Holy Spirit School

We enrolled my son last year in Kindergarten and we couldn't be happier about our decision. He attended an outstanding early development center, so the bar was already high. But the teachers at Holy Spirit have been wonderful and the principal too. I will definitively recommend it to anyone.
—Submitted by a parent

Holy spirit school has some wonderful and caring teachers. The community is very welcoming, supportive, and friendly. The parents are very active with the school which greatly contributes to its the success. They have wonderful resources available to support the children acedemically and offer a variety of extracurricular activities to those interested.
—Submitted by a parent

I read many of the reviews and simply stated the negative reviews are wrong. This is a Catholic School that holds to high standards of being actively part of the greater community. They have high standards for academics as they are preparing you for Catholic High Schools and eventually university. The teachers overall are awesome - this is not a job to them - it's a vocation. They often get paid less than public school teachers who are in the system well past their prime. They can hire and fire based on performance which is nice to see. If you have a problem child - public school is probably better for them. They won't get away with anything at Holy Spirit. Church and spiritual teaching is very important and is a big part of the school. Yes, parents are expected to volunteer so as to lead by example for their children. No absentee parents allowed. The school is by no means perfect but they are well ahead of the public schools that are underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed. It's a great school - I have 2 children presently at the school and 1 who graduated and is now at Saint Francis. I would highly recommend sending your chrildren to Holy Spirit if they can get in
—Submitted by a parent

At one point I had 2 children at HSS. One of my children attended this school for 9 long years and is now in high school and doing great. My child was well prepared although she 'lost' a year in math due to a really bad teacher. Academically, the teachers and standards are ruthless. There is no grace, forgiveness or second chances here! They select only the cream of the crop here either at the entrance process or by self-elimination because of the rigidity. Kids get in trouble for running and kicking the ball at recess!!! Our child made a lot of friends there. Spiritually, my child and her friends were jaded and very cynical and weren t afraid to mock prayer time or going to mass. The children saw a disconnect in what they were being taught spiritually, and what they actually saw in action. If social and spiritual development is as important to you as academics, look somewhere else. Be prepared to participate in endless fundraisers, 40 volunteer hours are MANDATORY, there are parent cliques and the receptionists are very partial to people they like (except for the brunette that works Fridays and has a smile for EVERYONE). Snooty attitudes abound! My other kid is happy elsewhere!
—Submitted by a parent

My older son went to HSS from kindergarten and graduated two years ago. Because of the great teachers and strong curriculum he was very ready for the rigors of high school. The school also does a fabulous job of developing a positive character in all its students. HSS has a new principal this year who has been the assistant principal. She is an experienced educator and administrator. The kids and parents love her.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has just completed Pre-K at Holy Spirit. She has learned so much this year. All her numbers, letters and their sounds, and has much improved penmanship. She LOVES her teacher Mrs. D'Amico and the aids, Mrs. Moyano and Mrs. Matalone are nothing short of saints to her.. They give lots of attention and direction to the children and model responsible, kind and compassionate behavior. My daughter seems to have become more attentive to other's feelings and has more confidence. We have been extremely pleased with the whole school and have found the school staff and other parents very warm and helpful. As for the play area, Pre-K uses the Kindergarten area when the Kindergarten is in class. They make do with what areas they do have and it is fenced in with a play structure and plenty of "grass."
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter had a wonderful experience with the screening process. The teachers were compassionate, kind and friendley. My daughter tends to be shy but really felt comfortable with the teachers. We have heard that Holy Spirit School is a wonderful community and we cannot wait to send our daughter in the fall!
—Submitted by a parent

My child also went through the Kindergarten screening process at Holy Spirit School this spring and had a blast. The teachers and staff were welcoming and warm but did not talk down to and baby him. The teachers explained in easy to understand terms what was going to happened to the group of parents and kids in the Library before having the kids say bye to their parents and line up and walk to the Kindergarten classroom. Only 2 kids out of the 14 seemd to not understand what was going to happen and were afraid to leave their parents. My son grabbed the hand of one of the teachers and went on his way. He enjoyed meeting the teachers and new friends. My goddaughter is at the school as well. She is developed into a compassionate young woman who tutors neighborhood kids from the public schools and she has received acceptance letters from all three Catholic high schools she applied to.
—Submitted by a parent

No place for the kids to play outside. Have no bully policy. Principal does not have enough experience.
—Submitted by a parent

I would agree with the posts below about the shiny campus comments as well as the school praising itself for its values. If you look closely at this school, as others have mentioned, you start to see that it can fall short of living its values which is disappointing when you consider this is a good part of what you are paying for at a Catholic School. You can get a better value overall attending high ranking public schools or for a competitive private school - Almaden Country School.
—Submitted by a parent

