St. Mary Catholic School

Best thing we did was move schools. We are now blessed to have our child at a school where they are challenged and encouraged to think outside of the box, something that was never permitted in several grades at this school, in particular the 4th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Mary Catholic is an EXCELLENT school. My daughter has been there for two years, and my oldest was there from 2nd to 8th grade. I am extremely happy with the new principal. She is very involved, and makes herself readily available. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a good Kindergarten teacher so they have the right foundation to start out. Sr. Theresa was an absolute Godsend! My daughter was reading books before Thanksgiving break! She doesn't "baby" them, and uses a right combination of compassion and tough love. I also love the smaller class sizes. In first grade, there are only 14 kids. I am highly satisfied with St. Marys of Wayne!
—Submitted by a parent

I can honestly say that the best thing that I did for my child was to send them to another school. The horrible things that were experienced last year had such and adverse affect on my child's outlook- being told that the work was not up to par. Fortunately the damage that was done has been reversed by a caring and loving staff at another school - and being told that creativity is welcome. I would check deeply into the school prior to sending your child here.
—Submitted by a parent

Not sure why previous post was deleted? I am I not allowed to say that we love the SCHOOL community but don't feel as welcome in the PARISH community by the new Pastor?? By the way, we have given him 4 years and he is not what we need. Again, great school from top to bottom. We have been there for over 15 years. However, we are leaving because of the pastor.
—Submitted by a parent

What a great community!!! The School held their first auction last Saturday and it was a huge success!! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when our principal first shared his idea with us as parents. I am glad that he and the planning committee stayed the course and made the event happen. It was truly a great event and everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard.
—Submitted by a parent

I will say this, and I'll make sure to keep it short so my opinion won't be removed! Please, think twice about sending your child here. With all the things that are going on these days in schools with the kids and administration, be careful. And if you decide to send your child here, pay VERY close attention to what they tell you, don't disregard it and trust the school because it's catholic, the caholic values do not run very deep.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been in St. Mary's now for 5 years and I am so glad I switched when I did! The staff is professional and caring, the values they teach are the ones we teach at home, education with high standards, diversity within the school. Catholic education is something I've always wanted for my children but never knew I could afford so go and take a tour, ask questions, see it for yourself. They start with the best kindergarten teacher you can ever have and that is a great fundamental base in their success. My kids are involved in scouts, sports, choir, band and the leaders are excellent as well. They know that kids are capable of so much more and they try to get the best out of everyone. I highly recommend St. Mary School.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is an important part of my life. I attended grades 1-8 here and learned skilled I've used for life. (there is a heavy emphasis on public speaking- chances for children to lector at Mass, perform in choir, present reports in front of their classes, etc.) By the time I graduated, I had no fear of public speaking and had made friends for life. Now, I couldn't be happier that my daughter is attending K. The academics she is involved with blows me away. St. Mary kids outperform their grade level on IOWA testing but they also learn in a safe and respectful environment. St. Mary School is like a family. When I drop my daughter off in the morning, I know the staff, parent volunteers and other students care about my child. She comes home happy, confident and capable. I couldn't ask for a better school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have put two children through St. Mary Catholic School, and I have to say it's been deeply satisfying. Both kids have had some academic struggles, but have overcome them. Our oldest is now a mostly straight-A student in high school now, despite being labeled as "special needs" by the public schools. His teachers at St. Mary worked closely with us and individualized much of his work so that he could have the best result. He was always - ALWAYS - challenged. It's paid off. The school has done a lot to maintain programs during not-so-good economic times. The music program is excellent, with weekly music classes, a band/orchestra program, a bell choir, and a couple of children's choirs. Sports are through CYO, and are typical of CYO programs (parent run). Great principal, phenomenal staff, beautiful building. Bottom line - a great school.
—Submitted by a parent

