Cherry Run Elementary School

Posted: February 18, 2023

Mark Bibbee is the issue. Being that he is the principal it has a trickle down effect. Staff are lazy and rude. When you bring it to Mr Bibbees attention he says he will do something about it but does nothing. You can see him regularly flirting with staff members and moms. Bullying is an issue. My son has another kid hold a pencil to his eye in the lunch room. Mr Bibbee did nothing because the student was a staff members child. My son had to hide from the kid for the rest of the school year. I do not recommend this school while Mr Bibbee is the principal

Posted: February 18, 2023

Posted: April 7, 2022

We have two children enrolled and have been very happy with the classroom engagement and the learning environment. It is a small school with mostly walkers. The school is located within the neighborhood as opposed to some of the other elementary schools in the area that are positioned right off of major roads. There is a great sense of community and our children have really enjoyed their time in school. The county just added an option to take a full curriculum of advanced placement courses at the school which is another plus.

Posted: April 7, 2022

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Posted: May 16, 2021

Posted: May 16, 2021

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Posted: May 16, 2021

Outstanding school! Very active parental involvement, superb teachers and administrators while located inside a safe subdivision with sidewalks and little traffic. My children are receiving a wonderful education!

Posted: May 16, 2021

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Posted: April 14, 2021

The principal is terrible. He will speak to issues but when it comes down to it, he does not take action and does not accept any responsibility for how his school is run. He has staff that he himself complains about. He does not care about the students well being or academic progress He will promise the moon and deliver nothing. No support, no communication, no accountability. Just a big figurehead. That’s it. All fine and good until there is a problem. Then better have enough resources to handle it in your own.

The school counselor is great. Some of teachers are great. The families are great. I would not select this school given a choice. The principal alone would send me to buy a house in another neighborhood.

Posted: April 14, 2021

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Posted: September 26, 2020

Military family that has had a good experience at this local neighborhood school.

Posted: September 26, 2020

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Posted: January 16, 2019

Our experience has been great. We were told it was a great school and very supportive of military families and it has been. I read some of the reviews here and I don't want to dismiss their experience, but I couldn't recommend a better place for our kids.

Posted: January 16, 2019

There does not seem to be a stated policy on homework assignments and varies grade to grade (some have no homework and other a lot) but we have not had a problem when it has been too much.

Posted: January 16, 2019

While some teachers do have a difficult time communicating, other teachers are fabulous. When I do not feel there is enough and bring it to the attention of the teacher or admin team they respond quickly.

Posted: January 16, 2019

The school counselor (Ms. Hurley) is an amazing person and one of the strongest assets for the school. Each teacher holds students to high accountability for respect but she is does an incredible job talking to students and parents and helping them grow. The administrators make each visit a learning experience for children instead of just doling out harsh discipline.

Posted: January 16, 2019

I think the principal and AP are a great team. They work with us as a military family and our transition to the school has been amazing. Mr. Bibbee took my children on a tour of the school. There were conflicting rumors about how helpful he is but I will say that he has been nothing but amazing to me and my children. He has a very soft side when you approach him and is easy to talk to.

Posted: January 16, 2019

Posted: January 16, 2019

Posted: June 24, 2017

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Posted: June 24, 2017

There is no school/teacher communication. You will not be notified of a problem until it is to late to be resolved! The staff is only helpful if you need minimal help.

Posted: April 24, 2017

I have two kids in Cherry Run. We love the warm, nurturing environment provided by the teachers and staff. I have one child with an IEP and we have amazing special education support. My other child is appropriately challenged to suit his academic needs. Both of them love school and we are all very happy! I can't say enough nice things about this community and the community "feel" of the school.

Posted: March 16, 2017

When my kids were new, they did experience a few kids trying to exert social dominance. This wasn't hard core bullying, but it wasn't pleasant, especially for my daughter. The worst occurred during bathroom breaks and less supervised play time. We mentioned it to her teacher and things got better almost immediately.

Posted: March 16, 2017

My daughter has an IEP and made more progress at Cherry Run than all previous years of school combined. The special education staff works wonders and the grade-level teachers take steps to ensure kids that are getting extra help are still treated with respect in the classroom. Very happy with this aspect of the school.

