Villa Maria Academy-Elementary School

It is very disheartening to read some of the comments on this site. I disagree completly with the negative comments. My child is not in any honors classes and I feel he/she is treated fairly and is getting a very good education. I find some parents do nothing but complain and when their child does poorly quickly blames the teacher. My child works very hard for his/her grades and is always commended for their effort.

Do not believe anyone at this school! Stay away! They have moved the tuition to an outside fee company which we are responsible to pay, not the school us the parent's. A fee to pay our tuition on top of the privilege of us having to teach our own kids as they are sure not learning anything here. They want us all to register but are not giving us the tuition for next year and if it is not sent in by 3/31 we will be charged a late fee but they will not give us the tuition. How is someone suppose to buy something and not know what they will be paying. This is crazy. Go to one of the other neighborhood schools, maybe your child will learn something
—Submitted by a parent

I am a current Villa parent and am very proud of the progress my son has made. He has been at the Villa since pre-k and we are very happy with the school. The teachers are very caring and concerned about their students well-being. My son has made friends and participates in sports and other afterschool activities. I would not go anywhere else!
—Submitted by a parent

As a graduate of Villa Maria Academy, I can truly say that I am disgusted with those of you who harshly judged my school on an internet site. I graduated in 2012 and will continue to sing it's praises. I am horrified that a teacher would post a nasty review like that. Also, even though I am Hispanic I was never singled out. In fact I was an Honors student and even without the Regents I was able to get into the high school that I wanted with a scholarship. I can honestly say that I made amazing friends while I was there and will continue to thank the teachers that worked to teach us and help us prepare for the years to come.

Hello fellow parents, I was a recent graduate of the class of 2012 and I must say if you are thinking of sending your child here dont do it especially if your child is a minority such as black or Hispanic. I say this because I was a minority at villa I am Spanish and dark skinned and I was always singled out by the parents because of this. Regardless of race the parents are nasty and cliche. If your not married and a single mom your the talk of the town. The teachers are gossipy and will insult your child if they feel like but this only goes for the younger grades. Music class is a joke you don't learn anything except for singing songs. And another thing from 4th to 8th grade they only push the honor students to do well if your not in honors forget it your tossed aside and ignored. The honor students are the pride of the school not the"average kids". Yes this school does have regents but guess what the only one they have is the only one which is the math regents and guess again who are the ONLY students who get to take them, yep the honor students. There is a bunch of unfairness in the school even parents are bullied by other parents it's disgusting

I agree with the last poster. Opinions of schools are subjective. What might be good for me, won't be good for you. THis is like a trip advisor for schools, the comments must be given some thought, then you make a decision. My child left the Villa mid school year and started a new school in the Bronx. The turnaround has been nothing short of amazing. Better grades, better focus, better attitude. Does that make it better then the Villa? Not sure! but the facts are the facts. If you are happy at the Villa, God bless!
—Submitted by a parent

As I read the comments posted I felt i needed to respond. I believe there is such a variation in comments because it depends what grade your child is in. I agree with the comment about the current 5th grade class. There is so much going on that it also sickens me. Nothing is being done by administration. However you may not find the bullying in some of the other grade levels. We will also not be returning next year.. Congrats to the science fair winners.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been associated with the Villa for quite some time and I can honestly say that it was an excellent choice of schools. The faculty and administration of the school put academics first, but do not forget about educating the whole child. By the way, congratulations on receiving two first prizes at the regional science fair!
—Submitted by a parent

As the parent of 2 current VMA students, I am extremely pleased with the quality of education my children are receiving. The Junior High curriculum is excellent, with Math and Social Studies programs that have exceeded my expectations. I am equally as happy with the programs in the lower grades. VMA was my first and only choice when I was contemplating my children's educational futures and if I had to do it again I wouldn't change a thing.
—Submitted by a parent

Villa Maria Academy is an excellent school. I am a proud graduate of the Villa. The teachers at Villa are extremely dedicated, compassionate, and intelligent. Villa has been like a second home to me. I will definetely send my children to VMA in the future.