Each day, I take great comfort knowing my child is able to attend a school where he is safe, where he is loved, and he is motivated to learn to the best of his abilities. This is our third child to attend St. Mary; the parish and school have been a part of our lives for more than 20 years. Despite the increased financial pressures every family, business, and organization faces in these economic times, St. Mary continues to offer ever-improving curriculum, a highly-qualified and committed staff, and a daily emphasis on Catholic faith. The kids love learning with the new classroom Smartboards, and I can t wait to see what they can do with our improved science lab. Private education requires a lot of personal sacrifice and involvement. St. Mary is the only school we ve ever wanted to consider in helping us prepare our kids to be happy, successful, and productive members of our society.
—Submitted by a parent

Very excited in the new principal and direction of school. I thought there was a slight hiccup in the past administration, but nothing truly troubling. We have two children in this school and I am amazed at their true enjoyment of being students. There is a feeling of being part of a community at St. Mary's school and church. I have recommended this school to anyone interested in a good Catholic and educational experience.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our 2nd year at St. Mary's and I am extremely proud of the school, teachers and staff because they work hard to give our children the best education. I am glad I found this school and would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat.
—Submitted by a parent

Things have changed dramatically since my last review of St. Mary. It is a shame that a change in principal has totally changed the complexion and feel of the school. My kids are still doing extremely well but I am reconsidering whether they should stay. The new principal's depth in Catholic values is very shallow. I hope that a change in leadership in the future will return the school to what it was.
—Submitted by a parent

My child was new last year after spending 2 years in a Wayne Public School . I can't say enough about St. Mary's and how pleased we are that we made the change. Most notably, our daughter's grammar has made a 180 degree change - something that was not enforced at all in the public school she attended. Her teacher was outstanding and our only regret is that we didn't make the change sooner. I'd like to mention that we originally thought that private school didn't offer the specials that public schools do and we were incorrect. She attends art class, music, gym, computers & life skills weekly in addition to a very rigorous academic program. If you are considering making the same change we did, allow your child some extra room to catch up as they will most likely be behind. It's worth the transition!
—Submitted by a parent

My son and daughter attended St Marys, and got a lot out of being there. The first thing is that everyone is part of a family. Both of my kids liked sports and St Marys has great coaches and safe environment. (I'm not saying that SMS has a many first place awards, but the kids love playing.) My kids went kindergarten thru 8th grades. We loved it....and miss being there. I personally didnt see the racial problems that someone (below) talks about. My family also attends St Marys church, and again, it feels like home. The worst thing I think I can say, is that the school building could use air conditioning in the fall/spring. But it's a very safe place for kids and has a loooong history behind it.
—Submitted by Kevin, a parent

What the other review stated about the number of children per classroom is a completely false statement. My son has attened for 4 years, my niece for 3 years, and my daughter for 2 years before she graduated; not one of them has ever had a class larger than 24 students. As far as the racial issue we have never experienced any thing like that and we are Hispanic, I have to wonder if the reviewer has mistaken this school with another. I highly recommend St. Marys of Wayne to any one who asks. I drive 20 miles from my home everyday just to take my son there.
—Submitted by a parent

I go to St.Mary School. We don't treat other kids different just because of his or her race. We respect one another. Yes we have some kids that are a little mean, but every school has that. At St.Mary School we review the rules for fighting fair. So when we have a problem like if someone is teasing you, you no what to do in a respecting way. Like one of our teachers say 'It's in the past. Get over it.' If something happens teachers discipline in a fair way. I am in sixth grade. So I know how most of the teachers teach or treat the students. They respect us and we respect them. They dicuss things in a clear way so we understand it. We have sports so we can stay healthy and get to know other students better. We have soccer,basketball,cheerleading,softball,baseball,bowling and more. I recommend St.Mary School.
—Submitted by a student

If you have a child of color I would rethink this school. My child always complained that she was treated somewhat differently and things other kids would not get reprimanded for she would. My child dreaded going to school and would even fake sickness. I thought that she was over exaggerating but after a few experiences there I believed her. There are too many kids to a class room lower grades like say a 3rd or 4th grade had anywhere from 30-33 students. I think this school is out to get your money. They don't care what color you are as long as the money is green. If you want more cultural diversity for your child, this is not the school for your child.
—Submitted by a parent