Dogwood Elementary School

We moved into the area for this school, and we haven't been disappointed! My child's teacher is so caring and wonderful. The school is very organized and has tons of parent involvement!
—Submitted by a parent

The previous poster must have had a bad day. The school actually has a good mix of young and "seasoned" teachers, most of them highly motivated. Of course there is the occasional bad apple and yes it sucks to have a kid in one of these classrooms. But mostly, the school has very friendly, supportive, motivated, knowledgeable and caring teachers. It is by no means perfect, but some of the things that annoy me are problems of the system, not the school. Parental involvement is very high, even though there seems to be an elite club of parents making the decisions that makes it hard for newcomers to get into the circle. But they have the schools best interest at heart, and if they want to shoulder it all by themselves, more power to them. If you are really dedicated to get involved they will let you. Overall most people here seem to be proud of their school and it shows in students readiness to learn and parents offering their help wherever it is asked for. I agree, the official 100% PTA participation is basically forced, but the real participation is probably close to 90%. And that is great. So far, overall, we love the school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school's teachers have taught over 25 years, have been tenured after two years, and simply are hanging on just to retire. They are not open to new ideas, teaching methods, or continuing education. The leadership at the school is non-existent, the bullying at the school is not addressed, and the only reason there is 100% parent participation is because you have to join to get a class booklet! There is no nurse at the school, just a volunteer parent, and parents are required to pay for everything, as well as volunteer for everything, and therefore high grades are given to SCS district and the superintendent applauds the fact that they spend the least amount of $ on each student for the district in the state! It is ridiculous.
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood is an awesome school! We moved here two years ago and the reason we bought into this neighborhood was because of the reputation of Dogwood School. It has not disappointed us. The teachers are caring and dedicated, and the parent involvement is phenomenal!
—Submitted by a parent

I love Dogwood School, because of all of the dedicated teachers and parents.
—Submitted by a parent

The Kids enjoy the school and learn. They have enough extra events to keep them motivated
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood is a great school. It starts with two great and caring administrators and includes, teachers, parents, students and the community in everything that makes it top notch. The principals and teachers know all the students and call them by name. I could not be happier! My child rides a bike to school along with several hundred others. The healthy child initiative is strong at Dogwood.
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood is a great school. There are hundreds of kids walking, riding bikes to school and they are respectful and orderly. The education is top notch and there are good extracurricular activities. My child loves it and we are thrilled for our child to be able to attend a caring great school in walking distance fromour school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great it gets kids ready for middle school.
—Submitted by a parent

Way to go Mrs. Simpson for implementing the carpool line! The school administration has known my child's name from the beginning and that is impressive to me! We've had a tough year due to a special needs child but we are working through it. Unfortunately, this is something that all public schools must work through. I'm writing in response to a couple of other reviews left in 2007. The reason Dogwood doesn't go on many fieldtrips is because this is such an affluent area. Most of the children in this school get to go on many educational and cultural trips. It is an indulgent school that can't justify the risk of a fieldtrip. Instead, the parents are able to pay a few dollars and bring the events inside the school - so way to go! I'm not sure I want my kids on a bus anyway.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a Dogwood parent for many years now and have seen some changes both positive and negative. But throughout these changes one things is for certain, the children are happy and are receiving the best education that a public school can provide (the test scores prove that). With the added support of a strong PTA group, the school has been able to do things that some other schools can not. Dogwood has a large range of activites for all grade levels and adminstrators along with the help of parents continue to come up with ideas to continue to keep the children engaged. You could not ask for a better school for your child to get their early education in. Our teachers and administrators truly put our childrens needs first.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been very pleased with the education our children have received at Dogwood. The teachers clearly don't do this for the paycheck, but rather for the chance to make a difference in a child's life, and they do. In every area of staffing at this school, from the Administration, Teachers, Specialists, and support staff there is the highest level of commitment to providing our children a quality education. In addition to a strong curriculum there are marvelous programs provided to enhance the students' experience, including Fine Arts, Science Action, and Reading Enrichment. There are a number of activities where children can get involved such as Safety Patrol, Student Advisory Board, Trash Can Band, Chess Club, and Drama Club. There are a multitude of ways parents can engage, both in the classroom and through activities such as Book Fair, Winterfest and Field Day.
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood is a great school. It has undergone many new changes, from administration, to new offices. Parents are welcome to talk to the principal and she listens to our needs. For example, in the 30 years Dogwood has been open, there has never been a carpool line. The parents expressed their concerns and now there will be one. My only concern is that we though 4pm is late for dismissal, I would hate to be in a carpool line at 4:30pm! It is a great neighborhood school where everyone knows everyone and they really pay attention to each child's and parents needs. The high test scores are a result of the teachers, students, parents and community. Way to go Dogwood.
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood School is one of the best elementary schools in our community. We moved to this area because of the reputation of the school and we have not been disappointed. As the parent of two older children who attended Dogwood and one still at the school, I continue to be impressed with the academics. The school provides enrichment for the gifted students and resource opportunities for those who need a little extra help. With parental support, the school also offers a Science Action lab, reading enrichment and Fine Arts program to enhance the classroom academics. In addition, the school offers several before-school activities such as the Drama Club, the Chorus and the Dogwood Trash Can Band. The teachers and the administration work diligently to continue to provide the education we have come to expect despite budget cuts that put a strain on the school system as a whole. They should be applauded for their efforts and for their devotion to our children s education.
—Submitted by a parent

