St. Helena School

I Love this school especially the principal he is awesome at St Helena they really do care for your children that being said its not perfect there 2nd grade teacher needs to be replaced ASAP she is a dictator and she berates the children she has no compassion for them its like she there for her paycheck I really wish they would fire her. On another note she the only problem I see with school the other teachers are great!
—Submitted by a parent

St Helena's is a great school academically. They have all the resources Title 1, tutoring and counseling. There definitely needs to be more parent involvement in activities. There are a few problem students. However the teachers are greet, always available for meeting. The afterschool program needs to be revamped, maybe offer tutoring or other academic clubs (Math, Science, Music)
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a dissapointment . Really do not send your kids here.It is way to strict . If you want to see them happy send them somewhere else. They will have enough of it the first week .

So far i am happy with the staff at St. Helena. I would like for them to improve is the way they help the kids in reading and math, my daughter is in 3rd grade and she does received help in math a subject that she is very good at but the reading she is not receiving the extra help and she does need the help.
—Submitted by a parent

To be fair there is always a positive and a negative story. What is important to me is the quality of education my Grandson received and the kind of person that St. Helena helped to develop. Where ever he goes people notice his education. At the present he is attending middle school in Florida and is doing excellent both academically and intellectually. Thanks to the Staff of St. Helena
—Submitted by a parent

i have my son in St. Helenas after removing him from a charter school and since he has been attending he has improved in all areas including his behavior, academically and socially. My wife and I love the school, the teachers and the staff. A gem in the Bronx!
—Submitted by a parent

A great place for a child to learn about schoolwork and about being a good person.

i am a graduate of st.helena's and i loved it it is like a family that you can always go back to

This is my second year at St. Helena. I have two boys in this school. The first year was great. His teachers were excellent and I was able to foster a good working relationship with both. This academic year, well... it is the miss year for one of my children. I call the teacher to discuss my son's progress and never receive return calls. It is becoming frustrating early on and I even question the level of education skill set to properly teach this particular grade. My other son however is having a better experience except for one teacher. Class size wow! Terrible.
—Submitted by Rochelle Pollard-Gregory, a parent

When I call the school I do not recieve a call back from the teacher with regards of my child's behavior.
—Submitted by a parent

all of my four children have attended this school. I am very satisfied with their education and the personal touch that all of the teachers give. the school is safe and the children well behaved.the principal mr. meller is the best. monsignor derivan really cares about the children.
—Submitted by a parent

When Monsignor Mulcahy ran St. Helena Parish years ago, this was a school you could believe in and be proud of. Former principal Angela Deegan made a point of hiring bright, young, talented teachers and class sizes were kept small to ensure that students received as much individual attention as possible. When Father Derivan took over following Monsignor Mulcahy's untimely death, St. Helena became nothing more than a religiously affiliated babysitting service. Father Derivan and his band of lost boys, Rich Meller included, have driven St. Helena into the ground. Father Derivan is concerned about making money, and nothing more. He is willing to sacrifice paying for quality staff and overcrowding classrooms to pay for atrocious religions monuments and other frivolous expenditures.
—Submitted by a student

Well, what can I say about St. Helena that doesn't sound like someone paid me to do it. My son entered this school as someone who could not care less about education. I spoke to his teachers and Father Derivan about his attitude. because let's be real being a black boy in America, his only way out is education. They worked with me and my son and now he has a partial scholarship to All Hollows, and Mt. St. Michael. I know I could not have done this on my own. I now have a son that has made himself and myself very proud of him. I hope that he stays affiliated with St. Helena's. I believe that he will go very far in his long journey through life.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been there for four (4) years. Each year it's different. Either you have a teacher that is pregnant and the kids have to be stuck with a substitute or you end up with a really devoted teacher. Needless to say this past school year my child was in a class that started out with 41 kids. They ended the year with 38 kids. This is a shame to have to pay over $3,600 for tuition with class sizes bigger than the public school system class size. Out of the whole school there are only 3 certified teachers. So again I say this is a shame you pay all this money for half the quality that you are expecting.
—Submitted by a parent

September 2007 will be my son's 2nd year attending this school, he started last September 2006 as a six grader. I truly believe that he has had a great school year experience and he has brought home plenty of passing grades exams. I know for a fact, that I as a proud parent made a great choose when I enrolled my son in this school. The after school program is also really great. If there are parents out there seeking for a good school and a great education, I truly recommend St. Helena School.
—Submitted by a parent

I went to St Helena from grades 1-8 and am now a in my 2nd year of High School.It was the best experience of my life.This is a profound school which faculty that really cares for the children.I myself got a full scholarship to Msgr Scanlan HS in the Bronx, Partial Scholarship to All Hollows HS and scored a 96 on the TACHs Test the Catholic School entrance exam and now attend Choate Rosemary Hall an accomplished private Boarding School all from what I learned in St Helenas.All the teachers are very qualified and the head priest is very strict both with children and parents which warrants alot of these bad reviews. He nows the best way to run the school which includes raising his voice but without father Derivan their would be no difference between St Helena and a public school.It has a vibrant Church affiliation.Email me with questions.
—Submitted by Noel Titus, a former student

My Daughter has been in St Helena for 4 years. She absolutely loves it. She has progressed so much. She had speech therapy for 2 years before going in to school and she was behind most kids her age. She has learned how to read and write beautifully. She does so well with religion and math. She is now t the same level as the rest of the kids her age. I am very happy with St. Helena.
—Submitted by a parent

The classes are overcrowded and my child is not recieving a quality education at this school. I am moving out of the area so my child can get a good education. My child might as well have been in public school. Tuition was a waste of money.
—Submitted by a parent

If you would like your child to go to a school that is small and family oriented, I would strongly suggest St. Helena. My son atteded Pre-k and kindgarten. While his Pre-k experience wasn't that great (issues with teacher), he loves his kindergarten class. I think this school is good because you have a relationship with the staff, but as far as learning I don't see the difference between private and public. My son is not getting an extrodinary education, but he is at the standard level for his age. What I like about other schools, is that they give the children 'cite words', which they have not practiced in this school. I don't think they take the extra mile (like charter schools), but its ok if a small environment is what you are looking towards.
—Submitted by a parent

St Helena maintains a combination of hit and miss teachers. Your child may have a great teacher one year and one with inadequate teaching skills the next.
—Submitted by a parent