Elephant's Fork Elementary School

Posted: December 9, 2021

My first experience with EFES was attending an orientation with the then “new” principal and assistant principal. We shared enthusiasm and energy to a new relationship. The Pitchkettle community is packed caring people but I do not see that carrying through to the school. I met only two parents in my child’s class so far. I see the classroom environment vicariously through the eyes of the teacher, my child and the other students. According to your website EFES rates among the bottom 3 schools in this city. This rating is based on a variety of measures, including academic performance and equity. Question: Are the GreatSchools ratings official? Why is the gap so huge? What can the community do to close the gap?

My evaluation below is based on their potential

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: December 9, 2021

Posted: March 12, 2020

We enjoy the School and the communication. I feel most are doing the best they can with what they have within established guidelines.

Posted: March 12, 2020

Normally a weekly sheet is sent out to cover all topics for the School week. Class tag, peach jar and class dojo are added nice communication to ensure compliance and expectations.

Posted: March 12, 2020

Our experience has been great the last few years. Being engaged with the teachers help, and attending parent teacher conferences ensures that we ( kid, teacher and parent) are on the same page. It is easy to fault the teachers, at the end of the day I am just as responsible for my children’s development and education.

Posted: March 12, 2020

The rules and fundamentals are there to foster positive character in and by the school. Inherently this Is my role as a parent to set the foundation while the staff develops and enforces the instilled character.

Posted: March 12, 2020

The few times that we have had to interact with school leadership communication has been clear and upfront.

Posted: March 12, 2020

Our son struggled after our move to the area. We have had a few sit down meetings with the staff and talked about measured
goals for him. We are happy to say our expectations are met.

Posted: January 9, 2018

Posted: January 9, 2018

I like my child’s teacher, but the staff is not on par.

Posted: January 9, 2018

Posted: January 9, 2018

Posted: January 9, 2018

Won’t even test your child for gifted program until end of 2nd grade. We’re supposed to be encouraging our children to do better and be better, especially when your child comes home saying they’ve learned NOTHING new.

Posted: January 9, 2018

Posted: January 9, 2018

I rate this school a 2, due to lack of leadership.

Posted: May 4, 2016

This school does not effectively deal with bullying. My child was being tormented for weeks and I was not contacted until the children actually got into a physical altercation. What bothered me the most is that I was not contacted until hours after the event happened. I felt like I should have been contacted immediately.

Posted: August 30, 2015

This school has gone downhill since Dr.Gatling left! All the caring teachers are gone or leaving. Seems they get new teachers every year now! We have teachers that don't even know what they should be doing!
Not only the school but there is no parking. If we park where we aren't supposed to, we get a ticket. We have to fight to get into parking and with buses that the drivers could careless about you. They blow their horns at parents to move out of their way. They drive like no one else is on the road with them. They have came very close to hitting parents cars who are waiting to drop off their kids. Not only that but when parents go to leave, there are cars parked all along the road on the right hand side. Which if someone is pulling out can not go anywhere if a bus is coming. Instead of the bus stopping they keep coming expecting you to get out of their way. There have been complaints made and still no one has done anything to change this in the last few years! Buses aren't even supposed to be using the same road as the parents. But what has anyone done about this school? Nothing. Things will never change at this school. Only thing that seems to change are the employees!

Posted: August 30, 2015

All the ones who were effective with these children have left this school and went to different schools

Posted: August 30, 2015

Honestly kids are in school all day long. Why is it necessary to have them leave from school and come home to do homework that will take them 2-3 hours to complete! And don't even get graded on it!

Posted: August 30, 2015

Posted: May 13, 2015

This school is poorly set up. There are no planners... no communication folders. no phones in the classrooms. And the teachers seem tired and overworked and never available. You want the kids to be organized but the teachers are not. I have problems with each teacher we have dealt with. Maybe with time and funding things could be better.

Posted: October 9, 2013

The staff and faculty of the school are great. Parent involvement is lacking, but it may be due to the blend of neighborhoods the children come from.

Posted: March 12, 2013

My oldest child has been in this school since Kindergarten. My youngest since Pre-K. Now in 3rd grade and 1st grade. I am having issues with my children getting bullied and assaulted by other students. I wasn't even called when these events happened. I found out when picking my children up. My youngest has been slammed against a cement wall by a student who was a grade above. My oldest was punched by a child from another class but same grade. My son was punched and pushed into a trash can and onto the floor by another student. I was told nothing could be done because we didn't have a child's name or the teacher he told name. So I had to go over the principle's head. Now my son doesn't feel safe in this school and it doesn't seem like anyone cares or not if he is safe. I hear teachers always complaining about children.Well if you can't stand them and don't know how to deal with them, then find another career.My children's drinks and snacks get stolen. I've said something to the teachers, principle, assistant principle.Nothing was done.Oh and another encounter I had was. Someone was using my youngest child's number for breakfast and lunch. They don't check the name with the number.

Posted: March 3, 2013

I agree with other comments....principle is wonderful....school is clean and friendly. Parents seemed very involved. Happy with this school so far.

Posted: March 1, 2013

Very pleased with EFE this year! My child loves school and the teachers. She looks foward to library, art and music but her favorite has been P.E. We have enjoyed coming to her honor roll award ceremonies and participating in all the class room events. These days, it's hard for any public school to really get the funding necessary to do everything the staff and teachers want to do for our kids. I am happy to say this school really makes the effort.

Posted: February 26, 2013

AWESOME PRINCIPLE! Makes a world of difference! Friendly staff. They know me and my child by name. My child looks forward to school days now. This school is on the up and up.

Posted: February 11, 2013

After buying a house and moving to Suffolk, everything seemed great, until school started and I had to take my son out of the bus because he was bullied every day. The Bus driver, did not care, school staff did not do anything. Last week while having lunch with my son I just could not believe the way kids are being treated. They are being yelled at lunch time just because they talk. It felt like being in prison. Just because most of the students are from downtown Suffolk, and because the parents might not care, does not mean kids from good neighborhoods have to be treated like this.

Posted: May 26, 2012

This school is failing and the staff is only half the reson. The kids are from down town suffolk and don't have parents that care.The staff has been taught that yelling and punishment is the best way to get the studnets to respond. The VP and other admin staff is just below average. Vilonce starts in pre-k and they have zero accomidations for gifted children. They folded in Mount Zion into this school in order to save the test scores and get it off the failing school list. Unfortunately the teachers cannot teach both inter-city at risk kids and highly performing kids in the same class. If you have an above average kid, this school is not for you.

Posted: April 28, 2012

My child is always having her stuff stolen out of her desk, even the teacher has to lock her stuff up!