Meadowbrook Elementary School

5430 Glenwood Avenue

School District

Hopkins Public
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

public

School Map for Hopkins Public 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 July 16, 2024

I have 2 kids who have attended Meadowbrook, and both have had great experiences here. The teachers are nice, inclusive, helpful, and communicative. One of my sons receives special services and they do an excellent job with that. The education is valuable and my boys never complained about going to school.
Submitted by other on August 07, 2023

A true family-oriented and student centered building. I so appreciate Principal Sawatzky and her efforts to create a warm and safe environment for all students. Amazing teachers and staff!
Submitted by parent on February 29, 2020

It’s a great family environment! Strong teacher and PTO environment!!
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2019

Strong staff across the school. Engaged parents. We love Meadowbrook!
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2019

Meadowbrook is a fantastic school. We've had a great experience with the teachers and staff. The principal is great and very accessible and approachable. The school is also very good about providing extra support for kids who need it. I highly recommend it.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2019

Meadowbrook has surpassed my expectations of what a public school can be. I'm so thankful to have been able to open enroll all of my kids there.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2019

Although drop off and pick up can be a little crazy the overall educational experience is exceptional.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2017

There are so many great schools to choose from in the metro, but Meadowbrook is our neighborhood school and we love it. We love that the curriculum starting in Kindergarten is so well rounded including, spanish, art, music, gym, STEM and gifted and talented options for reading and math. We have been impressed with the engagement of many of the teachers and especially the principal. We definitely feel like everyone wants to work together to help the kids learn how to grow their academic and social skills. When there were some children that were having a hard time adjusting to kindergarten, the social worker would visit the class regularly and work with the entire class on their social skills including games to help them focus. It was impressive that they didn't single out the kids that were struggling and focused on the whole class. Overall, we have have been very satisfied with the school. If we had any concerns, the staff is very approachable and would be willing to work together to find a solution.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2017

My two kids open enroll and we love Meadowbrook.Principal is fair, inclusive and definitely involved! The school is definitely trying to figure out best practices for teaching. They will give "brain breaks" to get kids moving. Some classes use stability balls; I heard one has other tools like bicycle pedal set up (safely) to help get the wiggles out, others have mixed seating so kids can choose to stand, sit on chairs or pillows, sit on the rug, etc to be in preferred positions for optimal learning. Teachers are responsive, caring, and innovative (at reading time, one teacher rewards the kids by wearing crazy wigs and using funny voices and kids love it). The school lives its "Kind, Safe, and Ready" motto and it's been nice effectively echo that at home. Recently one of my children had an issue with another child and the counselor dealt with it the same day effectively by talking to each child individually then together. She helped them solve the issue themselves, acting as a facilitator and therefore teaching them invaluable life skills. I have not heard much if anything about bullying in the 3+ yrs at the school so while it may be that I'm not asking, parents aren't initiating the topic to me in convo. It's important to note that if the dropoff/pickup for open enrolled kids feels too daunting, it's my understanding you can drop/pick up your kid(s) at a designated in-district bus stop, for no extra charge. Big deal, IMO.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2017

