Green Lake Elementary School

Simply put, Greenlake is an outstanding school where the teachers and staff are committed to the academic, physical and moral education of the children entrusted to them. I have a son and a daughter in this school and they are thriving and enjoying the classroom (this comes after my son spent two years at a school where he hated to attend and was labeled as a having a behavioral issues). The Principal is accessible and involved and there are more programs and volunteers than anyone could hope for, so much that I feel my children are receiving a private school education. They also have a great program for children with special needs which is integrated into the school. The PTA could do a better job reaching out to new parents (we seem to be on the outside trying to find a way in to this group), but they care about the school's success nonetheless.
--Submitted by a parent

We are in our fourth year at greenlake elementary and have nothing but great things to say. The PTA is very involved and raises a significant amount of money each year to fund extra programs for students both in the classroom and after school. The teachers are amazing- very dedicated and innovative. There is a new classroom configuration this year which was entirely teacher-driven. Kids do "homeroom" in a multi-age setting then split off for science and math which is grade-based. It requires a lot of collaboration between teachers and you can tell that they are accomplishing this. It allows kids to expand and be pushed in ways that were not previously possible. With a floating extra teacher, they have reduced class sizes for math to below 20 in many cases. Oh, the new principal is great too.
--Submitted by a parent

We transferred into this school in fourth grade, after going to private school, and have been underwhelmed by the experience. The school is not a very welcoming place for newcomers, the curriculum is okay but administered haphazardly, and parental involvement is divided between the PTA folks who are very involved and the others that no one ever sees even at events their children are participating in. The staff has changed since several of them decamped for the reopened McDonald Elementary; it could be argued that the good folks were cherry picked and the 'ok' ones remain. All that said, we love Mr Kunkel and cannot think of enough good things to say about him. School has band, swim lessons at Green Lake Evans Pool, all classes have vocal music this year, and a full time school nurse (and of course, the north end school for special populations - formerly known as the handicapped kids who are well-integrated into the larger population). They are trying hard to make lemonade out of the lemon of a school they are stuck with, but sometimes I wish they had tried for remodeling money when the district was flush with cash.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school with an absolutely outstanding PTA/Community!
--Submitted by a parent

I grow more disappointed every year about this school. This is our third year in the school and we feel that things swing in different directions but no one really knows which road to take. Wonder if my kid is really learning in depth or just being taught to fulfill fit the district requirements. I don't think kids are aloud freedom to express themselves fully in their work like writing (content) but the teachers are more interested in wether they are drawing their words perfectly to their district standards. The different learning styles and types of intelligence are not being taken in consideration when teaching or addressing each child needs. The school has some good things in place but they are not being use to their full extent. The parent community is very involved but mostly they are the veteran parents the new ones seem a bit lazy.
--Submitted by a parent

I am impressed with how this school meaningfully and wholly involves children with various levels of disabilities. It is heartening to see children with and without disabilities working alongside each other. While class sizes are quite manageable in size (20-25) for the lower grades, differentiation of instruction is not a concern of this school's curricular design. Teachers at this school are not encouraged to teach creatively in order to meet each student's needs. Rather, it is a simplistic approach to meeting the minimum requirements of the District (i.e. kids completing assignments over truly learning the material). It is a classic case of fitting all kids into the bell curve: Bring the top down and the bottom up so everyone fits into an easy package. It's not about teaching children, it's about making teachers' jobs easier. I'm not impressed. But the people are nice if that's what's important to you.
--Submitted by a parent

We are in our last year at Green Lake and will be very sad to say 'goodbye' as we move on to middle school. Green Lake has been a great neighborhood school; many wonderful teachers (a couple of clunkers, but that's true everywhere), strong administration, and super community. The kids all know one another, and teachers are great with looping, mixed-aged classes, and the open classroom; all have been great experiences for our child. I would happily recommend Green Lake to anyone, but I especially want to keep the neighborhood school concept strong, so I hope other families in the area will consider it.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is fantastic. Kindergarten programs and teachers are wonderful. Parents and overall school community are a force to be reckoned with. The school is warm and inviting. Mornings are a flurry of chatter and togetherness as you will spot many parents conversing in the halls (everyone is so friendly) and kids eager to get to class and begin the day. The phys ed Ms.Sipes is so great with the kids. This year I had the opportunity to watch her teach the Kindergarten kids the fundamentals of water safety and beginner swim during swimming time, and I must say this was truly a delight. The kids all love and respest her. Mr.Hanson (Kindergarten teacher) rocks. My son simply adored this man and he really cares about the kids. I can't wait for my daughter to start this school next year!
--Submitted by a parent

I have had 2 kids go through Green Lake aand we love the community feel and the wonderful range of programs offered.
--Submitted by a parent

Our first grader loves Green Lake. His class looped with their K-teacher allowing wonderful continuity with a terrific teacher - kids and parents agree! While the open classroom our son is in poses some challenges when the kids get verbally excited, it also teaches them to respect the other classes and their need for controlled voices so that everyone may learn. Our has discovered the artist in him this year and loves the afterschool chess club. I can't say enough about the parent involvement: in classrooms, before/after school activities, and PTA activities. We are a close knit community that welcomes new faces into the family!
--Submitted by a parent