Holy Cross School

Both of our children attended Holy Cross Elementary School. The proof of the quality of an elementary education is manifested in high school and beyond. Our oldest child was sufficiently prepared by Holy Cross to gain acceptance to one of the best private secondary schools in the D.C. area, take nine AP courses during high school and receive an AP national Scholar award, finish in the top ten students in the high school graduating class, achieve numerous academic distrinctions, and receive a competitive merit scholarship to college. Our youngest child is now attending a D.C. area private secondary school with a reputation for extraordinary academic rigor and excellence, and is attaining honors grades. These accomplishments, in our view, reflect positively on the preparation our children received at Holy Cross Elementary School. (Incidentally, they loved their years at the school and came away with a joy of learning.) --- Former parents
—Submitted by a parent

I have 5 years experience at Holy Cross School with my two children both starting in Kindergarten. While I have found the academic preparation to be excellent in all areas, the true strength of the school is found in the teachers and parents who honestly believe that the school is their extended family. I know the names of every child, their parents, and sometimes extended family in my children's classes. Through various school, arts, athletics, and social events there is a feeling of community and camaraderie that gives much confidence that my children are safe. The principal sets the tone of the school by being accessible and open for to new ideas. But the most important aspect is that my kids are happy and love school.
—Submitted by a parent

Holy Cross School is an academically strong, welcoming Catholic school with an outstanding faculty and administration dedicated to educating the whole child. Students are encouraged and guided to work to their fullest potential in all subjects. Instruction is differentiated and extended to meet the needs of students on all levels. Furthermore, technology is integrated into each subject. Many students participate in advanced programs including; Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, Science Montgomery, Math Kangaroo and many more. Extra curricular activities include: choir, band, musical production, speech club, history club, basketball, soccer, track and cross country. It's a great school and our family loves it!
—Submitted by a parent

Holy Cross provides an excellent learning environment, strong academics standards and a wealth of extracurricular activities. Classes are small and the students receive individualized attention. Some reviewers criticized the curriculum as being average or below average. That has not been my children's experience. Many of the middle school students take advanced math, and students in the lower grades are encouraged to tackle more challenging reading and math work when appropriate. Activities like the school band (which won an award at the 2010 archdiocesan music festival), choir, and CYO sports provide great opportunities for students. We have found the teachers and staff to be uniformly excellent. There is a strong sense of community among the parents as well as the students. We are very happy with the education our children are receiving and enjoy being part of the Holy Cross community.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is outstanding academically and as a warm and friendly community. -A great middle school / high school prep program. Each year grads get into the top private high schools of their choice. -Stong advanced math and science programs. Each year the science projects take top honors in the county science fair. -The classes are small and the student body is diverse.The teachers are knowledgeable and very nurturing and committed. The principal provides very strong leadership. -Terriffic music program with choirs, band and plays/musicals.
—Submitted by a parent

We decided to send our child to kindergarten at Holy Cross primarily due to the great experience we had at the open house as compared to other private schools. Holy Cross was warm and welcoming and we were impressed by the student run tours of the school. The small, nurturing environment combined with top notch academics and a great campus and facilities make this school an excellent choice. Our second child attended the PreK program at Holy Cross and had a great experience. We are looking forward to a long term partnership with Holy Cross in educating our children!
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been attending Holy Cross School from pre-k to second grade, and I have to agree with the other reviewers that this school has a very nurturing environment (especially great for younger children), and a great community of very involved, kind and educated parents. On the positive side, the school is scheduled to have a brand-new gym by January 2010. However, as some have noticed, the curriculum is average or below average, and the teachers tend to teach material aimed at the the lower middle of the class. We repeatedly requested a more rigorous math and reading curriculum, but our pleas have been unanswered. The bottom line - if you like a small school environment, with small class size (around 20 children per class), a nice facilities - this school is great. If your child performs above average and needs more academic challenges - keep on looking!
—Submitted by a parent

I would rate Holy Cross School as average to slightly above average. There have been some impressive afterschool activities available to the students (e.g. Chess Club, History Club), and International Night is also very well done. My daughter has been attending the school for several years, however, and my wife and I agree that no one seems to look out for her among the teachers, despite our many years at the church and school. I think the school also suffers from not having a gym and the lack of males on the staff. There are also some very peculiar issues related to volunteer service (you can't just coach a team for 20 hours and have that count for all your time; you have to do at least 10 hours with Home & School Association). The school seems to bend over backwards for teachers, rather than parents.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter graduated last year and she has been going to HC, her whole life! She loved and she misses the strong community it had. The academic programs are great I thought teachers help where students need the help. Music and art are available and they are great, parent involvement is huge at this school! Parents are very involved in their children's school work, and parent-teacher meetings.
—Submitted by a former student

The teachers and staff at Holy Cross are not only dedicated to their students, but love teaching. Every person works together to meet the needs of every child enrolled at HC. Holy Cross is a warm, friendly community that nurtures children and promotes academic success. The curriculm is rigorous and well-rounded to devlop the whole child. We are blessed to have our son enrolled at Holy Cross.
—Submitted by a parent

The Holy Cross School is where my greatgrand daughters attend. I think that overall the curriculum is average to slightly above average, however I would like to see addtional courses and classes in forigen languages be taught at the K through 6th grade. In addition I think that this school is eligble for government assistance programs, from Montogomery County School District or other programs that they can apply for,because there are plenty of programs that the school can apply for.