Emerald Park Elementary School

11800 Southeast 216th Street

School District

Kent
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
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 November 06, 2019

Poor administration. Things have really gone downhill since Principal Ficken left. The new administration is a joke. This school is now run like a boot camp. Kids have to stay silent at lunch, even though that's the only real break they get during their day and they should be able to relax and enjoy time with their friends. You won't let them talk in class, they can't talk at lunch and you wonder why you're having trouble with kids being anxious and restless in the classroom? Recess is no longer recess as kids can't run and play. So basically kids are no longer aloud to play and be kids. My child received an office referral for playing tag! This is an honor student who has never been in trouble a day in his life. Instead of encouraging him and saying great job on your academics, they punish him for playing a game we all played as children. You are dealing with children! Not soldiers! Let them be kids!
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2016

Dedicated teachers, wonderfully supportive staff. Great community environment. We love this school and would highly recommend!
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2014

This is a great school. And has only improved over the last few years. My daughter will be in fourth grade this year and has been here since kindergarten. The teachers are encouraging and my daughter has done nothing but thrive at this school. The teachers genuinely care about the children and their education. I have not met an unkind staff member and there are so many volunteer opportunities for parents to be involved. There are lots of family activities throughout the year for family fun and learning and fund raising. Mr. Ficken, the principal, stands outside and greets the kids and parents every morning.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

We are in Kindergarden this year and I am so happy we are in EP. There are so many ways parents can get involved and every staff member I have meet has been wonderful. My daughters teacher Mrs. Watson has been wonderful at communicating with me and helped me put some concerns I had about my daughter to ease. I appreciate everything she has done for my child. Even the playground teacher has been wonderful on communicating with me about some concerns and has been very supportive emotionally for her.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2014

Our school has some of the best teachers I have ever seen. They are so committed to their kids that many of them attend extra curricular activities that their students participate in like watching a soccer game, attending a birthday party, or attending a play or concert.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2014

My son is in his second year here now and we love all of the teachers and staff. I haven't found any that are unapproachable or that don't seem to like children. I do agree that the lunches could/should be better and longer, but guess what, that isn't up to the school - it's the district and the state! Get involved if you want it to be different. In the meantime, pack lunches. The staff are always trying to bring new programs to the school and to help the families help their kids succeed. My only other issue with the school is the after-school pickup, but that's because of the parents who sit in the parking lot starting 45 minutes before school gets out and who block other cars in. My advice is to walk. I sincerely do love this school and my kids are thriving there. The principal is always open to discussions/new ideas and takes the time to get to know the students. There are quite a few nationalities at this school and the staff does its best to reach out to all of them.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2014

This is my children's second year at this school and I am not impressed. I have found the teachers to be indifferent and unapproachable. I have tried to speak with my daughters teacher on several occasions and have been brushed off repeatedly. I agree with the poster below about the food issue. My kids come home all the time and immediately go for the fridge because they say they are "starving". When I asked them if they had lunch at school, they always say 'they ran out and I just had an apple." (or something comparable) They do need to fix the menu. Nachos or cheese sticks are NOT a lunch. There also seems to be a rough bunch of kids at this school and I have been alarmed at the things my children have seen and witnessed. I guess that is not necessarily the schools fault and has more to do with the area we live in. I think there are a few good teachers in this school, but the majority of them leave me questioning why they even got involved in teaching at all. They seem to despise kids, have little patience and take no pride in their job. They behave like the children are a burden to them and they don't want to be there. If you hate kids, please rethink your career choice...
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2013

This school is a joke. On several occasions my children have come home hungry because they ran out of food in the lunchroom. My daughter was given salad and a plum for lunch when they ran out of food early. Do they not know how many students they need to feed daily?? Make more!! The students shouldn't have to go without a balanced meal because lunchroom staff is lazy and incompetent. The food they do serve is processed junk. (For example, my children were served nachos for lunch yesterday). They have no lunch trays so the children have to try to carry their entire meal by hand without spilling or dropping it. They are rushed through lunch with almost no time to eat. My daughter told me she waited in line to get food for almost the entire lunch period and by the time she got her food, she only had a few minutes to eat. Kids are yanked from one classroom and moved into a different classroom because of overcrowding. The teachers are rude, apathetic, and impersonal as is most of the staff there. I cannot believe the things I have heard and even witnessed myself. My kids will not return next year. Wish I would have listened to my neighbors and enrolled my kids in a different school.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2013

My daughter went to Emerald Park for 7 years, kindergarten through 6th grade. Every teacher, every staff member has been above and beyond what we expected. They are very encouraging to the students, fair, and have an excellent educational program with some fun off site field trip learning opportunties to keep the kids interested and excited to learn. My daughter was well prepared for middle school. Thank you Emerald Park!