St. Mary of the Assumption School

St. Mary of the Assumption School is a wonderful place where children work, pray and play! We have been at St. Mary's since 2005 and have experienced nothing but exceptional caring teachers who teach the Faith and so much more to our 4 children. We understand as parents we are our children's 1st educators. We are so blessed knowing that our morals and values are reinforced daily at school. As our oldest prepares to enter 8th grade, we know that she has been prepared academically and spiritually for her high school years. We are so thankful to be part of this community.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Mary's has very reasonable class sizes especially compared to the public schools. This school does not have any diversity within it's staff and it doesn't appear to be a priority. The school has become very diversed with it's students, probably due to the administration now accepting more of the families from the community into the school. Families that are in the parish from other counties used to be primarily the families that attended the school but are beginning to pull their children out. Parental involvement is awesome!! I've noticed lots of comments on how wonderful the school is and question the objectivity of those comments since there are lot of families that attend and work in the school. There are great things to say about the sixth grade, beware of the fifth grade. Overall the class size is reasonable, academics are average and the principal is not qualified to lead. As long as you do not question the system there will not be any issues. Once you question any decisions by the principal...you will be labeled as a trouble maker...remember they are a very close knich group so you should be prepared to move your child out of the line of fire.
—Submitted by a parent

We heard great things about this school and our first year everything was wonderful. Our concern is the schools unequitable bias in their processes. There are several parents who are teachers at the school and who are relatives. There are not consistencies for handling processes for questions on grading, discipline, staff conduct. An example-a teacher submitted back weeks worth of grades after the quarter had officially closed and there was no recourse to handle it with adminstration. The principal stated that grades in elementary doesn't mean much? On handling discipline, a child hit one of the teachers & consequences were minimized due to parent relations but other children are suspended and punished for actions with less severity i.e accussations from another child on an inappropriate language. The school is very political on handling of situations due to relationships and religious denomination. The priest plays the role of judge and jury, so If you are not a catholic and do not adhere to these beliefs and practices I would not recommend sending your child to this school. In addition to the fact that the academics does not match the public school system which is free.
—Submitted by a parent

When my girls started at St. Mary s in August 2011, I was still located in Raleigh, NC. The girls were living with my parents so that they could begin the school year. It wasn t until late October 2011 that I finally secured employment and was able to relocate to the DC/MD area. Unfortunately, I was a part time contractor working only 20 hours per week. As you can imagine, it was quite a struggle as a single mother on a part time income paying private school tuition for two kids (in addition to other bills). It was a difficult situation but it all worked out and it DEFINITELY was well worth it!!! I was confident in knowing that my children would receive the best education by attending St. Mary s School after researching other choices for them. The staff, students and parents of St. Mary s welcomed us with open arms and made my kids feel right at home. It was difficult being away from them but I was at peace knowing that they were in great hands. I am happy that the girls have made life-long memories and friends.
—Submitted by a parent

Great School. My daughter just finished Kindergarten and is very excited about first grade. The school is small with 25 or so kids in each grade. Challenging curriculum focused on reading and math skills. Test scores are consistently very high. Family environment with healthy parental involvement throughout the year. Christian values are also an important part of the educational program. Diverse student body also adds to the educational experience.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student here for 9 years. From kindergarten to eighth grade, St.Mary's was like a family. The teachers really cared about the student's well-being and the education was advanced. Coming out of this school, I entered into a higher level math class than other high school peers. This school really allowed good values and morals to be instilled in students. I may be in college now, but i will never forget my elementary school experience.

St Mary of the Assumption School is a Great School, I have two, soon to be three children there, and could not be happier. First and foremost my kids love the school.The leadership is very strong with lots of help from parents. Mrs. Schroeder the first grade teacher has got to be one of the best teachers in the United States, her care, concern, and work ethic for the children, is absolutely the best I've ever seen from a teacher, and it's so important to have that type of teacher for young kids early in their education.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Mary's has wonderful teachers and staff and the children are learning at an advanced level.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a strong believer in 'it takes a village to raise a child. St. Mary of The Assumption has a great Principal and village of teachers that have been very instrumental in raising my children to the next level.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at St. Mary's going on 3 years. My son has benefited from the education he is receiving. While to class sizes are larger compared to the public schools, I believe he is getting a much better education and is being challenged academically. Some of the teachers make use of the schoolnotes web site, which is terrific (as a parent you know what homework to expect). I wish all teachers made use of the site. The school is family oriented; students are polite and well behaved. The principal and vice principal are wonderful! The principal loves to brag about the students accomplishments at the HSA meetings and at other meetings he attends. Compared to other private schools in the area that charge an arm and a leg, St. Mary's is ideal.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at St. Mary's going on 5 years now and I am blessed to have found the school. I like the fact that the school is small and that my child is not merely a number. Compared to other Christian schools in the area that charge an arm and a leg and give so much homework that the parents end up doing the majority of it, St. Mary's is ideal.
—Submitted by a parent

St Mary's has been a blessing to the education of my son. He was originally enrolled in a program with another Catholic School, but needed to challenge. The change has been great. His grades may be a little lower, but he is now being academically challenged. As far as diversity, most of the teachers and staff have been there for several years. I prefer the low turnover of faculty and staff, as oppose to staff changes to work on diversity. I believe the low turnover ratio has provided the school with a better environment. He gets the diversity from other activities.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Mary s school offers a comprehensive content based curriculum. They provide instruction in all of the content areas. While they seemingly strive to offer a rich variety, diversity among staff members is virtually non-existent. Currently, there is only one person of color on the instructional staff. Perhaps the school could benefit from recruiting and retaining a more diverse population of staff members and students. Attracting people of color is not a priority.
—Submitted by a parent

Well, I have had 3 student attend St. Mary from K to 8. Overall it is a good school, but has gone down drastically. The principal is a nice person, caring, but not qualified to be principle. The school is family oriented, students are polite, well behaved. The school needs to advance more into the children's education. There is a lack of respect for the student in the upper grades, which at times brings out the worst in the students. I think it could be one of the best schools if the leadership was different and if the teachers had more training in how to deal with the middle school age students. The best thing i can suggest is to be involved constantly with the school.
—Submitted by a parent