St. Christopher Elementary School

To the review posted on 1.24.13... I am a parent of a 1st grader, whose child went to Hillbrook for Kindergarten and I can't agree with your review of St. Chris's at all. At Hillbrook, the kids were not well behaved and academics were subpar. I am still trying to correct the KidSpell techniques they taught my daughter. The social dynamics at St. Chris are varied, as they should be. The Principal has always been very supportive and responsive to our needs and concerns. The majority of kids who live in Willow Glen, I think, do go to a Private School. A couple decades ago, they bused kids in and the neighborhood didn't react well to it. Now the schools are getting better, due primarily to the Willow Glen Foundation, but unfortunately those kids are now grown and are now sending their kids to private schools. Now for Lincoln Avenue... Our Avenue and Community is wonderful! The new restaurants bring a new Joie d'Vivre to Willow Glen and there is always a ton of foot traffic. and, Let's not forget, Willow Glen is part of San Jose - we are not our own little city, like Los Gatos. Read up on the history of Willow Glen, before writing a post.
—Submitted by a parent

You get what you pay for. The tuition is only $6,000. Pre-school costs more ($16,000)! Tuition for reputable schools is usually about $20,000. The only good schools in the area are Harker, Stratford, and Challenger. It is best for the average student (i.e., not the most brilliant kids). You can t expect much from a school in Willow Glen. It s the most hyped area ever. Developers and realtors try to sell it as affluent with a sense of community. It is just middle-class. The downtown is dilapidated and the restaurants are subpar. Neighbors don t really know each other. If you compare it to most of San Jose, yes, it looks like Beverly Hills. The real Willow Glen boundaries are the Guadalupe River, Los Gatos Creek, Coe and Curtner avenues. Lots of people believe they live in Willow Glen but don t, or are in denial that they do. They actually live in East San Jose, downtown San Jose, and Cambrian. You only buy here if you can t afford Los Gatos/Saratoga. Willow Glen is a bootleg version of those areas. If Willow Glen is so fabulous, why do people need to send their kids to private school? The kids attending Willow Glen public schools aren t from the best families.

This school is unsatisfactory and the principal has declined over the years. i am very saddened by the quality of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers at St.Christopher are amazing. Every teacher is credentialed, hardworking, dedicated and passionate. An added bonus is the St. Chris community of teachers, parents and students. St. Chris graduates who graduated from high school this year will be attending MIT and Stanford, plus many other amazing colleges in the fall.

Teachers are not top quality, in fact this school has been known to hire teachers without a teaching credential in past years.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is a graduate of St. Christopher School and I couldn't be happier about the education he received there. The administration and teachers are knowledgable, compassionate, and experienced. The school community offers a variety of ways to become involved in the life of the school and to allow your voice to be heard. If I had it to do over again, I would choose St. Christopher in a heartbeat!
—Submitted by a parent

Things are going downhill. Good teachers continue to leave the school, leaving behind an atmosphere of discontent and discouragement. It's a shame...
—Submitted by a parent

be careful before you enroll your child into this school. if your child does not fit into the 'box' they do not have the talent to help your child.
—Submitted by a parent

I think it does a wonderful job of instilling a love of learning in its pupils as well as a sense of caring about the larger community.

Graduating 8th graders consistently admitted into top high schools in area. Teachers, as anywhere, vary .... but the good ones here are very good. These teachers dedicate much time above and beyond the 8:00-3:00 to the social, athletic, and spiritual development of these children.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Chris offers some positive and some negative. The negative being :large class sizes, teaching to the middle of the road student, little diversity of teaching methods, low in math, science, and writing areas. Many seek outside tutoring help. It's strengths are in it's community and sports.
—Submitted by a parent

The new principal has brought renewed enthusiasm and energy to the campus. A variety of newer and younger teachers are both popular and respected. The students are a happy, spirited, and hard-working bunch. The students leave extremely well-prepared for the rigors of the top private high schools in the valley. There are extremely large classes, and parents need to remain involved to assist teachers in any academic and behavioral issues.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Christopher is an excellent Catholic School. Graduating 8th graders are exceptionally well suited for success in high school and beyond. The school focuses on educating the whole child and the students as a whole are very supportive of one another and respectful to adults. There is little ethnic diversity and no religious diversity, as all of the families are parishioners of St. Christopher Catholic Church. Because the school receives far more applicants for entrance than there are openings, applicants must be prioritized. As a devout Catholic, I am very glad my children attend such an excellent Catholic school. Sometimes there are openings in upper grades; it's worth checking.
—Submitted by a parent

This is one of the finer parochial schools in Santa Clara County. Average test scores are in the 77th to 86 percentile nationally (depending upon grade level, it's usually around 82/83). Discipline is excellent. There is comparatively little diversity, but the family community and sense of community are very strong. The sports program is excellent, other extracurriculars less so. The ability to give candid feedback to teachers, principals and administrators is extremely limited; parents are broadly discouraged on a regular basis from candid communication with the school hierarchy. There will be a new principal in 2006/2007, so that may change. Level of teaching quality is reasonably high with some clinkers. It is not as strong as the best public schools, much stronger than average public schools. Bottom line, it is a tradeoff. 8th graders are virtually guaranteed admission to the best catholic high schools, but St. Christopher's brooks no dissent.
—Submitted by a parent

Dedicated administrators and teachers. Involved parents. Class size is extremely large.Not much diversity and the school is limited in what they can provide for special needs kids.
—Submitted by a teacher

Tough to get in. No ethnic diversity, i believe they are worried more about what you give to church, than your attendance.
—Submitted by a former student

The academic programs are low, but still it is a great school and community. There is no musical practice only if you get envoleved in the church choir, yet for grades 1-4 they have a music teacher that teaches basic notes but no instrument. Parents have to be very envoleved in this school to recieve a high rating.
—Submitted by Sara, a student