Ganns Middle Valley Elementary School

My daughter just started at Ganns. I have nothing but praises about this school. My daughter loves her teacher so much that she says she wishes she was in our family. Is there a higher compliment? The teacher does an excellent job of challenging & giving extra help to those who need it. Parent involvement is highly encouaged. I haven't had much interaction with the principal but she seems to run a smooth sailing ship. They do a great job communicating with the parents. The PTA does so much with the school. The overall 'feel' of the school is warm and welcoming both to parents & students. I would reccommend this school to anyone.
—Submitted by a parent

I am shocked that people are basing the rating of a school on car pool lines and the way the children are RESPECTFULLY taught to walk down the hall. After the shooting in Sandy Hook I would think locked doors would bring comfort not ridicule. Buses have to pull into the school's front lot. Not just for unloading but to pick up vocational students and to park for field trips. Parking should never be a reason to give a school 2 stars anyway...GEEZ! If you are looking for a school where the teachers works together to encourage children to be independent, forward thinkers then PLEASE disregard the petty comments and take it from a Mom that has witnessed the same consistency in teaching under two different principals. Both of my children left Kindergarten reading and this school really encourages reading. I have also witnessed an instance of bullying that was handled very appropriately. In 2011-12 the front desk girl wasn't the most pleasant person but she has been replaced with a delightful woman that is always helpful and kind. The PTA is great and they welcome and encourage all volunteers. GMVE consistently puts up great performance scores so rest assured you are in excellent hands!
—Submitted by a parent

As far as the actually school goes, my daughter and I absolutely love it! This is her 3rd year at Ganns and every teacher she has had has been absolutely wonderful. My biggest issue with the school is their crossing guard. I find it ridiculous that I can be in front of the school at 7:45 and my daughter can still be late for class because their crossing guard has no clue how to direct traffic. This is the 3rd year we have had this problem. I even changed my route i take to get to my daugter's school so that I would not have to get near the red light. The crossing guard pays no attention to what is going on and spends all of her time waving and smiling like a beauty queen that she doesn't even realize she has traffic backed up on both sides and no one can turn in or out of the school. Again, as far as the school goes it is great, however, tardy's can rack up quickly because you can not drop off your child in a timely manner.
—Submitted by a parent

Principal of the year!! Go Mrs. Hollis! The principal is extremely personable and very involved with the students despite her demanding responsibilities. Gann's is in desperate need of a vice principal to lighten Mrs. Hollis' load. She is constantly in the car riders line greeting parents, in the classroom observing her teachers, and standing at the front door hugging students as they come in. Parental involvement is great. The PTA is very involved. They celebrate, encourage, and reward reading. My daughter has attended Gann's for 3 years and she's always bummed with summer comes. She looks forward to school everyday!! Each and every one of her teachers have worked hard to ensure my daughter felt valued, appreciated, and motivated.
—Submitted by a parent

GMV is a fantastic school!!! My kids have been there for three years and we have been pleased every year. The teachers are wonderful and care about my kids and their education. The PTA supports the school and works well with the staff. To touch on some previous issues mentioned, all schools are locked. This is to ensure everyone signs in at the office as a visitor. Do you want just anyone going into your childs school? I sure don't. The traveling position is to keep order while walking in the hall. If I remember correctly, when I was in school we had to keep our hands down at our sides. I agree with the last post, if you don't like carpool then let your child ride the bus. Last and certainly not least, Mrs Hollis was named Principal of the Year in Hamilton County by other principals!!!! It is an honor that is well deserved. She is a blessing to this school, the students, teachers and parents. GMV is a great school!!!
—Submitted by a parent