We had a very unpleasant experience w/ the Kindergarten screening process at Holy Spirit School. My son felt a bit intimidated by having to join a group of 14 kids plus 2 teachers for the screening test. He had never neen t the school before and did not know anyone there. He refused to enter the classroom and no one from the Holy Spirit staff reached out to engage him and try to make him more confortable. The staff member coordinating the process could only suggest that he was too young for Kindergarten. She had never met my son before and jumped into her own conclusions based on a 5 minute event. I expereinced a very unfriendly environment for a school that praises itself for values, sense of community, parents and teacher working toghether. I guess the tale that they only have a "pretty campus" remains true.
—Submitted by a parent

Don't just look at the shiny campus!!! Look at the stuff, teachers and their attitude. We have found that they are quite "full of them self's" and not as warm as caring as other schools. We decided to go with another school. So, look around and just don't be fooled by the shiny new campus.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter goes to this school and she loves it! The teachers are wonderful and I really think it is a good community to be a part of. We are looking forward to many more years here!
—Submitted by a parent

My review is with regards to Holy Spirit's Summer School Program. Our son attended this past summer (2010) and we were very disappointed. The charges for the program are ridiculous. They charge you buy 2.5 hours sessions that are then summed up to a full day. The prices were outrageous compared to other private summer school's in the area. The program is only 4 weeks long. The teacher for my son's class was not present for at least one week. Random people (relatives, grandmother's) took the class in her absense. I did not see that my son had worked on anything until the 3rd week of summer school. The before and after school daycare was very disappointing. The children were not really allowed to play outside and the children seemed very down. Finally, there was no way to contact anyone directly during the school day. Not recommended for summer school.
—Submitted by a parent

the principal is focused on young kids with 'GOOD MORNING COYOTES' and mostly ignores the older kids. He rarely comes into the classrooms and can have an angry temper. Mrs Cully was better.
—Submitted by a student

My son has started Pre-K at Holy Spirit in San Jose this year, and so far, I'm very pleased. The teachears have a great of deal of experience with childern, and provide a caring and loving environment. The academics are at a high level, but it's all done in a fun environment. I have noticed a good progress in my son's skill level (such as upper/lower case letter writing) in just 3 weeks. He comes back home happy and fired-up, so I know that he's enjoying the experience. I have researched a number of schools, and this one is a keeper.
—Submitted by a parent

The new principal this year is amazing. He is definitely making the school become the best it can be. New after school programs are being added. As far as academics, all of the teachers in middle school are wonderful, however some people have told me that the science teacher makes it hard for the students to learn. The academics are challenging which is good. Uniforms are strict, which is a plus. All of the students get along. I ve had another child graduate from HSS and he is doing great in high school because he was well-prepared. I would definitely recommend you sending your child here.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a new pricipal this yr. and looks promising and very pro-active. There is already a new activity for students to be involved such as the 'Odyssey of the minds' I think they need to expose the students in this kind of activities. I noticed a change in academics more rigid than before and hopefully teachers will be more creative in terms of quality teaching. I like how the students are thought to be good and responsible person. They attend mass and encourage family ties on sundays. Students practice camaraderie among others which I find very positive. The schools is kind of strict (which I like) in terms of clothing discipline for the kids but I think they should implement it to the parents as well to avoid confusion on the kids, 'cause i see other moms wearing tank tops & short shorts when picking up their kids.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a new pricipal this yr. and looks promising and very pro-active. There is already a new activity for students to be involved such as the 'Odyssey of the minds' I think they need to expose the students in this kind of activities. I noticed a change in academics more rigid than before and hopefully teachers will be more creative in terms of quality teaching. I like how the students are thought to be a good and responsible person. They attend mass and encourage family ties on sundays. Students practice camaraderie among others which I find very positive. The schools is kind of strict (which I like) in terms of clothing discipline for the kids but I think they should implement it to the parents as well to avoid confusion on the kids, 'cause i see other moms wearing tank tops & short shorts when picking up their kids.
—Submitted by a parent

The teaching throughout the years, I have found, to be inconsistent. Some teachers have great personalities and explain concepts well, while others don't explain the concepts as thoroughly as needed. The language arts and math sections, I feel to be lacking. Since many teachers are coming and going (in the middle school) this is to be expected. Also, there is practically no extra curricular activities available. The uniform rules are also very strict. Shirts must be tucked in at all times and crew socks must be worn at all times. Despite all of the negatives, the school has many positives. The students are extremely friendly, warm, and accepting. Cliquishness is rare. In addition, students in middle school receive laptops (Macs) that can be used for student assignments at home.
—Submitted by a student