Stall Brook Elementary School

342 Hartford Avenue

Bellingham, MA 02019

School District

Bellingham
Grade

K-3
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Bellingham School District

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 October 14, 2019

Nothing short of excellent. We are so pleased with the school for both our children.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2016

Stall Brook teachers and staff are dedicated to a total learning experience. The staff truly cares about the students and works towards the success of each individual.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

My son's teacher at Stall Brook is amazing! She has been involved, intuitive, and concerned. I am an elementary school teacher in a nearby district with a better reputation, but I have found the teachers at Stall Brook to the best of the best. They care about the students and their needs. They go above and beyond to reach the needs of all students. Overall, the parents in Bellingham are not very involved in their children's education, so the school's reputation seems to suffer because of it. As a parent of a Bellingham student, but a teacher in a "better" district, I struggle with the idea of moving my child to a school district with a better rating. However, as a teacher and a parent I know that it is up to parents to push their children to strive for their best and respect the knowledge and experience of teachers.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

My son's teacher at Stall Brook is amazing! She has been involved, intuitive, and concerned. I am an elementary school teacher in a nearby district with a better reputation, but I have found the teachers at Stall Brook to the best of the best. They care about the students and their needs. They go above and beyond to reach the needs of all students. Overall, the parents in Bellingham are not very involved in their children's education, so the school's reputation seems to suffer because of it. As a parent of a Bellingham student, but a teacher in a "better" district, I struggle with the idea of moving my child to a school district with a better rating. However, as a teacher and a parent I know that it is up to parents to push their children to strive for their best and respect the knowledge and experience of teachers.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2013

First of all, the "4 out of 10 stars," which is the current rating for Stall Brook, I attribute to a glitch on GreatSchools since there are only 5 possible stars. Second, Stall Brook is a 5 out of 5 in my book. From the principal on down, everyone in this school cares about the students. I comment to my spouse and to any parents that will listen that this isn't the prototypical elementary school of our childhoods. We as parents are actually involved in what happens in the school (aka our kid's education). I've personally been at the school more in the last 2 weeks than my (quality) parents were throughout my entire elementary school education (aside from parent-teacher meetings). Stall Brook is an inclusion school, and I personally believe that teaches about compassion and, as the word says, "inclusion." Granted, the school faces the same challenges as others in terms of teaching to the MCAS versus teaching for a complete education, but you can't blame that on Stall Brook. In sum, I'm a big fan.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2013

This school has been really wonderful for my children. There has been so much support and every teacher they have had has really cared about their education and their learning. There are so many great programs and traditions at this school. It is truly a school that cares about its community. My daughters have only wonderful things to say about the school and every experience they have had there. I do not think it is fair that this website rates it as a 4 out of 10. With small classes, individualized education, wonderful programs, and caring staff and administration, it deserves a 10 out of 10. Yes, there are some children who struggle with MCAS scores at Stall Brook but what is more important, a perfect MCAS score with no traditions or powerful childhood memories, or a school that will give those children the best education they can while working towards a better MCAS score as part of a great curriculum. You can send your kids to a school two towns over with higher MCAS scores but you will get 10 more kids per class. I think I will stick with the better overall education at Stall Brook.
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2013

The teachers at Stall Brook are wonderful!! Every child is known, respected and very well taken care of. In a school where we were one of extremely few military families; the teachers went out of their way to help my children when their Dad was deployed - they asked for suggestions how to help military kids and even made them feel special as military kids. The school is truly a community. I wish Stall Brook went to 6th grade - I would love to have my kids be able to continue attending Stall Brook. The school and its hard working, dedicated teachers deserve better than the rating being given. Stall Brook will always be in our hearts, and we still keep in touch with many of the teachers because of the close bonds formed with our family of our time there with our two children. They are the best!!
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2013

My children have found a great sense if community at Stallbrook. We have seen learning growth and confidence built with the supportive staff at school.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2013

