Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: April 6, 2024

As an elementary teacher in the county and a parent to elementary children, I have witnessed firsthand the positive results of great teaching that occurs in the school. My children come home absorbing the strategies be it in reading, writing or math and implementing it. We have been blessed with amazing kindergarten thru 5th grade teachers! If we ever shared a concern either emotionally or academically about our children, the appropriate supports would work with us and our kids finding the right effective solution. In my opinion, 5 stars for Matsunaga!!

Posted: April 6, 2024

Posted: February 15, 2024

Not sure why the ratings of this school have gone down...something weird in the greatschools algorithm that this school which was rated at 9 and hasn't changed anything but the rating now has gone to 5...this needs to be looked into.

Posted: February 15, 2024

Posted: February 15, 2024

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Posted: February 15, 2024

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Posted: February 15, 2024

Posted: January 6, 2024

We moved here after attending two other elementary schools, one in state and one out of state. All four teachers we’ve had at Matsunaga have been excellent, extremely communicative and invested in pushing our smart kid who requires some extra support for behavior. The administrators and counselors are also communicating well, supportive and available. The parents are welcoming and friendly. We love the diversity. The PTA plans food fundraisers and fun community events periodically during the year like a science fair, trunk or treat and more I’m sure I’m missing.

Posted: January 6, 2024

Posted: January 6, 2024

Posted: January 6, 2024

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Posted: January 6, 2024

Posted: May 12, 2023

Excellent academics… very competitive. Always looking to improve academics and state testing. Many kids come into kindergarten reading at 2nd grade level. Has a gifted and talented program.

Posted: May 12, 2023

Posted: May 12, 2023

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Posted: May 12, 2023

Posted: May 11, 2022

Terrific school with great teachers and friendly office staff.

Posted: May 11, 2022

Posted: May 11, 2022

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Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 13, 2018

Absolutely Average. i totally agree with the parent's comment that says the school is more catered towards stay at home moms. PTA is absolutely pain in the behind, they think all parents have the flexibility to attend the 10,000 meetings they have in a year, have no better job to do (not at all flexible with working parents) and the amount of fund raising I haven't seen in any other schools. And absolute show-off school.

Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 13, 2018

Posted: November 25, 2017

I see a lot of grown in my son

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: November 25, 2017

Posted: August 31, 2016

This school allows many learning abilities to kids more than other schools and its very high educated

Posted: July 6, 2016

The amount of homework is fine. Only about one page per day (in 3rd grade, at least) of each subject. Communication from the teacher about bigger projects, however, was seriously lacking.

Posted: July 6, 2016

I'm beginning to think that this school only works for more affluent parents with stay at home moms, and it is very clear to me that this school only cares about it's ratings, NOT it's actual students.

We've had to move a few different times and my daughter has been in 3 different elementary schools. This one, in my opinion, has been by far the worst.

Her teacher was absolutely unwilling to ever do more than the bare minimum when it came to communication with me. I was never able to do conferences with her because she wasn't willing to stay even just 10 minutes longer to wait for me to get out of work and get to the school. The only option she ever gave me as an alternative was to call her on her lunch break, but I don't take lunch at the same time. She knows that she can very easily get a hold of me via email, but never once bothered to do so, knowing that I am very busy during the work week (even during the weekends), with two jobs. She also never reached out to me for anything. Every time we ever talked, I had had to reach out to her after extended periods of never hearing back from her. And those conversations were basically just her telling me that she'd like to talk to me and I could call her on her lunch break. I have never had a teacher so completely unwilling to make such small compromises for a parent to discuss a student's progress in class. I've also never had a teacher who only held their conferences until 5:30 - 6 pm. Every conference I've attended (and I've attended *every single* conference until my daughter started going to this school) was between 7 and 8 pm.

And that's just the teacher. Don't even get me started on the administration...

My daughter was being bullied constantly and I only ever received one call about it... when she was kicked in the face by a classmate. Later that week, the same classmate punched her in the face, to the point that it bruised and she got a bloody nose, and the school never contacted me. How was that kid even able to be that close to my daughter in the very same week that he had kicked her in the face??? But they can get a hold of me multiple times in one week about ridiculously petty issues like her having her emergency cell phone in her hand when she got off the bus, even though they had a permission slip in the office for her to have it that THEY had asked me for.

Posted: July 6, 2016

My daughter's "grades" slipped every marking period and her teacher was completely unwilling to ever alter her schedule just the tiniest bit to meet with me and discuss it. She also knew that email was the best way to get a hold of me and never did, even after multiple attempts from my side.

I wasn't able to make either conference, because the teacher was never willing to stay past 5:30-6. Three different schools and I've never missed a conference for my daughter... and none of them have ever been in such an early time frame.

This school clearly only caters to affluent parents with stay at home moms.

Posted: July 6, 2016

This school does not know how to handle their bullying issues... and there seem to be A LOT of bullying issues at this school.

Posted: November 19, 2014

Overall the school is great. The only thing is that they give the students way too much work. They expect that their work is finished by the specific date and if it's not finished, the student will get a bad grade.

Posted: June 9, 2014

Very displeased with this school's ability to manage problem children it knowingly admits to into the school. Multiple times this year I have had to write about problem children. In fact, a problematic child has been repeatedly abusive to mine and other children. The pattern is the same. Children report the verbally abusive child to the teacher, the teacher sends the child to the office, and the problematic child repeats the behavior the next day. Over and over this happens yet the administrators say the problematic child receives "consequences" but no one is allowed to know that or be made aware of them. When a parent comes face to face with that problematic child and the become abusive to your child in your presence, what would you do? If you attempt to verbally--VERBALLY--educate the problematic child, then you may get what I got . . barred from future school field trips! I take comfort in knowing that many children came up to me to thank me for attempting to correct the problem child. My statement is this . . .protect your child from abusive children because this school is not proactive in matters such as this. They simply react to your raising concerns AFTER the incident.

Posted: April 4, 2014

Excellent school and safe environment. The teachers and principal are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. My older child especially benefited from the best teachers right from kindergarten onwards. Enriched curriculum that rivals magnet programs. Hi-tech classrooms. Opportunities for social development and volunteer work. Absolutely love this school! Attended the magnet school orientation and I think Matsunaga is superior to that.

Posted: November 25, 2013

I have had three children go here and it is an amazing school with a wonderful principal and administration and very down to earth and caring teachers. As a teacher in the county and having taught at two different schools under two different principals, there is no one like Mrs. Brubaker as the principal. My kids love it there and even with 1000 + students, it feels like a small community. Love the front staff - they will go that extra mile for the child.

Posted: September 23, 2013

A great school. We are very quite satisfied with the school. The teachers of this school are great and quite accessable, they take extra effort ot see their students perform well. This is all possible under the able leadership of a energetic and friendly principal. Keep up the good work.

Posted: July 31, 2013

I did a lot of school research before deciding on moving to this Matsunaga neighborhood. The diversity of the students, the dedication of the principal and teachers, and the friendliness of the front staff is more than what we could have asked for in an elementary school. I have never met a principal of this caliber and am amazed by her energy. She is accessible even though there is a significant study body balances communication gracefully between teachers, parents and students. My son's teacher challenged him and kept the lines of communication open with us as parents. My son definitely matured during his first year and benefited from the disciplined and structured environment. He just completed kindergarten there and although he learned more from an emotional and social development point of view his first semester, he definitely was challenged academically in reading and writing second semester. The PTA is superb here and the parents are down to earth.