Pope John XXIII School

Fantastic education. Great teachers especially the middle school and Kindergarden. My son went here and then on to the High School ( ETHS) taking honors and 4 ap courses by jr and sr year. He now has been acceted to 10 Colleges and is going on to Clemson in South Carolina. Have your son or Daughter take the LATIN class and he or she will be prepared for anything at any school they go to! My son was just an average student when he started out here, they got him private math help at no charge, by the time he finished they had him prepared for High School in more ways then just the class room! Now he is so ready for college he can't wait to go. He is an only child too!
--Submitted by a parent

Great community and solid education. This school has the Blue Ribbon distinction and the faculty that will help prepare the kids for high school and beyond
--Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school with great academics and a close knit, caring community. The school teaches the subject matter, but also how to study, break down complicated material and really learn. Teachers are great about providing clear instruction and working with kids at all levels to engage them. The principal really knows the kids and works hard to make sure the kids have the right amount of challenge or extra help. We have had kids at two other schools on the North Shore (public and private) and this school is, by far, the best.
--Submitted by a parent

PJ23: Great school! To the parent who says that if child does not excel, he is not welcome: I have 2 kids at PJ; 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom. I have been blown away by the lengths to which this Catholic school, without the rich resources of the public schools, has gone to support my low-scoring, low-performing child. At every step of the very laborious special-ed process, the principal and every teacher - classroom and support teachers included - have given help, support, advice, accommodation and instruction, and have been very kind and accepting of my low-performing child. The other kids have, too! This is completely unlike our experience in both Chicago & Evanston public schools, which were warehouses compared to PJ. I think the difference here is the level and type of parental involvement. I have been at PJ for years (2 kids several years apart) and seen petulant parents with badly behaving kids have negative experiences, and, happily, take their kids elsewhere. I have seen positively involved parents work well with the staff and their kids, like mine, have prospered. Note: Scores of IEP kids are not counted in the stats so they don't "mess up the school's scores".
--Submitted by a parent

My experience at this school is that children who do not excel are not welcome. It's possible that the school's academic success is in part achieved by pushing out kids who will lower test score averages. The principal is an enormous liability, with her biggest shortcoming being an unwillingness to work with parents in making decisions about their children. If your child isn't an academic superstar, you would have a much less frustrating experience at another school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have had three children attend PJ. It is an great school with excellent academics. The small classes, the students get phenomenal personal attention. The principal stands and greets the children every day at the door as they start and end each school day. You can't beat this small town atmosphere in our urban environment, and great teachers and scores add to the benefits of this gem in Evanston.
--Submitted by a parent

My oldest child has just entered Loyola Academy and his education from Pope John has shown to be one of the best. The only freshman in the sophmore honors Latin class are Pope John Students. The Academic Advisory board stated that of all 200 plus school that feed into Loyola, Pope John students are by far the best prepared.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a committed PJ23rd parent and can assure other parents evaluating schools that the quality of education, community, and Catholic formation is top notch. For additional objective sources, take a look at the US Dept. of Ed. website for details on the Blue Ribbon Award which the school earned in 2008. Secondly, check with top area High Schools on which schools produce the students ready to succeed in HS on day one. I know Loyola Academy for example is eager to enroll Pope John graduates as very well prepared students. The kindergarten is newly renovated and the physical plant continues to be rejuvenated by the principal, the supporting churches, parents, and generous supporters. Principal Musiala is very talented, extremely hard working, creative, and gets results all around. The school has thrived under her dedicated service.
--Submitted by a parent

Pope John XXIII is a nationally recongized NCLB Blue Ribbon School. This award for academic excellence comes from the U.S. Department of Education and only 50 private school nationally were so recognized. The teachers are caring and dedicated to the students. Onver 50'% of the teachers have advanced degrees. The students are successful academically with supeior test scores. The honrs and advanced classes challenge the brightest and motivate all the students to try their best.
--Submitted by a teacher

We are very grateful that our son has attended PJ23. First and foremost, it truly is a caring community, with a great group of families. It has been a very safe and nurturing environment for our son, now in 8th grade. The longtime social studies teacher and the longtime Latin teacher are especially terrific, and have contributed greatly to our son's education. The principal works very hard and genuinely cares about the students. I may not agree with every decision she makes, but I very much respect her. I highly recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent