Willow Creek Elementary School

We are just finishing our first year at WCE. We have three kids there: K,3,5. It is a very sweet school...not perfect, but all of my kids are so happy there. The teaching is solid (great for gifted kids too). The parents are involved, but certainly not psycho like some of the other posts inferred. The families we have gotten to know are deeply kind and good people. We have lived in Kingwood for 7 months and it feels like years because of the quality of friendships we have enjoys. Don't hesitate to send your kids there. And a comment at Riverwood Middle School that this school feeds into: our oldest daughter LOVES it. Imagine moving and starting a new school in 7th grade and loving it! Enough said.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family is new this year to Willow Creek and we have been very pleased with the school. Both my kids have gotten great teachers who challenge them. The staff and families are very welcoming and warm.
—Submitted by a parent

I don't know who the last reviewer is or what their issues may be, but I do know that we have had a great experience at Willow Creek. My son is a 2nd grader there and has had excellent teachers all 3 years who have gone above and beyond the 'requirements'. I volunteer at the school as often as I can (with younger ones at home), and have always felt welcomed and appreciated by teachers & staff. This truly is the best way to get a sense for what's really going on in class. My son's grade has many children who excel academically and his teachers have made great efforts to keep them engaged and challenged. Of course there are those with special needs, too, and their teachers are excellent as well, from what those parents have told me. Like many families, we moved here mainly for the great schools and we have not been disappointed. No school is perfect - especially with all the beaurocratic requirements put upon public schools - but Willow Creek truly does excel. Don't blame the school for the NCLB nonsense forced upon them by the federal government!
—Submitted by a parent

The academics at this school are below level. We moved to this area, looking at this "perfect 10" rating only to be sorely disappointed. I feel that this school cheats on the tests by teaching ONLY to the bottom of the class and ONLY to the test. The 10 rating is only based on what the bottom students re doing. It is an awful school for advanced students. They tried to hide what they were doing by not letting parents go into the classrooms and by withholding important information. THe principal just changed. The one that left was a complete NIGHTMARE. She was not helpful at all in meeting the needs of my child. My son learned absolutely nothing in the three months that he attended this school. We finally had no choice but to pull him out. Hopefully the new principal will be more honest and will have better standards....
—Submitted by a parent

Agree w/ the Nov. 3 post. The Principal changed again and school seems a bit in flux. There is too much PTA-directed events and the increase in early-release days(!), fundraising and overall party/event-related days is disrupting the instruction time. Academics need more priority. It is a good school, better than most. But the administration needs to step in and take back the schedule!! The daily emails for volunteer parents and contributions is out of control and the amount of non-staff at the school everyday is too much. It does affect the kids' ability to concentrate and be consistent in their studies. We have three children going through WC and how the non-academic emphasis does affect their progress.
—Submitted by a parent

My sons attend WCE and overall it is a good school. Good, not great. I think the environment is very safe and secure for the kids. However, I don't think the academics are that great. There is not a strong focus on academic excellence throughout the school and the district. If you want a nice, safe average school that will support your child, great. If you want a place that will challenge your child to do their best, be prepared to supplement. All in all, I need more and my kids deserve better.
—Submitted by a parent

Grandson started there this year and said everyone is so kind. Made him feel very welcome.

We love this school! The front office staffis welcoming and friendly. Sandy is always so helpful! The principal, Mrs. Thomas, is always visible and knows all of the students. She is friendly and is available to speak to us when we need to talk to the principal. My children love going to school everyday!
—Submitted by a parent

So far so good. This is our first year at Willow Creek, & I wasn't sure what to think after reading some previous comments. I am delightfully surprised at how much this schools has to offer: experienced teachers, unbelievable parental involvement, solid curriculum. The parents & kids are friendly (though, as always, it is harder to break into a group of kids who have known each other from kindergarten). There are opportunities for everyone to be as involved with the school & PTA as they want. I have yet to see anyone in a tennis skirt, though the families could be intimidating as they are affluent & very high achieving. This is also a lesson in acceptance & respect-you can't blame people for being attractive overachievers. I am just an ordinary mom & have found these folks to be friendly & accepting. Public school with private school feel.
—Submitted by a parent