If you want to see what your kids are doing, go to TN.gov and check out the standards for your kids grade level. That should get you pretty close. If you want to whine about the car riders line, stay home and let your kids ride the bus. If the "traveling position" bothers you, be a teacher for a day. There has to be rules even if everyone doesn't agree with them. I love GMVE. The principal is super. My daughter's first grade teacher was amazing. My daughter wasn't just given the same assignments as everyone else in her class. She was pushed to do better. She was given more challenging spelling words, books, and math. I appreciated the teacher's willingness to tailor my daughter's work assignments so she could be challenged and learn that with hard work, she can handle more difficult tasks. I appreciate the school being locked. There are a lot of fund raisers, but they are not even always just for the school (earthquake in Japan). The parents are very involved and there are MANY opportunities to volunteer! If you have a concern about classwork, you can always send notes to your child's teacher and ask...or you might try eating dinner as a family and asking your kid.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a 3rd grader and kindergarten student. We LOVE Ganns!!!! The school is "locked" for security reasons, I personally don't want just anyone walking in the building. I also like the traveling position, kids need to keep their hands to themselves. The traveling position gives them something to focus on. As for 3rd grade communication, the teachers are teaching the students more responsibility. They tell the students as 3rd graders they need to be responsible for homework and all assignments. It has been a difficult adjustment for me, as I like to monitor my childs work, but it has been a positive experience. I now trust my child when she says I have no homework today. Ganns is a fabulous school. Mrs Hollis is the greatest principal in Hamilton County. Test scores are improving year after year. Why this school is not rated a 10 is beyond me.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a 1st grader at GMVE. I'm sad to say that I am very displeased with the school. I don't fell comfortable sending my child into a school where i am LOCKED out and can't even walk my child to class... it kind of makes me feel as if they are hiding something. Also my child come home several times a week and tells me about things that happened that I feel they should have sent a note home about. I also do not like the "traveling position." Shouldn't children look like they are happy to be at school?
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school, it is wonderful!! I know because my 6 year old is in Kindergarten there!
—Submitted by a parent

I have been pleased with GMVE up until this year. Yes, Mrs. Hollis has done wonders for the morale of the school. However, she needs to do a little bit more for the third grade. It has been the worst of all our experience at the school. There has been little communication about what the kids are studying. The majority of the communications we've received were about fund raisers. Seems like every week we there's another fund raiser. I'm more concerned with what my child is studying than I am with what the next fund raiser is going to be. True, that speaks horribly about the Hamilton Co. Schools funding but it seems that this has been more important to communicate than what the kids are actually studying. Another thing I dislike is the traveling position. The kids march around like little soldiers with their arms crossed. Let kids be kids.
—Submitted by a parent

We as a family are extremely happy with GMVE. For the last four years, it has been nothing but wonderful. Each teacher has had a positive impact on our child's learning and has done so with care and concern. Mrs. Hollis is an excellent principal. She is always there to give the children a hug, a smile or share a word of encouragement. This school has a vision for each child to succeed and they all work together as a team to achieve that goal! We are grateful to be a part of such a FANTASTIC school. Go GANNS!
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children currently attending Ganns. My husband and I are both extremely satisfied with our school. Mrs. Hollis is an excellent principal and is extremely approachable. She is a person of integrity and a role model for my girls. I support her fully. Over the three years my children have been at Ganns, I can say I have nothing but appreciation for their teachers. My children do not want to miss a day of school and are actually disappointed when it is called off due to weather, etc... The car line issue is by no means a criteria to judge an entire school. It is run as efficiently as possible, with the children's safety as the first concern. We love our school.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has attend this school for 4 years now. I have a son starting school next year and can't imagine sending him anywhere else. As a mom that is very involved in the school, I can't understand the unhappy comments. You should come to the school during the day and volunteer. The teachers and the staff are great. The principal is awesome. Having been there under the previous principal, I can say without any reservation that she has done wonders in the school. She can name every child in the school by name and always has a big hug for each one of them! It is a rarity to find a principal that truly loves the children and wants the best for each of them. As for the money, if the county would fund the schools we wouldn't have to ask for help funding what the school needs!
—Submitted by a parent

I totally agree 100% with the last review, I too thought I was putting my son into a great school but all I have had with this school is problems. I am not happy at all with any of the staff including teacher. They are not the 'great' school some people think they are. I also do not like the system they have for dropping off and picking up and they don't want parents in the school. If you try to pull in the parking lot to go inside in the morning they block you and will not let you park . They do not keep parents informed on anything unless it's raising money for the school. I'm not happy with it all. I wish I didn't have to send my son there. Best of Luck to you!
—Submitted by a parent

I chose this school for my daughter, got her transferred and everything and the school has turned out to be a diaster. The system that they have for dropping off and picking up is ridiculous to say the least. Also, they are not very informative about things going on like they should be. Along with this the office faculty are not that friendly or helpful. If I had it to do over again I would not choose this school.
—Submitted by a parent