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December 2023 by Pebbz Moreno
I waited to write a review of the school and my sons teachers. The school is very clean. I feel my son is safe inside of the school, because you have to be buzzed in. We communicate with the teachers via an app called class dojo. My sons home room teacher posts information to the classroom wall every day. This includes weekends. The problem is its 10pm on a Sunday night and my phone keeps going off. There is no school life balance. As a parent I feel there should be a time frame in which the teacher can reach out to parents. I've gotten notifications of her posts or messages at 5am as well. My son doesn't really like that his homeroom teacher yells a lot. We spoke to her and she insisted that it's because she speaks very loud. Yet he loves Mrs. Palumbo and says she's very nice and teaches the class without yelling as loud as his homeroom teacher. His teacher gives Spanish words weekly but the Spanish words that are given are random Spanish words. Not like when you take Spanish in a regular setting where you start with the basics. It's random Spanish words that are very difficult for the kids if they are not in a fluent Spanish speaking home. My son is 7 and is not fluent in Spanish, so I believe the kids should start with the basics and go from there. Learning colors numbers how to introduce themselves and how to start a basic Spanish speaking conversation. Instead they are given very difficult words that they would not even say on a normal regular day. My son likes his friends there, but one time there was a concern that was brought to our attention when another student hit my child. The principal called us and it was explained to my husband, I was working and couldn't go to the school. The next day his Teacher came back to school and I messaged her asking her if she can tell me what happened. Her answer to me was " I don't know I wasn't here. Speak to the principal." If that's your class and you weren't there, wouldn't you want to be filled in with what occurred in your absence in your classroom so if the parent asked then you would know what to say? Not even that she could have been more empathetic and apologized and informed me that it would be best to speak to the principal because she didn't have all the details. I honestly think she doesn't care for my child. You know as a parent when you have that intuition. Well that's what I feel. My son tells me he would rather be in Mrs. Palumbo's class because his homeroom teacher always yells. I understand frustration and when kids need to settle down, but if my kid is constantly telling me this, then there must be some truth to it. Overall I give the school 3 stars. It's not the entire school, it's mainly because of my sons teacher, the Spanish curriculum, and the late night/early morning notifications from the class dojo that are ridiculous and shouldn't be posted at those hours. There should be some balance to those posts or at least only posted Mon-Fri from 8am - 7pm. Not At the Crack of dawn and late at night on a Sunday. Thank you. I did reach out to the teacher about this and her reply- "GO to Settings"- That was all she said to me. Nothing more! Smh.
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August 2023 by super gaming diva
I must say this. This school has been by far the best school. My children have been attending the school since it opened. The staff is very good sometimes I have came off alittle to strick as a parent and they understood they didn't get frustrated they remain professional at all times. Now the PRINCIPAL this year is by far the best principal in this position. She not only cares for the children but she cares for each and every parent as well. She's a Mother first and a wife second and a principal last. I truly admire her because the principal role is very important also very stressful and u need a strong woman that can handle the weight. Keep pushing but by far the best school I highly recommend
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August 2023 by Anthony A
Do not send your kids here. They hire substitute teachers that only have a high school diploma and for certain hired one that also had a criminal record. That should be unacceptable to all parents!
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July 2023 by Crisanne Galaske
Most horrible experience ever, especially with the same principal. It's a big lost Chatter School under her administration in Melbourne. They favoritize students, kids of who work there in the school and others students go with inexperienced teachers. That happened with our 1st grader and for the 2nd grade, we realized that it was going to repeat, so we pulled out our kid from this place, since for our friends it was the same. The only happy reviews are from who works there or are a friend of the principal. This should be investigated by the Police. Not honest! God makes Justice!
