Dolvin Elementary School

Excellent school teacher always make communicatee to do batter

My children have had a good experience with the teachers. Mrs Keller, Mrs Williams, and Mrs Jackson are wonderful. Anything we brought to their attention they jumped on immediately.I was not impressed with the principle whom I have not yet met. She would not allow me to hold my child back even though she could not read at the end of Kindergarten. (She said all this from her office, sitting at her desk, and refused to allow me in to meet with her - I was told all this in a hallway). In addition, I had to request testing for my child for Special Ed (they wouldn't do it until they had 3 weeks of performance data and then the testing process takes 12 weeks) by the time we had the results it was the end of the school and ...shockingly, we had to hold my daughter in school. Now that she is in Special Ed, in the correct grade and under the wonderful care of Mrs Williams, my daughter is thriving! Wish the principle had listen to me 2 years ago..would have saved my Daughter a year of tears.

This school has been given a bad rating based on the student experience rather than the parent experience. Many of my friends and neighbors, in addition to their siblings, have attended or are attending Dolvin. I went to school there for 4 years, from 2008-2009 to 2011-2012, so some things have obviously changed, but my brother left Dolvin just last year. The building is extremely outdated, as the school is 37 years old or so, having been built in 1979. It is worth noting that the 4th and 5th grade halls were built around 8 or 9 years ago. The building is in constant need of repairs, and according to my brother, has had insect infestations. The school has recently tried to invest in technology and nicer facilities, so fundraising has greatly increased. This can be very annoying. The teachers vary in ability. I was lucky enough to have good or average teachers throughout my years at Dolvin. No matter how good a teacher is, the advanced students are bound to be neglected while the teachers help struggling students. However, my brother has been unlucky. Several of his teachers were about to retire, and they hated their students and generally did not put in effort. The schools test scores are only high because the students out in so much effort, not due to the teachers' lackluster performance. The teachers are in general not very understanding of the problems students face. The technology at the school was very outdated when I went there, but it has improved. The recess opportunities have become much more limited with the removal of the playground equipment. The TAG program is one of the few bright spots at Dolvin. Everyone I know looked forward to TAG because it was the only interesting and challenging academic experience they would have all week. Dolvin has a full range of experiences available to students, some of which are good, some of which are bad. It is up to you to decide if this school is the right fit for your child.

I am reluctant to let the secret out but the school definitely deserves the recognition. I have a first and third grader at the school. We came here looking for a nice community with a highly ranked school cluster. The students should feel proud of their school. And remember they have a big role in the outcome. The school focuses on several aspects to ensure students are equipped with the tools they need to be self-thinking, accountable, independent, and socially responsible individuals however emphasizing the team approach. The school including adminstrators, teachers, faculty, all believe in what they are doing; empowering each student, showing that they are successful through the use of a combination of standard teaching techniques, philosophies, mindsets AND good old fashion hard work. The punchline is that Dolvin has top notch teachers who really care, has each child's best interest at heart, proactive in promoting their achievements but not compromising a happy environment and other aspects of learning. They understand the importance of being well rounded. They don't forget to make it fun and interesting. Best of all the students believe in it as well. The way the kids are responding is very exciting. Plus the support/involvement of the parents is tremendous. And watch out for the PTA they are a wild bunch and they mean business. Dolvins's success is greatly due to their dedication Now if you can find a decent house that is affordable! Lol Go Dolvins!!