St. Monica School

We have two children at St. Monica both with very different personalities. This school has been wonderful for both the kids. The class sizes along with the teachers are great in giving each child the attention they need. The older students really watch out and take care of the younger ones. Parent involment is great and everyone pulls together to create a wonderful and loving community. St. Monica was our last private school tour but our first choice. We are extremely glad to have our children attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Looking for an elementary school in San Francisco can be a daunting process. St. Monica School is a wonderfully small school with a caring community of both teachers and parents. Our kindergartener is thriving. Students are engaged, they know one another and are treated with respect. If you're looking for a supportive, small community, be sure to check out St. Monica. It's a wonderful school in SF's Richmond District.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in Kindergarten at St. Monica's and we all have been so impressed with the everything the school offers for the students and parents. My daughter LOVES her 8th grade buddy as well as the independence in Kindergarten during Plan Do & Review time to select the area that she wants to work in. Additionally the after school offerings from extended care, piano, guitar lessons and Chinese classes are sure to make every kid happily entertained! The school also offers opportunities for the parents to engage with other parents and support the school via the Parent Club! We selected St. Monica's for the diversity and we look forward to the next 8 years.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Monica is a traditional, neighborhood school that has recently begun to evolve into an institution serving the modern requirements of both students and parents. The leadership and faculty of the school are both visionary and rigorous. The parents and parish community help emphasize the balance between academics, faith, athletics, and personal growth, making this experience more about the evolution of the entire child rather than just their test scores (which are top-notch, anyway!). Recent investments in technology, not only material, but in the planning of how to fully integrate these improvements into the kids' everyday learning, signal the school's ongoing commitment to keep the school one of the City's best. I have children in 3rd grade and K, and my wife and I couldn't be happier that they are at St. Monica. GO BULLDOGS.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in kindergarten at St. Monica. From the moment we toured the school last year we knew it was the right place for us. The kinder teacher is wonderful and is really great at connecting with the kids to inspire a love of learning. My son attends the extended care program in the afternoon and loves it! He actually asked me to wait until the very last minute to pick him up so that he can stay as long as possible. He's formed so many wonderful relationships with kids in every grade.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in his second year at St. Monica and I can't say enough good things. We originally were touring Catholic Schools as a backup to SFUSD. When we toured St. Monica, it became our frontrunner for both Catholic and public schools. It's a very strong academic school while at the same time, allowing creativity and providing a nurturing environment. The principal, staff and parent community have great school pride and it shows in the classrooms and social events.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has a wonderful principal, caring and dedicated teachers and comprehensive parent support. It has been a pleasure to send our son to St. Monica's and join a strong school community.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in his fourth year at St. Monica. The school offers a strong community, solid academics, and extensive parental involvement. With a single class per grade level (usually 20 - 25 children per grade) the kids have an opportunity to form strong & lasting friendships, and receive individualized attention from the staff. Like many parents I initially focused on applications to the "elite schools". In hindsight I'm happy that we selected St. Monica, as the school frequently places as many or more children each year in excellent high schools (e.g. St. Ignatius) as the "elite schools", all while charging tuition that's one quarter of the cost of the "elite schools". Additionally, the kids are exposed to a much more diverse group of children, and the environment lacks the high stress tension often found at a number of private K - 8 schools.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at the school for two years. We are so happy with the academics, the extra curricular activities offered, and the small nurturing community . She loves her teachers and they have instilled "a love for learning." We could not ask for more.
—Submitted by a parent

We had the opportunity to compare the quality of education of St. Monica and to another Catholic school in another city. I would have to say we were spoiled by the education and activities our children received at St. Monica. The other school did not have the variety of after-school activities and when we returned to St. Monica, they were behind academically. The biggest issue is we know that the St. Monica takes serious any form of bullying while my son was bullied during the school year at the other school and it wasn't until the bully defaced my son's yearbook did the school do anything.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Monica is a wonderful school! We are the parents of a 2nd grader and she has been going to St. Monica's since Kinder. Not only do we love the school, but more importantly our daughter loves it. It is a very family oriented environment which also focuses on academics. One thing that was important to us as parents was the Arts and St. Monica provides art, music, drama, and many other programs in school and outside of the school for the children. I feel the children that attended school here are very well rounded and happy.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Monica school is a great school. It builds the students both academically and behaviorally. My son has been improved a lot since he was there. The teachers are excellent and very helpfull . Parents are very close to each others and to the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

