Copeland Middle School

100 Lake Shore Drive

School District

Rockaway Township
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

public

School Map for Rockaway Township 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 teacher on March 10, 2024

Copeland Middle School has made tremendous efforts towards developing its approaches in academic, social, and emotional supports being offered to the student body of Rockaway Township. This school is the central hub the community, and it has managed to look within, as a way to find growth for learners and staff members alike. With a unique population of around 900 students, the current administration has remained steadfast in making change and paving a new pathway of positivity.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2023

This school is filled with a violent and racist student culture. Staff and school administration are incompetent on bullying matters. I would not recommend sending your kids to this horribly unsafe school.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2023

I echo what most of the reviews here say. Some individual teachers were wonderful and academics was a positive part of this school. The environment was toxic though. Student behavior was severely out of control, students were not as carefully supervised as they should have been, and expectations were inconsistently enforced. Admin/policy only served to propagate the negative experiences many of these kids had. The district preaches student safety, well being, and acceptance but their actions prove they don't truly care about those things.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2023

If I could give 0 star, I would. I have experienced the worst moments in my life with my daughter in this school when it comes to HIB and feeling hopeless. Bullying is the main dilemma in this school, and even worst, how you as mother see that those, who represent the authority in the school, do nothing at respect to avoid HIB in the school environment. Copeland Middle School is, from principal to students, TOXIC, as many other reviews has specified. The administration and the Board of Education of Rockaway Township don't take responsibility for students behavior, or for staff that doesn’t do their job. As stated in another review, If one needs additional support for the student, you will have to fight for it. "This school is unfortunately a blemish on Rockaway Twp, starting with the principal," I agree with this review 100%. Parent/administration communication is absent. The administration along with Rockaway BOE are allied. I sent emails and no one replies after the counselor and vice principal realized that there were not helping my daughter at all. All they care is about absences and not the mental health and well being of the students. I was told that by law, the vice principal will send me to a Truancy hearing because my daughter did not want to go to school no more.The story of Mallory was being repeated with my daughter, who is also attending 6th grade. However, Mallory's Army awareness and outsiders, who is helping us deal with my daughter's mental health situation, as a whole, are finding a way to prevent another tragedy happens. Thank God, we reacted before anything like Mallory happened.The worst thing is that there is multiple Elementary schools and High Schools but only ONE crappy Middle school in Rockaway Township, which makes absolutely no sense to me. The more students, the less focus will be the administration in general in each individual student. Therefore, it made difficult for us to find a prompt solution and another school for my daughter.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2023

People do drugs, bully, and teachers are mean to all the kids.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2023

It’s very sad how the administration at this school failed my child. My child has been harassed by other students, then punished when he defended himself. His teachers have been fine, just some are unresponsive to emails from my son when he has had questions. Mainly it seems admin doesn’t know how to handle behavior issues. Based on other reviews I’m seeing on here, my child is not an isolated incident. Such a shame that during these socially challenging middle school years this administration doesn’t know how to intervene properly and address bullying appropriately.
Submitted by student on July 09, 2022

Don’t do much about bullying. In my experience, they said that losing friends is just a part of middle school. I don’t disagree, but I don’t think that having your 2 best friends ditch you for the popular crowd and then by absolute jerks to you is a “part of middle school”.
Submitted by student on April 28, 2022

This school sucks really bad. Don't go there.
Submitted by student on April 26, 2022

Overall terrible. They're going more harsher than ever. I can not explain how it is but its overall garbage.
Submitted by student on April 13, 2022

I received a lot of help from my teachers and Mr Gonnella. My time here has been great.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2022

There is a reason this is a national school of character. Thanks to the administrative team for their hard work and attention to detail.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2022

i love eat cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese an brerad but this school is middddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
Submitted by other on February 24, 2019

My experience at this school from an academic stand point was fine enough but the entire environment from the principal down to the students is toxic.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2015

Teachers are very inflexible. Parent/ teacher communication is non-existent. I am the parent of an 8th and 6th grader and this school has provided a great disservice to my children. Very ineffective principal.
Submitted by other on January 29, 2013

I am currently attending Copeland Middle School as an 8th grade student. The teachers are very hardworking and they care about the students in their classrooms. The student's behavior could be better, bullying and cursing are problems. Aside from that, everything about this school is great!