Mill Pond Intermediate School

909 Mill Road Southeast

School District

Yelm
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
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 July 02, 2016

The principal makes this school safe for the students, even at the cost of politics. No direct threats or walking dead language at this elementary school thanks. Parents of children who are allowed to watch and act out explicit material at home will not like the principal (obviously like the parents in some other reviews). The PTO is thriving. Movie night in the gym was our families favorite PTO event this year. If you enjoy hearing about what your child learned today and how much fun they had, enroll them at Milpond. This is where good kids thrive with a safe education.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2015

What makes this school just simply awful is the principal. She is unprofessional, rude (to parents and staff), and well should simply not be allowed to be around children. She's so awful that aside from parent-teacher volunteers, there is NO PTO at the school and has not been one since she's been there. She does not care for the well being of the students. She has her own agendas and this is very apparent in how she runs the school.
Submitted by other on January 06, 2014

I have a granddaughter that attends Mill Pond and I am very active in her education process. This school is a very good school. Teachers and principal are dedicated to educating the students and keeping them safe. My granddaughter has attended two others school, one in Olympia and one in Yelm. Out of the 3 Mill Pond is the best. My granddaughter has some special needs and they are all met. When I read the reviews I am shocked at some of the comments. I frequent this school and volunteer and I can assure anyone that Mill Pond is a great school to be educated at. The principal, the counselor, the teachers and the support staff work hard for our students. If you have a student at Mill Pond you are very lucky.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2013

Mill Pond has been a positive environment for my kids. I would like to see more parrent involvement, but as a single working mother I understand it can be difficult. No school is perfect and unfortunately I think bureacracy has played a big role in 'tying' people's hands to just do what our teachers want to do. Teach our children!!! Be role models not parent our kids. It is a tough road for administrators, staff and students. I think Mill Pond staff try to find a reasonable balance. The one negative that I experiencing right is the complete lockdown of the building. I do not agree with the fact that children are unable to get back into the building quickly during recesses. Bad things can come on to the playground very easily and would put children outside at risk. Thank you Mill Pond for always trying to do what is best for all the kids.
Submitted by teacher on October 20, 2013

Mill Pond Elementary has been in session for 7 years and is under the second principal. It has had many ups and down since it was converted to an elementary from a grade 5 & 6 intermediate school. It started with 200 students more than was planned but now is at a reasonable population. It was a combination of three schools and a lot of parents weren't happy leaving their school. The first principal came from a MS setting and no experience with lower grades but did a great job. The 2nd principal came to MP in the middle of a lot of staff changes and not always happy ones. It has been rough start but is now thriving and recently won a State Academic Achievement Award. The two principals have different working ways but both have students education put first. I would like to say that we have 100 % parent satisfaction but that isn't the case and the small % is what usually writes the negative comments. I have worked for Yelm SD for 30 years and for 8 principals; all have always had Yelm students and their education success as a top priority. I was shocked to see some of the comments and can assure you that all of the story is not stated.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2013

The principal is ridiculous. She talks down to you as if you are beneath her. She could benefit from a communications course. In the first 2 weeks my child was there she was punched in the face and another incident happened to my child. My child reported it to the monitors who did nothing and I found out when my child came home. I also seen a kid walk off school grounds during recess as we live by the school and no one seemed to notice! Shall I go on???? And that was only in the first 2 weeks! All of her work she brought home in those 2 weeks were coloring sheets. Needless to say we pulled her out and it was the best educational and social move we made for her.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2013

Teachers are great. Very involved and caring. They go out of their way to make learning fun. Not sure how the principal still has a job.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2013

Overall, this school is too small for the amount of students attending; the play area is more of a postage stamp and not a playground. But the biggest problem is the principal. This person does not actively monitor the bullying problem. I'm not sure if she does not want to make waves or if she does not receive the support to handle this annoying problem. signed/ A concerned parent
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2013

This is a great school! Over the past seven years I have had two children going through this school, as well as being a very active volunteer myself. I love the entire staff and believe they have made my children's elementary years very successful. I am upset at some of these reviews as I am extremely involved in all aspects of my children's education and can speak from extensive experience that this truly is a great school. I do think that it is not only very important for us a parents to be involved in our children's education, but also to understand that school is for teaching not raising our children, and when an issue arises we need to make sure that we are helping to be a solution and not just finger pointers. Which only shows our children how to avoid taking responsibility for our part in situations.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2013

Millpond told me they didn't have the right program for my son and dis-enrolled him from school, refusing to allow him to return. Even when the district got involved, claiming that they knew for a fact that Millpond had the services, the Principal refused to provide them. This Principal clearly is not interested in supporting the special needs students. Her solution is to kick them out and not take accountability for them. Shame on you.
Submitted by other on August 29, 2012

Not a good principal. The other staff is ok,but the Principal is something else. AWFUL.
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2012

Mill Pond USED to be a great school. Operative word being USED TO. The current principal brought all her friends over from another school, and it has become a joke. It is nothing like the amazing school that it was when Mr. Batstone was there. Kids are not allowed to be kids there, but expected to act like college students. Parents are only allowed to have input on their child's education if it favors the opinion of the principal and joke of a school psychologist. With their unfortunate inability to know the difference between autism and adhd, I'm not sure how this favors any student there. If you are on the principal's good side, she will treat you as though you are made of gold. However, once you disagree with her, she is not above yelling at you, including in your own home via phone call. I have pulled my kids from this school as it is not the great facility I once knew it to be. While some of the teachers there are absolutely wonderful and a blessing to know, overall, until some major changes are made in the administration department, Mill Pond will never be the great school it once was.