St. Martin De Porres Marianist School

I've personally witnessed the growth & development to this school over the past 7 years. This school is like no other. It focuses on educating the whole child. The faculty supports & encourages students to believe in their faith. The students grow into confident, giving, and intelligent young adults. When walking into the school, the atmosphere is safe, happy and welcoming. You can see a special "spark" in each of the students. Kudos and many thanks to the brothers, teachers, administrators, staff, and volunteers for forming SMMS into what it is today. It is thriving & I wouldn't send my children to any other school! :)
--Submitted by a parent

Hello, I am an attending student here at St. Martin de Porres Marianist (also shortened to SMMS). I have been attending attending the school since Kindergarten and will be going into 8th grade in September. Honestly, if I had to pick the best aspects of the school, it would have to be the animals, teachers, and clubs. The animal atmosphere of the school is just...amazing. I wouldn't trade it for anything. The teachers are amazing and have varying personalities, though many have become great friends and play a big role in my life. The after school clubs are awesome; I've found my passion for the art of Drama through them! If there had to be a problem with the school, honestly - it would be the students out of line and how they're dealt with. Personally, I've had horrible trouble with my teenage peers out of line mainly in middle school. They can be really rude and run a muck at times, thought I believe that appears in other schools too. Though, I'm happy it doesn't go as far as drinking/smoking/etc. Some children love it, some children don't. I can't necessarily guarantee parents their child's happiness, but it's worth a try! :)

There are so many problems with this school; the administrators make all the decisions and the teachers merely do what they are told. It is not possible for parents to have any input since there is no PTA and the school does not want to institute such a program. Students are expected to prepare for and take detailed comprehensive examinations each quarter when the focus should be on the development of skills and mastery of content-area material. Parents should do their homework; take a look at many other private schools prior to enrolling your child in this school.
--Submitted by a teacher

The focus in this school is on religion; a great deal of teaching time is also lost because of spelling bees, geography bees, religion bees, field trips, and monthly mass at church. Many of these students lack the basic skills necessary to help them succeed in their academic subjects; these skills have not been taught and the children are promoted each year. The curriculum is very weak and the school does not adminster the New York State Assessments in Mathematics and English Langage Arts. This school does not compare to top-grade private schools in the area or public schools.

This school lacks efffective leadership; the administrators use a top-down approach and do not communicate with the teachers and other staff members especially when faced with disciplinary problems. There are no consequences for negative behavior including bullying and academic cheating. The academic program in this school is not challenging and consists of worksheets and textbook assignments. There are no computers and the school did away with the library center several years ago. I wonder how they expect students to read from a wide variety of genres?
--Submitted by a teacher

Majority of the teachers are very arrogant.They have thier favorite students who they push to succede and rudely embarras and yell at the other children. They dont discourage others from bullying students. My daughter constantly tells me how the kids in the school are harrassing her,taking stuff out her bag calling her names , and many teachers fail to do anything about it..Many students like my daughter want to leave the school and she will get her oppertunity soon. The headmaster however is quite good, he actually takes time to listen to the students problems and help them out.
--Submitted by a parent

I am an 8th grade student. I have been here since the second grade. I have made many friends here. Most of my friends will be coming to Kellenberg with me. Most of all I will miss my teachers. I have some really great teachers. My music teachers are the best. I have been playing flute since the 3rd grade thanks to SMMS. I am in the GS, Cheerleading, I am a Big Sister for the 1st graders, and I am in Purple and Gold. I love that the older kids at Kellenberg and Chaminade are involved with us. The school is a little hard but it makes me want to do better. I am friends with everyone. Bullying isnt tolerated so everyone is friends. I am going to miss this school. I will come back and help with the after school program like the other Kellenberg kids.

My boys came out of a horrible private catholic school. I informed the administration what happened and they accepted my boys in after meeting with them. The administration kept what happened quiet and to themselves as per my request. The boys found a new home in time. They grew and learned and the healing began. The majority of the teachers expect more of the children and make the children responsible and not the parents. sounds harsh at first but it is amazing that the children do become more responsible. My boys are doing fantastic thanks to the careing that goes on there. It is well worth the checking them out.
--Submitted by a parent

I completely agree with the last 2 parents. The school is horrible. There's a lot of bullying. The administration is arrogant. They don't want to hear your concerns. They try to ride on the coat tails of Chaminade and Kellenberg - yet they don't compare. Don't waste your money.
--Submitted by a parent

Nothing great about this school! These teachers are not teachers, they are simply instructors. Thanks to our tremendous effort our kid could get A's. our kid wants out, and we will make that dream come true! Trust me on this one, nothing great about the school but a good place for babysitting and convenient after school propgram for parents with child care issues.
--Submitted by a parent