Woodland Elementary School

2025 Garden Lane

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

30 Reviews

School District

Newport-Mesa Unified
Grade

K-2
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

public

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 21, 2020

I have to be honest, I was a bit hesitant of taking my kid to a public school. Although my husband and my older daughter (NHHS alumnis) and I came from public schools, I felt that my son needed to be in a smaller classroom so that he can receive more attention from the teacher. After being here for 2 years, we are loving this school! A lot of parent and teacher involvement, enrichment and Stem programs are impressive, teachers and staff have been great, and all of the parents I have met are so friendly and down-to-earth. I think the school has done a great job of keeping everything organized from the drop offs and pick ups (I don’t think it’s chaotic at all), knowing all the kids names, dealing with after-school programs and child care/nannies all the way to ensuring safety and keeping a solid educational program for our children. Keep up the good work Woodland staff and PFO!
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2019

We love Woodland Elementary! Solid community among the parents and the teachers and staff are excellent. Great leadership, everyone seems to be friendly all around, awesome and fun events, and the school has a strong system and curriculum. My son is currently a 1st grader at Woodland, and we have been enjoying this school!
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2016

Nope done would not recommend this school, even though several friends kids went here some were happy and some were not, however I only know one other family that actually removed their child from this school so I myself was hesitant when this was our elementary. My son started kindergarten and I immediately had my reserves, the pick up and drop off is chaotic! So unorganized and zero supervision from any teacher or staff member, last week a father was floored to find his son sitting alone in the pickup line crying unsupervised! My son comes home daily complaining of a fellow student pushing him and taking his snacks daily , to my surprised this has gone on without one person acknowledging the situation until I stepped in this is only the second week! The class has several students that are very disruptive already having complaints from fellow parents and teachers themselves! My sons education and safety is number one , I only fear he will observe these other behaviors and possibly fall in the whole monkey see monkey do. I do not feel safe that my son is in a good place here at woodland and decided we are pulling him out as well. Very disappointed in this school .
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2016

My child currently attends Woodland and we love it. Awesome teachers and great parents too. In a surrounding community that can often be very pretentious, I find Woodland's family community to be much more down to earth. We also love that Woodland is just K-2 and Kaiser, the sister school, is 3-6. We feel it is less overwhelming for the kids and keeps them with peers close to their age.
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2016

We love Woodland. It is adorable because the kids are 'young' and excited about learning in a great environment. (Woodland is only K-2nd grade, across the street is our sister school, Kaiser, which is 3rd-6th grade.) This year, Woodland also began a separate (free) TK program which has improved the class sizes in kinder and teaches a modified/age appropriate curriculum for the TK'ers. (TK is for kids born between September 2nd and December 2nd and who will be turning 5 between those dates - so they are too young to go into Kindergarten, thus, they can enroll in Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Per the California Dept of Education: "TK is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Pursuant to law, EC 48000(c), a child is eligible for TK if a child will have his or her fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2.")Our child started at Woodland in kindergarten in the 2014 school year. My child loved it from the beginning and had an amazing kinder teacher (they are all great here!) As a parent, I definitely felt "lost" at the beginning of the year. There were 8 kindergarten classes ... not great communication from the principal, etc. Perhaps that is how every first time parent in kinder feels though?However, in 2015, a new principal took over (Tiffany Lewis) as the old principal (Medve), retired. So far, Ms. Lewis has been amazing. She is completely involved in the school, you constantly see her on campus, she engages with the children and they love her. She is receptive to parents and it seems like she will really make Woodland shine.As for the teachers, they are great too! I now have a second child attending Woodland. While the school is BIG (almost 500 students in just 3 grade levels I think), I have found if you get involved in the school, you get to know other parents & the teachers. Just like anything else in life. So, we are proud to be involved in the school and proud of the advances the kids are making there. The PFO and financial support and fundraising at our school continues to grow. In fact, the PFO just approved over $35,000 for new iPads for all 1st and 2nd grade class rooms. Plus, we have a full science lab also supported by our school's Foundation, which also pays for a full-time science instructor.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2015

My son has had the best experience at Woodland! We had excellent Kinder and 1st grade teachers (now entering 2nd grade). Fabulous, caring teachers who will help your child grow and excel. Well-balanced curriculum, including music classes/performances, and a separate science program with a dedicated science teacher (the only one of it's kind in the district). School uses John Wooden's pyramid of success, which is such a great teaching tool for the kids. Cute, small campus hidden in a quiet neighborhood in Eastside Costa Mesa. Well-mixed school with families from all different backgrounds. Lots of parent involvement and interest here. Love love love it :)
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2014

