St. Patrick School

I went to this school for 9 years and graduated recently in June. Yes, the classes may be big, but somehow, some way, we blaze through stuff and learn quite a bit. If you've seen rowdy public school kids all you're life, you'd never believe how well behaved 8th graders can be during class. It's cramped, small, but if you ignore the aesthetics it's a very good school. I'm taking all honors at Carmel Catholic now and they're very easy after my basis at St. Pats!

We are so completely pleased with St. Patricks School. The communication is amazing from both the teachers and the principal. There is so much parental involvement which really makes a difference in the quality of education our children are getting. There is full day Kindergarten and although the class size is large, 31 kids, there is a full time assistant that the children LOVE. There are also parent volunteers that come in on a daily basis to read or lead a project. Our son is just having a great time and can't wait to tell us what he did each day! We are looking forward to 8 more years at St. Pats!
--Submitted by a parent

The reason that everyone doesn't rate this school 5 stars is that the parent involvement rate is through the roof. Everyone has an opinion about everything. The truth is, just about every kid who graduates from here will go on to honors/AP classes in high school, even if they were otherwise average because there is an accelerated nature to the ordinary curriculum at St. Pat's. I love it because it is unapologetically Catholic, which is hard to come by, even in Catholic schools. Yes, there are some clique-y issues among the middle schoolers, but girls will be girls. They try to keep them under wraps, but your daughter will end up somewhere in the natural spectrum that exists, and have middle school girl experiences, I haven't been able to avoid that yet. (when I'm all said and done, there will have been 6 of my kids through this school)
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter loves this school and her teachers. This will be our second year at St Pats. I hope we can keep going there. Tuition is on the high side.
--Submitted by a parent

Though teachers do try, and some more than others. I saw it in the classrooms over and over again. Children behind the curve or ahead of the curve didn't get enough attention. The feeling of community and caring was great from parents, children and most teachers but I felt a better education could be found elsewhere. The principal was not receptive to parents' questioning or criticism. It seems to be her way or the highway. She is very defensive of her teachers and practices. This wasn't a bad school but not nearly good enough.
--Submitted by a parent

I am very satisfied with the education my daughter is receiving at St. Pat's. Yes, you hear the class sizes are large, at about 35 students, especially in the lower grades. But from my experiences and observations, class size is not everything. Prior to enrolling my daughter at St. Pat's, I visited 5 private and public schools and observed in the classroom. Even in the schools with smaller classroom size, I saw more chaos and disharmony than at St. Pat's with larger classes.Don't always judge by just class size. My daughter is developing into a very well rounded independent thinker, who loves learning. I always am able to approach the teachers when I have questions and am always welcome in the classroom where I volunteer frequently. There is great parental support for the school. Yes, fundraising is a large part of being involved in the school, but it keeps tuition low.
--Submitted by a parent

We are absolutely thrilled with our child's teachers. The level of care and commitment shown to their students, in addition to the excellent, age-appropriate curriculum have exceeded even our high expectations. There has been much focus on social and spiritual development, and we believe these are key components in shaping caring, competent and moral individuals. There is lots of parent involvement, which further strengthens the sense of school community. I can't comment on extracurricular activities because our child hasn't yet reached the 5th grade when participation in sports, etc. is offered. We are very proud that our child is on an excellent academic path that will provide the challenges and opportunities required to compete in high school and beyond.
--Submitted by a parent

Class sizes are very large, most are at 35 students. Little personal attenion is given to students. The school compensates by relying on parent involvement in the classroom. The school philosophy is to teach the class and not the child. If your child is ahead of the curve do not expect accomodations. Accomodations are only made for ld/special needs. There is a strong parent community and many opportunities for parent and family involvement. Afterschool care is available for working parents. More attention is paid to fundraising and less to academic quality. Curriculum outlines are not readily available to review and compare to other schools. St. Pat's school is riding on the reputation and success of the church, falling short of our expectations.
--Submitted by a parent

St. Patrick's provides a wonderful community of parents and children. The parents are very involved in the school. The principal is not very open to parent criticism. Some teachers are known for poor discipline procedures and have been for some years. Even though people continue to leave the school because of these teachers, the principal will not make a change. Unfortunately, low salaries paid for Catholic School teachers means that sometimes you have to put up with bad teachers.
--Submitted by a parent