Mt Olive Middle School - Budd Lake, New Jersey

Elly Caramoo

I am a bit unhappy with the fact that some students are over exaggerating on how "bad" this school is. Though it is true that the school is focused on the standardized testing , it doesn't mean that the teachers don't help us prepare for these things. Most students who don't like this school are mostly complaining because they are quote-on-quote "the bad kid". They are disruptive to the classroom and get annoyed when they are put back into their place. Most of the teachers are very nice, but then again, there is always a loose string in a blanket. This school isn't perfect, just like others. There may be that one teacher who is absolutely terrible. So the school usually fires them or replaces them to try and get better teachers. Yes, the lunch aids may not be the best, but they are just trying to do their job "right". I do agree that yelling, and telling everyone to stay in their seats isn't the best, nor is being angry with them. I also agree, that being forced to only have 8 people at a table isn't great, but they are trying to keep everything "orderly".
The boy's bathroom doors are open because in the past, there was an incident that occurred that was caused by the boys resulting in the open door, just in case anything happened that was similar.
"Mean" teachers aren't actually mean. They are strict, because they are striving to see the students succeed.
Bus drivers yell, because they are trying to keep everyone safe, rather than having chaos break out in the back of the bus.
Hall monitors do not just write students up. They usually ask "Where are you heading to?" or "What are you doing in the halls?" And if a student is obviously lying, or doing something they are not allowed to do, the student either is brought to the correct classroom, or to the office.
If the student was doing something that severely broke the school's rules, they'd get written up. The hall monitors don't just write up student, if they did, they'd be automatically fired.
However, I do have some reasonable changes that can be added to this school's curriculum.
Here they are:
Instead of focusing mainly on sports, maybe the school could add more diverse classes. Mostly in the performing arts area. (Art, Acting, etc.)
I'm not sure if this is intended, or it was by accident, but there should be a bit more recognition for the orchestra group, instead of just only the band group. (Orchestra room, orchestra club, advanced strings, extra orchestra classes)

Physical bullying isn't necessarily a problem at this school. It's mostly verbal bullying. Such as discrimination of race, disability, and sexuality. I feel that this mostly occurs in the hallways, when there is little supervision, because of the large mass moving through the halls. I recommend that there are more teachers, or hall monitors, walking through the halls to make sure nothing actually bad happens. Then again, stuff like this happens in every school. Whether it is physical or verbal.

In conclusion, students shouldn't be so critical with the reviews they give. This school is WAY better than the reviews given. Most of these are by students who were angry over an F that they were given because they didn't study.

Jack Sparrow

I went to this school for my 6-8 grade year and man this school really sucks! The principal fails to remove and punish people who were bullying and the security guard is an old and vicious man. If you agrue with him, he'll right you up and send you to saturday detention. All other reviews are biased and fake. It's better off to be homeschooled and stay away from this school! (By the way, the lunch ladies are old and rude and they will scream at you if you don't get the right lunch).

Mr. Man

The comments section here describes how we respond on social media. We pretty suck. The only good thing about this school is our grades. They barely care about how we feel. By the way, this is coming from a student who isn't in detention and isn't living a low life.

smiley boy

i actually wrote a review telling yall how bad this school was (on my school email) and then the school actually logged into my account and deleted it. staff is involved in stuff, make student council do it. trips are great, its liberating to be away from the awful atmosphere. a lot of teachers are gonna want you to kiss up to them but dont do it. also lmk why tht "do not pet the cats" kid wrote an essay on this place bruh you probly a kiss up

Emily

Alright so this place is my school. Sorry, I meant to say JAIL. This place totally sucks. As fellow students, ahem I mean INMATES have said, we are treated really disrespectfully! Security guards, teachers, guidance counselers, and even principals are just plain disrespectful and rude and then they expect us to be respectful toward them! Just because they are older than us doesn't mean they can just disrespect us like that. For example my sister who also goes here said that she saw an aid for a special education student threaten to pull the kid (who was misbehaving, but keep in mind that she was mentally challenged) back by her ponytail! And the girl looked scared! That isn't right! Also, the lunch aids bark at us all the time for nothing, as do security guards. One time I got by phone taken just for checking the time because I couldn't see the clock from where I was sitting. And if I got up to look then I'd get in trouble I'm sure of it. I'm in 8th grade about to go into 9th and I am so glad that I will leave this place. There are only a few good teachers, like Mr. Nicastro for example. A lot of teachers are not good, I won't point any fingers but THERE ARE A LOT. In addition I have heard teachers saying that they hate their students and that a student was stupid RIGHT TO THEIR FACES. Some of the temper tantrums that these people have are mad crazy, yelling and cursing and everything. Also i like how they say that this is a safe environment and that you wont get bullied, but it happens too much. Fat? Bullied. Gay? Bullied. Unpopular, bullied. Any other race but white, bullied. Sometimes even if you are white you're bullied for it, Not smart, bullied. Even if you're smart you will still be bullied, called a teachers pet, etc. It gets you no matter what. And honestly I feel scared, that something bad is gonna happen. When a teacher goes off like that I'm honestly scared they're gonna go insane and hit me or someone else or something, I can't even walk to the bathroom without being scared that a security guard is gonna get me with their big old loud walky talkies. Every time the phone rings in a classroom I'm afraid its for me getting called down to guidance over nothing. I'm also kinda scared over petty stuff like actually getting food poisoning from the cafeteria food because it is SO NASTY and bad, getting written up (because a lot of teachers are a bit write-up happy for lack of a better phrase), etc If its to the point that a school is scaring you, you know you have a bad school. If you are reading this and you thinking about putting your kid in this school, DON'T!!!!! Or if you are a kid who is gonna go to this school, I'm sorry. If you are from school reading this, I know it sucks and we all feel the pain.
Sincerely, a MOMS prisoner.

