Our Lady of Guadalupe Elementary School

I have been fortunate to experience OLG from two points of view. All 3 of my children attended this school and have gone on to higher education well prepared for success. They have excelled and pursued their interests and not only are independent and self-sustaining adults, but well-rounded moral citizens. I have also taught there for over a decade, as have many staff members, and have been able to see from the inside the level of effort the staff makes to love and nurture their students, provide for their needs, and seek resources with parents support to help each student find success. No school is perfect, but the balance of spiritual and academic maturation that these students often achieve is due to the moral strength of the faculty and staff that hold them accountable.
—Submitted by a teacher

Every teacher assigns 3-5 hours of homework every night including weekends- even at age 7. The homework is extremely excessive and the parents and students are 100% sick of it! MANY parents have been removing their kids from this school the past year. The school claims it is because of finances- that is a lie. Your 7-year-old will have a nervous breakdown at this school because of the ridiculous and extremely excessive homework every night. Don't enroll here!
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent at OLG for almost 6 yrs and have grown to love this sweet school because of my daughters enthusiasm and love for it, she utterly loves her school, friends and teachers. She thrives in her studies and at 10 yrs old, she has managed to make life long friends because of the schools closeness and respect for god. OLG has a great academic program in a safe nurturing environment. The teachers are professional and caring. We'll be here until 8th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

I have to suspect that at least a couple of these posts were submitted by the same person. Both my children have been attending this school for 2 years now. We are very involved parents as are most of the parents at this school. They do not diagnose students with ADD. If they have a concern they will ask you to have the child tested. I know this since my own child has ADD (we knew this before attending OLG) and he is doing great at OLG thanks to their understanding. When my kids were at Washington they were not challenged and performed extraordinarily low on the ITBS. Since they have been at OLG the ITBS scores have improved for both my children. The ITBS scores of most children at OLG tend to be higher than the grade level and this was not the case at our previous school. Enrollment has declined due to families' financial situations. We can barely afford to send two children to OLG, but feel we have not much choice. I know there are some very good public schools in Redondo Beach, but we are not allowed to attend those schools because of where we live. The children at OLG are also very well mannered and use proper English which was not the case in the previous school.
—Submitted by a parent

I LOVE this school! I came from England and had to make the very difficult choice of choosing a school from abroad, the smaller intimate nature of this school felt a perfect fit for us. This school went well beyond my expectations. The teachers are so involved with each child from day one. My daughter loves this school, and is doing so, so well. I consider the faculty and church as extended family. I am not even going to comment on bad reviews, as in my opinion there aren't any that are valid.
—Submitted by a parent

I must say that I have been nothing but impressed with the staff and the education my child has been receiving at OLG. I love the fact that each class not only has a well qualified teacher, but a teachers aid. That coupled with a smaller class size puts all the kids in a better postion to succeed. I agree with the last parent about some of the reviews I read on this site. Please keep in mind that they were from a couple years ago, OLG has made great strides and we are looking forward to a great 2010-2011 school year.
—Submitted by a parent

OLG has a lot to offer to those seeking a great education. Each class has one teacher and one teachers aid. Class sizes are small in nature. If you visit the school and ask the kids what they think of their small school they will tell you they love OLG. My son is looking forward to the new year with the new exciting things the school has planned. Don't let negative reviews deter you from looking at the school. You might just be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.
—Submitted by a parent

In general, it is a great school with many great teachers, parents, and students. They provide a special loving environment to children while maintaining their discipline. However, I was very dissapointed when I discovered the unjust discrimination activities toward innocent children committed by the church leader. Be aware they can be overly political on certain aspects beyond the imagination of us Catholics. Also from the other posts, I find it problematic that some teachers are unable to clearly identify the core issues of children in their classrooms. Psychological diagnosis on children should be conducted solely by professional neuropsychologists.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very sad to say that the school is just not meeting our expectations at all...There is a lack of discipline and guidance...I've heard a lot of parents are going to pull their children out...Some teachers even diagnose children with ADD even though they are not qualified to do so

Great teachers and a wonderful parent to student ration. The teachers are really dedicated to the children and thier learning
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are amazing!
—Submitted by a parent

Our Lady of Guadalupe School has provided our three children with an excellent education and infinite opportunities. The small class sizes and dedicated teachers transform the traditional classroom into a tutorial, where students feel at ease asking questions and participating in class discusions. A multitude of enrichment activities, frequently left out of public schools, are offered during school hours and afterwards. These include art, music, computers, Spanish, athletics, academic decathalon and dance. Religious education extends beyond the school and Parish into the community where children gather funds and goods for the disadvantaged here and abroad. Their continued efforts to clean up local sands in conjunction with Heal the Bay will enable the school to adopt a beach. If you are looking for a school where students, teachers, and parents work together to ensure a quality education for their children, you will find it at Our Lady of Guadalupe.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family has been blessed by our experience at OLG, with both the school and the parish. We've had 3 children go through the school without any regrets. With only 1 class per grade, the students develop superior communication and interpersonal relationship skills with both adults and fellow students. Couple this with a strong academic/religous foundation, and an athletic program and you have one great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I'm worried about the turn this school has taken. We've lived with poorly trained and unqualified staff for years and put up with it under the guise of being good parish members. Now the families most involved in fundraising and volunteerism for the parish took their kids out of the school this year and enrollment is at it's lowest ever. I suppose my family will suffer through one more year of OLG and then move the kids to public school in Sept. 09. If I can wait that long.
—Submitted by a parent

So many familes have left the school for the 2008-09 school year, that I can't imagine the school will last much longer. Parents have been frustrated by the administration's failure to implement improvements while at the same time creating irritating rules that make no sense and help nothing.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter graduated from OLG in June 2006. She is extremely well prepared in High School and excels in many areas due to her preparation at OLG. The teachers, staff and adminstration take great interest in all of the students. We appreciated the Principal's signature and comments on grade reports during the year. OLG is a true Catholic Community.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school with a close knit family feeling. Acedemics are important as well as values and morals such as giving to the comunity and kindness to each other. The ohter children in the school are great to be around and I find it a refreshing change from the public school system.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two children attending Our Lady Of Gudalupe School. It is a wonderful and warm community. The children are taught compassion and values. The academics are on par with the local schools which are all good schools. Once the children reach 5th grade they can participate in the CYA Sports programs such as volleyball, football, basketball and softball. They also have an academic decathalon team. There are other extracurricular programs such as ART, Piano, Chior, Acting and Scouts.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school with supreme communication. Small, close knit and very family oriented. OLG instructs their students with a great faith foundation and a serious focus on learning. I am very happy with OLG and how my child has progressed.
—Submitted by E K, a parent

It's great the sports program is a success but the educational standards should be a priority.
—Submitted by a parent