Jackson - Via Elementary School

We moved out of district after two years here (my son's kindergarten and first-grade years). I miss this school VERY much. The teachers were wonderful, Dr. MacKay and Mr. Allers were incredible, and as another parent pointed out, the art and music programs were first rate. My son loved before and after school care. We miss you, Ms. Lee! My son is currently at a school that is rated much higher than this one and I am not at all happy with his experience here.
--Submitted by a parent

As children, neither me nor my husband attended public school and we were skeptical of the quality of education our oldest would receive from a public institution. We have to admit that the Kindergarten year with Mrs Bryant and Ms. Williams has been wonderful and we were quite impressed. We were also pleased with the participation of the parents and most of the parents are truly involved. Dr McKay and Mr. Allers work very hard to provide a loving, nurturing environment for all of the children and are often seen dancing on the roof or wearing goofy hats to celebrate a Jackson-Via triumph. I would recommend this school to anyone, but especially new-comer's to the area, as we know too well how confusing these reviews can be.
--Submitted by a parent

I could not have been happier with my son's experience at this school. I also disagree with the reviewer who felt the principal was out of touch: my experience has been that she is caring, intelligent, and fiercely devoted to the school and to her students. Art and music are excellent here, which is amazing given that so often children are not getting enough exposure to them in school any longer.
--Submitted by a parent

This school was a wonderful experience for both of my girls. The teachers and administration do a great job. The highlight is an intor to orchestra class in the 4th grade.
--Submitted by a parent

One of Charlottesville's best kept secrets. Two of my children have graduated from Jackson-Via and are doing quite well at city middle schools, and the youngest still attends. The staff is very caring. Class sizes are very small, allowing instruction to be personalized. The population is diverse both ethnically and economically, but the staff and families share the common goal of getting the best education for the students. There's a real sense of community.
--Submitted by a parent

We had a wonderful experience with my daughter's second grade teacher,(Mrs. Smith). The level of attention, expectation and dedication from the teacher and other staff was extremely high and my daughter really flourished. The C/LASS program provided quality care and activities for both my son and daughter before and after school. The staff is an outstanding, caring and professional group of people. My son's kindergarten experience was great. He learned alot and got any and all of the additional help he needed in order to succeed. The problem I have though is that the principal seems out of touch with the student/family population in general. The communication between faculty and parents when there are concerns needs alot of work. I was very disappointed that I was not notified when there were concerns.Some could have ended as very serious problems by the time I was informed. We're remaining optimistic this year!
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent! Both my children went to Jackson-Via from k-4. We couldn't have paid for a better education. Great teachers with tremendous commitment and enthusiasm. Highly recommend!
--Submitted by L, a parent