I think the principal does well with what she has, there are just too many restraints on what she can do. This whole school system is crazy especialy the hours. No one is happy and private has become the way to go which is a real shame.
—Submitted by a parent

The safety issues of not having an afternoon carpool line is terrible. The hours are awful, it's difficult to fit in any after school activities. There is no team sports from the school. There are no field trips, which is very bad. There used to be a field trip to the Orpheum but sadly no longer. PE is only twice a week for 30 minutes, the playground is not very good. The PTA is held in the morning when working parents can't go and they same people go and decide everything for everyone. I think the teachers are the only asset this school has because they are awesome, but this school could be great with better leadership, more parent involvement (instead of the clique-ish PTA), and a welcoming committee. The school could be cleaner, too. The hours and the lack of afternoon carpool cap the stack.
—Submitted by a parent

Dogwood is good school with a solid toolset of educators, administrators and facilities. I found my daughter to be challenged with standard curriculum and enrichment activities while simultaneously having fun with her peers. If there was one problem with this school it is the over-involvement of a small sub-set of parents. Frankly, there are some parents who question (without merit) the decisions of the educators and administrators. I believe this under-mining of school authority makes up a majority of the otherwise small set of problems the school deals with daily. Overall, Dogwood is an excellent school. You will not go wrong placing your children there.
—Submitted by Ike, a parent

Dogwood seems to be living mainly on reputation the last few years. The two years my daughter attended I was unimpressed with the academics; I saw her struggling in math and reading, yet she always brought home A's and B's---it made no sense to me. When I had concerns, I had to be the one to bring it to the teacher. The office staff is very cold and unfriendly; I never felt welcome to just visit---would always get the 'third degree' if I didn't have an appt. The learning enviornment has little to no flexibility in teaching or meeting some student's needs. My children are now in private school enjoying the smaller, more welcoming environment.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Germantown having a full experience of elementary schools from around the country, including public, private, and parochial. Relatively speaking, it's OK. The kids have made friends easily, which is a real plus. The academics and resources are questionable, certainly not at the level we're used to, but not hideous. The office staff and some teachers are unfriendly. The parents don't have an organized way to greet and incorporate new families- it's a shame, because it seems that over time we have met nice families. The resources are pathetic, no field trips, no computer class, limited days of PE. We plan to leave our kids there, for the 'real world' experience, and know that they thankfully have high IQ's so it doesn't really matter.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had a wonderful time at Dogwood with the exception of 5th grade where there is less than a week of homework the entire year! How can 5th be such a weak year for such a wonderful school? 5th grade needs to be stronger.
—Submitted by a parent