Bella Vista Elementary School

This school is good, it has some fantastic teachers (ms conde and ms pembrook in K, ms tubb in 1st was amazing!!  ms weinberg in 2nd challenged my kids and ms zehr in 3rd also challenged my kids. I hope i have the same to say about the teachers for this next year. This school only does 2 field trips at the end of the year and i think there should be more. safty is also a concern, the gates need to be checked, someone could walk onto the campus and take a child, not all kids are affraid of strangers or can understand the danger. All in all I have been happy here.  I hope kids actually get homework this year, i've had them doing work books after school.  Bring back music art and PE, are kids are not getting all that they deserve.

I have two children in Bella Vista and they have been going for three years now.   I have slowly become more dissapointed in this school.   I found this site when I started l was looking up what grades should be studing.  I was trying to find worksheets for summer to keep my kids sharp, and also because we are considering home schooling after this school.

My children NEVER have homework, except 10 spelling words for the youngest and 20 minutes of reading anything for both of them.  After looking over this and other sites information on what grades should be learning I also realized that on a national level, my children are learning slower and are almost a full grade behind.  My daughter KNEW cursive when she went into 3rd grade, but was told she wasn't allowed to write in it until it was taught.  My son has been doing the same worksheets just with different words for over two months and not moved on.

My son is in 1st grade and when school starts is given two hours to get tasks done, without time limit per task.   The kids are being taught self control and responisbility by having to get worksheets, journals, readers and a test done on their own.... BUT if the system doesnt work for a child, as three in his class have trouble, they get seperated and told off.  I do not mind ignoring a child who is looking for attention, but when a child is having trouble completing work because they have no instruction, then get yelled at,  i do.

If I was a kid and I was still working on something while everyone else got to move on, I'm pretty sure I would watch them instead of finishing.  I asked for his unfinished work to come home as homework instead of getting piled on to the next days work, but was told he didnt need home work, he needed to finish it in class.   BUT Then i get letters saying there is no improvement and we need to talk to him.  I suggested multiple things for him in class and ask a few specific things so he can catch up but was told NO.  Then stop asking me to fix my child if you wont listen to my ideas or take my help.  

My eldest loves learning and is doing well, but I think it may be because she works at home not the way the school teaches.   She does alot of art crafts at school, reading and math.   Then comes home and studies science and reads on her own.  She is in 4th grade and still never has any homework, but she makes her own.   The book shelf in our house has more educational books then the library in Bella Vista.    Last year when she brought home an 'I SPY' book as her after school reader I was shocked.  That should be a fun activity to reward someone for finishing work early, not homework.  

My eldest wants to stay in school and since she studies on her own I dont see why she can't go.  But my youngest is struggling because when he doesnt know how to spell a word is told to just hurry up.   If he doesnt finish something, his teacher just moves the rest of the class to the next task and makes him sit there till its finished.   I would rather he bring his first task home as homework, and not miss out on new lessons.   He still aces all his tests, but is missing out on new information because instead of being helped, he is singled out.  We are seriously considering Home schooling or moving him to a different school.

IF your child Likes learning and studies on their own or you work with them, then theres not much problem with Bella Vista.   But alot of parents have been pulling their children because if your smarter, you are held back instead of encouraged to bloom.  If you have problems, your singled out and considered a problem child.   Hours were cut as well to save money, but they still have the same amount of recess.... I am happy that the kids are excited to go to school, but would prefer they learn something instead of playing half the day.