Shrevewood Elementary School

I have been a Shrevewood Parent for 6 years and will be there for many more as my youngest child hasn't even started attending yet. The staff at Shrevewood has always been welcoming, inviting and wonderful to my chlidren and to me as a classroom and school volunteer. They all seem to work very hard to create a strong academic foundation for the children and that is such a benefit in the long run.
--Submitted by a parent

They test a lot and teach less than other schools, meaning that they do not do enough practice. They have made grading meaningless, as they divide students according to advanced, or very advanced of remedial. My daughter is in remedial, and she does not see what the others are doing, although she gets 'A's there, but the others that were put in more advanced gruoups are doing something else, like next grade and she can not see what they do, so that she can keep up with them. Her friend gets C's in the advanced and my daughter A's so what do grades mean anymore? Our kindergartener had problems with his teacher and the principal suggested to send him directly to first grade, or maybe keeping him at home, as kindergarten is not obligatory in VA, instead of addressing the problems. Some teachers bully children and also parents and practice intimidation.
--Submitted by a parent

This elementary scholl is awesome! Teachers are great! My daughter is enjoying and learning a lot...Chinesse as well! :-)
--Submitted by a parent

Our son was in private school, but we decided to move him to public as the fairfax schools have such a great reputation. I had heard mixed reviews of Shrevewood. however, we have been extremely pleased with the quality of the staff, the facilities and the student to teacher ratio. My son is loving his experience and while I think the private school was a bit more academically challenging I do not feel he is 'losing out' in anyway. In fact, the I would say that the cultural and economic diversity of the students in the school represent a true cross section of society and therefore he will be extremely well equipped with an understanding of socio-economic differences and challenges. Ms Mccoy and her staff are simply excellent.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have attended Shrevewood for four years. During that time I have been extremely impressed by the dedication of the teachers and administration. This is a school where the teachers really care about your children. Mrs. McCoy is an outstanding principal. We have enjoyed the diversity of the school population. There is a program in the school for gifted learners, but it could use some improvement. We have loved the Core Knowledge curriculum. It is an integral part of all subjects including music and art. Shrevewood is a great school with committed and caring teachers.
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is in 2nd grade, and our son will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. We are very happy with Shrevewood. The teachers and principal are capable and dedicated. We are also very happy with the SACC (after-school care) program. The reading programs are particularly good - the person who wrote the rant about Shrevewood's reading methods was clearly an anomaly.
--Submitted by a parent

We have two children at Shrevewood and feel lucky to be there! We love the school -- its size and the commitment of the teachers and staff. We love its size as well. My children are known by almost every teacher there as well as the principal and asst. principal. We like the Core Knowledge curriculum (especially since the SOLs are based on Core Knowledge!)-- we get the book, 'What your --th Grader Needs to Know' each summer and get a head start on what the kids will be learning. Since we have a son, we are also thrilled that there are so many male teachers -- 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades have male teachers. We are also pleased with the class sizes. My daughter needs special help and we've been pleased with the special education program -- we know of families that have fought to get their kids in.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in third grade there, and my daughter is in kindergarten. We might have had the option to send my son to Haycock, a gifted and talented school, but decided ahead of time that, if he was accepted, we would decline because we were so happy with Shrevewood. Its teachers are loving, dedicated, well-trained, and excellent listeners. The school is the most diverse in Fairfax County, and racial or cultural strife is essentially unheard of there -- the kids just take it in stride that everyone is different colors and backgrounds. Love the Core Knowledge curriculum, too. Also, a very active PTA with activities such as children's book author visits, International Night, Wee Mail Delivery, and social events. Morale is great; Ms. McCoy the principal is the best!
--Submitted by a parent

My son is just finishing his third year at Shrevewood and we are delighted with the school. Shrevewood is one of the smaller elementary schools in Fairfax County and so far his class sizes have been small as well. The administration and staff are highly dedicated. The school is run in a very structured but loving style, and each child is valued and encouraged to develop their unique gifts. Shrevewood's student body reflects this areas' diversity both culturally and economically. The school uses the 'Core Knowledge Ciriculum' developed by E.D. Hirsch of the University of Virginia. In a nutshell Core Knowledge provides the basic knowledge American children need to learn starting as early as possible and revisits these areas in more detail as the children progress through school. This fall my 5 year old will begin kindergarten at Shrevewood and we are all looking forward to a great year.
--Submitted by Stephen Lethbridge, a parent

The biggest mistake I made as parent was sending my son to Shrevewood Elementary School. He was only taught the consonant sounds (no vowels). I was told that he was being taught phonics, but instead he was being taught Whole Language, a method of guessing, looking at the pictures for 'clues' and memorizing words. Besides myself, my neighbors have spent thousands of dollars remediating our children in order for them to be able to read. At Shrevewood, thousands of tax dollars were wasted on programs, such as Reading Recovery, which NIH has proven to be detrimental to children. I would never, ever send a child to Shrevewood. Simply put, the teachers don't have a clue as to what they are doing. For example, do you think esophagus is an appropriate first grade spelling word? Save your child (and yourself) from a painful experience....send your child elsewhere.
--Submitted by a parent