No leadership. I am extremely disappointed in the principals lack of effort. We had a great year in Kindergarten by the sheer luck of getting a fantastic teacher. 1st grade totally different story. Principal is never around, lacks visibility and, as a result, has no idea that teachers are not supervising at breaks and dismissing their kids early from school. I complained to my sons teacher that there was nobody on duty and instead of going to the principal, she just did it herself. Several other parents have similar complaints. What does that say about the effectiveness and responsiveness of the leadership? Teachers are hit or miss...1st grade 7 teachers....such a huge dichotomy of instruction and effectiveness. There is clearly no strong expectations set about parent communication, room environment and accessibility. It is just so disappointing. Great community, great parents and could be so good. I guess I should have paid attention to the test scores.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2014

Our daughter attended Woodland for kindergarten, 1st grade and just started 2nd grade. We have been really pleased with our experience: her teachers have been caring and knowledgeable, the parents are involved and there is a sense of community, and our daughter enjoys the environment. She likes going to school everyday, and she, most importantly, is learning.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2014

We have 2 boys at Woodland, and absolutely love the school. The teachers are terrific and they seem to really care.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2014

Woodland is a hidden gem! It is a great school that caters to the development of the K-2 student. Because it is a K-2 school the students are able to interact with students close in age. The teachers and staff are fantastic. My children have now moved on to Kaiser, but when I get a chance to visit at Woodland it does my heart good.
Submitted by other on February 08, 2014

Take caution when going to this school, it could harm your child, compromise education and recently hurt your career if you are an employee or Teacher. There is favortism shown to people that ask for accountability, report accomodations not met for not just students, but staff employees. In some cases the Principal will not support people or even students when asking for assistance, a safe and secure school to learn, grow and employees might even have their career or job jeapordized. It is surprising that this behavior has continued for years and discussed openly in the Community and School environment and needs to be addressed immediately. We as educators, Parents and students need to stop this from happening to others and take a stand to stop this behavior of harming others, especially innocent children.
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2014

We love Woodland! If you are looking for a school with great teachers, wonderful staff and an active & supportive parent community this is it.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2013

Woodland is a wonderful school because of the parent and staff support. It is a Kindergarten through second grade primary elementary school, which fosters young minds. I love all the teachers and the school environment. My children are excited to go to school every day!
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2013

My daughter just completed Kindergarten at Woodland and we were very happy with our experience. The school focuses on John Wooden's amazing values and builds self-esteem and confidence. I love that it is K thru 2 - a truly unique school. I am hoping we are as happy with first grade.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2013

Love Woodland! I am a mom of triplet boys who just completed Kindergarten. They are each unique individuals and were all in separate classes. Each teacher was a perfect match for my boys. They are caring, wonderful women and terrific teachers! They were great with communication and very supportive of me as a mom who just returned to work in a part time position after being a stay at home mom from birth through preschool. One of my boys required an IEP. The reason for the lower rating for the Principal is that she discouraged me from pursuing an IEP and told me some untruths about the process. I believe she is near retirement. I contacted the Special Education Director for the district, met with her and the process was immediately implemented. I truly think you must be an advocate for your child. I love Woodland; I like the fact that it is K through third grade. The campus is small. The John Wooden attributes are great.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2013

It s been a while since I ve had children at Woodland, but we had an excellent experience there. I have had two children at Woodland and Kaiser, one is now at Ensign (in honors English and Math, which his elementary school teachers did a great job preparing him for), and one in 6th grade at Kaiser. We were very happy with the teachers we had at Woodland (all but two of them are still there). I always loved the fact that the school had only K-2, it was such a nice, protected environment for the younger children. I walked my kids to school every morning and the teachers and parents were always friendly and social. The level of parent involvement is good, and through the years it has grown even stronger. That being said, there are a handful of teachers between the two schools that I would not have wanted for my kids, but you are going to have that situation at any school (believe me, I have heard complaints from Mariners, Newport El, Newport Hts., and Carden parents sometimes you have a bad year). But we have loved Woodland and Kaiser and have had wonderful teachers the whole way through. My kids have received an excellent education, and made great friends.
Submitted by other on February 06, 2013

I'm a concerned parent of a to be kindergartner. The school sounds nice but the not so good reviews scare me. Is there anyone who can help me feel comforted? Thank you.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2012

This elementary school is the best in the area...the teachers are incredible and they are lead by an amazing principal who has been setting an academic standard of excellence for many years. Check out the recently added kinder-garden where the students can learn science with a hand-on experience. Also, a science teacher was added to teach the first and second graders in a dedicated science lab for 45 minutes each week!!
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2012

Woodland is the best kept secret in Newport-Mesa! The teachers are fantastic and the environment for learning one of the best. The teachers are accessible, open and focused on helping your student achieve their best. The front office staff is welcoming and cares about the students. It is also nice to have the K-2 format because the focus is on the primary grades. The students have a full computer lab, music program, "kinder-garden", reading specialists and science taught by a credentialed science teacher! The parent organizations, (the PFO and Foundation), also work together with the school to help provide some of these programs; and they continue to look for other areas to make Woodland even better.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2012

woodland is an amazing school the staff there in the office and in the school have been great . The my daughters teacher has worked hard for my daughter to be able to succeed. I really love this school and apperciate all the hard work they do for me and my child. Thank you so much Woodland