St. Martin De Porres Marianist School

St. Martin de Porres Marianist School has completed our 8th year as a Marianist School. The teachers and students work very hard. The Marianist Cmmunity has created an atmosphere where virtue will flourish! Academically speaking our students are growing beautifully. 15 out of 52 8th graders received academic scholarships to attend Catholic High Schools. Our students are very cooperative and love coming to school. Our alumni BBQ enjoyed over 120 returning graduates. I find it a great joy to watch our boys and girls become fine young men and women. A tremendous amount of work is completed over the summer breaks. This work is completed by our religious brothers, teachers, students and graduates. This summer a green house was constructed by teachers and graduates. A great experience for all. The gym was transformed into the Sacred Heart Commons. Two 8 foot by 5 foot mosaics were created by our Art Teaher. These masterpieces are hung on the wall of the Sacred Heart Commons. Please come and see the good work at SMMS.
—Submitted by a teacher

There are three sides to every comment, the writer's, the reader's, then there is the truth. I feel that SMMS is a wonderful school. It is gratifying to know that the school develops the child and provides a foundation made up of strong Academics, Service, and Spirit. Sure, as a parent I have had one or two personal issues involving conflict with other students, but keeping silent doesn't help the situation. The teachers and administrators make themselves available and are willing to assist. SMMS is a much better alternative than most public schools.As a parent, if you can stretch you finances, elect SMMS...and see how the results speak for themselves in comparison to what the public sector is overcharging the public !!!! ....SMMS is the BEST :-)....Whereas, the PUBLIC schools cant fix up their MESS :-(
—Submitted by a parent

Our family just completed the first year with SMMS community. The classroom experience was exceptional. The teacher had excellent communication skills and was phenomenal with the class. With that, said, the adminstration was lacking a great deal. Without a parent association, the adminstration was condescending and dismissive. The head adminstrator does not seem to possess the authority to make decisions regarding simple situations which arise. I personally have experienced his lack of effective commucnication skills. This school has recieved a lot of favorable press. It is being touted as an alternative for communities that are educationally under served, however academically it is far less competitve than the other catholic schools within 10 mile radius. Personally as a parent, actively involved in all aspects of my child's education , I feel that this adminstration feels that they do not have to answer to the minority/Majority parental concerns. For my child to continue with this school and for me to recommend the school the adminstrative policy to disuade parental involvement will have to change.
—Submitted by a parent

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

Please really do your HW on this one! It horrible school. I don't know what the other parents are basing their opinions on but I am a highly educated professor and snatched my child out of there in less than 3 months. The academics are very low and the office personnel are demeaning to students. The only reason to send kid is if they have no chance to get into a good Catholic High School because they are guaranteed entry into Kellenberg or Chaminade (which most boys that attend SMMS are not eligible to enter based on grades).
—Submitted by a parent

Wondeful school. The academics in the older grades are simply superior. The school and it's faculty encourage every child to soar. It is a true Christian school where faith and ethics are essential
—Submitted by a parent

I like the school. Like any other schools there are problems aswell but the excellent staff and teachers always hav it under control. Not to mention the encouragement in which the teachers give us students. SMMS is a school where C.O.R.( civility, order,& respect) is shown . There is alot a homework I can't lie about that but it just shows that when we graduate we are able to give speeches on how hard we really worked. We also come out to tell that our teachers really care about us. We soon grow to feel compasion for our teachers; we realize this when we leave the school and find ourselves crying because we leave our friends but most importantly we cry for all those wonderfull teachers we leave behind
—Submitted by a student

This is the second catholic school my daughter attended. It is mediocre at best. There is nothing challenging about the curriculum. My daughter gets all A's too easily. Unfortunately, you have to pay more to get high quality education.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a child in the middle school. I beleive this school has great potential. I think the teachers associate themselves with the wonderful reputation of Kellenberg and should concentrate more on developing one of their own. The academics are well structured but there are no computers!!! The school could and would greatly benifit of having a PTA, which they do not beleive in or want. I am not happy with the school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school needs improvement from a concerned parent
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school! Extremely structured! Wonderful teachers and great clubs! This is our first year here and love everything about it!
—Submitted by a parent