Adobe Bluffs Elementary School

8707 Adobe Bluffs Drive

School District

Poway Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

public

School Map for Poway 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 May 01, 2024

Teachers are super dedicated. The principal needs to be reevaluated by the district. Something is going on with her conduct and policies and affecting teacher's ability to focus on teaching. Also lack of clear communication for recent controversial immersion policy changes.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2024

The school provides excellent opportunities to learn a foreign language and has many great teachers who help students develop great writing skills. They have a great art program which helps students be well rounded. The students learn about science and the world around them which makes them more prepared for success. The immersion program is demanding but teaches students to work hard and makes them more prepared for the course work in higher grades. I feel my child is getting a great education considering it is a public school.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2020

Principal Park is an outstanding leader. The teachers are dedicated and talented. The students are motivated. This school deserves the accolades and reputation it has earned.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2019

It's a wonderful school. A small school with a big heart. Now with the mandarin classes, it is becoming even more culturally aware. The art and music programs are terrific, the teachers are fantastic, and in the end they create thinkers, which is what you want. They offer a Sacramento trip and many field trip opportunities. They have a 4th grade Gold Rush unit with a Gold Dust or Bust choral program that ends with Gold Rush Day. They also provide a wonderful colonial study with guests and the kids, teachers, and parents all dress up for it. Mrs. Shank, Mrs. LeMaster, Mrs. Seckington, Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Krumenacker, Mr. Figone , Mrs, O'Connor, Mrs. Marks, Mrs. Belong, & Mrs. Vasquez are all wonderful teachers that our children have had. What a blessing to be a part of such a school! Thank you Adobe Bluffs and Mr. Parks!
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2015

This is the best school in Poway Unified. It is the smallest school. The teachers are fantastic. Mrs. Marks is one of the best teachers I've known. She gets them prepared for Middle School and makes them be responsible for their own learning. Music, PE, Art. Science, Math and Technology are Mrs. Marks' favorites.My son's 5th grade year was the best with Mrs. Marks. My son is autistic and Mrs. Marks was great with him as he has anger and social issues. She was fantastic and patient with him. The school is a caring and warm environment. PTA and Foundation are welcoming and my kid really enjoys going to school and he didn't start off that way. It was a fight every morning. This is a great little school ! Thanks to great teachers, parents, office staff and principal. Mr. Atkins listens and he is always visible during recess, before and after school. He is cool, calm and approachable. Adobe Bluffs is the best!
Submitted by other on June 11, 2015

Great school. Great and caring teachers. Great office staff. Great PTA and Foundation. A very caring school. Hence the name small school Big Heart!
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2015

Our child has been going here for two years now. I've categorized my reviews.School grounds: The school has been in existence a while now. It's well-maintained, however, and the school is investing money into new facilities, gardening, and maintaining the current structure. The classrooms appear to be in good shape.Principal: I haven't had much interaction with the principal, but he seems to consistently send emails to parents with updates and reminders. Since I haven't interacted with him as often, I can't vouch for her personality. However, since the teachers appear to be engaged (see below), he must be doing a good job overseeing their work.Teachers/Assignments: Our child's teachers have been EXCELLENT over the past two years. This past year, our child's teacher -- Ms. Garrison -- was responsive, critical, and engaged in our child's growth. Our child has seen significant improvement over the last year because of Ms. Garrison's concerned approach. She maintains HIGH STANDARDS, and genuinely cares about improving every student's reading, writing, and math skills. It's nothing less than what you'd get at a private school. She assigns plenty of work every day, regularly tests the children's growth (on a weekly basis through spelling/math quizzes), and responds to parents concerns through email. I'm profoundly impressed. It's for this reason that we've decided to keep our child at Adobe Bluffs and skip other local schools.Activities/involvement: The schools offers musicals, science/math activities, and the parent involvement (at least this year) has been great. There could definitely be more parent involvement, but so far I don't have many complaints. The school PTA was struggling at one point since kids were leaving this school and going to other area schools (in more affluent areas), but the community here is strong.Overall: I have to admit that I've been skeptical about this school, perhaps because I didn't feel a great vibe at times. But at the end of the day, it's objective results that are important. After my child attended Ms. Garrrison's class, improved dramatically, and is well-prepared to enter her next grade level, I'm convinced that Adobe Bluffs is where she should finish her elementary education. I'm really looking forward to next her and hope she improves even more than she did this year.
Submitted by parent on December 31, 2014

This is the best little school in the Poway Unified School District. I have all of my kids in this school (all three). My oldest is in 5th Grade, I have another in 4th and my youngest is in Kindergarten. Now that they finally got rid of a couple of teachers that should have retired (or should have NOT been teachers) 20 years ago, the school is amazing! The PTA and Foundation are very welcoming. The staff works together and they really care about ALL the students and achievement. We have some ASD classes, and fully mainstreamed special ed students and ALL the students and staff embrace them. For the past 5 years or so Esther Hilleli, (ASD teacher), spearheads an Ability Awarness Day (Celebration). It is phenomenal! Thursday Sings once a month are so much fun and it helps build up the school/parent community. The teachers care! I would NOT have my kids any other place. I have some friends that AB is not their homeschool but would not bring their kids elsewhere. We love our little school with the BIG HEART!
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2014

ABES was much better under the leadership of the previous principal. The current principal dismisses serious parent concerns and is at best inept. Although there are some teachers who embrace special needs children, the principal does not and sits silent during IEP's just as a figurehead. There are several outstanding teachers, but several abhorant ones too who are frankly emotionally abusive to some children. I am not the only parent who feels this way. I know 5 families who have pulled their children out of this school to home school them. New leadership and proper oversight of burned out/ inappropriate teachers has been needed for several years now. Good school scores mean nothing if children's self esteem is damaged.
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2014

There are some truly fantastic teachers at this school. The principal is very involved which is nice. The problem is the parent community. Discrimination runs rampant. If your child is not the right ethnic race, or you don't make enough money to support the foundation or the PTA regularly, or if your kids has any special need whatsoever, it's a tough school to be a part of. The Foundation and the PTA have too much influence over this school.
Submitted by parent on November 12, 2013

The teachers in this school are not that much mature to understand that when they make a mistake and are told by parents, they need to admit that they were not right. It's that simple! Instead they lie to you. My kid does the home works properly, except one time that she didn't finish it while she thought she did. The teacher said she lied to her Instead of being positive and say that possibly the kid didn't listen to her expectation for homework. This school makes me sick. They face with kids as if they are 50 or 60 years old not just an elementary age who still needs guiding in a positive way not condemning them to lying. Talking with the principal regarding that? It's a big joke and wasting your time since he won't take your side no matter what. It becomes even worse if you come from a different culture which means that they discriminate your kid easily at this school. They take you and your child self-steam away instead of providing a healthy environment . Not a nurturing, mentally healthy school at all. Like this incidents has happened many times to others too. The website doesn't let you leave a review without giving star/stars. Otherwise I would give it a zero!