St. Anselm School

St. Anselm's has a very high level of parent involvement, but I have to agree with the parent who first brought up the "in group." Our children attended St. Anselm's for three years before we changed schools. While many of the parents - mostly the new families - were extremely nice, there was definitely a very exclusive clique of parents who go beyond being unwelcoming to the point of being outright rude. These pretentious (with no reason to be), leisure-suit-wearing, ladies who lunch ruined the entire school experience for us. We were also disappointed in the academics, feeling that our children actually regressed in the years they were there. Those who love St. Anselm's really love it. But it's not for everyone. I would recommend getting a good feel for who the parents would be in your child(ren)'s class(es) before making any decision.
—Submitted by a parent

If you're open to faith and value based education, you're not going to find a better, more honest, K-8 school. Hand over your child for nine years and you'll cry with delight when you see the poised, engaged teenager at the end. The academic standards here are high, if children are in over their head, there is help but, if you care that your child be a straight A student, this may not be the place because the emphasis is on the 'whole child'. Doing well means more than getting good grades and, the school lives and breathes this philosophy daily. My children love the school and their teachers. This isn't the place for the uninvolved parent or parent who feels they should be able to tell the teacher what to do. It isn't for everyone...just a lucky few.
—Submitted by a parent

I was surprised to read to review from the parent that mentioned the 'In Group.' Having started at another school, and joining St. Anselm four years ago, my 3 children, my husband & I couldn't be happier. It seems that no one is EVER happy. This is a small school with a tremendous parent body. I've never had such great friends, as the ones I've met @ St. Anselm's. If you're a Catholic, you are lucky to have this School as an option.
—Submitted by a parent

I know there are lots of parents who are really involved at St. Anselm, but if you're not 'in the group' then you'll definitely feel like an outsider at times. The other parents are friendly, but we found that invitations for after-school get-togethers and even birthday parties were limited to those who were already 'in the group'. The academic side of things is quite good, although we were disappointed that the 1st grade teacher did not send regular homework. Just a few minutes a night at this age is great prep work for the 'real' homework kids get as they progress through school. Her philosophy is that there are enough hours during the school day to get everything done. We disagree.
—Submitted by a parent

Some of the teachers have been at it for a good while. Others are very dedicated to their students. Over the course of our tenure it has been inconsistent. The school environment is well controlled. Fairly typical Catholic grammer school with one class per grade.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful K-8 Catholic School. There is one class per grade, and the school has a nice small school feel.
—Submitted by a parent