Hi -- we are seriously considering a property in clayton zoned for river dell and archer lodge middle as well as clayton high -- just wanted to see what you thought of these schools - they seemed excellent by the standards listed online and when I visited seemed nice -- but that was just one day -- any input would be appreciated thank you
Our oldest is a sophmore at Clayton High. This is his first year attending this school as we just moved up from Georgia. So far we have had no complaints about the school. The only thing my son has really ever said though is that it is really overcrowded. He carries all his books all day, because there is no time to go to his locker in between classes because of the crowded halls.
Riverdell I live in the Archer Lodge area & have 2 kids at Riverdell Elementary. My kids have been there for 2 years. I like it, they like it. The staff & employees are very nice people. Our principal is fairly new to our school but she & the assistant princ. are wonderful, friendly & available. Its a small school less than 5 years old though the local growth should have been better anticipated. Last year there was only 1 of those outside classroom buildings but I've heard there'll soon be several. Currently, the teacher/student ratio is very good. Though its not rated a 'School of Excellence' like our last school, my kids have both made Honor Roll several times & have never been in any trouble. I've not heard of any crime or bullying happening there like in some schools. Cons: Hard getting in/out to pick up/drop off kids due to heavy traffic on Buffalo Rd. No caution light, no traffic cop, poor visibility when two cars are side by side trying to exit. Several accidents have already happened. Speed limit should be reduced during those hours, currently its 45mph. When my kids rode the bus in the morning (now we take them) they were almost run over crossing the street one morning to get on the bus when a truck roared right past them about a foot away. The bus was stopped with its sign out too. Two new subdivisions are in the process beside & across from school creating more traffic & expected student growth. New high class strip mall (specialty shops) being built a mile or so down the road towards Hwy.42. Will create more confusion. School lunches. Kids don't seem to complain & it may be the same all over but everytime I've eaten there, I've been disappointed in the food. Ex. Soup is a clear liquid with a couple of vegetables & a tiny piece of meat floating in it. PBJ & Cheese sandwiches are now prepackaged pastries instead of traditional sandwiches. Bland & boring & definitely not worth the money. Fund Raisers: Probably the same at all schools these days but it seems like every month or more its something else. Fund raiser, fund raiser. For a buck, kids can wear a hat to school (2 days in a row this year). Sell this, sell that. Dollar, dollar, dollar me to death. No auditorium, the cafeteria is used for plays, awards & such. A teeny, tiny gym. Overall though, I like Riverdell. The school is the reason we live where we do.
Archer Lodge Middle Archer Lodge Middle was just built & this is the first year. My friend & neighbor has a daughter there & she really likes it even more than she did Riverwood (her former school down the road). Wow, they even have a stoplight in front & hardly any sudivisions nearby either!
I have nothing bad to say about River Dell. The teachers and administration are awesome. I do agree about the traffic situation, it is only going to get worse over the next year or so with the continued growth of the area. As for Archer Lodge Middle, I'm a little concerned about my child going there next year as a sixth grader. I know of two students at the school who had no other choice but to transfer to Riverwood Middle due the lack of support from the school administration concerning one child's medical condition, and the other student's problem with a math teacher at the school. The end result was that the math teacher resigned or was fired due to not doing the job he was hired to do, and the students that were in his class were all going to get incompletes for that class for that quarter. The principal does not seem to have a handle on the student's or teachers there. Of course, that school is new and maybe everyone is still adjusting. There are alot of students that go there, but all I've heard is somewhat negative feedback. The Clayton/Archer Lodge area is a great place to live and raise a family.
thanks thank you so much for your honest opinions -- I really appreciate that -- the schools do seem nice -- moving from NY is a whole different world but it seems like their statistics are just as good if not better than where we are now -- any other opinions are gladly appreciated
My DS goes to River Dell and we really like the school. However, that's the only school we have had any experience with. We have had some really good teachers and some decent teachers but have never had any bad ones. Hope that helps!
Hi! My son goes to Riverdell for two years and in two more years, he'll be at Archer Lodge. I'm pleased with Riverdell so far. They are serious on kids' education. Before Thanksgiving every year, they test students to see how well they progress on reading and math. If they find a student with low test score, they offer free tutoring after school once week. Coming from other State with low reading test score, my son had to take a reading tutor here at Riverdell last year and guess what? He passed the grade and went on to the next grade for the following year, thanks to Riverdell. His reading is so much better since last year. The teachers there are wonderful and they communicate with parents pretty well. Each teacher have their own website to keep in touch with children's parents. Like the previous poster said about the traffic, it's true. We used to drop off and pick up our child at Riverdell, but now the traffic is headache there so we decided to put him on the school bus. Now it is SO much easier and save gas money wise. We don't have to worry about traffic anymore. Lunch is okay, I'm sure most school lunches are like that. Some day we have to pack him a lunch because he's a picky eater. They give us monthly menu schedule so we know what they're offering. They have pizza every Friday. Principal is very nice. She's a good listener and care about what you say to her. Music teacher is awesome. I'm happy with Riverdell and won't trade for any other schools. I'm sure your child will be happy there.
Love River Dell too. My DS is in 1st grade. Pick up and Drop off is bad and will probably just get worst, but everything on the "inside" of the school and great, or has been for us since that is what you were asking.
river dell thanks -- I appreciate your thoughts -- I see that the area is very busy -- I think when I visited archer lodge I almost got sideswiped -- there is a tricky intersection there on archer lodge -- car was going 60 miles -- didn't even see it coming -- hopefully a stop sign will go there one day -- that probably would be very helpful -- anyway - thanks again for your post
Have seen the plans for the Archer Lodge HS. It is one impressive site. From the plans i saw i cant tell how many students it is built for or anything like that, but as far as what will be built on the site....West wont have anything on it.
All the schools are good. Be wary of relocating to the Archer Lodge area. It's not a bad area at all, but there is an ambitious plan to incorporate into a fairly big Town (with taxes, but virtually no municipal services). Some folks in the community are afraid that other towns are coming to annex them, but there are no facts to support that fear.
thanks for commenting on this -- excuse me for not knowing but will archer lodge hs be the next step for kids in archer lodge middle? -- It's really comforting to know that a High School like that will be coming up with my older son going into 7th grade there this year Do you happen to know when it will be opening? thanks so much for your post
archer incorporation thanks for your post -- we are looking at taft woods -- which is zoned for archer lodge middle -- but I don't think is in the incorporated area -- I have heard of talk of that though also thanks for your info
