Robert M. Paterson Elementary School

AAAA+++++++ would be what I give them

So far so good. My child is in kindergarten and school has worked well with me to meet his needs.

I loved my experience. The principal (Mr. Griniger) never stoped believing in kids and always helped the teachers push them past their academic boundaries

I have been a proud Paterson parent for two years and wouldn't send my kids anywhere else. Our new administration is hands-on, proactive and focused. (*When considering other reviews, I would disregard anything prior to the 2014-15 school year as it applies to the previous administration). The principal can often be seen directing traffic in front of the school or helping kindergartners open their milk cartons. That's the kind of hands-on servant leadership I appreciate. The school is obviously focused on academic success and I've never seen an administrator more supportive of their teachers. Even when district budgets are lean, they *always* make sure teachers get what they need, including expensive extra test prep materials. The parent-faculty association (PFA) is hands-down the best in the county, raising thousands and thousands of dollars each year to help support special projects and planning fun extra-curricular activities including school dances, movie nights, a holiday shoppe, Halloween parade, annual carnival, and much more. Paterson is one of the few elementary schools in Clay County to offer five different resource classes every week, including music, art, technology, media and physical education. They offer gifted (ES) classes, Language Inclusion (LI) classes, speech therapy, occupational therapy, reading tutors, and free voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) for four-year-olds. There are quarterly award ceremonies for all grades, as well as art shows, chorus concerts, spelling bees, science fairs, and all manner of other special activities. There are numerous before- and after-school clubs including robotics club, LEGO club, chorus, safety patrol, morning news production, and a weekly Run/Walk club, among others. The teachers, for the most part, are engaged, caring and communicate well with parents. Ours have been a blessing both to our children and our family. Our kids have grown intellectually and socially, and I consider a few teachers life-long friends. Both my husband and I requested a tour of Paterson, as well as the other two elementary schools on Fleming Island (Fleming Island Elementary & Thunderbolt Elementary) and there was no question that Paterson was the right choice for our family. Though the others have newer buildings, a shiny facade is not as important to us as the unparalleled parent and community support found at Paterson.