It depends what you are looking for...an excellent education, teachers who are dedicated to each child's learning, strong and involved leadership (we have a new principal, and she is wonderful), a myriad of after-school clubs and activities, a dedicated PTA that offers so many opportunities for these kids, then Willow Creek is for you. So what if someone wears a tennis skirt up to the school, let's look at the big picture. I am new to the PTA this year, and I had no one in a tennis skirt fighting me for a job. I have found everyone extremely kind, friendly and willing to go the extra mile. If you are interested in a top-quality, success-oriented education, this is it. As for teaching to the test: reading comprehension, math, problem solving, writing, hmmm...all things we need to survive in this world. Willow Creek gets an A+ from me.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school, with alot of dedicated parents. Yes, it's not perfect, but what school is. I feel lucky that my kids go here - and Willowcreek kids all excell at Riverwood middle school.
—Submitted by Elise Bishop, a parent

This school is very competitive ...amongst the parents! The same very few parents do the volunteering because they hog all of the jobs. I would say there are a few positives at this school, but if I had to do it all over again, my kids would go some place else.
—Submitted by a parent

Is it a bad thing? To have very involved parents?'Declared' testing, not too many schools don't do this. You get$for low scores too. The principal stands her ground. Vp very personable. I appreciate all school staff members they know whose kid I belong to wow! Tennis wear sporting sahm? Is this worth time noticing? I work 50+ hours a wk & appreciate a peace of mind that the environment my children are experiencing at willow creek is obtainable for our family. Try growing up in an inner city type of school, or a school where less than 30 percent of the kids obtain a college degree, having less than 20% of the parents involved in the school. I have seen well rated schools having the pta have to raise high$'s just to keep programs alive in schools, you will not find this at wce. You will find proactive families at wce. Overall you are what you make it.
—Submitted by a parent

Willow Creek has been an excellent environment for my child. The teachers are top notch. They are very nurturing, yet still are able to teach the value of respect. The academics are taught so that each child can reach their potential. The parental involvement is unbelievable. Their PTA is one of the hardest working group of parents I ever been involved with. There are clubs that the kids can get involved with if interested. The decision to move into King's Point because of the schools was the right one for us.
—Submitted by a parent

Principal keeps her distance from the kids and parents-unless you're a problem! Affluent neighborhood, kids generally good, Moms are very involved, staff are very senior but tend to be complacent. Need more progressive teachers. Principal seems to set the overall un-friendliness of the school administration.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal at this school is difficult to work with. The main focus of the school is the TAKS tests. Avoid this school!
—Submitted by a parent

Our experience at Willow Creek has been an abysmal failure. If you want your children surrounded by an air of snobbery, and you want coldness and uncaring from the staff, and 100,000 moms in tennis outfits swarming around fighting you for volunteer jobs, then this school is right for you. They pressure the kids to the point of mental breakdown, and the principal...don't even get me started. If you are thinking of buying in Kings Point for this school because of it's test scores, run! Don't walk! There is a reason it's test scores are so high...they teach to the test! There are plenty of awesome schools in Kingwood without stepping into bizzaro world. My kids will not be back next year. I must say...I was warned but didn't listen because I thought it would be different for us. This school is awful.
—Submitted by a parent

Our children had a wonderful experience at this school. The teachers all seemed to work together as a team. The curriculum was very good. We have since moved and really miss the quality of education received here. The teachers encourage parental involvement which I think is great.
—Submitted by a parent

Willow Creek provides a very supportive and nurturing environment. 100% of the parents belong to the PTA, and parental involvement is outstanding as would be expected. There are a large variety of extra-curricular activities, especially clubs. Music and art play a small roll , but P.E. and outdoor activities are well addressed. Gifted programs seem to be lacking compared to those we experienced in other states. Overall this is an excellent school, that I would highly recommend to any parent.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school - well managed, caring dedicated teachers, best music teacher in kingwood. Disciplined school environment - kids are respectful and orderly. Many clubs including chess, gardening, science, reading, etc. Parents are extremely active in school.
—Submitted by a parent