I am pleased to add this school to Yelp. JVE is a Title I school, which means that it receives…read moregrants in order to provide a great education for kids from all walks of life so that they meet "challenging state academic standards"*. Which means that when my daughter, Ronni, was struggling with reading, she got the extra help, and she is now reading above her expected reading level. Plus, in 2013, JVE received the honor of being named a "National Title I Distinguished School". Which means that they did what they set out to do- got kids the education that they needed. Which means that they were one of the schools in the top one percent- yes, one percent- in the nation to do so. JVE teachers do not mess around. So, education is great in general at this school. The Pre-K is super. Those rugrats can get bussed if you ask, and they get dismissed at three p.m. Ronni loved it. Ditto for Kindergarten and on up. Kids are challenged and become math freaks and history buffs. Ronni gives me daily math quizzes. She has been doing small science experiments that create huge messes. Yep, she's trucking! This school has free breakfast, and a reduced or free lunch if you qualify. They have services for "Exceptional Children" (autism, visual and hearing problems, emotional or intellectual disabilities, speech problems, and traumatic brain injuries). They got ELL ("English Language Learners"), which is big in my book. (My dad came to the United States speaking not one word of English. He does now, and became an electrical engineer along the way.) AIG ("Academically or Intellectually Gifted) is offered, too. And after-school care and summer camp to boot. They do come attached with a reasonable price tag, but, as a parent, you can work harder or play harder when your kids are still at school. Sometimes special math, science, and reading nights are held in the evenings. Musicals every year. Ronni has stopped lip syncing and has graduated to almost-fainting at the musicals. In third grade, the kids start playing recorders. Art, and I am proud to say that Ronni's art has been shown in the county art show for the past several years. P.E. is much loved, errant basketballs and all. Guidance classes take place, as well as book swaps. And don't forget library! I always catch Ronni reading her library books. There is an on-site therapist, which is excellent, and a school psychologist. Every year, the fifth graders go to Washington D.C. They come back more mature and exuberant for even more learning. JVE's principal is simply amazing. Our kids's education is her passion, and she does a fine job with our future. Most of the teachers are terrific. You can reach out to them, and they help. When I thought that Ronni had a learning disability, they got right on the investigation. When Ronni had an illness that resulted in a lot of missed school days, they understood, and made sure that she reached milestones at a crucial time in her schooling. Reported bullying is dealt with swiftly and justly. I have to hold back sadness and anger when I think about what some kids- what my kids- have to go through and went through. It is reality, but one that I will always try to effect with wisdom, humor, and slipped slang. Like: I am happy that some bullies are out of my kids' lives and are on on the road to juvie. ("Juvie" in that statement is purposeful slang.) Yeah, some teachers are tough. Some can mostly be wonderful, but have an irrational moment from time to time. Some don't get high-functioning autism and find it hard to connect with kids like that. Some teachers forge across that chasm, and try to make things easier. I am glad that the teacher that made my daughter sit on the floor is gone. Some of these aforementioned facts are not abnormal or isolated. They happen in public schools across the country. You want a kid who knows that Abraham Lincoln had a tough childhood? Or one that knows the "new math" that leaves my mind reeling? Then put 'em in JVE. They will come out with so much knowledge that you will feel, like, well, not smarter than a fifth grader. If you need tips on dealing with autism in schools (e.g. how to communicate with teachers, how to make a communication booklet, IEP**s) or requesting learning disabilities services, just message me. *Quoted from the U.S. Department of Education. **Individualized Education Program

They fed me expired milk and my friend got moldy cucumbers 3 bits of mold on each of them and a…read morecouple teachers don't even know what they're doing or teaching. #killyourself

When I discovered that public schools could be reviewed on Yelp, I felt elated. Not only can I help…read morethe community- namely, I can help individuals. I humbly and achingly present: "The Middle Years: Beginning Teens Between Scenes and Memes" On with it: The front desk employees are outstanding and understanding. Most of the teachers are as well. A few go above and beyond. Some are dynamic. Some are compassionate. That is good, as they are creating the future. Communication is via phone calls; not mail. You will have to listen to recorded messages in order to discover that summer reading exists. Otherwise, your kid will have to become a speed reader while still coming to terms with the fact that school is back in session. The parking lot is a madhouse. There are two traffic lanes that semi-encircle a parking lot and end up at a pick-up point. These two lanes eventually merge. Polite parents get in the right lane, and impatient parents get in the left one. (Ultimately, late arrivers are forced into the left lane.) Letting in the left-laners one by one makes the whole process go smoother, but some people resent humans who have deemed themselves time aristocrats. Even being forced into the left lane as a time victim has its hazards. Vermilion sports cars contain aggressive drivers. But did you know that guys in sedans can triumph? Then ya got the parents that are so elite that they eschew the whole car line, park in the lot, wait for their kid to cross several danger zones, drive over concrete parking stop blocks, cut into the car line, and then do not stop for kids at crosswalks. Complaints have not changed a thing, but an accident or an assault will. The "Women's Empowerment Club" ironically puts forth their message with a peculiar and particular religious slant. If you are an atheist, you cannot get a powdered mini doughnut, let alone become empowered. Some students arrive at school late due to the procurement of Starbucks. If a popular girl waltzes in with a beverage that you embraced months ago outside of school, she will get the props for refined taste. Teachers still have pets. Parents of pets may illegally request a religious pilgrimage or become an impromptu video journalist guided by histrionics and some paranoia at opportune moments during school trips. As you now know, religion has a cozy nook at this school. It rears its head whenever someone different challenges the status quo. Kid saints abound at WMS. I went to religiously affiliated schools and had to deal with less religiosity than my kid has to at this public school. Some dogma I dig, but not when it denies human or civil rights in the name of local societal image. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I say lighten up, pick up that apple, and go make applesauce with that third period metalhead while reading "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The bathroom is the stronghold of the bully clique. Who knew that the guarding of toilets could make one powerful? I respectfully request the addresses of these fine "Ladies of the Loo" as I need to know to whom to send future medical bills from Urgent Care, Mission's ER, my kid's future urologist, and also to recover lost work wages. WMS is aware of the situation, but it continues on. I appeal WMS employees to retain their urine eight hours a day, five days a week in order for reality to set in. Conversely, this school does not play around when it comes to non-bathroom bullying. Employees deal with the problem right away. Also, when asked, they help children who are having a hard time in middle school. They realize that life is not easy for some students (e.g. Semitic, Muslim, LGBT, and autistic jokes have been heard at WMS). If a teacher becomes deranged after his tenure probationary period is over, then you might get a teacher who is comfortable enough to uncomfortably espouse his personal belief system whenever possible. He might not be tolerant, although his life path might proclaim he is. He will not get the kids who move to a different beat, and therefore not offer them a chance to shine. He will not get the quiet thinkers, the deep ones, the ones with challenges. Ironically, he will be the epitome of ignorance. Know that, and know that your kid will rise above it all. If this review is too much for you, feel free to leave this page. If you are O.K. with it, then great. Make sure that your kid knows that the sometimes-dark years of middle school are navigational. Make sure that she knows that a few scars will remain; that she can jettison whatever she desires, and travel on towards an openness. Notes: -WMS teachers do not endorse "Wikipedia", a base used by this writer for investigational purposes for this review. -Classes at this school are great. My kid has learned about ancient Greek society, made a model of a flora cell from flora, and has studied hobbit existentialism. -Tonight's homework is to watch "Stand by Me" and to listen to episode 449 of "This American Life".