Arcola Elementary School

Good quality teachers and the excellent Principal. Happy with the school performance. Front office Staff are arrogant and not fit to work in any school.
—Submitted by a parent

My Two kids go to this school and I am happy with their progress. I wish they have a track for kids to play.
—Submitted by a parent

We are very happy with this school and how well our child has excelled over the past two years here.
—Submitted by a parent

Awful, awful, awful. I should have paid close attention to the negative reviews before purchasing a home here. The front office staff is beyond rude and condescending. They lack basic curtesy and manners. Closer to the stereotypical DMV or post office employee. I regret the financial investment in a house zoned for this school. I regret putting my child into a clearly negative environment. I am yet to find ONE parent saying anything positive about Arcola. Heed the warning when you choose to live in this school zone.
—Submitted by a parent

Yes Mrs Owings is a great teacher. No comment about the staff/admin. I feel bad for some kids. Too much favoritism and poor action.
—Submitted by a parent

Too many politics,office staff are not welcoming !Mrs Owings in second grade is amazing,very good teacher and have open communication with parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Love this school. My kids have been taught in very creative and interactive ways. Staff is friendly, communicative and welcoming. We have yet to have a bad teacher--not only do some teachers email about things going on, some teachers just every so often pictures of activities your child completed in school that day. Very happy about amount of homework. I feel very at home when I walk in the door.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at this school and have been pleased every year with my kid's teachers. The teachers are very responsive to e-mails and give me a ton of feedback on how my kids are doing. Having heard from other parents at neighboring schools, I realize how lucky I am to have my kids at this school. Dr. Bowers and Mr. Jacques are very receptive to new ideas and get to know the students and parents. Love the staff!!
—Submitted by a parent

Too much politics and greed. Teachers Barry teach anything in the class. Communication with parents is poor.
—Submitted by a parent

As with most schools, there are strengths and weaknesses. The principal and counselor seem to be good at playing politics to avoid major upsets from parents, but the follow-through is lacking. For example, one teacher continues to armchair diagnose children in her class and call parents at odd hours and speak negatively about their child and discuss her own personal issues even though we were assured by admin that it would be addressed. This was two years ago and I know of several parents who are currently having the same issue. It's unfortunate because it continues to hurt families. Conversely, my child had an AMAZING second grade teacher in Mrs. Owings. If I could create the perfect teacher, it would be her! There are definitely some other great teachers there as well. The front office staff seems unhappy...not greeting entrants to the office or, doing so in a gruff and annoyed manner. They are the first impression of the school and they leave visitors feeling unwelcome and disrespected. Another issue that continues even though I and other parents have notified the school through the survey. Our experiences with Arcola have been hit or miss...here's hoping yours are all "hits".
—Submitted by a parent

I can not say enough about ARCOLA ELEMENTARY and its ADMINISTRATION (Mr Jaques & Dr Bowers) and teachers (resource teachers in particular) I have a Kindergartener with special needs. Anyone who has a child with special needs knows that you have to fight SO HARD for anything that will benefit your child, or so I thought. At Arcola Elementary, the administration, the therapists and the teachers all work together with your childs best interest as the goal. I am almost dumfounded, it is such an incredibly supportive, positive place to watch my child thrive. I have two older children in college and I have never been a part of such a school. A school that puts so much energy, time and effort into my childs well-being. Huge praise again for the incredible people who run this particular school. It is a jewel because of their efforts. Thank you thank you thank you
—Submitted by a parent

Very pleased with Arcola Elementary school! I have bee a parent at Arcola for two years and we have been very pleased with our experience. The Kindergarten team was top notch....the amount of planning and time that these teachers dedicated to their students is commendable. We received weekly assessment results, which allowed us to support our child at home, and most importantly helped the teacher focus their instruction. These teachers do not do the same old thing year after year- they address the needs of their students as well as help the students meet the standards of the curriculum. Our child's teacher was also extremely supportive with our needs, she met with us after school and responded to many emails we flooded her with. She was a true partner with us in educating our child! Our experience in first grade thus far has been excellent. The first grade teachers are a true TEAM, which is incredibly helpful for new and tenured teachers-new and fresh strategies are introduced while proven strategies are utilized. The amount of volunteering that occurs in the first grade classrooms is also commendable, these teachers encourage parent involvement, which is so important!
—Submitted by a parent

My child has had a great experience at Arcola. He is now a second grader who reads above his grade level. The credit for this is totally attributed to the great instruction he's received at this school. Administrators are engaged and leading in a positive manner. The parental involvement is exceptional.
—Submitted by a parent

LOVE THIS SCHOOL! I have 2 children that attend Arcola. From day 1 I have been impressed with the administration and staff. Every teacher my children have had has been great! My kids love school and I credit that to the teachers. Dr. Bowers is a great Principal that has a genuine love, care and concern for each of the children. In fact, when my oldest was in K he had a medical emergency at school. He had an illness that required him to be hospitalized. Dr. Bowers called every day; his teacher sent balloons to the hospital and brought dinner to my family. This is not something in their "job descriptions", this is true care and concern for a child. My children are challenged with the work but never complain. They love it! Great afterschool enrichment programs too! Lots of involved parents!!! Can t say enough great things about Arcola!
—Submitted by a parent

Poor Adminstartion, lies to parents, poor, untrained support staff. We were very disappointed and removed our child from this school
—Submitted by a parent

Children are not challenged enough. Teachers and princial do not want to work with parents. Favouritism & partiality are the also key factors. Hence absence of truth and justice.
—Submitted by a parent

In 2009, SOL scores were down almost across the board in third, fourth, and fith grades compared to 2008. For 2009, Arcola was below the county average in most SOL test categories for all three grades. It was by far the lowest-scoring in SOLs of the schools in its immediate area (Aldie, Arcola, Pinebrook, and Little River -- no 2009 data were available for Liberty). It's true that an 'it's all good,' rah-rah spirit comes from the principal and administration, but beyond that, real discipline is lacking. Bullying is still a problem according to quite a few parents, and it's not uncommon when visiting the school to see students roam the halls without passes. If you have an excellent student, mabe the test scores don't bother you. But it's a sign that more could be done academically compared schools with similar make-ups.
—Submitted by a parent

Excelent staff, Excelent communication with the teacher, Good and safe evironment. My Kids love their school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two kids in Arcola and I have been very satisfied. It is a brand new beautiful school. My kids are challenged with above grade level math and reading assignments based on their demonstrated abilities. Lots of after school programs were put in place this year (legos, science, baking, art, etc). Some lower reviews in 2008 may reflect the fact that it was the first year open and programs were still ramping up. There is some variation in teacher talent but that is true at any school. I have been happy with my children's teachers and the PTA is outstanding.
—Submitted by a parent

Arcola is a fabulous school with dedicated administration and staff. My children's teachers have been excellent. The positive atomosphere is felt as soon as you enter the school. PTA is also wonderful. We are extremely happy that our children are at this school.
—Submitted by a parent