Hermitage Elementary School

The current principal, teachers, and other school officials are jokes when it comes to knowing how to solve problems. I have personally witnessed them all stand by while children are being bullied. How many adults does it take to stop a 7 year old boy from bullying? If you are afraid for your child's safety. Please do not send them to HES.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is wonderful. There are great teachers & the assistant principal is quick to handle disciplinary problems. However, there are a few teachers that need to move on f they can't handle how children act. Children are not perfect and they should not be punished for every little thing. Definetly needs to be more parent involvement in the school & PTA. Volunteers are so few & far between that they burn out the ones that do volunteer. Lots of military families & they are great about transitioning them into the school. Good communication between teachers and parents!
—Submitted by a parent

I have a son who has an IEP, and we have never had any problems with the staff. Infact, they have gone out of their way to help with both of my children. Both of my childrens teachers are in constant contact with us, and they also send regular updates so we know what is going on and what to expect. Overall, I am very satified with this school as are my neighbors whose children attend this school. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good school. Not to mention that they are a school that is ahead of the learning curve.
—Submitted by a parent

I had a child attend HES with an IEP. The lack of support that was given was astounding. Many of the teachers would pick him out and treat him horribly over the course of three years that he attended. I was very unhappy with the Teaching staff as well as the office staff (Principles). After putting up with this for three years I moved from the are just to change schools.
—Submitted by a parent

my son goes there and there is not one negative thing i can say about this school...education he is receiving here has yet to be anything but extrordinary
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended H.E.S. last year. This is a great school that has great teachers. The only thing I have to say that is negative is that they ask for a lot of donations. The PTA was fun and they had a lot of activities for the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have been to 3 different schools since they started school and Hermitage is by far the best. They are awesome with understanding the stresses on Navy families and they provide a supportive atmosphere for children whose parents are out to sea, provides support groups, and they want all their students to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Academically, my child has never had a problem with H.E.S. There were some teachers that would pick him out in his classes for whatever reason and he would be made their scapegoat for the rest of the year, but academically he never had a problem. He has been attended H.E.S. since 2nd grade and will graduate this year and has been on the Honor Roll every year. He's recommended for all honors courses in middle school and I attribute that to what H.E.S. has taught him. My only complaint is the scapegoat issue, but I think it only made him work harder to prove them wrong.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been at hermitage for 6 years and I think they failed horribly! I wish I would have moved along time ago. they are great if you already have a straight A student, but forget about a child who struggles.
—Submitted by a parent

Im a rising 6th grade student and i have been going to Hermitage since kindergarden! Im really sad i have to go to middle school because H.E.S. was so great. There were so much encouragement for our SOLs! The one thing i did not like was the favoritism to the kids with a parent who is very active in the PTA.
—Submitted by a former student

My kids have gone to Hermitage for over 5 years. They are truly the most dedicated individuals I have ever met. Hermitage is one of the best elementary schools in Virginia Beach. The children are treated with the utmost respect and have a wonderful and challenging learning environment. I consider my children to be very lucky to have their elementary school years spent with the Hermitage family.
—Submitted by a parent

The school did not do well for special needs children. The parents often felt their children were a burden to the school for many reasons. The principal was not well liked among the teachers, students or parents for her syle of mangement and people skills.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent of a first time Hermitage Student with an IEP I am extremely disappointed. We moved only part of our family back to this area for school because we felt it was better for her. I feel that moving here for a better school was not what I got. It took months to get anyone to listen to what I was saying about my child. They didn't seem to want to help or comprehend what I was saying. Very disconcerting that they feel the children are 'different' and they need less attention than the students with above average attitudes and grades.
—Submitted by a parent

Initially, I was very hesitant about the school. Only because my children were already attending an academic challenging school. However, on my first visit to Hermitage (during the summer break-01') I met the PTA president. She was very kind, warm hearted, and had a positive attitude. She assured me that I would be very happy with the staff and how committed they are to the students. Her sincerity, and strong support of the teachers and there genuine commitment to teaching the students convinced me that this school would be a positive transition for my children. And I must say I have been very pleased with the results. I thank the staff at Hermitage because of there warmth, and commitment toward helping and teaching every student. And this is what seperates you from the your surrounding schools. Thank you for working hard to educate all of your students.
—Submitted by a parent