Our Lady of Sorrows School

My son is only 19 months old and attends the Nursery at OLS. I walk through the school grounds everyday when I take him to the nursery. I notice that the teachers, staff, and parents are very friendly, student safety is taken seriously, there are a wealth of after school activities, excellent racial diversity--important because in our lifetime we'll see the kind of racial diversity in the country that you can see at OLS. Once, I even saw the local fire department give the kindergarten class a tour of the fire truck--so cute! One thing I'd ask about is teacher/student ratio. The classes seem a bit large.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are very active with the students, and care about what is happening. As a result the school has increased enrollment. I have been thrilled with my son's progress and love of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two children at OLS; it's the first year for our son and the third year for our daughter, and both have thrived there. The academics seem to be good, but what really impresses is the wide range of sports and other extracurricular activities that are offered - even to the youngest students.
—Submitted by a parent

my son has been a student at Our Lady of Sorrows for 4 years - I have the most extreme respect for the teachers at the school.
—Submitted by a parent

There are a lot of changes taking place at OLS. Enrollment is down. Alot of classes are being condensed.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's first year at OLS and it has been a great experience so far. He has been at another school and I was very displeased with the curriculum. OLS offers a challenging curriculm which is what I was looking for. I disagree with the October 2004 comment. I do have a son that is a 'minority' and he hasn't had any problems. He loves the school and I have only received positive feedback of his behavior. As for the principal, there is a new one this year and she is trying to make improvements. Give her time and I'm sure she will get everything in order.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm a student at this school. I think that this is a pretty good school. I have been to another Catholic school before and it did not compare to this school. Our Lady of Sorrows School, has many sports events, religious events, and both teachers and parents are able to participate in this school. We now have a new principal and she is very involved in this school. She is adding many things like morning assemblies. And, she is always watching us students, which is what a good principal does. We are very lucky to have her as our principal. Just to let you know, I'm in 7th grade.
—Submitted by a student

I definately believe that this school is good in terms of curriculum and providing excellerated learning. However, the teachers run the school not the principal. All the teachers have been there at least 20 years. This means there are some unspoken ideas regarding children of various ethnicities, and dubious treatment of them. It seems as though there is a longing for the old days when S. Orange was not as diverse. If you are a person of color, you will need to be on top of things constantly, especially if you have a boy child! You will probably be told that your child needs some type of evaluation, monitoring, or special services simple because they have a different temperment or learning style. Why? The teachers here are older, set in their ways -- there's no room for change. Find another school if possible.
—Submitted by a parent

As a student I was scolded and told I was a prostitute because I wore nail polish. At least two teachers were fired for hitting children, one of them making racist remarks. Some teachers appear to have problems with aggression.
—Submitted by a former student