Adam Palomba

This is my school. Well actually it's more like a prison... Now that may seem crazy but in reality the students are treated with no respect at all and have no freedom to do anything except what Mrs Miranda demands them to do... much like inmates in a jail. I am in the 8th grade almost 9th and all 3 of my years here have been absolutely horrible! When I come into school I am instantly given dirty looks by the principal and vice principal. When I am in the hall ways I am harassed by the security guards in the building. When I am in the principal/vice principals office I am given nothing but disrespect and I am talked down to like I'm a piece of garbage. They target students and harass them and make their lives miserable. Sadly, I am one of those students and I'm not the only one. Everyday I see kids being picked on, harassed, and lied to by the principals, nurses, security guards, and some of the teachers in the building! It's ridiculous! I'll tell you a story about what they did to me which is just one of many but anyway about 2 weeks ago I was in gym class and I was running around and I couldn't breathe which sometimes happens when I exert myself to much so I went to the nurse just so I could catch my breath and the nurse asked me to go get a pass which I responded I can't because I'm having trouble breathing she says "well that's to bad go get a pass and then I'll be glad to help you" so I guess now a piece of paper is more important than a student who cannot breathe! I refused to go get a pass until I could breathe better so she called security who I still told I couldn't breathe but they didn't care either. Then the vice principal and head principle come down to make things even worse and told me I was making a poor decision by refusing to leave and trying to make me feel like I was wrong for not being able to breathe! I still did not leave so they put me in a side room in the nurses office and locked the door then left as if I'm a caged animal! When someone can't breathe, adding all this stress and unneeded chaos just makes it worse! Anyway they made me sit in there for about 30/40 minutes which I had already called my mom and asked her to please call the school because she knows just like the nurse knows I've had breathing problems before so after she does that the principal comes in again and the nurse finally checks me out and clearly doesn't find anything wrong with my oxygen levels because as I thought Which was just confirmed by a doctor today I have exercised enduced asthma which is only caused by running around and almost an hour later id be okay! To sum this story up they tried to actually punish me for going to the nurse!! Which already took 2&1/2 hours out of my day! This school is ridiculous and not reasonable about anything at all! I just want to wrote another quick story about an interaction between myself and mrs Miranda. So a few months ago I was being followed and harassed by the security guards in the building so I went to mrs Miranda and told her I felt like I was being harassed and I also told one of the bullying concelers at the school who also told mrs Miranda about the situation and when I went into mrs Miranda She told me and I quote,"it doesn't matter how you feel" and "stop wasting my time". After she said that I just walked out because that's someone who students should be able to come to and be able to talk to and they can't. I'm not writing this to benefit me I'm writing this to help all of the other students who have the chance of being targeted, harassed, bullied, lied to, and not listened to by the people that need to listen! In my eyes NO other kid should EVER have to go through the pain and the suffering that I had to go through at mount olive middle school! If you're a kid reading this and your dealing with this right now feel free to contact me for support because this isn't right no kid should have to deal with this! So if you want your son/daughter harassed and picked on then mount olive is the place for you! -ap 2016

Shayna Lynn

7th grader here. Ummm.... see, the teachers are nice. I wouldn't say anything bad about (some of) them but ya know I think they should tell parents a lot more than they do and give us a lot more freedom. And also, not gonna lie, I don't skip school, but only bc of the food.

Cece Bear

10/10 would school again

I'm not sure why people are giving super critical reviews
This school is better than most. It has high scores on passing and graduation
Please
Don't bias this based off "my sixth grade math teacher gave me a failing grade a couple times"
Base this off the majority of the year, and please write an explanation with your review

Thank you