Great Neck Middle School

My student is now in the 8th grade and has attended for two and half years. Great Neck Middle School is an excellent school with a staff that pushes students and guids them towards excellence as well as achieving individual goals. The sports activities are great, coaches are infuential and encouraging. Great learning enviroment. Since attending GNMS my student has recieved Honor Roll each grading period!
—Submitted by a parent

The new school is amazing. The kids just moved into a beautiful high tech school. The community is very affluent and sometime you can see it in the students. The teachers are compassionate and well educated. Education is a priority at this school and students are driven to perform. The only complaint I can say about the school is that since it is new the students have little freedom. There are more students then opportunity to participate in sports or other activities. We went to tryouts and there were more people cut than accepted. It appears the school could use more than one level of each team. BTW: We love it here!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My child is in 7th grade and we are a military family that moves alot. My kids have been in the DoD schools and have been doing good, but now that they have started here at GNMS my childs grades have went to B,C and D's to all A's. The teachers are very involved in helping the students at GNMS. They believe in their students and that made my kids believe in themselfs too. Thank you GNMS!!
—Submitted by a parent

I would say the middle school is average, but above average for most of Virginia Beach.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a Great Neck student and I believe it is the best school out there. I have been fortunate to have some wonderful teachers. If you are going to have a student go to Great Neck for the sixth grade, then be sure to request the orca team. the teachers have worked together for about30 years and really know how to teach it is hands on and a blast. Our school's Student Council Association is also one of the best and is sponsored by the ever popular Mrs. Lyons. Also the electives are great rongly suggest Spanish with Sra. Temoche. She is funny and a wonderful teacher. It does have its downfalls, but great neck is the best midle schhol at the beach!
—Submitted by a student

GNMS does not live up to it's hype. This is an average school at best. Being a military family returning from overseas I would rather see my child in a DODDS school over this one. The teasing is terrible from both military kids and civilian kids. The coaches are concerned with winning and not giving everyone a chance to play. Some of the teachers are extremely fair while others will let your child be in a failing status without contacting you or leaving it up to the child to tell you they are in trouble with their grades. Anyone with a teenager knows this is a recipe for disaster. If you are searching for a place to live and think this is a perfect school for child then you should know it is only an average school; I didn't have enough word count to mention everything we experienced at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am the parent of soon to be sixth and seventh graders at Great neck Middle School. Fortunately for us, this school isn't the most horrible one we've come across in our transfers and travels, but it certainly does have it's downfalls. I expected much more from this school, and am by no means impressed with them on an overall level.
—Submitted by T. L., a parent

I am currently attending sixth grade at Great Neck Middle School and I love it. My teachers are all nice and I am learning a lot. We learn by doing fun things. Like right now we are currently doing a play for the Shakespeare festival and I am learning a lot about his writings. The electives are my favorites because you get to chose what you want to learn about and not what you have too. I love Great Neck and wouldn't want to go anywhere else.
—Submitted by a student

Great Neck is a good school, but if you have a child going there or are going yourself, be aware that it has a ton of cliques, and the cliques WILL single you out. Some teachers are extremely involved, while others are not, and the students are often usually given the FULL blame of their downfall in grades. These are only the negatives of Great Neck, it is, however, an excellent school.
—Submitted by a student

Right now I am an 8th grader attending Great Neck Middle. I don't think this school has a very good teachers. Too many teachers so much favoritism, and the school needs to be more racially balanced. Lots of kids get teased and joked at school and not everyone gets equal punishment. One kid may chew gum in class and get a detention and another kid may chew gum in class and just get a warning. So overall I think Great Neck needs to improve their staff, and fairness to the students.
—Submitted by a student

I am currently an 8th grader, rising 9th grader at GNMS. I transfered here recently. VA beach schools are not very good schools to be honest. On my first day here at GNMS, I saw a few kids using drugs, mainly narcotics. I found it shocking. My advice, as a kid who actually goes to the school, if you have a choice, avoid VA beach schools at all costs.
—Submitted by a student

I am not a parent-Currently I am a rising 9th grader to soon go to Cox. I love GNMS. The teachers are great they really try to get to know there students and help them if they have a problem. Those teachers have helped some very bright students go as far as they can and some are even going to the IB program at Princess Anne. Great Teachers. Great Extra Curriculars.
—Submitted by a student

Overcrowded; make no accomodations for ADHD kids without parents making a major issue about it, and even then it's not done well. We finally home schooled our child because her 7th grade experience was so horrible at GN. We plan to send our son to another middle school in the area and avoid GN at all costs.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm not a parent but a past student. The school is a very good one. The teachers are first rate and do care about the childen. Word to the wise though, Great Neck is very cliche so encourage involvement in some extra curricular activity so that your child doesn't get left out.
—Submitted by a former student