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June 2023 by Christina Brown
I've been thrilled by our overall experience at Pinecrest. My son is finishing kindergarten there today and we can't wait for him to continue his journey there. We plan for him to attend all the way through 8th grade (and high school if it's added by then). Teachers and staff have been very supportive (my son is very smart but very high energy and at times challenging behavior) and he has learned so much this year. My mother was a private school principal for many years and has a master's in early education so I have high expectations for where he goes and she has been nothing but impressed with Pinecrest (she is local and has had a front row seat to his experiences). Aftercare is good and he enjoys it. I've been very impressed with how well the big kids treat the little kids (treat them just like friends, know their names and play, do not ignore or mistreat them). The general attitude of everyone seems to be good and collaborative. The Spanish language program is excellent he's well on his way to knowing Spanish, he wasn't excited about Spanish in the beginning but now that he knows quite a bit he wants to learn more and practice. Only thing that could possibly be a criticism is that sometimes communication with parents has conflicting info (like we'll get three different emails and they each say something different so there's confusion as to what we're supposed to be doing). But that's never really a huge issue it's just irritating. But honestly if that's the worst I have to deal with with a school I think we're in great shape! Again I can't say enough good things about Pinecrest and I can't wait for my son to continue there and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great school for their kid.
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November 2022 by Amy Scalia
I have had three of my kids at this school for 3 years now, since the school opened. I am giving a 5 star review, not because the school is perfect, but, because as a whole, the administration and teachers do everything they can to get as close to that as possible. Three years in, and after opening in the midst of Covid, I have seen a lot of great progress and achievements made by this school. What has always been, and remains consistent, is the school's commitment to the whole child. Pinecrest understands that children are not just students, and they are not all the same. This school absolutely provides the most caring and supportive environment to its students. Additionally, the school offers rigorous coursework and the opportunity for middle school students to excel by taking high school classes. The school has great sprit and a community feeling. I recommend Pinecrest Academy enthusiastically!
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November 2022 by Krystina Wreggit
Wonderful school, teachers, & administration! Excellent & easy communication with all of the teachers & the administration! My children started here when the pandemic began 3yrs ago & we could not be more confident & pleased in our choice of how well our kids are being prepared not only for high school & college but also the real world. If you are looking for a school that will provide your child with project-based learning and also enhance their education with Spanish (half of the day when they are K- 3 & as a class in 4-8) and also allow them to take accelerated courses where they can receive high school credits therefore be more advanced by the time they go into high school, then Pinecrest Academy is the best choice for you!As an aside, I think the people that gave Pinecrest one star either did not try the school long enough or they went into it with different expectations. Regarding the review that somebody gave it about teaching the children Spanish, I’m not sure how that is a detriment in today’s world. If you send your child to Pinecrest, then you know that your child is going to be taught Spanish. I’m not sure why the parents would be so upset and rate the school as one star just because their child was being taught Spanish at a school that openly has “creating bilingual learners” as part of their motto.
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November 2022 by Jessica Castro
I absolutely love this school. All of my sons teachers care about his grades and his success. They have all been nothing but kind even when he has struggled to stay focused in class. The principle is a five star principle. She’s tough and expects the best from her kids but is nice. Straight to the point, doesn’t sugar coat things and babies the students but again stays nice and is never mean. She’s excellent! The school gets a 5 but I wish I could give it a 10. I absolutely recommend them.
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November 2022 by Shawndel Barber
This is by far the worst school and organization in the county. Where's Maria? I'm taking all of my children out of this cell block 13
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November 2021 by offical website
Not very good. If you want your child to have a good school experience go to a different one
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November 2021 by Jessica Hamilton
Considering this is a new school that opened during Covid, as of today, February 22 they have had 9 cases. The principal has always exceeded expectations and followed safety protocols for the children and staff. Both of my kids have extra needs and with my experience I have noticed she is a great advocate for her students. The teachers are wonderful as well, everything is technologically advanced which make the need for remote learning a bit easier to manage.They also teach the kids Spanish and my kids really like it. I was nervous about them succeeding in learning a new language but it’s been amazing to see them tell me what they’ve learned. So many great opportunities for kids.Another huge plus is the carpool LANES. There is one on the main loop (front of building) for younger grades and another carpool lane/parking lot for older grades. (Back of building). It makes picking up and dropping off easy.
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November 2020 by Marcos Vieira
Fantastic school with the most amazing teacher's...
