St. James School

My grand daughter attended the public school system at KCS. She was constantly in trouble suspended from school, etc, at 8 years old. We decided to send her to St. James this school year. They have not seen her exhibit any negative behavior since she has been there. She seems happy, we like the teaches, principal, curriculum and teaching of values, respect, self esteem, etc. This is what children are lacking these days. Our grand daughter was bullied @ the public school system and we have not heard of anything like this happening @ St. James. There is no room for toleration of negative behavior from any child.

My children have been a part of the St. James family for three years now. Although I am aware that there is no such thing as a perfect school out there, I have to say that I am very satisfied with the education my children continue to receive. I find the religious aspect of the school and the values (that are taught at home and) reinforced in school appealing and refreshing, however it is not the only reason that I chose parochial school for my kids. I am thrilled with the challenging curriculum my children receive and the growth they have made. I trust the teachers to not be led by test scores (although they can have their place), but rather student growth. But when it comes down to it, the best indication that this was the right choice for my family is that my kids come home happy.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student at St. James school and attended the school from pre-school until i graduated with the class of 2007. I did not despise anything more than school from 5th grade on. Parents send their children to Christian schools so that the child will not face bullying, and harassment, this is not what i experienced. The children that go to St.James school were some of the rudest people i have ever come into contact with in my life. I was constantly ridiculed, and the cliques were so bad that it was difficult to make friends. The teachers picked favorites and did not make certain children follow the rules. Did i get a good education at St.James School? Yes, a very good one. Would I ever send my children to this school? No. Never.

Very political school. Bullies are allowed to roam freely. The principal very inconsistent.
—Submitted by a parent

My son entered the Pre-K 4 program unable to write his name and knowing only a handful of his letters. Although we have attended playgroups very regularly since he was only months old, he was still very shy and had a difficult time separating from me initially. After completing preschool, he's writing his first and last name, sounding out and reading words and he's very enthusiastic about learning in general. He is much more outgoing and confident and has made many friends in his class. While he still occasionally has a difficult time separating from me during drop-off he generally enters the classroom independently without any fuss. The preschool curriculum is definitely a little ahead of the public schools in our area. I did not experience any of the problems that the previous posters spoke of, but I'm aware that the teaching staff has undergone some changes since the time of
—Submitted by a parent

My grandchild is in preschool there. The first report cards were issued last week and was I disappointed. The catergories they graded had nothing to do with reading writing and arithmetic. They were graded on whether they hung their coats up, whether they were shy or outgoing, whether they took pride in their accomplishments, etc... They are told not to print their own name on their papers until January- regardless of whether the child has been writing their own name for months. They study one color and one letter a month. I have a grand child that went to a nondenominational preschool last year that learned so much more than is being taught in the ST James preschool that my daughter is so disappointed and upset she doesn't know where to turn. Needless to say that my very intellegient grandchild was graded poorly in all areas and was told that because she has trouble hanging her coat up on a very overcrowed coat rack that she may not be allowed into kindergarden next year. My grandchild is also a little shy until getting to know a person so that was also a failed grade. Has anyone else had this type of trouble with the preschool class?

St. James School is a wonderful option if you wish your child to have a Christian influence on a daily basis. Unfortunately, we have lost a few very good teachers in the last few years so things have been changing. The school uses the Saxon Math Program which if adhered to is a great program. Last year, however, some studentsin the 6th,7th, and 8th grades suffered due to the accelerated math teacher leaving at the end of the 2002 school year. Some children had to be tutored this summer because of this. The computer technology program is severely lacking and far behind that of the local public school system. They have been working to get the computers networked and online for several years. Hopefully this summer they have resolved this issue. However,the school benefits from lots of parent, parishioner, and local community support. Their summertime 'Bazaar' raises $50,000 to help the school and is an inspiration to see so many parents, grandparents, etc work together for the benefit of the school. At certain times during the year the children are invited to help the needy in our community for the St Francis of Assisi Food Pantry by supporting food collections, Thanksgiving Basket Distribution Day, and volunteering which gives them a sense of community and caring for those in need.
—Submitted by a parent