Somerset Village Academy

I have two children going to school here for the third year. My son is extremely happy here and has a "great friend" for life he gets to share every class with. My daughter is so advanced they skipped her up a grade. She is being accomodated so that she is not held back. My children have enjoyed the after school clubs incuding cooking and drama. Every e-mail has been returned to me within a short period of time once I got a responding phone call within five minutes. I could not be happier with the new attitude of the staff this year. I am thrilled to have my children in a small school that goes all the way through to eighth grade. The school feels safe. We have had zero bullying and everyone knows each other just like I had growing up at a private school. We were here when it was St. Clements and I am glad we are here now. Next year they are bringing in organic food. This school has been a blessing for us.
—Submitted by a parent

I like the teachers who are Ms. Laird and Ms.Boiteux. They are very nice teachers. The new principal seems like a nice principal. The school looks great. They painted the cafeteria and the door is red. I am making good grades on subjects. No one has been picking on me this year. From, Kenny

My kids love this school. They are doing better and better. Only 21 students per class gives them lots of attention. I appreciate the extra funding for the great technology and security cameras. The promethian boards, individual laptops and new available software are all making it so easy. I love the new text to my phone if my kids get a "c" or lower on a grade. And the class dojo so I am informed about their daily behavior. Great new tools. I love them. I feel "in the loop".
—Submitted by a parent

As someone working at Somerset as a teacher and principal for 15 years, I can attest to our organization's sound track record of academic success. For the 2012-2013 school year, Mr. Anthony Marucci and I are excited to be moving from Somerset Academy Miramar to Somerset Village K-8 to be the new administrative team. I see great potential in Somerset Village, and with the input and support of all stakeholders, look forward to building a school in which our city, county and community can take pride. A few things to look forward to include a technology-rich facility with a 1 to 1 student-computer ratio, Promethean Boards in every classroom and a brand-new, state of art media center with two additional computer labs. Instructionally, we have some phenomenally talented teachers and leadership support staff who've joined our team, and we have new software programs and materials for academic intervention and acceleration to meet each student's needs. I encourage youn to call our school and schedule an appointment to see how Somerset Village can be an excellent choice for your child. --Ms. Sadesky, Principal
—Submitted by a teacher

When this school first opened I had high hopes especially because it appeared to encourage parental involvement. My experience has been extremely disappointing to say the least. During my visits to the school I have witnessed the lack of control that the teachers have over the students. Some examples of that lack of effective discipline are the repetitive incidents of aggression among students as young as 1st or 2nd graders, complete disregard of respect for the teachers, inability to display appropriate behavior during lunch time which has resulted on using the classroom as a lunch room by at least one teacher to avoid the chaos. As far as the school facilities, the playground is old, rusty and it appears not properly maintained which should raise safety concerns. Class size is a significant problem as some classrooms have as many as 28 plus students instead of 18 students which is the requirement for a public non-charter school. There is very little to none communication to the parents on the school plans for improvement. If you are still unsure about this school, all you need is a short visit to the school to see for yourself all the issues this school faces.
—Submitted by a parent