We open enrolled our kids into Meadowbrook and every year that goes by, we are still feeling very lucky that Meadowbrook is our home. Both of my children (Kindergarten and 2nd grade) have attended Meadowbrook since preschool. We live in Robbinsdale and our family is very involved in the surrounding community (Church, Rec Sports, Little League, Community Events)...so I have a very good handle on school experiences in the area. Meadowbrook is a stand out school. Meadowbrook stands out with pride in our principal, Dr Greta Evans-Becker. I have personally witnessed her going above and beyond with school safety measures and addressing individual parent concerns. There are roughly 800 students at Meadowbrook and she knows a great many of the children by first name. Dr EB is diligent in her efforts to hire and retain a superb group of teachers. She sets an enthusiastic, prideful, hard working and fair tone at school. My two children took up to her.Meadowbrook also stands out with their teachers. I am finding that it's rare for the teachers to leave! Having your child in a classroom where teachers have been in their position for years...priceless. I have run into some teachers that are somewhat quiet in nature toward parents, but as the year goes on there is always a camaraderie that unfolds. All of my children's teachers have really 'known' my kids. They build them up by pointing out their strengths and they also help them with their challenges...the perfect foundation that teacher can provide.Another positive thing that stands out at Meadowbrook is with guidance and anti-bullying. Both of my children tell me what they learn about anti-bullying teachings at school. There was an instance of bullying with one of my children on the school bus. I called school and immediately there were two guidance persons (Mrs Sobanski and Mr Clark) that addressed the situation immediately and effectively. That gave me an enormous dose of piece of mind.And last year one of my kids dealt with some social strife in the classroom and Mrs Sobanski met with the group involved (a few times) and helped them through those tough social lessons...that we've all had to learn.The parents at Meadowbrook are also just stellar. Over 50% of families are open-enrolled and so these families WANT to have their kids at Meadowbrook. My kids reap the benefits constantly with tons of parents involved at their school.My two children have completed a combined 4 full school years at Meadowbrook and they are both thriving at their best potential.
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2017

We moved to the area and researched schools that had great ratings. We had two schools in mind. This school or Glen Lake. We took a tour of this school and decided that this would be the one since it is closer to us. Our daughter started 2nd grade and our son 3rd grade. It was all wrong. Our daughter was bullied since day one. We told her to tell the teachers and recess supervisor. Nothing was done. She is now in 4th grade and things have become physical. The principal runs when she sees us. She does not want to deal with this. We have been told that things are being done and that they notified a third party about this bullying and we would be contacted. It has since been 3 months and still nothing. My daughter was told by this bully to go die and that no one loves her. That was my last straw. I went in and was told that they do not have a zero tolerance bully policy. What? Why tell parents that you are serious about bullies when you have no policy about this? We are looking st other schools. Some staff are very friendly and actually very kind hearted. But some teachers do not enjoy being there. It is written all over their faces. I. The beginning we had great views of this school but now it's a very negative view. Please as a parent make sure your child's school has an actual policy on bullying. And when your child comes home crying and saying that they hate the school, listen to them.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2015

This is a wonderful school. The teachers in grades K-5 are excellent and the K-5 grades have a wonderful community feel. 6th grade keeps to itself and has a less positive atmosphere, and the teachers are trying to prepare students for Junior High rather than letting them enjoy their last year as elementary schoolers. They are caring and talented. The climate at the school is a little chaotic, probably due to the high number of open-enrolled students (LOTS of parents/cars every morning and afternoon trying to maneuver in the smallish parking lots). Academic standards are high here, and sometimes it might be a bit much. There is more homework than I would prefer. The students are wonderful and the climate here is friendly and caring. Our two children have gone here and have never experienced bullying of any kind, and if they did, I am sure it would be dealt with promptly. The band teacher is excellent, and the administration team is second to none. I recommend this school, especially if you can use the bus system and not have to drive your kids to and from school.
Submitted by parent on December 27, 2014

We recently moved our children (ages 5 and 8) from a private school in the area to Meadowbrook. Their teachers are compassionate, intelligent, and innovative. They make student-centered decisions and seem genuinely excited about trying new methods that might improve student learning (despite the fact that this is more work for the teachers). The building itself is warm, light, and inviting - student art is displayed everywhere. However, despite the addition of a new kindergarten wing this year, it feels chaotic and the school is growing so I would imagine it will continue to feel cramped. In our experience, all staff members value kindness, respect, and safety. The playground is fantastic - very large with great equipment. There is a running club that is a bit hit among the children. There is no achievement gap for students of color at this school - very impressive given that MN has an embarrassingly large gap nationally. We are very grateful to be part of a the Meadowbrook community.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2013

Great parent community. Lots of teacher support, wonderful hands on principal. The motto "At Meadowbrook, we are kind, we are safe, and we are ready." is exemplified in the majority of kids and teachers. The school is a hub for extra curricular activities such as Scouting, summer school and community events.