Posted: March 16, 2017

My first impression of the Principal was not excellent. He just seemed too task oriented and not a people person. I did get to know him better by taking the time to speak with him, especially about some of my child's specific needs. My impression immediately changed and I have been more and more impressed over time. I've also had very good interactions with the office staff.

Posted: March 16, 2017

This is currently a focus area for the kids. They do get evaluated in citizenship and working well with others. This is a school though and it's not immune to certain bad behaviors. Where we've encountered concerns both the teachers and principal were very receptive and immediately took action to more closely monitor those situations. Parents may need to take the time to engage the teachers/staff with concerns.

Posted: March 16, 2017

Just the right amount every night. The kids are challenged but not so much that they get frustrated. There are a few projects throughout the year (that will require parental engagement) but I've found them fun. Sooo much better than the hours and hours of homework my young kids had to endure at their last school.

Posted: March 16, 2017

Like many at this school, we are a military family. Our children have therefore been to schools all over the country. Cherry Run is the absolute best school our children have been to, including expensive private schools. The teachers are great and the school strikes the right balance between striving for meeting educational goals and allowing kids to have a life. Don't let the mediocre numeric score on great schools fool you, children learn here. I found this school "teaches to the test" less than other schools and instead the children spend the whole year learning a variety of subjects and building citizenship skills and character. I wonder if that impacts the "on paper" rating as kids are encouraged to just do their best on the tests. Although the Principal can can come off as a bit aloof, the reality is that you just need to spend some one on one time with him to realize that this is a man who deeply cares about the students. The PTA is very active and you get good communications from teachers and school, yet you do not have to volunteer or participate in the PTA to get information. We have several friends whose children go to Sangster which looks like a better school on paper. We all agree that Cherry Run is just as good and even better if you prefer a smaller "community" school environment. We are blessed to send our kids here and are even trying to extend our military orders in the area just to keep them here.

Posted: March 4, 2017

We are a military family and this is our 2nd year at Cherry Run. We have been very happy here. The teachers are excellent, the staff all know each child and genuinely care for them. The school counselor is amazing and does a great job teaching kids coping and interpersonal skills. It is one of the smaller schools (numbers-wise) in FCPS, which gives it more of a tight, yet welcoming community. Many families walk to school due to the small area that makes up our boundaries, which also aids the community feel. We have loved our time at Cherry Run and highly recommend it.

Posted: March 4, 2017

The counselor and teachers work very hard at this. Unfortunately, there is always the unstructured time when kids are out of earshot of adults, but I know they try really hard to keep even that to a minimum!

Posted: March 4, 2017

My son has anxiety and OCD. The school has been amazing in supporting him - we have had multiple team meetings to better support him. They view his difficulties as something we ALL need to work on, not just a parenting or student problem. This has meant a lot to me!

Posted: March 4, 2017

Mr. Bibbee is a little hands off compared to other principals I've experienced. He is nice enough, though.

Posted: March 4, 2017

The school counselor does monthly lessons with all classes, teachers work hard to teach these skills as well.

Posted: March 4, 2017

The teachers are engaging and use interesting projects/lessons to teach.

Posted: March 4, 2017

There is a minimal amount of homework (usually 30 minutes or less - even for my 6th grader.

Posted: January 17, 2017

Great team of teachers. Small community feel to the school.

Posted: March 16, 2015

Run, don't walk to this school. I pulled my children from somewhere else and put them here. This is the best community of people and the most wonderful teachers you'll find. Small class size or several adults in the room if the numbers are bigger. The core classes are outstanding as are the "specials." There is evidence of planning across and up and down the grade levels. It's impressive how things work at Cherry Run. If you're not there already, do whatever it takes to get there!

Posted: December 25, 2013

The special education program for preschoolers has done wonders for my child. I could not be happier. My child looks forward to going and is sad when school is closed. This rating is based on my two years experience only. I knocked off one star because as others have mentioned, the front office staff is far from friendly or welcoming. They are what influence your first impressions of a school and my half a dozen visits along with my phone calls have not been pleasant :-(.

