Notre Dame Interparochial School

There are very good points made here. This site states not to post names of teachers, students or staff. In all fairness the parent who stated his name- has a child in the lower grades. The issues shared here are very specific and many are about the 7th and 8th grade. Unless you have a child in those classrooms, or have had a child there, you have no idea what goes on there. I have strong feelings about these issues but would have never subjected my child to repercussions that have and do happen after such postings. This site is excellent in that it points out that people should ALWAYS look before they leap . Can this many concerns be unfounded? I have had 2 children graduate from this school and the issues of bullying and harassing the upper grade boys have existed for years. They are not new. One can blame it on the nuns, the priests or the current principal but the problems still exist. And parents have complained over the years. Many parents including myself. Maybe we all just had too much faith that at some point SOMEONE would do the right thing and make changes. Good luck to you all.
--Submitted by a parent

Some teachers are above and beyond. Top notch. There are those though that should not be there. You wont't realize it until you hit 7th or 8th grade. Bullying should never be allowed. Bullied students or teachers is unacceptable. Ever. Fix this issue. Smart boards don't make an academy. No school is perfect, this one for sure not. Posted by a current parent.
--Submitted by a parent

i went to catholic school thru grammar and high school. i wasn't sure about sending my son to catholic school, having seen how most catholic schools are forced to make due with sub-standard funding. that is not the case at notre dame. smart boards, ipads, new science equipment, a nicer gym than my high school, and on and on. it doesn't come cheaply, but it is a sacrifice my wife and i are comfortable making in the interest of my son's education. i suggest to anyone that is interested in having their child possibly attend this school, to visit the school and talk to parents. you'll find a welcoming community. then you can make an informed decision. you're not going to get much from this site when people are using it as a place to anonymously take shots at the same people they've entrusted their child's education to. and as a volunteer coach who receives nothing in return for my time and dedication to helping children learn and play a sport, if someone was going to take a shot at me, i'd expect the least they could do in return was put their name on it. -matt doyle, st joe's grammar school (wny) '89, st joe's high (wny) '93
--Submitted by a parent

I have to agree with the parents who think Notre Dame is a great school. There are plenty of Catholic Schools in the area who are hurting for enrollment (and possibly even closing this year) and I am sure would take a transfer student in the 7th or 8th grade. My child also graduated last year and although there was a lot of work we did NOT have any of the problems referenced below with the teachers. I also have to ask why anybody would keep their child in a school where they were not treated well. Any parent who is that unhappy with a school that they are paying tuition for should really remove their child and put them in another school. Personally, I found that as long as your child does the work and is a good student there really are no problems. For children who would prefer not to do the work or send texts during class, those children are going to have problems but I think they would have problems in any school. I also love the fact that Notre Dame made Academy status.
--Submitted by a parent

I am curious how the "Academy" will handle events from this last weekend at the school. Sure doesn't seem like a safe place for children when their adult coaches handle themselves in such a violent and vulgar manner. Anything but terminating the coaches from that group is a failure on the admin's part. We left last year and have not looked back. Not a safe and compassionate place. Look before you leap. And be aware that the school has the Home school Assoc. watching this site and countering any "less than positive" reviews. If the Parish priests want to verify this info, they should talk to current and past parents. Do this before something truly tragic happens. And yes, you can attempt to transfer out-be aware that the principal herself will contact your new schools with a disparaging comments about your family. Been there and done that.

Unfortunately, I was also reminded of this site due to the negative comments being posted about Notre Dame Academy. I'm not going to say that these people are wrong - they are entitled to their opinions. Parents who are visiting this site are looking for different peoples experiences to help them make a tough decision. As a parent of a child currently in a school with smart boards being used in every grade, new science equipment, staff that are invested in my child's success, and a principal invested in both child & school success, I'm paying tuition and keeping my child in an environment where I know he is succeeding. If, like some of these parents posting negative comments, I wasn't happy, I'd pull my child out and find another school. All that being said, parents looking for a school for their child should visit ND Academy, speak with parents, teachers, and the principal to judge the character of the school and staff for yourselves. For all anyone knows, those posting the negative comments could be right, ND isn't the place for your child but that's a decision you need to make keeping in mind - how often do people show an appreciation for a good thing vs those that complain?
--Submitted by a parent

My child graduated last year and we were a long term Notre Dame family. Also pre and post Nuns. I must agree with several other posters stating that the school is not a healthy place for children 11+. The upper grade teachers are not qualified to teach the subjects. They are unkind to the upper grade boys specifically. Bullying issues are not addressed by the current principal. It is unfortunate as Notre Dame was once a great school. Smart boards are great but without a core staff who are dedicated to teaching children-all is for nothing. Look past the "Catholic Schools week* Dog and Pony Show" and there you will see the truth. PreK- 4th grade is great. Upper grades need cameras in class to keep teachers honest.
--Submitted by a parent

I was reminded of this site by another parent. Sadly , I do agree that this school lacks the compassion, faith and honesty that they advertise. There is zero involvement from parish priests. They do not lead our children in faith or education. We had hoped with the new priest that he would help restore our school to it's once excellent standing within the community. Not the case. The current administration at the school is only interested in the "Academy" status. An academy only in name- nothing else. Save your $ for high school and college. Or be prepared to pay for extra tutoring from former teachers, and places like MEK.
--Submitted by a parent

To answer a parent review here- Notre Dame is a good school up to 6th grade. Normal drama just like any other school. But the bullying by teachers and general nonsense is really bad in the 7th and 8th grade classes. By the time your child reaches that grade level-there is no where to go. Most Catholic schools prefer not to accept transfers in those grades. For students wanting to continue their Catholic education you have to stick it out. These two years are extremely difficult with the current staff. This is extremely true for male students. It is also common practice for the males to be the clean up and pack mules. Loading and moving boxes as well as caring for the Snapple machine are normal tasks. I suppose what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but paying for your child to be a custodian doesn't fair well with my family. Parent of the 2011 class .
--Submitted by a parent

Notre Dame is by far the best Catholic School in the area. There are smart boards in every class room. The computer lab was recently upgraded and there are now science labs. If parents are that unhappy, why would you not put your child in a different school? Why would any parent send their child to a school that they felt was not a healthy place ? Sounds more like a personal issue than an academic one. The children are expected to follow rules. There is work and projects but the children learn which is the purpose of school. All of the eighth grade students were accepted to every high school they applied. That in itself says a lot about the academics. The staff is dedicated. In this day with the amount of Catholic elementary school closings at such a high rate, what the Principal has done at Notre Dame is unprecedented. My child was there pre and post the changes in leadership and although I was very upset at the time I can now see that the Archdiocese made the right decision and had they not the school would have probably been closed by now. If you are looking for a great Catholic school that you do not have to worry about closing, I highly recommend Notre Dame Academy.
--Submitted by a parent