Stallbrook provides A+ education and guidance to students and parents. Every teacher genuinely wants the kids to succeed. Principal Carolyn Rafferty provides leadership which is transparent and has a truly open door policy. My daughter is very lucky to be here at this school.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2013

The teachers and principal are responsive to every need I have had. It is clear that everyone is committed to making this school a great place to learn.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2013

I have had 2 children pass through this school and they were wonderfully prepared for middle school. The ratio of teachers to children is great and our current Principal Carolyn Rafferty is wonderful, caring, committed and dedicated... I have a child in kindergarten and the knowledge they are teaching them is impressive. Every child is an individual and their lessons are taught with that in mind. I could not be happier with an elementary school. Together the parents, teachers, staff and Principal are preparing our children to be strong well educated members of society...
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2013

We have 3 children that have gone through the Early Childhood Program attached to Stall Brook. The people involved in that program are beyond amazing. They did a fantastic job preparing our kids for school. One of our kids has special needs and has continued into Stall Brook elementary as this school is set up to handle the special needs students. Although we feel that some things could be better, the elementary staff does a great job helping our child integrate into a regular classroom, while also providing one-on-one instruction to help overcome some developmental delays. We can only hope that our child will receive the same great help when moving on to the higher grades in the Bellingham School system.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

I have had children at Stall Brook for the last six years and have been delighted to see the school get better each year. All of my kids' teachers have been engaged, enthusiastic, and caring. The kids love their school. And events like the Pumpkin Stroll, Ice Cream Social, and Movie Night leave my wife and I with good memories, too. Our new principal, Carolyn Rafferty, has done a great job so far rallying the comunity and keeping busy parents informed of school happenings through Facebook and other media. My only concern is that my children sometimes seem underchallenged. Often, they're done with homework before they walk off the bus, so I wish the district would do more to stretch them academically. For example, the school-wide weekly math challenge was a great program. I'd like to see more initiatives that try to make "extra credit" fun and inject healthy competition among classes. Better test scores will follow.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

We love Stall Brook School The teachers & staff are wonderful and are truly committed to the success of each and every one of their students .
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

Stallbrook Elementary has been a diamond in the rough for our family. We recently relocated from another state and had concerns regarding the move. Stallbrook has exceeded all of our expectations from the principal, teacher, and the education program. We feel our child is receiving a top notch education and is in an environment that promotes acceptance of all children. We will forever be grateful for Stallbrook Elementary.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

I think Stall Brook provides an excellent learning environment for the kids. I have had two kids go through the school and one in the final years and all three have received great support from the teachers who are caring and experienced. The principal communicates very effectively with the parents and is available at anytime. The school fosters a sense of community with the families by providing great after school activities for the children throughout the year.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

We have been continually surprised by the wonderful teachers that our kids have had. They (our kids) would no doubt give the school a 5 star rating. They absolutely love their teachers and the school principle. As parents, we feel that the school continues to improve and is on the way up, instead of the other way around as was apparently the case a few years ago from reading some of the older reviews.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

Although our experience with Stall Brook is based on a short time frame, our son is in K, it has been extremely positive. His teacher is getting the most out of him, the principal has communicated wonderfully, and the school as a whole has been trying to create a sense of community. We look forward to seeing what our future experiences bring.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2013

Stall Brook has been the best school any of my 4 children have attended. They have been there for my son, who has needed a lot of support and they have been very responsive to me whenever I have needed, whether by email or phone, with no hesitation with setting up meetings to discuss how everyone can help make my sons experience a good one. This has made him love school and his teachers and I honestly wish he could stay at Stall Brook for the rest of his school years.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2013

I am very happy with my son's experience at Stall Brook. I was skeptical sending my son last year since they did not have a good reputation. But, I have been so pleased with his teachers both last year and this year. They have been proactive in getting him additional services when indicated. I also have been so impressed with the before, after and summer school help. The staff's dedication to ghese programs prove that the school is truly concerned with making sure my son has what he needs to succeed. Cudos to the knew administration!