Posted: May 16, 2013

I could not be happier with Cherry Run Elementary School, their front office staff, and teaching staff. I have a child in third grade and first grade and have received great personal responses to questions asked. The school also uses an online "Blackboard" to help manage assignments and complete at home computer based learning activities. The kids are called out by name from the staff and other teachers and I have been impressed by the learning atmosphere within the school. Safety is a top concern for the staff and additional security measures have been taken with more coming this summer to keep the kids safe. I am very happy with Cherry Run and hope that we remain stationed in the area for a long period of time.

Posted: May 15, 2013

I have a child in third grade and she is in the special ed program. I am very pleased with the special education staff as they seem knowledgeable and engaged (five stars). I am very disappointed however in her teacher (1.5 stars). Her teacher s has not worked with myself as the parent to help my child. As a result my child is not doing well in school. The teacher has made critical comments which have proven to be unproductive, unprofessional, and unhelpful. It seems to me that this teacher may not have experience working with special needs kids - my child suffers as a result. Very disappointing. Cherry Run needs to do a better job of getting the teachers up to speed with special needs kids. It seems that pointing fingers and blaming parents is the approach that has been taken which does not help anyone.

Posted: March 5, 2013

Great school - we've got twins that go here. Principal cares, teachers are involved and parents are engaged in what goes on. We've been impressed.

Posted: September 5, 2012

Cherry Run Elementary went from being a warm nurturing learning environment where EVERY child was cherished & valued to a cold uncaring place where kids are just working towards the numbers. The concept of educating the whole child has been lost. Those in charge seem to have forgotten who they are to young children & what a gift it is to be so pivotal in a child's life. Sadly, Administration is condescending,detached, disengaged & disinterested in the hearts of the children they have been trained to educate at the leaders of tomorrow. Administration really does not invest in the students and many teachers are minions who follow the leader. And it's a shame. There are teachers & specialists who once believed in each and every child's potential who are now overworked, overwhelmed...mostly due to the shift in the heart of the school. One of my children attended the special education preschool program for 2 years and was blessed to have an amazing teacher.

Posted: May 6, 2012

Cherry Run is a disappointment - compared to the other elementary schools we've experienced in other school districts. I'm sure many of the teachers are good at what they do. However, that has not been our experience with the particular teachers my children have had. My children have regressed unfortunately, as evidenced by their test scores. And we feel they have been lost in the shuffle this year, perhaps because as working parents, we are unable to volunteer the large amount of time requested of other parents. Communication is lacking as well; every single contact is initiated by me as the parent - unless of course they are again asking for supplemental supplies or donations for projects. We hope to switch to another school soon.

Posted: January 11, 2012

I don't understand some of the negative comments I'm reading below. Cherry Run has been a fantastic experience for both of my kids. Both my kids have attended Cherry Run since Kindergarten (one is now in the 6th grade, one in the 4th grade). My daughter is in the AA program and loves the challenges it provides, my son was selected for AA but we had the option of not placing him in it at our choosing. Whether you choose the AA program or not, Cherry Run's faculty and staff are all great. We love living in the neighborhood and being able to walk to the school. The teachers and principal provide constant communication via letters and email to keep us informed. Overall, I think the quality of education is second to none.

Posted: April 4, 2011

Our daughter had a great experience at Cherry Run from grades 1-4, with teachers who nurtured her creativity and cultivated both a love of learning and a strong sense of self-esteem. Unfortunately, her experience changed dramatically in 5th Grade. She was in the AA (GT) program, and the cadre of teachers assigned to teach at this level approached their charge in a significantly different way, overloading the students with homework, seemingly devaluing creativity, and fostering competition by reading test scores aloud and publicly posting information about each student's performance. On a number of occasions, our daughter came home from school distraught and in tears. Her self-esteem plummeted, as did her overall interest in school and learning. This was apparently not atypical; other parents whose children had completed the 5th-grade curriculum shared similar stories, and many said they had voiced their concerns to the teachers, principal, and staff. Apparently, their efforts did little to break the pattern, because the same issues have been reported year after year. 6th Grade at CR is apparently better, but the scars from 5th Grade will take a long time to heal....