Brookside Elementary School

The students are engaged, motivated and happy. Teachers communicate well with the students and parents. Parent participation is very high in class rooms and activities.
—Submitted by a parent

Brookside has some good teachers, a stellar librarian and P.E teacher and a decent PTA community. The incompetent principal and school district are what muddy the waters. I'm not impressed
—Submitted by a parent

Nice school, nice teachers. Minimal bullying, quite a bit of parent involvement (moms & dads, including those that work), the librarian & PE teacher are great. The negatives: 1. The bus drivers are aggressive & block the fire lane daily (safety hazard). 2. The parking lots/walkways are not cleared of ice/snow in the winter. This caused injuries to several students, plus a car accident in the drop-off lane. 3. There is a clear preference shown to parents who are part of the PTA. 4. Pick-up for kindergarten 1/2 day program is confusing. We were told to pick them up in front of the school where all of the "visitor" spots are. That is also where the buses & school admin park (in the "15 minute" spots). There are no parking spots left for parents to use. So we either have to arrive 20 minutes early & sit with the buses blocking us in or arrive late & park behind the buses in the fire lane or park down the street. Now they have signs up saying "no cars allowed when buses present". 5. Afternoon pick-up is crazy. Parents aren't allowed to turn directly into the pick-up lane - we have to drive down the dead-end road, turn around in a privately owned driveway of one of the school neighbors.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was bullied at his old school and we moved to LFP to seek a better district and elementary school. Wow, are we glad we did. We love Brookside. My son's made several friends and bullying is not part of the culture at all. Brookside is such a wholesome school, it's the kind of place you send your kids to because you have a dream of them being innocent and learning and doing sweet fun educational things until they're ready for the more complex world. I love that they raise salmon from eggs and then release them into the wild, raise caterpillars into butterflies, etc., science is big there -- not to mention all of the music classes that are part of the curriculum. And the extracurricular offerings are out of this world. I mean, they offer Arabic class. I have two kids there and it's been an outstanding experience. My kids were ESL and a bit behind when they entered, but Brookside helped them get up to snuff in just a year.
—Submitted by a parent

We've had three kids go through this school; one k-4, the other 3-4, and the third is finishing K. The teachers we've had have all been TOP NOTCH...can't imagine getting better folks, private or public. Mr. Rogers, the library, and Matt Alford, PE teacher, are also amazing. There is reasonable economic and racial diversity - I would guess it mirrors or is more diverse than the neighborhoods which draw to it. This is something we like and is one reason we're not at Evergreen or Kings. The older kids have now moved to Kellogg (middle school) and to the Hi-Cap district program at Brookside, but they both miss Brookside and visit their old teacher regularly when they're picking up baby brother at Kindergarten.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great! My son has autsim and ADHD....the teacher he has had in the past two years has been totally AWESOME! He used to come home from school totally depressed when in a different school, now he comes home energized and happy. I will miss this school when he moves to middle school.
—Submitted by a parent

Brookside is a bit more traditional than some other schools, but they do a great job! I have never seen such a great group of teachers. Personally, I prefer the tried and true, traditional model of schooling. I love that Brookside uses spelling books from 1983, when spelling and grammar were still important and kids didn't rely on MS work for corrections. And that they use math worksheets to practice and memorize times tables, and that kids cant wear head phones, text, or wear hoods and hats in class. The PE teacher is also fantastic! And there are so many after school activities you literally have to pick and choose which your child can do - and most are free.
—Submitted by a parent

I am amazed that that no one has noticed the negative aspects of this school. If you love outdated lessons and teaching styles, punitive discipline, an incredible over use of paper, worksheets and a sterile environment, then this school is for you. This school lacks emphasis on creative and experiental learning. There is little diversity in this school. There is great parent involvement as it is in an affluent neighborhood, with many (moms) that are not working during the day. As far as public schools go, it is fine, but certainly not the haven that many parents seem to think it is.
—Submitted by a parent

Great community of kids, parents, teachers and staff working together to provide a strong learning environment! Supplemental art and environmental education, too, plus a variety of afterschool programs onsite.
—Submitted by a parent

What isn't fabulous about Brookside?!?! The teachers are PASSIONATE about teaching - Mrs. Travis in particular, the All-Day Kindergarten teacher is fabulous! We all love her! On the first day of school, she sends home a care package for the mom's which contains a teabag, piece of Dove chocolate, a poem, a kleenex and a cotton ball to hold in your hand while reading the poem, which represents the gentle spirit of your child! Then, the kids also get a care package with a poem, and items that tie into the poem (i.e. smarty candy, a hershey's hug/kiss). Mrs. Travis phones your home that night to check in and see what each child's experience was on the first day of school. Our twins love Kindergarten and Mrs. Travis and are up, ready for school at 7:30 each morning, dressed and all, ready to catch the bus because they love going to Brookside SO much! We chose to live in Lake Forest Park because of the reputation of this school district and my husband and his family all went to Brookside which has an excellent reputation! I can't even imagine being in a better school than Brookside - it is TOP NOTCH!
—Submitted by a parent

This is a fantastic little school. Terrific teachers, great community feeling, great parents, and wonderful kids. Academics are top notch, and I love how 6th grade students change classes, and go to camp. Ms. Paden and Ms. McGilvray are just fantastic teachers! Strong leadership in the principal, great office staff. Very organized and efficient. Feels very safe and comfy. I give this school at 10 out of 10!
—Submitted by a parent

Level of parent involvement is incredible. Academic programs are exceptional. No sports but music, art and reading/writing workshops.
—Submitted by a parent