We are so very happy that we found this gem, after touring several different schools throughout the city! Our child is looking forward to coming to school every day! Its a loving, nurturing as well as academically challenging school community, and the parents are very closely knit together. St. Monica- we love you!
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter entered St. Monica School as a kindergartener this fall and has transitioned from her preschool beautifully. Like many San Francisco families, we cast a wide net to ensure the best possible experience for our child and so we looked at public, private independent and parochial schools. Above all else, we wanted strong academics, individualized attention in and out of the classroom, and an active/creative parent community. St. Monica School offers all this and we are very happy parents as a result. More importantly, our daughter is happy and challenged academically.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school. It is incredibly diverse, the teachers and parents are very involved, and it is so much NOT what I expected when I started looking at parochial schools. It is a challenging program, but very realistic about child development, paying attention to the individual child, and phasing in the challenge so that, for example, kindergartners are not overwhelmed. Since it is a K-8 program, they have the time to bring out the best in these kids and I consistently hear this from parents of the older kids. I know that my challenging kindergartner is happy when he comes home, and I can see that he is finding his niche and learning, so I highly recommend St. Monica.
—Submitted by a parent

I highly recommend St. Monica school for all parents who are skeptical in placing their child in a private school. As a former alum I've experienced the difference between the several public schools I attended as a child. After several incidences of being bullied my parents pulled me out of public school and enrolled me here. I can never thank them enough for doing so. The environment here is a very nurturing one where learning turned out to be exciting. Now, I am a proud parent of a kindergartner. At first we did try our hand at the public school lottery system assignments and were deeply and sorely disappointed in the school assignment we were given for our child. We are now actually very happy that it resulted the way it did because now I know that St. Monica's is our only choice for our child's education.
—Submitted by a parent

We placed our son in St. Monica for middle school, after graduating from one of the top S.F. Public Elementary Schools. He was an average student at best, and we wanted to see how he would respond to a smaller environment and more personal attention, In the course of his 3 years at St Monica, his his grades and test scores rose steadily, as did his class participation and interest level in school, He also was able to play 3 team sports, which was a tremendous experience for him. He now attends one of the top-rated high schools in S.F. (he was also one of many 8th graders at SM accepted to Lowell). I expected that St. Monica would be a better fit for our son, but my wife and I never dreamed that he would achieve so much in terms of his personal development and academic success.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended St. Monica School from Grade 1-8. I feel they contributed greatly in developing me as a strong individual with good morals and a big heart.

St. Monica is a wonderful, tight-knit school that strikes a perfect balance between academics and emotional development. We received our 1st choice public school in the SF lottery, and chose St. Monica. If you think your child would flourish in a smaller school setting with active parental involvement and top-notch teachers, this is the school for you. The K teacher is especially good at helping little ones make a positive transition into elementary school. Our child is happy and growing skills and confidence every day. Our second child can't wait to enroll, too! Before you flee to the suburbs or take on massive debt at a pricey private, come take a look at St. Monica's. We are glad we did.
—Submitted by a parent

It's a mystery as to why this school is still largely under the radar for private/parochial schools. The academics are very strong as demonstrated by most of our outgoing 8th classes - in terms of their achievement and HS placements. In fact, the 2010 graduating class ranked highest on the standardized testing last Fall, beating out 56 other schools in Marin, SF and the Pennisula. I appreciate the very hardworking principal and staff. Teachers care about students and are involved. The dedicated Art teacher and studio is fantastic. Finally, I appreciate the well-roundedness in the curriculum - traditional academics along with drama, piano, guitar and several language classes. Students here are not 'worldly' just nice kids who seem happy at school.
—Submitted by a parent