Academy of St. Joseph (The)

This is a wonderful school with the unique combination of focus on academics and on character. The school community is like a family, with all of us led by the wonderful Head Mistress, Ms. Coombs. Thank God there was the foresight to create AOSJ. it is so nice to finally have a school which educates our kids but also emphasizes basic human social concepts like civility, compassion and character. We are building future citizen leaders here!
--Submitted by a parent

Both of my children (K and Pre-K) are very happy in this school. The support of the head of the school and her assistant is tremendous. There are several outstanding teachers in this school who made a difference in lives of my children. This school's community feels like a big family, where each child is valued and will not be ever left behind. I highly recommend visiting this school and meeting teachers. Today is the first week of summer break, and my kids are already asking when they are going back to school.
--Submitted by a parent

I cannot believe another year has gone by at AOSJ! Next year looks even better with enrollment nearly doubling! We get bigger and better every year thanks to the hard work of the fabulous teachers and Ms. Coombs! What a truly great community we have built. I look forward to all the new families we have joining us next year. Thanks to everyone who makes this a special place!
--Submitted by a parent

St. Joseph is a really nice school and we are so happy there. Our children like knowing almost all the kids and teachers by name. The families are friendly and definitely care a lot about the school. It is definitely a happy place where you can see the kids are glad to be! We have regular meetings with the teachers and feel like we know exactly how our kids are doing.
--Submitted by a parent

We have a son at St. Joseph's and we couldn't be happier. The class size has worked out very well for him. He has about ten other children in the class. Their are 2 teachers - a lead and her assistant. His teacher is very skilled and really loves her job. That makes a big difference. The school has introduced many new after school activities and already has good teachers in place for music, art, gym etc. Families are nice too. I just noticed the post from Angela which reminded me to mention that she is amazing !
--Submitted by a parent

Greetings, My name is Angela Coombs. I am the Head of School for the Academy of St. Joseph. I welcome you to visit our wonderful school and to contact me with any questions that you may have. My door is always open. I can be reached at 212-243-5420. Welcome!
--Submitted by a teacher

My son's in the K class at St. Joseph's and really loves it. The teachers in the school are amazing, as is the principal. They all really care about each child. The families are also very nice and down to earth. Our son loves playing with his friends and hasn't had any complaints. He really respects both of his teachers and loves art, music and gym. The class is stimulating and enriching and we are really happy there!
--Submitted by a parent

Really a troubled school. The kindergarten class has several kids that seem to be undiagnosed children with severe behavior and anger problems. We have lost a few students becuase of it, and will lose a few more at the end of the year. The headmistress really has a difficult time dealing with these situations. Mid-year, she demoted the kindergarten teacher to an assistant, and brought in a new K teacher, thinking that would help. Nope. One of the most violent of the boys, his parents have donated all kind of things, including a weekly fitness class. The headmistress can definitely be bought. I cannot wait to leave.
--Submitted by a parent

What I find so interesting about this school is there is a group of very happy parents who write a lot of reviews (the head of school and pta memers do, too) but there are many unhappy parents. Most families leave after two years, which says a lot. Only two teachers have stayed at the school for two years, and only one of these has been asked to step down and become an assistant. If you scroll down a bit, you do find reviews that mention some of the issues here. They get bumped back by the happy review writers, but there are very real issues here that should not, for our children's sakes, be ignored.
--Submitted by a parent

Our son is in Kindergarten and my husband and I are very happy with every aspect of this school. The teachers are among the best in the city. Young, motivated and very engaging. The school and its wonderful principal Miss Coombs are holding up to very high standards not only in academics but also in creative and social aspects. The communication between the proncipal, the teachers and the parents is very open and productive. as a parent I feel very much engaged in my son's daily life at school. And our son already made a lot of progress and a lot of friends. It's a small school with a very family oriented and nurturing environment. The location is great too. In the middle of the West Village on a tree lined street. The building is beautifully renovated and immaculate. We are very happy here and are looking forward to the years to come.
--Submitted by a parent