Pasadena Avenue Elementary School

4330 Pasadena Avenue

School District

San Juan Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for San Juan 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 February 15, 2019

I hate it and can’t wait to get my second grade daughter out of this school the restrooms are filthy and there’s proper conflict resolutions at this school
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2018

absolutely the worst school. I feel so sorry for my child that I ever put her there. it USED to be such a great school. new "leadership" in the school have seriously dropped their standards. this is not a safe school.
Submitted by other on February 02, 2017

nice school i love pasadena but i wish i had more science stuff
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2014

Come check it out for yourself and you won't be disappointed. I am a very involved parent who is around the teachers, staff, office, parents and principal on a regular basis. I have not one negative thing to say. Pasadena is a great, safe, learning environment for my two children and I would recommend it to any great family who wants a wonderful elementary experience.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2014

I happen to agree with the other parent with regard to the 5th grade teacher. I too am stuck until I find another spot at another school. Hopefully that will be soon! At this point my children are not getting a quality education.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2014

I think this school at one time had a lot of potential but in recent years has gone down hill. Principals come and go every couple of years. The current principal had a lot of ambition when she started but has slacked off. The teachers are great in the younger grades but fourth and fifth grade teachers have little to no ambition. The PTO promises funds used for field trips and supplies but the field trips are the same every year. Parent participation is low and always has been. The district does not see this school as a priority and never will. An example of this would be the playground equipment. One last year had been broken and patched for years and the new one is for very young children and is really small. I would recommend other schools in the district before this one. Mission and Cowen are better options.
Submitted by other on September 04, 2014

Over the last couple of years Pasadena has shown much improvement. The Principal has a hands on approach to leadership. She is front and center and can always be seen around campus greeting students each morning out front and seeing them off in the afternoon. She is also with students during the entire lunch period and visits classes throughout the day. She has done a tremendous amount of work with her staff to make Pasadena a better school with a strong curriculum. Teachers and staff are caring, and students are happy and learning!!! There is always a handful of parents who are unhappy, no matter what the situation. Most are very happy with how Pasadena is growing.
Submitted by teacher on September 04, 2014

Pasadena is a wonderful school! Teachers are great, staff is friendly, and the Principal is very hands on. Pasadena's is becoming an innovative school teaching all standards through the lens of a scientist. Pasadena is a very welcoming school open to all students.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2014

All I can say is Pasadena is a delightful. All of my children have gone through Pasadena over the years and I have never been unsatisfied. A new Principal (Ms. Cummings) came on board last school year and she has made the school even better. My children have enjoyed each and every teacher they have come in contact with, and I have been especially pleased with the easy going nature of the staff. Thank you Pasadena!!!
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2014

The academics at this school are sadly below where they should be. The homework does not challenge the children. The teachers are struggling to do what they can but it needs to be improved. This would not be my first choice when looking into a school.
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2014

Truthfully, this is a great school. The staff is very committed to the children and the new principle is very motivated to make whatever decision necessary to improve the school. If there is any negative it would be the level of parent support. But It seems to be getting better this year with the newly formed PTO. I think there are good things to come.
Submitted by other on September 01, 2014

Fifth grade teacher is horrible. Sadly until a space opens up somewhere else I am stuck.
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2014

We have been part of Pasadena Elementary School since our oldest child started pres-school back in 2006. It has been an great experience for our two children, and now the little one joined. The staff is very dedicated to students and families. The new Principal came and is taking every step needed to improve our school everyday and encouraging parent participation. (which is the key to ANY school's success, there is only so much teachers can do without parents support) Pasadena Elementary is a small school where everyone knows everyone. I feel very confident knowing that my children are in a safe environment! I look forward for another 6 years as a Pasadena Panther Parent !
Submitted by parent on July 17, 2013

These teachers are so tolerant and patient with the number of students they have. If only all the parents did their parental jobs of teaching their kids manners and respect for not only adults but their peers too. Bravo Pasadena! Keep up the good work!
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2012

This is our first year at this school. My children and I love this school. We were overloaded to Pasadena from a nearby school at the beginning of the year. At first I was apprehensive about my children attending a new school, however once I went to the school and met the principal (who is VERY accessible) as well as the teachers and office staff I fell in love, I immediately felt at home and comfortable. We came from a large and over-crowded school that was extremely disorganized with very little parent involvment to this great smaller P-5 school where there is huge parent involvement. This school is like a family. The teachers are AMAZING. I have met them all as I am often at the school helping out and they are so committed to the children and super approachable. They have an awesome program called Writer's Workshop that ecourages the children to write and be creative. My kindergartener has grown so much in his writing. They have an Art Docent program that exposes the children to wonderful works of art and allows them to do a variety of art projects pertaining to the art shown. They have a music program and a Early Engineering program.We are blessed to be a part of this school.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2012

We have been at Pasadena for four years now and love it. We love that it is a small, neighborhood school where we know everyone. The teachers and staff are wonderful, friendly, and helpful. The new principal is a lovely and welcome addition to the school. Our kids just joined the afteschool program offered, Early Engineers, and not only do they love it, but they are learning and getting to be creative. This program goes right along with the school's STEMs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focus and is a wonderful addition to the school. One of the focuses in the classroom is the Writer's Notebook and it has been wonderful to watch both of our children go from not liking to write at all to writing stories and carrying a notebook around all the time so they can write whenever they feel like it. While our children are not involved with this particular program, I do know the school has a after school choir program as well. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a nice, caring, small, local school where everyone is important.
Submitted by principal on January 03, 2012

Pasadena is a Pre-School - 5th Grade Elementary School. We have a focus around STEMS, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. We are a high performing school with a strong Balanced Literacy Program.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2011

WARNING! Despite being located in a nice, middle class area where parents will struggle, pinch-pennies, and work overtime to live in for the sole purpose of sending their kid to a school where the risk of a lousy peer group is minimal, this school has voted against that in favor of busing kids in from lousy neighborhoods to ensure a drop in classroom scores and in increase of belligerent, ignorant behavior, ruining a potentially decent school. Way to go!
Submitted by other on December 16, 2010

Sadly, this school deserves no stars. Good teachers are hit and miss - probably 1 percent of the teachers really care about the individual students. Yesterday, a child was told by an older 6th grade male teacher that "no one wants you here." He should know that in that one sentence, he just wiped out hours of counseling that the child and his father have been vigorously attending. Those few words have destroyed that work and this child's self-esteem. The teacher has no clue what the child has to deal with abandonment by the mother and many other issues regarding her. SHAME ON HIM. He parades around the school in his shorts like the pied piper of pasadena with all the little girls following him. Unless your child is perfect, this is not the school for you.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2010

Pasadena Ave Elementary has WONDERFUL: teachers and a great academic program. The campus is very nice and the classrooms are spacious. This school is, however, pretty chaotic and the staff does not have the upper hand over the students. The principal often does not take appropriate measures in disciplining bad behavior and lets problems like bullying and physical altercations go without being addressed properly.In my experience, and the experience of my children, the office staff is uninviting and even rude at times.. All in all, academically, this is a wonderful school. Socially, it is a very impersonal environment where individual emotional needs of students are not met.