North Arvada Middle School

7285 Pierce Street

School District

Jeffco Public Schools
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:17
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 30, 2024

I cannot answer for the special education question. I also can't speak about lunches. After reading some of the reviews, I felt I needed to talk about my experience with NAMS and our kids. I looked at and visited 7 middles schools for our kids. NAMS, K-8, Everett, Mandalay, Oberon, Creighton, Drake, and Manning. After meeting with administrators in these schools, NAMS was the only school that didn't look at me funny and was able to have a plan for our kids' education. Some middle schools did not even have answers to basic questions. Both of our kids were and are in the GT program at NAMS. One was there during COVID, the other is there now. As with our kid's elementary school, teachers at NAMS have left and moved on between our kid's going there. This has not been a negative thing. I don't think one can blame retirement, moving, or advancement in staff changes. First, both kids have had a great experience with the teachers. I cannot complain about any of them. This includes sciences, arts, music, PE, math, social sciences, and everything else. If I ever had a question or concern, I asked. Our kids have never complained about being bored or unchallenged. They've never complained that they felt unsafe, although there have been some fights. (I don't consider bloody knuckles to be fighting.) Second, there are many clubs our kids have participated in. TSA, music, band, weight lifting, esports, and maybe more. The campus has a garden, a huge play area, and open fields. Our kids have always been given the opportunity to learn. Which sound basic, but this includes being able to take classes 3-5 years above grade level. NAMS has always given our kids the chance to succeed. If we needed something, we ask. If NAMS couldn't help or didn't know they answer, they found someone who could. This school has been wonderful for our family. All schools and kids have bumps along the way, NAMS has been a solid resource for our kids' educational path. in conclusion, do your research as a parent. The newest school is not necessarily the best. Think about who you hear school opinions from. Is that person worried about what others think or about their kid's education? NAMS is a solid academic choice. No regrets here and looking forward to more years here. As is our youngest!
Submitted by student on March 27, 2024

Current student here- this school is horrible. Would not recommend.First of all, the teachers here aren't great. When a student acts up or says something super inappropriate like the n word or something, they always don't care. They never tell them off about it. Just 'Stop that.' or 'Don't say that.' This goes during class too, they do something bad, it's always 'Go out into the hall.' or 'You're getting a phone call home.' and so and so. They never attempt to communicate with the students about their behaviors or talk to them about it, and when they say they will, they never do. It's quite annoying to watch and hear. They don't care about your mental health either. Yes, there are some teachers here that do, but most don't. I literally cried during class, but just got sent out to the bathroom by that teacher and was basically told 'Go cry in there.' I told the student councilor but all they told me was 'They probably were stressed like you.' Sure, they were. But they did not act good at all. It could've been done differently, that's all I can say...Second of all, the cafeteria food is trash. Literally- I genuinely mean that. Most of the pizza is reused, or old. My friend has gotten green pizza before, and I've seen other reviews of kids saying there was mold on buns, etc. It's quite disgusting and concerning to hear! They never try to give you healthy food, only fruit. Most of the kids don't eat the fruit either because they also aren't fresh like they say they are. I've seen my friend with what looked like a moldy orange! The milk here has also been weird too, which is also concerning to hear.Third of all, there are many bullies and the teachers do not do anything about it. They don't attempt to stop it, nor try to help make the kids being bullied get help. I see it all the time, especially with some of my friends too. People always talk mostly bad about each other from what I hear, especially in front of the teachers, and they don't stop it, at all. Not even an attempt by most. Some teachers do, because they actually care, but most don't. It's depressing to see and hear. You think they care, but they really don't.Lastly, most of my friends and I go to this school, but we all think it is really bad. We do have fun with each other though. But we can't even write reviews on our chrome books! We feel like were being silenced, especially speaking to anyone here..That's all of it though, mostly. There is a lot more to be told, but I'm limited on words. <3
Submitted by student on December 19, 2023

i'm shocked this school is slowly getting worse and worse from the way time goes on, there's many reason on why you really wouldn't wanna come to this school
Submitted by student on October 30, 2023

This school is the worst, they do not care about our well being. The lunch's suck they always serve us pizza for lunch there is no other lunch and the lunch's are small. The teachers do not teach there is maybe 5 teachers that are good, nice, and want to talk to you. The principles do not do anything to help you, there is so much bullying, and kids bring weapons to school all the time. This school is so bad that we always get put on holds because there is a fight. Kids always vape and when someone tells the teachers they do not do any thing, they will just let it happen. There are kids who are self harming and the school says ¨we will get you a therapist it will just take a few days¨ it has been a year and my friend sill dose not have a therapist. DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL GO ANYWHERE BUT HERE.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2023

