Daniel Island Elementary School

I attended a picnic today(5/24/12 for first graders. I witnessed two adult women one a nurse completely takeover a first grader's ( of color) blanket . When the child went over and stood there because there was no place to sit I told them it was her blanket. The nurse turned to the little girl and said "hank you for letting me use you blanket that is very sweet of you". The little girl went back to her grandmother . The two women left much later leaving all of there trash for others to pick up. They are a reflection of there children and vice versa. Reflection of the school? If it's on film Youtube

DIS is an incredible school! I have been in the military and moved around with my children to different parts of the country and different schools including several in very nice neighborhoods. DIS is by far the best! Mrs. French is an excellent principal and there are many dedicated and skilled teachers. The bullying issues have been tackled head on and are no longer a concern. A key to this school's success is all of the involved parents. This school will help your child achieve as well as any private school in town, you will be able to walk or ride to school, and you will get to know all of the other children and parents. If you live where you are able to go to DIS, it seems like a no brainer to send your kids there. It is a big part of why we think Daniel Island is an absolutely amazing place to live and raise your children!
--Submitted by a parent

Mrs. French's first year at DIS has been amazing. She has tackled the Bullying problem HEAD ON! I have been very impressed by Ms. Wimmer the assistant vice principal for grades 3-5. The whole team is dedicated to arming the kids with tools to STAND UP against bullies and try to eliminate the problem. Our kids have loved the school and have not had any bullying problems. The PTA is amazing, very involved and active in raising money for our teachers. We are so fortunate to have this school in our neighborhood. It is so idyllic seeing all of the kids riding their bikes or walking to school. We wouldn't choose any place else.
--Submitted by a parent

We, too, made special contingencies when purchasing a home just to be in the DI district, and boy am I sorry we did. My child was bullied, taunted, teased.... NOTHING was done about it. I tried to contact the principal via email, phone call, and a personal visit, none of which were acknowledged. See comment below regarding principal leadership. Teacher quality: We did have a handful of teachers who were great, but the rest were sub-par. Principal leadership: What a joke; there is absolutely no stability. DI is currently on their 4th principal in 5 years. Parent involvement: Again, some were great, but there were a lot of really snotty volunteers, most of whom stood around doing nothing but gossiping. We had really high hopes for DIS, but they simply missed the mark. Unfortunately there are not a lot of options nearby. I would highly recommend looking into private, charter, online, or homeschooling as an option before choosing DIS.
--Submitted by a parent

As a student, i say this is an awful school. If there were a 0-star option, i would have clicked -100. The kids are way too aggressive, one even tried to drive a pair of scissors through my neck and wasn't in trouble even though i was yelling at him. Another peer of mine was slammed into a locker and his head was busted. The kid that did it was at school the next day, in class. On the bright side, a few of the teachers are amazing. (Thanks Ms. Karolyi!) I'm moving to PSA next year along with my friends to 1.- be challenged, 2.- have more fun, and 3.- not be threatened and/or hit/bullied. The school is small, yet excellent. I have personally spoken to the principal, and he said there wasn't a bully in sight. DIS- one star for good teachers

We moved here for this school and after three years will have pulled all our children out. The lower elem. grades are fine and have some great teachers throughout the school. The middle school grades are where the real problems are found. The attitude of entitlement from some students, along with the bullying that is swept under the rug is to much to ignore. We reported the multi. bullying problems but nothing happened even though a new program was supposed to be put into place. Things are still happening just like last year and the year before and the year before that year. The school is still fairly new (open 4yrs) but going to be looking for the 4th principal. So what does this tell you about how things are going at this school?? Why do so many of the good teachers leave every year??
--Submitted by a parent

Bullying got out of hand for my child at this school. The staff/admin were quick to respond, but it didn't keep the problem from happening again. And again. And again. My children attend elsewhere now and there is no more bullying. Also, a great or even good teacher is hit-or-miss.
--Submitted by a parent

My family just moved here and my daughter has attended this school for 5 months. I noticed that people posted that the "kids are kind and taught respect". I'd like to disagree. I have never had more issues with rude and mean kids ever. My daughter has a story every day. She never had problems at her previous school with teasing. There seems to be kids that back talk teachers and totally get away with it. Tell me how this teaches kindness or respect? They school has a great mantra about kindness and acceptance, but it is not enforced, so therefore useless. Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures of the school, like I was. It's not a good place and my child will not be attending this school any longer.
--Submitted by a parent

How does a school receive a GreatSchools' rating of 9 when, by 8th grade, 30% or more of the students fall *below* state standards in all areas of students.
--Submitted by a parent

As the parent of one child finishing his freshman year of college, and another finishing his middle school years, I have learned that the educational experience of your children depends upon what you bring to the table- dedication, commitment, responsibility and a desire to be prepared to learn. In this time of drastic budget cuts, these virtues are priceless and necessary for success in any environment. Going into our fourth year at DIS, this is a place where you can achieve your learning goals as long as you bring these tools with you!
--Submitted by Donna Lawton, a parent