Turtle Rock Elementary School

5151 Amalfi Drive

School District

Irvine Unified
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Irvine Unified 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 March 06, 2024

Exceptional neighborhood school. Ranks high. Smart teachers help make smart kids. Our kids attended K-6 and we are so pleased with the solid base of education they received. New music building to go along with an outstanding music program. Art and athletics are supported. Families that are involved have a much better experience. If you want a “drop and go” school for your children, look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2024

It depends how lucky your kid is with the teacher!Not communicative, teacher favoriting some children and others not. They don’t care about kids mental health!Academic level is really all about how good the teacher is! Not happy with that experience at all!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2023

Overall a good school with excellent teachers.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2023

They don't teach kids to be organized, they are not fair to kids, I have seen favorism for certain race kids, since the school is right on the street, there is not clear campus separation (there is always a risk of a kid sneaking or running out in seconds of time). Very messy and small classrooms.
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2021

We have a fourth grader who started at TR in first grade. Overall the school is wonderful! The principal is very reasonable and caring and the teachers are for the most part also very effective and respectful of the students. It’s a large school but getting involved makes you feel part of a smaller community and things are run very well with high standards which is a good experience for students. It is academically rigorous with opportunities for more challenge for those who need it. Having looked at various options, including other Irvine public schools and private options, we highly recommend TR.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2021

Looking at high ratings I went straight for it and enrolled my daughter but covid happened after 1 year and shortcoming became visible to me - the school arrangement was very poor My daughter went in hybrid with same teacher from her fourth gradeIn her fifth grade - she lost the support and everything was given to her online to complete on her ownScience was not explained well ( I had to coach her with my own work from home )Same teacher taught all subjectsThere was no additional math excercises in classHybrid class time was reduced to 4 hours instead of increasing the timeIt was a horrible decision to send her in HybridCompletely mismanaged Student teacher ratio is so high that they are not able to manage that well as wellResult: will relocate to a different school and will be using the summer to help my daughter get the concept which she couldn’t grasp at all due to lack ofPractice.Since this was the first time her grades fell from A to C- we have a long way to goI am still not sure how they get rated 9??Good luck to working parents and hope they have a better experience with this school
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2020

We are very happy with our experience so far and feel confident about the quality of teaching as well as prioritizing inclusivity socially and academically. The staff are very down to earth and responsive starting with the principal. The teachers are extremely involved and engaging. They go above and beyond in getting to know each child on a personal level. The teachers we've had were also available, accessible, and engaging. They really care about student progress! We have heard that academics can get intense especially towards the upper grades and can scare some of the parents away. But my guess is you'll find that in any school throughout IUSD or districts that are in upper middle/wealthy areas. That said, we firmly believe that our children's success in education should be a healthy balance between the academics, athletics, and social activities and it is our responsibility and goal to provide extra support where needed, not add extra pressure but always keeping in mind that learning should be fun!
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2020

Our experience has been very good, except for a bullying incident at the beginning of the Kindergarten year. My son is on the autism spectrum and this school has done a fantastic job of accommodating his learning needs and working hard with him to excel. There are a lot of students here and it's very diverse. I love that my son has had a chance to make friends with his peers that aren't necessarily from here. The teachers are involved and they offer many learning tools and strategies. I'm thankful my son has this chance to attend such a good rated school. I can see the difference of where he started out to now and it's mind blowing.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2020

Amazing school in every aspect!! The teachers are very passionate and always go the extra mile. We did not have to put any extra efforts over an above what was taught at school. Very competitive but it is not due to the school but due to the demographics in Irvine. Yes, the standards in 5th and 6th grade are high and lot of projects. It is very academic even though the teachers encourage participating in all activities which had a positive impact on our child. We were very happy with the school and teachers and made our child ready for middle school. Would highly recommend if you are looking at going to great schools.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2019

I would not recommend this school to parents who are most concerned about character development and joy for their child. IUSD is good because the parents force their children into these models of perfection and achievement. I live in Irvine and am choosing to leave the district because of the cutthroat culture and preferential treatment of children at TRE.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2015

This school is very focused on test scores and is unwilling to provide extra help for your child. The teachers use common core leaning methods and don't provide instructions on how to do the homework. I would like to see if the school administration could do the same work the teachers are having the students do? The front desk staff gossips about the parents of they call to let them know they are running late. I live close to this school but will be looking for another school for my children.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2014

Great school! It is very competetive, but kids do well without getting stressed out too much. Teachers do not encourage kids too be too competetive, but many parents are uci proffesers and want there kids to do study all night, even when they are in 3rd grade. The teachers are some of the best teachers in california, most with degrees from schools including UCLA, stanford, and ivy league schools. The houses are expensive, but it is a great neighborhood to be in, Turtle Rock broadmoor particularly. I have lived here for 12 years and my kids are in 7th grade, and they love the schools here. I hope my review is helpful! -Stephenie Chen
Submitted by other on October 08, 2013

