Ardmore Elementary School

I loved Ardmore. I had 2 kids that studied at Ardmore and I could never understand why people avoided this school. My daughter were always very lucky and had always great teachers that were able to challenge them and keep them working hard and improving. One of my kids left the school in her middel school years to joing the Gifted program and I am thankful to the Ardmore teachers by helping her get there. With classrooms that have kids in a variety of academic levels, the teacher were always very capable and knowledgeable to keep the class moving forward and in control allowing all the kids to progress and evolve. The new Principal is very approachable and very good at what she does!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is beautiful and the staff is awesome! They are very helpful and address to your questions carefully and with full determination. My son is in 1st grade and this is his first year in the school. Initially we were a little tensed about how he'd adjust with new surroundings, but his teacher is extremely caring and on her toes to help kids. The whole staff is a bunch of enthusiasts who are willing to teach your kids with new challenges ready for them which makes studies so exciting for them. They are very welcoming and approachable. New office manager (Mrs. Nordstrom) is very polite and dependable! I've loved this school and am sure, though I don't know half of the staff because I don't interact with them much, they all are excellent!!
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in Kindergarten at Ardmore and we love it there. I just read the last post about recess and before school arrival "chaos." I would have had to agree. However, the things have been changed after parental concern. Now, the waiting areas are spread out in the am with the littlest kids in one area and the bigger kids elsewhere. Lunch recess has also been revamped. I feel like kids will be kids everywhere and it is our duty to be involved if we see anything that we don't like. The actual curriculum, staff, and code of conduct is awesome. My son has 3rd and 5th graders that help his reading group. He loves it. They have a beautiful, fully rebuilt school. The Principal is awesome and the new office manager, for that matter, is on the ball.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers/curriculum are great. However recess is poorly supervised which leads to kids who can get away with "playing rough." Pushing, pinching, bad-mouthing are common occurences. Some of the younger kids get lost in the shuffle. More supervision would minimize all this and lead to kids feeling safer on the playground. In addition, before school students are not supervised AT ALL. The waiting area is in the gym which is partitioned off in such a way that it is much to small to safely fit all the kids. The children are crowded in there while they wait for their teachers--it is possible that this is even against fire codes. The few parents that walk their children in feel obligated to stay until the teachers come, because it's pure chaos in there.
—Submitted by a parent

We love our school (starting with our son, who really loves it). The teachers, staff, facility and curriculum are great. The principal (Yuko Porter) is seriously amazing - very intelligent, active, and committed to the scuccess of students. We feel like everyone there is "on top of things" at the school and our son is making great progress. It's strange that the school's test scores are low, but I suspect the large number of immigrant kids who don't speak English natively are the immediate cause of that. The school includes many "Microsoft kids" and others who've just moved to the US and thus have trouble with tests for a short time. But at Ardmore they seem to catch up quickly and move into the mainstream. Meanwhile, all the other kids get what they need, whether they are gifted, need extra help, or are somewhere in between. In other words, don't let the test scores paint a negative picture of Ardmore! There is more to the story, and it's a story about a great school. The only deficiency might be relative lack of parental involvement, but again, I think that's a cultural divide in which immigrant parents aren't conditioned to think they should volunteer in some capacity.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. While there are some families that do send their kids elsewhere (as noted in a previous review), there are many kids from the immediate neighborhood who do attend Ardmore, including ours. The teachers are excellent, finding ways to challenge or help the students as needed. The new facilities are great, very open and warm. I've met many wonderful, down to earth families and I have no qualms about sending our younger kids there in a year.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter joined kindergarten at the end of the school year. She was amazingly welcomed to the school by both staff and students. The adjustment period was short. Since the first week she came home with books to read that fit exactly her reading level. It was clear that the teacher had sat with her and checked exactly her reading level. After the first couple of days she announced she already has a best friend (and then second and third best). Overall we had a very good experience, the school atmosphere is very warm, personal and well organized. The new building is amazing.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have been at Ardmore for 6 years now and I am so happy I did more than just look at average test scores! The teachers are very smart, approachable, and keep standards high for the kids. Extra challenges/extra help are available and my child who is now in middle school is excelling! Most important for me, both of my kids were known and appreciated for who they are--Ardmore's slightly smaller size makes it easy for kids to feel accepted.
—Submitted by a parent

Im a student at ardmore,and I know that if there are three things for me to say about this great school they are: 1. Ardmore will give you a very warm welcome, 2.The teachers are great and encourge you to push yourself, 3. Its a fantastic school!

