Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran

We have two children who attend SOTD and we absolutely love ir! Great director and the teachers not only know and care for our kids, but promote age appropriate development. Very nice clean facilities too. Highly recommend!
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent teachers and a great atmosphere for learning. A focus on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is very important for children to establish a firm foundation for life. The academics are second to none. We're so blessed to have our child @ Shepherd of the Desert since pre-K. The experience has been outstanding!
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter was in the pre-K program this year and did extremely well here! Her teachers were excellent & the "play" while learning was incredible. She is definitely ready for Kindergarten following this program.
--Submitted by a parent

The junior high program has developed over the past two years into a premier academic program that shares the love of Christ. Little behavior issues within the junior high as negative parents and students have been asked to move onto other schools (note the negative May 22, 2009 parent posting ). My son loves the teachers and wonderful variety in programs! Thank you SOTD!
--Submitted by a parent

We have had 2 children at Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran School since 1st grade. It's been a wonderful experience for our family. We couldn't ask for anything more from a school.
--Submitted by a parent

We have three kids at SOTD. I thinks it is one of the best kept secrets in Scottsdale. The academics are very strong and the teachers are excellent. There is also a strong feeling of community among the families here. We couldn't be happier.
--Submitted by a parent

Our children have been at the school for many years starting out in the preschool. I would say that the elementry experience is wonderful. Caring, invested teachers and an emphasis on doing the right thing in a faith based environment. The middle school is another matter. Middle schoolers are treated more like elementry schoolers with similar rules and expectations. There is little room for individualism and the structure is very limiting celebrating the plain vanilla wrapper child. The class sizes are small which is good for the academics but again can be limiting with very little social interaction created for the more mature junior high experience. The middle school was an add on and is still a work in progress. I would say if your child is shy or quiet they will like the experience. Children that are social, creative or push the envelope will feel bored and frustrated.
--Submitted by a parent

I have a 4th grader and a 2nd grader at the school and couldn't be happier! This school has such a strong sense of community, not only among the parents and students, but the staff as well. All of the teachers know every student, regardless of grade and go out of their way to help each child. Having previously been at a charter school, I can't say enough about how impressive this school is both academically and socially for my kids. They are really thriving and I've seen their confidence soar in the smaller environment. I also love the uniforms-no hassle getting the kids ready or them worrying that they don't have the 'right' clothes to wear. I would highly recommend this school!
--Submitted by a parent

Our three children attend this school. One is currently in the 3's program and the other two are in the elementary school. We are very pleased with the school and the quality of faith based education they are receiving. The faculty is strong and focused on a carriculum that appropriately challenges the students. The first grade teacher (Mrs Brandt) just received teacher of the year award. The schools overall achievement test scores were way above all national averages and most came out in the 90th percentile in reading and math subjects. There is a new principal who has fantastic goals and is building a strong infrastructure. Key areas of focus are in the technology and continued academic performance. He has already instilled a number of new enrichment programs for this years coursework along with a lot of new extra curricular items. The forecast for the SOTD is very bright!
--Submitted by a parent

As a speech-language pathologist I service private and charter schools all over the valley and have also worked for a large school district in Arizona. I am convinced that the education my children are receiving is top-notch and national test scores support this. In addition to a high-quality eduation, I feel that SOTD provides a deep sense of community for my entire family. I am so blessed by a loving, Christian atmosphere and great education for my children. All 4 of my children have started in the early childhood program at age 2 and next year will be our 7th year at SOTD. Arizona private school tax credits have helped us tremendously by significantly reducing the cost of tuition.
--Submitted by a parent