Initially, our family concern for the twins was finding a school location that was safe and also finding a school that offered the finest public education within the area. From a grandmother's perspective, I am first of all very pleased to see the twins enjoying school so much. The teachers seem to be extremely dedicated. I am impressed by the emphasis and reward system related to moral values. With regard to improvement, I do see the boy twin struggling with mathmatics and reading, though I realize this may relate to his ability to comprehend. Handwriting skills seem to be somewhat lacking, certainly when compared to when I went to school in Ohio many years ago. On the other hand, I see the twins learning other things in first and second grade, that I didn't learn until years later. Overall, I believe the twins are receiving an excellent education, for which I am very grateful. Thank you.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2013

Turtle Rock Elementary is great in terms of parent involvement, teacher excellence,communication and academics, but it has gotten too crowded. 930 kids is too much for this small school. We've been so pleased with the curriculum and the support of the terrific principal and staff, but something's got to give with the class sizes. These rooms were not built for 35 children. I do hope something can be done to alleviate this problem because this school truly rocks in every other way.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2012

It is our son's second year at TR and we are very happy about the school and more than everything happy to see how our son enjoys going to school . He is not a native speaker and the 2nd grade teacher, Miss Kliger has been a fantastic help and he finished the year with many outstanding results and achievements.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2012

Turtle Rock is an excellent preparatory school, not only academic-wise, but also is great at building excellent character. My son just graduated from 6th grade; since he was just a small boy in Kindergarten, I saw him mature to the wonderful young man he is today, all under the constant care and supervision of his teachers. The school provides a fun-learning environment to help balance out the high academic standards given by the teachers. Every single day, my son came home with a big smile on his face, and was excited to inform me about that day s exciting adventures and learning experiences in his classes, labs, the great PE-program, and the brilliant music curriculum. His teacher made their courses more interesting with things like PowerPoint Presentations, Oral Book Interviews, and Current-Events. When I asked him who his favorite teacher was, he stated, I love all of my teachers . His third grade teacher wrote a touching note to all of her 6th grade graduates. He will never forget the caring principal and loving teachers, and will carry the memory with him forever. I am in no doubt that TRE is the first stepping stone of many, to a successful career, and beyond.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2012

My son has been in Turtle Rock for 4 years since kindergarten and he had wonderful learning and growing experience with his teachers and friends at TR. He is eager to go to school everyday and never complaints about stress and competition. The Principal is a passionate educator who is easy to approach with any questions or concerns. My son once asked her if she can go to the final of his city championship baseball game and she indeed showed up. I can tell that she sincerely cares about the education of each individual student. My son s teachers are very kind to students and they are very capable of motivating and inspiring students during the learning process. His 2nd grade teacher is always cheerful and makes parents volunteers feel appreciated. Her design of class activities creates a positive atmosphere that every student is a superstar. I highly appreciate the enthusiasm and energy of TR s teachers, staff and parents.
Submitted by parent on June 25, 2012

If you want your child to have a stress-free happy childhood, please do he or she a favor -- don't go to this school. If you want your child to be hard working and academically successful, this school might be the choice. Kids at this young age are already overly competitive and petty as in those accelerated classes and they do, as one reviewer said, take a lot of behind school programs. I heard the principal just delivered an excellent speech for the graduation ceremony asking students to "rejoice for other students' accomplishments", "be compassionate" and a few other inspiring points. Frankly I was surprised when someone told me about the speech because this is certainly not the culture of the school I know of. I hope the principal will use her own speech to guide the school from now on. Usually we only hear the bragging about the high CST and API scores during the back-to-school night. My rating for this school is arbitrary, reflecting my personal feelings towards the school --everybody including parents is trying very hard to succeed but loses sight of bigger pictures in life -- to be happy and compassionate.
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2012

We transferred our daughter to Turtle Rock school last fall and were very much satisfied with our decision the moment we got there. The polite and quirky, yet cheerful principal immediately welcomed us and gave a thorough walk-through of the fabulous school. Later, we met our child's teacher who was warm and sociable and then guided us through the curriculum system which looked like would be a fun educational experience for our daughter. My wife and I absolutely agree that we are fortunate to have our child enrolled in this school fore it is an excellent source for competition, education, and fun all at once and has a great environment for children. Overall, Turtle Rock Elementary is sure to not disappoint you and I hope you decide to let your child join the fun soon!!
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2012

We transferred our son to TR Elementary last September. We are all very happy with the decision we made! His home room teacher is very kind and warm, and keeps him challenged with higher level of work. As a result, my son has high sense of accomplishment and is happy with his school. We are very fortunate to have a supportive, brilliant, cheerful and hard-working Principle at our school. She is always there whenever there s an activity in school, greeting everyone with cheerful smiles. Overall, TR elementary has the right atmosphere for childern who desire to strive and for parents who are supportive of the school philosophy.