St. Cecilia Elementary School

My daughter goes to this school and she is excelling. The Teachers are amazing and the Principal is always on her A game. We thought about moving to other towns like Darien and Wilton for the public schools. We truly believe St. Cecilia gives my child a good balance for acclimating with multiple cultures which she would probably never get in towns like Darien and Wilton.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent at St. Cecilia School for 8 years. I have a girl who was there K-5 and a son currently in the lower grades that has been there for 3 years. It is a beautiful school with a loving, caring staff to go with it. The principal is a dedicated seasoned professional who is just lovely. My daughter is currently in middle school and is a high honor student and I have St. Cecilia School to thank for it. She received a well rounded education there. My son is also progressing very nicely there. They teach them to respect others and most importantly themselves. If you choose to send your child there, you will not regret it. As for the after school program, it's very good. At work I feel confident and comfortable leaving my son under their wonderful safe care. He comes home every day with his homework completed and a smile on his face. Perfect.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a parent in St. Cecilia School for 7 years now and I couldn't disagree more with the negative comments below. St. Cecilia is a warm, and loving school. It is a Catholic school, so of course there are religious lessons. if you are not looking for that, why would you choose a Catholic education? Religion is taught as a subject, just like math or science and is just part of the culture. The kids are taught to be nice to one another, to respect their teachers, and to have good manners. I have found it to be a wonderful environment for my kids, and the values taught there truly complement what I am teaching them at home. I am currently shopping for a middle school and it is amazing to me as I watch how differently the kids who went to public school behave from the Catholic school kids. It's proof enough for me that I made the right choice for my family!
—Submitted by a parent

Although academically in line with competitor schools, I felt that the school used an overabundance of religious lessons and Catholic teachings in its core curriculum. This methodology will inevitably result in an inability to compete with top tier secular private schools. In addition, the after-school program primarily consists of supervised free play outside. If, however, the weather is poor, the children are placed inside a classroom to watch television and movies. I believe that time could have been better spent with planned activities. I know that some parents volunteered to assist with the after-school program, but their offer was rejected.
—Submitted by a parent

I visited St. Cecilia's open school and I felt that the school was orderly and quiet. I made some additional inquiries with a parent whose daughter attended the school a few years ago and became a bit concerned. There was an electrical fire at the school that the parents only found out about through the news media and there was a safety incident in the parking lot that the parents were never given any information about because the HSA meeting minutes were sealed. I came to this web site to see if there was any other feedback that I hadn't considered and I noticed that right around when I needed to make a final decision that on April 5th that 5 reviews all of which were 5 stars were submitted and 1 of them referred to the principal by name which violated the policy of the site. Based on this fact it is obvious that there is parent involvement but it felt like something was not right. I have decided to send my daughter elsewhere. I recommend a healthy degree of cynicism when using sites like this that do not police the way that they are being used and do not adhere to their own standards.

The school is adequate in many respects but they are very resource deprived when it comes to challenging kids who test above their grade level. Brighter children will not be challenged by the curriculum. The environment is restrictive to such a degree that the children are not allowed to talk to each other during lunch or while being dismissed. The class sizes are high after having been increased to 27 children per class. The principal seems concerned with order to the point that creativity and fun is almost non-existent. The teachers and counselor seem to be intimidated and their feedback never appears to break with the party line. We cannot recommend this school unless you have the time and resources to supplement the shortcomings.
—Submitted by a parent

What an awesome school, after many years there we have had nothing but a great experience. I feel so blessed that my children are in such a caring enviornment from Pre-K to fifth grade. The teachers and principal all top notch and car for all of our children as if they were their own. I couldn't have picked a better school for me and my children. submitted by a parent
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at Saint Cecilia's and I am very happy with the school! The teachers and principal are fantastic - they really care about the kids and work to create a loving Christian community. The academic programs and after school activities challenge and interest the children. They come home excited about what they learned. The STEM program is especially loved.
—Submitted by a parent

One of the best decisions I ever made was to send my children to school at St Cecilia. The nurturing culture and the commitment to values, such as respect for each other, is evident each and every day, from the moment I walk my children to the door in the morning. Both of my children have slight disabilities which could impact their classroom performance, and their personal approach and commitment to helping my children succeed in school has been amazing.
—Submitted by a parent

We are so happy to be able to send our child to St Cecilia School. Our child has had such a positive experience. We also have many family members that sent their children to St Cecilia's and have all said that they would change a thing. The afterschool is second to none, the teachers care for our children as if they were their own. Dr Borchetta is wonderful. We are very blessed to send our child to such a loving and caring School.
—Submitted by a parent

We couldn't be happier with our decision to send our child to St. Cecilia. We are so pleased with the academics and we love all the new extra curricular programs that have been added...Photography Club, Lego Club to name a few. We highly recommend this school. Dr. Borchetta is a terrific leader and the teachers are wonderful and so nurturing. We love that our child is so happy EVERY DAY!
—Submitted by a parent

The facilities at the school seem to go in hand with the mediocre education provided at the school. The pre-k teachers seemed to be more involved in themselves than the children. When a child isn't participating they choose simply to "let them be" versus helping them become interested in learning. If you want a parent teacher meeting that doesn't mean the teachers will be attending. They don't seem to be able to speak their own minds.

Only good things to say about the school Great education, fantastic environment and principal. They allow the children to learn in a very safe and loving environment.
—Submitted by a parent

We just became Blue Ribbon Recipients, we have a wonderful school, led by a terrific principal and a devoted staff, including parents and students who give back to the school and the community through volunteering.
—Submitted by a parent

I love the the school. It is a safe loving place, both my children have learned so much from St. Cecilias School. I would recomened the school to everyone.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been extremely happy with the education provided at St. Cecilia's School for my three children. My children have benefited mostly by learning respect for their fellow students, teachers and most of all self. They have especially learned to work hard in a very structured environment and this has prepared them very nicely for Middle and High School. The principal, Johanne Borchetta is a very dedicated woman and works very hard at keeping the standards high at St. Cecilia's School.
—Submitted by a parent