Daniel Webster Elementary School

I have a son entering 3^rd grade and a daughter entering 1^st grade at Daniel Webster in the fall. We love it! From the dedicated teachers and support staff to the supportive community of parents and students, this school is truly great, and it’s going to get even better.

Our daughter is in Ms. Gonzales’ Spanish Immersion kindergarten class, and we are very happy with her and Daniel Webster as a whole. We are a bilingual family, but didn’t feel that our daughter really enjoyed or understood the importance of speaking more than one language until now. She comes home singing, reading, and writing in Spanish. She is happy to go to school everyday and has made many good friends. We also feel that DW is the right match for us as parents and are connecting and making new friendships with many wonderful people. The parent involvement is great, and everyone who works at DW seems to be there because they really love these kids and want to give them everything they can. It is exciting and rewarding to be involved in such a passionate and dedicated community.

Our son transferred to DW last year for 1^st grade a month into the school year. It was a little tough for him, but made so much easier by the immediate friendliness of his peers and teachers. He came home the first day saying he had a friend. I think this is a good example of the feeling at DW — a small, tight-​knit and friendly community. It is also exciting to be a part of a school that is dynamically on the up-​swing. As a school with a troubled past, a critical mass of neighborhood parents started a Spanish immersion preschool and implemented a new Spanish immersion program several years ago. As part of this effort, the school’s PTA began in 2008 and has ramped up quickly, bringing in nearly 100K last year. I write this, not to be crass, but to point out that this school is solid — both the immersion and English classrooms. Despite SFUSD budget cuts that left out funding for a new 3^rd grade teacher, we will have that teacher because of parent and community support through the PTA. This is a school that is increasingly promoting academics and able to solve problems as they arise. As of last year, we now have the EXCEL after-​school program as well, which has been a great addition, including enrichment activities like digital sound arts, Tree Frog Treks, and creative storytelling. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but I am so happily a part of this community that comes together to ensure a friendly, safe and dynamic school experience for our kids.

My son is a 2^nd Grade Spanish Immersion student at Daniel Webster. What is most compelling for us about the school is the tireless community that envisioned, established, committed to and continues to nurture and cherish this little-​school-​that-​could.
We truly feel like we live in a suburb within the city, with this school at the epicenter of the Potrero community. DW is not only a place to drop off your kid for a quality education. Rather, there’s an opportunity to be a part of an entity that continues to evolve– and our involvement has a direct effect on our children and the future classes.
The teachers are incredibly committed to the children, perhaps because of our history, or because of the tight community. Regardless, it feels like we’re all part of something positive and good.
If you are considering this school, understand that this isn’t a polished and pretty place. We need a facelift, there are still financial struggles, which leads to some shortcomings in staffing, supplies and maintenance. Yet the benefits so far outweigh the negatives. For us, we’d rather have this rare and dedicated community than all of the facilities in the world.

Our daughter started K this year in DW’s Spanish Immersion program. We are extremely happy with our choice. The school has a wonderful sense of community. The kids are happy and learning. Our daughter loves going off to school each day. She has begun reading in both Spanish and English and is enjoying other activities like art. The teachers are wonderful and experienced and the parents are very engaged.

I went to DW for pre-​K and Kindergarten probably 24 – 25 years ago. Much love to that place for being my intro to formal education

My daughter is in the Spanish immersion program at Daniel Webster. She has a wonderful teacher and loves going to school everyday. This is a small school which I think helped her transition to Kinder very quickly. I really appreciate the motivated and hard-​working parents who are trying so hard to bring great opportunities to DW! I’m really glad to be a part of this community.

I have the privilege of working nearby and witnessing the good that goes on at Daniel Webster on a daily basis. The children are smiling and laughing, the teachers are very friendly and really seem to enjoy their jobs. The families seem to linger after drop-​off to chat. There is a tremendous sense of community at Daniel Webster. I hope that my children will be able to attend there!
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