St. Thecla

My child has been a student at St.Thecla since pre k. She has not only been able to achieve great heights scholastically thru extra curricular activities like The Academic Bowl, The National Spelling Bee and The National Jr. Honor Society but St. Thecla has helped to mold my child into a good citizen. She has been encouraged to pursue her dreams since early elementary grades. Her heroes are her teachers not pop stars. She is in jr. high, where inspiration occurs daily in the classroom.
—Submitted by a parent

Saint Thecla is an excellent school! We have excellent teachers, a strong new principal who teaches the values of a good leader, and excellent teams for both academics and sports. Our sport teams are very talented and we recently came in first place at our academic bowl! The students and teachers both love and care for each other. The teachers have the students best interence at heart and will take the time and help you until you fully understand the materials. I hope you give your the children a chance to feel loved at school and get the best education possible. For more information visit @saintthecla.org

My daughter just graduated from St. Thecla. She came to this school in 8th grade. Transferring in 8th grade is difficult, but the principal and staff at Thecla could not have been better. They made my daughter feel at home from day one. Within a week you wouldn't know who the "new kid" was. The education my daughter got was great, small class sizes and teachers who get to know your child. It is also hard for a parent to change schools but the staff, principal, teachers and school secretary were very helpful. The kids are well behaved and respectful to adults and each other. The parents are super friendly. I would definitely recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers at this school are amazing! The junior high is definitely the cr me de la cr me of this school. I've had two children pass through this CURRENT junior high (it was a whole different group of teachers a few years ago) and I can say with confidence that those three wonderful teachers are the reason why my children will/are excelling in high school. They already know the high school science and math material BEFORE they get to high school! The teachers here also teach good manners and stewardship. The students at this school are loved, challenged, and molded into intelligent, faith-filled, polite Chicagoans. Thank you, St. Thecla.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a parishoner for 40 years, and when I emailed the principal (3 times) about enrolling my son, I received no response... until I emailed the 4th time to let her know I'd be sending him to another school. THEN she responded. She said she hadn't gotten the other emails, which I find hard to believe as I just hit "reply all" each time I sent it. The reviews about the classes may be right on, but the negative comments about the principal is also accurate. If she wouldn't respond to a parent question during recruiting/enrollment season, how can I think she would respond after she cashed our tuition check?

I have seen several teachers as well as principals come & go since the 90's. The current teachers on staff are top notch. They are excited about teaching your child! Small class sizes make it possible for these teachers to really know your child, as a student & a person. On the other hand, I am afraid that the principal & office staff could potentially drive away future families of St. Thecla. The principal can't complete a sentence without saying "umm". She can never make eye contact with you or resolve conflict/concerns. She is not very welcoming either. The office staff seems to have good days & bad. Would I change schools? No, because my child is happy there & that is really what it is all about. I can say that other children who have graduated & gone to high school & beyond have done very well with their education that began at St. Thecla. It is as much an effort by teachers as it needs to be for the parents who send their children there. If you think you will ever find a "perfect" school, you are sadly mistaken. There are going to be things you agree with & disagree with at any school you look at.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel lucky to have found St Thecla, it's a hidden diamond in the mist of failing schools all around the country. The concentration at this school continues to be to educate the 'whole child' and that has never wavered. The school has great scores (wish they would post them) and the class sizes are perfect. This allows teachers to fully know their students and their learning styles and adapt as needed while moving the class forward as a whole. The teachers are the true secret to the school, they enjoy what they do and do it well. They concentrate, as emphasized by the Principal and Pastor, on 21st century educating. "Educating our young for jobs that do not exist today". Unfortunately the talk on this site about racism and parent 'cliques' in this school, are parent-perceived issues not school issues. Luckily, this does not affect the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

I find this to be a good environment for young children. I am very surprised by the racist comments posted on this site. I am not Irish nor am I Catholic and have never experienced racism or elitisim. The office staff contrary to prior reviews is very professional. If you want a school that is loving towards your child and an office staff and teachers who know your child's name and yours within the first week of school, then this is the place for you. Please check out the school yourself before relying on some obviously disgruntled parents.
—Submitted by a parent

I have NEVER seen such a cliquey school as much as Saint Thecla. If your child is not Irish DO NOT waste your money on this school. The principal is SO full of herself she does not care about how the teachers are teaching.
—Submitted by a parent

My Family LOVES this school. The class sizes are small. This allows teachers to spend individual attention with each student. The teachers and staff are very knowledgable, friendly and very approachable. However, the prinicipal needs some improvement. I am very happy to send my two children to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall our experience has been good, the preschool teachers are wonderful and the kids are very nice. But I will say the school does too much nickel and diming to get funding and the parents are too gossipy and critical of everyone and everything. And I never been exposed to so much racism and elite behavior in my life. I want my children to know that there are people that exist in the world other than white Irish and are still just as valuable of a human beings as anyone else. Someone needs to remind these families that we are all God's people no matter our color and no matter what school we may attend.

There are a lot of wonderful aspects of St. Thecla School. I am surprised by some of the previous reviews. Student-teacher ratio is one of the strong points for me. One of my children has never been in a class larger than 14! I think this has been extremely valuable for her academic and social development. I have found the teachers to be very caring. The sports programs are wonderful. The other parents I have met here are extremely dedicated to their children and to the school as a whole. In regards to tuition, I think it is very competitive in regards to neighboring schools. I suppose it can be confusing at first, but I like the fact that I can 'earn' $1000 towards the total tuition through volunteerism. I do agree that the principal's leadership should be improved, as well as the professionalism of the office staff.
—Submitted by a parent

The teacher to student ratio is inadequate. Children are often scolded and never praised. They have a very antiquated approach to developing loving, unique, and smart children. It has a tendency to discourage students from really developing that love of learning. Compare with other schools that may give you a better tuition and a better education.

I will be sending my kids elsewhere in the fall. Principal is very weak, a few parents run the school as their own social club, not a very professional staff. Teaching is sub-par in my opinion, check out other schools and compare. Plenty of hidden costs, if you are not in with the ruling crowd it becomes a very long year.
—Submitted by a parent

Alright, St. Thecla has gone downhill since new principals. Every teacher will find flaws with your kid and your family and make some kind of rude remark. They don't care how good their education is at St. Thecla they only care what the kids wear. This school is ridiculous and there is no rational remark at Thecla there is only screaming. I am sorry but I feel that this is school is bad environment for your child and there is so many times where i regret even sending my kids to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

what a great place to send my kids. the teachers, parents and parish is wonderful
—Submitted by a parent

St. Thecla has a lot to offer students. They have an excellent new teacher at the junior high level that has reshaped the science program and revived our love of the school. This teacher has students excited to come to school every day.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Thecla is a wonderful school from academics, extra activities and a religious perspective. My daughter has flourished socially and scholastically in this positive environment. There are a lot of opportunities for parent involvement which keeps us aprised of day to day school happenings. The only downfall is the cost and 'hidden' fees.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family loves St. Thelcla school. The atmosphere is positive as well as the mission statement. The only downside is the huge discrepency from grade to grade in teaching ability. Our child probably went from the worst teacher to the best teacher. This type of gap must be addressed.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Thecla's primary staff is one of the best and the facility itself is well maintained. Our principal is working hard; however. After the fourth grade, it is pitiful. Subpar teaching is the accepted norm. It is sad. Sports are far more important to the majority of the community. Some text books are outdated as well as the teaching methods being used. If some drastic measures are not taken in academic development, our students will not compete well with other students in high school and beyond.
—Submitted by a parent