The PTA is very active. Only K and a few 1st grade students may enroll. Students not keeping up must transfer out. By 5th grade, only 2 immersion classrooms of high performing students are left. Teachers are native speakers and have often won awards in their countries to teach in the US. My children have teachers from Columbia, Uraguay, Chile, and Puerto Rico.
—Submitted by a parent

We send our kids in the Spanish Immersion magnet program. By Kindergarten, they all understand Spanish. By 2nd grade they learn English. 2nd grade is challenging. 3rd is more intense as the students are expected to take control of their own work. Among the Spanish immersion kids, the EOG passing rate is 100% or pretty close. So not only do these kids outperform the average NC kid in math, but English as well. It is a tough concept for some parents to grasp, that these kids learn Spanish first and English later, but it works (and research backs this up that bilingualism is a path to success). All teachers, in both Spanish and traditional English are great. Admin and leadership exceeds expectations. If you live in the county and you want your kid to learn Spanish, this is a must. PTA is great, they do lots of stuff year round. The wealthy parents donate a lot to the school. I know of one parent who had a "terrible experience" with the school and I also know that parent to be a complete basket case. So if you, as a parent are not willing to interact with your child, help with homework, and get your kid to school on time, this is not your school.
—Submitted by a parent

You need to check with the Student Assignment Office to find out whether you would be assigned to Jones or to Kirkman Park in High Point.
—Submitted by a parent

We are interested in this school. Would like to know more about school. So Please send information.We are living in Jamestown and my son will be eligible to join this school in 2012.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been in Jones' Spanish Immersion program since Kindergarten and is fluent in Spanish. The teachers are a treasure, He is now in second grade and his teacher this year is THE BEST he has had since being at the school. This speaks volumes given the commitment all teachers have to students. We are proud to call David D. Jones our son's school home!
—Submitted by a parent

Our children our immersed in Spanish from the 1st day of kindergarten. This is done in a way that is not frustrating to the kids. It's amazing how quickly young minds can absorb a foreign language. The teachers are devoted to the kids. I love the diversity there and the focus on reading.
—Submitted by a parent

I am thrilled this school gives my children the gift of a second language! Children are challenged to master their traditional curriculum while mastering Spanish. Thank you Jones!
—Submitted by a parent

We are so happy with our decision to send all 3 of our children to this school!
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school! The staff, teachers and children are AWESOME!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I was very excited about my children attending this school but after 3 weeks of school my 5 year old daughter was kicked out because of a few tardies caused by family problems that were out of our control. According to the Student Assignment office "only after numerous attempts made by the school" could this happen. No attempts were made. The first encounter we had with the principal prior to enrollment was a very unpleasant one. Me and the father asked if we could meet the children's teachers so that we could get a feel for the type of persons our children would be spending a lot of their time with (as any good parent should). According to the principal we were not able to "shop around for teachers"...as she put it. My sons pre-k teacher was very unpleasant and impatient with the children. I am very disappointed with this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a volunteer who has been so impressed with the entire staff. The atmosphere shows caring for every child there with love. They have an excellent PTA which is very involved with the school. Each child is important.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school. Great program. We had our 2 sons at Jones and we are extremly pleased with the program... Our Kids are fully billingual!
—Submitted by a parent

We've been very pleased with the Spanish Immersion program. Teachers are perceived by many parents to be inconsistent--moreso in some grades than in others--and tend to be relatively authoritarian and no-nonsense. Our daughter has flourished there. Administators and special class leaders (PE, music, art) are top notch. Strongly emphasizes AR program, which pays big dividends IMO.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at Jones. One is in third grade and one is in kindergarten. Both of them are doing very well and I believe the language requirement improves focus on the material being taught. In addition to the language component, the students are exposed to various cultures and economic situations. This, I believe, has produced an awareness of the world that would not be easily obtained in a traditional environment. Parents are active at Jones and the PTA is excellent! I highly recomend Jones Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at Jones and while the Spanish fluency is wonderful, it has been diminished by the constant turnover of administrative staff. If you have a child with any kind of difference, Jones is not the best environment to place them in. Navigating IEP's and getting help for my child has been difficult. Their test scores are very high and there is a large focus on test scores instead of learning fundamentals and building foundations that will help them learn and study through high school.
—Submitted by April, a parent

Our experience at Jones Spanish Immersion was not a positive one and therefore, I cannot recommend this school to parents who are interested in Jones. The school has fundamental problems in leadership which affects how the classroom is run. I would not risk looking for a positive experience here.
—Submitted by a parent

Jones' Spanish Immersion program is the best! My daughter is in first grade and reading and writing fluently in Spanish and English. The teachers are top rate. The experience and culture they bring to the lives of the children is priceless.
—Submitted by a parent

Jones is an outstanding school. My daughter just finished second grade and is fluent in Spanish. She can read, write and speak in Spanish. I cannot say enough great things about the teachers, students and PTO at Jones. We do not regret our decision to send our daughter to this magnet school.
—Submitted by a parent