Mary Calcott Elementary School

Posted: April 24, 2020

I think the teachers are good/talented/caring and try their best, but LARGE class sizes overwhelm them and prevent them from doing a good job. My daughter had 25-28 students in her K class (it fluctuated during the year), without a teacher's aid!!! She started with 24 in her 1st grade class, until a new teacher came on board, and now she has 18.

Posted: April 24, 2020

My daughter receives rewards for being a kind and considerate student. They have an anti-bullying month with activities to promote kindness.

Posted: April 24, 2020

Administratively this school needs to improve. The school constantly sends home notices about things last minute, or without clear due dates, which is frustrating! Playground equipment is super old with paint chipping on it. Most of the time the lawn and bushes need cutting. Whenever we go to these evenings events at school, they are confusing and not well planned out - I even heard a teacher say "I don't know what I am supposed to be doing" at the literacy night.

Posted: April 24, 2020

My mother in law volunteers in the classroom, and she reports the special needs teachers are supposed to come work 1 on 1 with the kids in their program in the class, but she notes they NEVER do so for the entire allotted time and they don't work well with the classroom teacher, particularly true for one special services teacher. Also, my daughter had 10 special needs children in her kindergarten class out of 25-28 total, making it really hard for the teacher to manage the class most days.

Posted: April 24, 2020

See the comment above about rewards and anti-bullying month.

Posted: April 24, 2020

Overall, just an average school. I think it could be a great school if the class sizes were smaller and the teachers not so overwhelmed. Administratively there should be some improvement too.

Posted: April 24, 2020

My daughter always seems to have the appropriate amount of work for her grade level and it corresponds to what she is learning in class.

Posted: March 18, 2019

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Posted: March 18, 2019

Thoughtful and attentive teachers make this school great

Posted: March 18, 2019

Posted: September 14, 2018

My youngest is dyslexic and the teachers have worked miracles with her in the short time between diagnosis and altering teaching to her benefit.

Posted: September 14, 2018

Posted: September 14, 2018

Posted: September 14, 2018

My youngest is Dyslexic. She went from reading below grade level to reading at grade level within 2 months of testing and working with the Special Ed teacher.

Posted: September 14, 2018

Posted: September 14, 2018

Awesome, my children were accepted by peers from day 1. We came from a private school setting, to public and have had a great experience.

Posted: September 14, 2018

Homework assigned has always been appropriate for what was being taught at that time.

Posted: May 25, 2018

From the two classes that my son has been in... they have an extra teacher in every class that has students with learning disabilities and, the teachers use scaffold teaching techniques.

Posted: May 25, 2018

It’s not tolerated. Point blank. A girl had a crush on my son so.. she was getting a bit physical, the teachers were all over it.

Posted: May 25, 2018

Great principal and awesome admin staff!! They work great together.

Posted: May 25, 2018

Good control over the students and effective learning techniques.

Posted: May 25, 2018

They influence good character through their teaching, amazing support of the local community. Their focus on acceptance and diversity is admirable.

Posted: May 25, 2018

My 1st grader has homework every night but, it’s just the right amount and nothing he wasn’t taught that same week.

Posted: May 25, 2018

Fantastic! My son loves it. I looked for a house in this school through recommendations and I was not let down.

Posted: December 20, 2017

My daughter has been pushed, had her lunch taken, had her clothes cut and written on. A blind eye is turned to what they consider kids being kids.

Posted: December 20, 2017

The principal is rude and doesn't listen to suggestions or feedback.

Posted: December 20, 2017

I was told my child needed to step up her learning a notch yet her work never comes home corrected. The work my daughter comes home with seems to be nothing more than busy work.

Posted: December 20, 2017

My daughter has been pushed, written on, had her lunch taken and when she tells the teacher nothing is done.

Posted: December 20, 2017

Homework is not an extension and review of what they are learning in class. Drawing pictures and being asked to write sentences describing those pictures in a composition notebook is not an affective way to teach a kindergartner the proper way to write.

Posted: December 20, 2017

Posted: December 20, 2017

Very disappointed in this school. It could benefit from new leadership. There are 22 students to a teacher. The playground hadn't been upgraded since the 70s, most of the equipment isn't usable. They don't have a Christmas program. Community involvement and keeping parents up to date on what's going on with your child is lacking. Poor behavior isn't corrected nor addressed.

Posted: May 9, 2014

My daughter has attended Mary Calcott for 2 years, and we love it. Her teachers are very encouraging, and willing to work with us if she falls behind or needs extra work. We are a military family, and they were so helpful during her 1st grade year when her dad was deployed. Nurturing when needed, and firm when needed as well. We recently changed principals, and I have had no problems with the new leadership. They are dedicated to making school fun while fulfilling SOL requirements. I highly recommend this school.

Posted: July 31, 2013

My son has had very positive experiences since attending Mary Calcott ( K-1). The teachers have worked with him and encouraged him to love reading. I have noticed improvement in his spelling and reading. Sometimes I feel like the teachers could take more of an initiative to keep me more informed, but I am always prompting correspondence with them, so as to know what progress my child is making and what areas he needs to work on. Overall I am happy with this public school.

Posted: June 4, 2013

Mary Calcott is a wonderful school. The PTA is also very active and I would encourage you to also be an active part of the school. This interaction between caring teachers and parents is vital to the schools success and one of the many reasons that children do well here.

Posted: August 21, 2011

I've heard nothing but great things about this school so when my kids go this fall i will be more then happy ; )

Posted: May 24, 2011

Our daughter was truly blessed w/the teachers at Calcott; they took the time to work w/her, her ADHD and us. Even w/her ADHD, our daughter has excellent grades and is also in the Gifted Program. The teachers seem to be truly invested in the children and try to work as a team w/parents. THIS IS A GREAT SCHOOL! To have a great school parents need to be actively involved, I'm a working mom, but still make time to visit my daughter's school, I go to PTA meetings (yes, I work all day, but the meetings only take an 1hr of my time and it shows the school and my child that I care). I check my daughter s grades daily and not wait until I get a weekly or quarterly report to see if she is struggling. If my child is struggling, I ask questions to the teacher, staff, other parents, and do my own research so I can help my child better and I may have to work w/my child to (I don t mind). To parents who want to complain about a good school: When was the last time you attended a PTA meeting? When was the last time you read to or read w/your child? Have you done your own research to help your child? Have you asked the teacher what can YOU do to help your child?

Posted: May 23, 2011

The teachers and principal do not accomodate children that make no progress as each quarter passes. My child is not the only one being left to fail. When you have children that get extra help in a reading group with only five or so children how is it that the school doesnt try something different when at least two of the children(that I know of) are still receiving Es? And NO our children dont need/have IEPs or 504s. If the extra reading class is not working then why not try another approach?

Posted: January 25, 2011

Mary Calcott is the best school in Norfolk and maybe even Virginia! The teachers and principal are wonderful.