I can honestly say that there is no other school like the Villa in the Bronx. Having a child who graduated from the Villa and one still currently in the school, I can say with no hesitation that my child was well prepared for high school. I have the great faculty at the Villa to thank.
—Submitted by a parent

It has been revealed that 100% of 8th grade students received a 3 or 4 on their Math state exams. That is a 100% success rate. Good work Villa - I am so glad to spread the good news.
—Submitted by a parent

I personally had a great experience at the Villa. With the exception of one of the math teachers (who is very old and should have retired years ago), every teacher made an effort to teach well. I am now a second honor High School student. I believe that I was better prepared than most of the other high school students. My brother attends the Villa and he is doing better than I ever did, truthfully its because he loves reading. My mother is a teacher who says that every school has its problems. Aside from a few teachers, the money my parents paid for my education is paying off. I would recommend this school. I just hope that the infamous math teacher retires (sorry), it will help lots of people feel like they're getting their money's worth. My best friends who also attended the Villa are also doing well and we all did decent on the SATs.

Took my child out! School used to have a great reputation; however, this is not the case anymore! The school has poor administrators running the school. The principal basically allows teachers to get away with doing whatever they want. The teachers who are also parents of the school have their own agenda. I agree with the other posting about Catholic values. The school is supposed be run by the nuns; however they do not enforce what they practice. What a shame! People think they are getting a better education because it has a campus overlooking the water! Keep your water, my child's education is what matters and not the favoritism that is shown at the Villa Maria!!
—Submitted by a parent

Extremely glad that my child is out of the Villa Maria Academy. The school is extremely over rated. Do not spend the extra money on this school. Just because it has a beautiful campus, doesn't mean you get a better education. Teachers are not first class and are extremely biased towards their favorite. If you have a child that can basically learn on their own, then the Villa is for you. If not, do not send your child there. They claim to be a Catholic-based organization, however Catholic values are not enforced at this school. Poor administration and teachers who only care about their favorites.
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately, Villa is no longer what it used to be. I agree with the parent that said there are some administrators who have overstayed their welcome and most definitely there is no leadership from administration instead the leaders are clicky parents and teachers who have their own agenda! There are alot of great people, teachers and family who are still there but there is too much politics and whose who and who has what... I finally took my son out and feel so relieved and much happier that I don't have to return there in Septmember. School should be ALL about the kids and Villa is not that!
—Submitted by a parent

Thank god the school year is at the end. I regret sending my child to this school. I did so in thinking being new to the area that it would be convenient to have my child go to an area school. WELL, I was wrong, Some parents, (not all, some parents were very pleasant) apparently have nothing else to do but complain all the time without taking any action against the school itself. I had to approach my child's teacher THREE TIMES during the school year to fully explain the assignment. Trust me, I hold two masters therefore, I think I'm intelligent enough to understand the curriculum at VMA. I'm just not convinced that the teacher fully understands what she is teaching, I personally have first hand knowledge of other parents sharing my same concerns. This leaves me with the administrators at VMA, they lack leadership, knowledge, awareness. I feel that maybe some have overstayed their welcome as administrators. I admit that the tuition is high but I am willing to pay for a QUALITY education. At VMA, you will not get such. As a parent, I can not support nor recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an alumni of VMA, who got my education from Pre-k through 8th grade. I was a student during the fire and so on and I never at one moment wanted to leave. This school goes beyond education and creates a community within a classroom. I am now in college with most of my friends I made through the years at VMA and I am extremely blessed to have spent 10 years at VMA. The academics are what you make of them. The teachers may come off easy but if you do your work, you will succeed. This is the same in any educational environment. The Villa made me well-rounded and gave me values I still cherish and practice today.

Finally, without a doubt in my mind, I can honestly say that my 2 Villa honor students, who I transferred to St. Benedict School this year...are finally happy and feeling challenged. Moreover, the professionalism from staff towards parents is something that I was truly grateful to experience. It was a smart move both for my children and me. I, for the first time in years, feel that I can drop my children off at school and not worry about them for the entire day.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is embarrassingly overrated and over priced with teachers who are burnt out and do not teach! Many students need tutors and are not prepared for high school. Yes, looks lovely from outside, but the sad truth they have a beautiful science lab that is rarely used, they play games in computer instead of learning terminology and application and programs necessary for high school! The teachers, staff and parents here all seem miserable and a very unchristian atmosphere of hating, gossip and jealousy abound! The school is great until you get to the third grade...then it goes downhill. Many of the teachers are not certified teachers and are just there since they know someone and they totally do not care about students or parents...we are the 'wailing wall' and never try to understand, listen or fix any problem. Students are leaving left and right!
—Submitted by a parent