Why I Love Calypso Elementary

We’ve been part of the Calypso family for five years now, since my daughter started there in 2nd Grade after we moved to Bethlehem.  (She’s now in 7th Grade at Nitschmann Middle School and my son in 4th Grade at Calypso.)  
 
When we bought our home West Bethlehem, we were encouraged by all of the positive things our new neighbors had to say about the school, and incredibly grateful that we’d already had a chance to meet with the principal (as house-hunters at the time) to talk through how the school might build on our children’s strengths and meet their needs.  In the years since, we’ve only come to adore Calypso more, and for obvious reasons:
 

• My son’s 4th Grade class, with 19 students, is the largest he’s had.  My daughter’s 4th Grade class size was 18; his 1st Grade class had just 15 students.
• This made it that much easier for both of their teachers to tailor the curriculum in ways they each needed, whether that was extra practice or enrichment activities.
• Beyond solid academics, they’ve gotten art and music and afterschool programming, not to mention guidance on how to be good leaders and good friends.
• They both developed a diverse group of peers.
• And they got to be in a building where all of the staff members know all of the children – our principal greets everyone by name each morning – and where, every now and then, hard work warrants a dance party.

 
While both of my own children are too old to have participated in Bethlehem’s Reading By Grade 3 Initiative, it comes as no surprise to me as a Calypso parent that our school got all (fully 100%) of our kindergarteners reading at grade level by the end of last academic year.  I cheered when I saw these results but wasn’t surprised – everything at Calypso that’s benefited my son and daughter (the small class sizes, the incredible staff, the supportive environment, the individual attention) set it up for this kind of achievement.
 
Calypso is just an incredible place, and I’m so glad it’s where my children got their academic start!
 
submitted by Karen P. – proud Calypso Elementary parent