St. Pius X School

My kids have been here for 2 years. The principle and a lot of teachers are unapproachable and do not communicate and parents are cliquish. My daughter s 7th grade homeroom teacher was non-communicative but her 8th grade teachers are gems. My son had a great 4th grade teacher, she showed a genuine concern for the kids. He is in 5th grade this year and I pulled him out because his teacher is ineffective. My son did not look forward to her classes, he said she doesn t care about them and he is afraid he will not do well in middle school if he stays in her class. This was a wake up call for me. He s never had issues in the past, so I was concerned when he started having so many issues in 5th grade. I brought this up to the vice principal who is great and does what she can. The school counselor is also non-communicative and didn t help much. On his last day of school, he was excitable at the end of gym and opened a door he wasn t supposed to, his gym teacher said to him I m not going to miss you . Since he left, he is happy and thriving with no issues and excited about learning again. This school is good for kids who are self sufficient, but not for kids who may need extra support.
--Submitted by a parent

One of the best private/catholic school around here. It s a family school, to be more precise with focus on discipline. My kid enjoys every moment and for us, as parents, we are so pleased with this school. Teachers/staff are so friendly and open and besides all; are so helpful with the smile. The school is well organized from that time you drop your kid to the time you pick him up. You can see my kid is well progressing with what he's learning at school. They prepare them well, so as enough homework to be well self-governing too. Also, Parents are so involved here and that makes a big and a huge different to the school and to our kid too. (as we all know, " Involved parents. Successful kids".) Before and After care programs are excellent too where by kids involve in their homework completion, different activities, learn from other bigger class etc. I can go on, on and on....but in general...well done St. Pius X, Bowie. Its exactly what we were looking for to our kids education.
--Submitted by a parent

I've been a school parent for a few years, and I am very happy. The Principal and the Vice Principal have dedicated their careers to Catholic education, and between them, they have many years of experience. The administration, teachers, and staff are responsive and dedicated professionals who regularly take professional education courses. In my experience, they often devote many hours beyond the regular school day to provide students with a great experience in class. Graduates are routinely accepted at the high school of their choice, and each year, graduating seniors earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships. The school has educated students for almost 50 years, and the school has a long track record of success. There are many long standing traditions that take place to enhance the school program (Christmas bazaar, Grandparents day, class masses, special lunches, tag days, Funday, school plays, field days, etc.) The facility is safe, clean, bright, and orderly. The schoolwork is challenging but appropriate. From what I have seen, the teachers run disciplined classrooms. Parents (and often grandparents) are very involved in volunteering at the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been involved in the school for over 10years. The math and science are very week, especially in the middle school. The school is outdated along with a lot of the staff. The principal needed to retire years ago. He is unapproachable to staff, student and parents. Middle school teacher/student ratio is 1:35. They let anyone admitted in the middleschool. The teachers have deal with behavior issues instead of teaching.This is frustrating to the student who want to learn, so alot is self taught at home. The only thing added to the curriculum is 5th and 6th grade spanish., which actually should start in pre K. Thankgoodness this is our last year. My children have had a few excellent and motivating teachers and alot of good friends. The cost has risen a great deal, but the curriculum has not changed. I would research other schools.The tuition would not be as painful, if the education was worth it.
--Submitted by a parent

My child is having a wonderful experience at St. Pius X and I would definitely recommend this school to others. In grades K-4, my son has been fortunate to have teachers who are talented and enthusiastic. They have really been attentive to student needs, building self esteem and recognizing children as individuals. The curriculum is appropriate and challenging, offering technology experiences, an outstanding new Guided Reading Program, a variey of higher level Math programs, Science labs, Spanish, Music, and Art. The administration is supportive and receptive to parent input ,and the Catholic faith based atmosphere creates a positive climate. The community of people in this school is what means the most to us, with parents being actively engaged in their childrens' education and promoting consideration of others.
--Submitted by a parent

We have had 3 children in St. Pius. One is now a junior in a Catholic high school while the other two attended through last year. The younger two have attended since Kindergarten and we have been happy up through third grade. The middle child just completed fifth grade and told us he does not want to go back. His words, "my teacher is not teaching!" Quite a wake-up call for us as parents. He would rather go to one of the public middle schools. All of his friends attend Pius but it's a non-issue for him. There are a few teachers that are somewhat parasitic institutions at the school and not held accountable for their shortcomings as educators. They take responsibility for student success but lay the blame on parents when there is failure. The one positive that we are leaving the school with is that our kids have made some good friends and a reinforced religious foundation(If it wasn't for the religious education it would have been one star). But that's not really what we are paying for. Just my opinion of having kids in the school over the past 6 years. The same parents volunteer all the time, not a bad thing but those that can afford to buy their way out.
--Submitted by a parent

this school is a sad excuse for a private school...I am shocked that it s still around all the school work is self taught so the teachers don t have to do anything when your kids gets into the 5th grade the home work is about 3-4 hours each evening and the projects they give out is tooo much work for the kid also the kids have to do more than one project a month
--Submitted by a parent

my daughter just completed pre-k at pius, and I LOVE it! the teachers and administrators are all great to work with, and my daughter has learned so much! With the parent participation requirement, most all parents are involved in the school in one way or another.
--Submitted by a parent

St Pius is a great school. I am in the 7th grade and have been attending for two years. The teachers are very pleasant (They're tough however...) And the curriculum is excellent and challenging. The classes tend to be over-crowded at times (35 kids?!?), but nevertheless, St Pius provides a very good balance of extracurricular activities, academics, and religious faith. I would highly recommend this school to any parent looking for a great local school.
--Submitted by a student

Overcrowded classes (35 kids!), no cafeteria or gym, cliquish elitist culture Some great teachers, some that should be canned immediately for humiliating and scorning some student scapegoats. Does NOT shield children from middle school sex and drugs: both are rampant among cool kids in upper grades, just hidden behind fa ade of uniforms. Diversity is a sensitive issue. When my child graduated from SPX, only 25 of 800 students were non-white, few were warmly welcomed into social circles. Constant weekly pressure to donate, raise money and volunteer or pay. Tuition has doubled in the past 5 years. Teacher help on homework and tutoring is not free. 4 years, hundreds of volunteer hours, thousands of dollars into our SPX experience, we still felt like strangers. Cold snobby cliques. Finally the thought of teachers & students bullying and ridiculing our child daily.
--Submitted by a parent