This could be a great school, but it does not reflect the community it serves. Those who live in the neighborhood tend to send their kids elsewhere. Most kids at Ardmore are bused in from poorer areas. I have nothing but positive things to say about most teachers at this school. They are highly qualified and do the best with what they have. However, there is a very loud, grumpy 5th grade teacher who gives the school a bad name by yelling loudly at children for minor infractions (PMS?).
—Submitted by a parent

The teacher and other staff was great, very helpful and the only reason why Im giving this school 3 stars, in the other hand the front desk lady feels really rude and the principal felt selfrightious.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my daughters first year here and I have to say that I really love the staff and her teacher Ms MacPhee! I feel she pays great attention to my child and always feel welcome there.
—Submitted by a parent

My son goes to kindergarten this year. For the first month they kept changing teachers so they didn't need volunteer until they found a new teacher who just graduated. Unless I go to school volunteer, otherwise, from the folder he brings back each day(no homework/no cirricumlum/not much school work) I totally have no idea what he is doing at school. I heard other teachers in one good school sends notes to parents once a week, reporting what and how students do and ask for parents' opinions. But this school only report you once at the end of semester. My son did well only on things that I taught him before. He felt my homeschooling is fun while school teaching is boring. The parent involvement rate is low as well as the school involvement. That only office lady is extremely rude and the principal is always too busy to reach.
—Submitted by a parent

- Academic programs are not as challenging as they really should be. - Extracurricular activities are available but limited to a few. - Parent involvement is there but could be improved.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in 2nd grade at Ardmore elementary. I think they are too relaxed about homework and assignments. He does not bring home any graded papers and homework is not graded. My son says he is bored in class. The school does not have a program for accelerated learners.
—Submitted by a parent

Ardmore is a friendly, multicultural school that is challenged by not only the diverse cultures, but by the economic differences of the students. My daughter has attended for two years and absolutely loves it. The Principal is very responsive to all issues and conserns. The added resources like the aftershool reading program has impacted my childs academic reports tremondously. Ms. Persinger in particular is an excellent example of the quality teachers Parents look for, she not only gives everything she has to her class, but participates in the lives of all students by running many other programs on her own time. Overall a very positive school and great Teachers.
—Submitted by Patricia Flores, a parent

I believe that Ardmore is a good quality school. it has it's up and down like all schools do. I think that they create a strong emphasis on groups and team work. This creates strong work ethics and developes important people skills need in later education. It has what I would consider above average teachers who work well with the students. They are not the best but they are good. I went there for 3 years and am now getting good strong grades in High School (3.68)GPA with all Honors and Advanced Classes. I am a year ahead in math and taking colege computer classes, not to mention sports. Overall I would say that Ardmore is definatly a quality school to send your students to.
—Submitted by David Anderson, a former student

I have had three children attend Ardmore, and currently, my youngest child is a student there. Once upon a time, Ardmore was an extraordinary school, offering unique eductational opportunitites. Ardmore used to be a great school; now it is just average. The curriculum teaches the WASL test; the kids spend virtually all of their time learning test taking skills, and they've lost other very valuable kinds of teaching that used to occur at Ardmore, including Shakespeare classes and performances and nature studies. The classes are small, and fairly diverse (for Bellevue), and the teachers are mostly young and new to the school (with one or two notable exceptions; most of the experienced teachers have left). It's not a bad school; it's just not as good as it used to be.
—Submitted by a parent

Great Staff! Very involved and concerned about the kids.
—Submitted by a parent