Poor test scores (look online), fist fighting in the bathrooms regularly, "bloody knuckles", bullying, no accountability, lack of communication. Enrollment steadily going down. My review is only about our experience the 1st half of 22/23. We left at winter break along with several others.
Submitted by student on September 26, 2023

I have fun and most of my friends go here. However, there is to much bullying. For example, me and my friends are receiving so many slurs for being LGBTQ+ and furries. I am upset that teachers have trouble calling me by my correct name without reminders.
Submitted by student on December 15, 2022

i go to this school,its pretty decent but there is always constant bullying and arguing to people if they are werid or unpopular . if you are in the advanced classes ( GT ) some people in it get made fun of without them knowing. i am made fun of here and the teachers do good about the bullying its just that some teachers are extremely rude when it comes to bullying they sometimes believe the suspect and victim of the bullying. so this school is alright but you get made fun of for werid and obnoxious reasons.
Submitted by other on November 16, 2022

bad school! very bad! dont like! dont go!
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2022

My child transferred from Mandalay Middle for the GT program and what a wonderful experience from an educational standpoint to the social emotional exposures. The staff here cares and see your student! I am thrilled with this school.
Submitted by student on November 04, 2021

This school is... definitely not a good school. The teachers never pay attention to students' personal needs, don't care when students are breaking the rules, and seem to just do the bare minimum to get paid. Most of the students don't learn anything, and usually play online games with their chromebooks, instead of actually doing work. The lunch food looks... unappetizing, to say the least. I starve, than eat cafeteria food. It's honestly just a bad school. SOME OF THE STUDENTS VAPE IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOMS!!! There's a massive fight at least every day at recess, and it gets pretty physical, with students playing games involving wrestling and hurting each other. Parents considering this school, as a student myself, don't take your kids here.
Submitted by other on August 03, 2021

Never go to this school. Your child will learn nothing and most kids there get constantly bullied.
Submitted by other on September 19, 2018

f f f f ff f f f f f f f f ff ff f f f f f f f f
Submitted by student on November 01, 2017

Most of the teachers are good. Some I dont necessarily agree with but most of the time its a good school. However, new rules have been imposed this year and I strongly disagree with them. For one, bathroom passes are required now and you can only have 4 per class per semester, so thats 16 times to go to the bathroom during a semester. Now I understand why they imposed the rule. But what if you're literally about to pee your pants and you've run out of bathroom passes for the class you're in? What do they expect us to do? Pee on the floor? And what about periods? If I need to change something down there, and I don't have any bathroom passes left, do they just expect me to bleed on the floor? Or bleed through my pants? They tell you to use the bathroom during passing periods, but we simply DO NOT HAVE TIME. Passing periods are 3 minutes. And it is not possible to go from your class to your locker, open it, grab your stuff for your next class, go to the bathroom, and go to your next class in 3 minutes. You can try it, you basically have no time to do anything and after your counted late 3 times, you have to have lunch detention. Now tell me, how is any of that fair and respecting our basic human rights? I sincerely hope they change these procedure next year, and I'm thanking my lucky stars that Im in 8th grade so i don't have to endure North Arvada any more after this year. I don't have any problems with the students, they're fine. Some are rude and disrespectful and I know some kids who still get bullied, but my problem is with the administration. You can do one or the other, limit our bathroom passes, or shorten our passing periods. You cannot do both then expect us not to be late to classes and punish us if we are.
Submitted by other on April 18, 2012

I suggest that your student was being incredibly disrespectful. North Arvad is a bad neighborhood school, and I'm SHOCKED at how blatantly they sass and disrespect Mr. Cross. He has a really hard time teaching. Talk to your kid-I bet Mr. Cross called home at least once because of his or her behavior. And FYI- Mr. Cross probably had a certifiable reason. Assuming your child is disrespecting Mr. Cross, it's probably a result of YOUR behavior. I'm in the gifted program. North Arvada is a good school for GT, but has horrible, disrespectful teens. I hear people calling each other b------ and saying s--- and f--- every day in the halls, even to teachers-What do you know! Mr. Cross. Testimony of a 7th Grader at North Arvada, 2012