St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

My daughter attended SEAS from Pre-K through 8th grade. Welcoming atmosphere, great teachers and infused with the Catholic faith. She is a freshman at Bishop McGuinness and her classmates tell her she is lucky that she is better prepared for high school than they are. My younger son is still at SEAS and loves school. Can't say enough good things about SEAS!!!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent that felt compelled to withdrawal my children from SEAS due to bullying, very dated math tutoring, weak religious education and teachers that would not embrace my children's personal strengths. My daughter personally asked her teacher for more challenging work and I was told that she (the teacher) did not want to stress my daughter out by giving it to her. My daughter also had issues with female classmates pulling down her pants several times-this was attributed to the lack of supervision on the playground. In addition, my son needed a few adjustments made to excel, but I was told that they couldn't make any changes to their current system to help him, because it would've been a distraction to the other students. We were not asking for the moon, I am still frustrated with their reaction. The main lesson I learned from being an involved, volunteering parent... if your child is of average intelligence, can always sit still, does not require any additional help whether it be tutoring or enrichment, this school is for you. However, many kids do not fall into that category, mine did not. I left there with hurt feelings and money wasted.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a student at Saint Elizabeth's, and I think it is a great school. The academics are great and the teachers enforce the Christian virtues that they teach in their religious classes. My future high school teachers have told me that seas is great for preparing us for high school. They do a great job of praising academic success and helping if students are behind. I don't know why anyone would dislike this school. They also have great athletic equipment and facilities. Not all of the staff is fantastic but none of them are horrible. The homework isn't that bad either. The only reason your child would have tons of homework is because he/she is a slow worker or talks during class. They have also started hiring young which is good. I love this school and don't realize why anyone wouldn't.

I am a parent of 2 current students at SEAS and I feel blessed each day I drop them off and pick them up. Our children are receiving a great education (both academically and spiritually). The teachers we have had have gone above and beyond! One of our children has struggled a little bit and his teachers have been on top of it each step of the way. They want our children to be successful ( in all areas of life) just as much as we do. I feel SEAS mirrors the values we have at home. That means everything to us. As for parent involvement, we are both working parents and make time to be at school and volunteer as much as possible. I see much of the same in our classes.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of three current students at SEAS, one being a middle school student. My husband, myself, and our children have been nothing but pleased with the education, support, and Christian values that we have experienced at St. Elizabeth's. Yes there are some high expectations and rules that are expected to be followed, but if children don't have expectations placed at home AND school, something is lacking. When one of our children was struggling academically, SEAS immediately put a plan into place that provided the additional support he needed. We are very involved parents and I definitely believe that we have gotten out of this school what we wanted for our children, but we have also put the effort into developing relationships with our children's educators. I should also mention that I happen to be a special educator for our local public school, and although I do believe that we are fortunate to have great local schools, having a "moment of silence" at the beginning of the day doesn't cut it for us. Our Catholic faith is top priority in our family and I believe that it should also be the top priority of the people with whom my children spend the majority of their day!
--Submitted by a parent

The big picture here is really great. Good kids, good teachers, good leadership, very responsive to "input" (even if I don't always get my way) and a staff that could not be more dedicated to your child. I think the school is providing a solid traditional, Catholic education for it's students and it really pays off big time over the long haul. I read about "customer service" and "christian-like principles" in public schools and I am a bit perplexed. This is a Church, not a Business and the parishioner service is excellent by any measure, they teach Catholic Values, a task that is a bit more involved than what they are doing in public school. There is more than great academics to a Catholic Education. Your children gain wisdom grounded in Catholic Values. They learn about forgiveness, humility, self discipline, charity, faith, and so much more. These values combined with great academics create successful people. If you are willing to apply your Catholic Values as your kids attend this school you will find that you have remarkable young men and women as they walk up to get their diploma at the end of a long journey.
--Submitted by a parent

After 6 years and with much trepidation, we left this school because we felt that something wasnt right, although we couldnt quite put our finger on it. So after 9 weeks at our local public school, seeing how a successful school is operated, we are of the opinion that, not only is this school not great, it may actually be harmful to a child's development. Its pretty sad when a Public School, who is not allowed to mention God's name, does a better job of teach and reinforcing lifeskills such as character and christian-like principles.
--Submitted by a parent

Every school has issues. You will never be able to find a perfect school and this school is not an exception to that. However, I believe that you get out of something what you put into it. All these parents are complaining that the school needs to change, but I see few, on a day-to-day basis, that actually spend time helping to achieve that. Each one complains of his or her own problems and forgets that working together is key to making a difference! What this school community really needs is increased student-teacher-parent-principal interaction! If you don't like the school for whatever reason, don't just post a review on a blog and sit back and feel better about yourself because you believe you've done some good. To really achieve improvement, we need to come together as a community and discuss/ work out the complaints put forth in these reviews. I'm ready to make a difference!! The question is, how many of these unhappy parents, as well as those who are satisfied, will join me?
--Submitted by a parent

My son was told to get a haircut. Ok I will follow the rules. Why doesn t staff follow the rules? There is a staff member whose hair is longer than my son s. Several staff break dress code everyday. What example does this set for our kids? Have an issue? It is a waste of time to go to a teacher or aide. The aide will tell you to talk to the teacher, the teacher will tell you to talk to the principal. The principal will ask, did you talk to the teacher? ! Staff looks scared and must be sworn to secrecy. Nothing happens or changes! Disorganization (seen carpool), no leadership or accountability (depending upon your teacher, the rules and expectations can be totally different than the other class), lack of professionalism (teachers complain and seem worn out), defensiveness, and frustration (can someone please tell me how you get a low grade in Library?) At my job, everyone has annual reviews. You are told what your strengths are and what you can improve upon to make the company better. I am also asked to give my suggestions. I wanted a Catholic education for my child, but this won t be it. This school is in desperate need of a thorough make-over.
--Submitted by a parent

I am not a Parent and I am not a "FORMER" student. I am a student now at SEAS and I have been reading some of these comments. I know my school rules can be dumb sometimes but everything else is pretty good. There is some work needed with only one person.(if you have been to my school you know who it is.) The academics program is amazing. I know that when I go to high school i will be prepared for any work it decides to throw at me. The 6th grade Literature teacher has your child do a Shakespeare play and she is the only 6th grade teacher in the entire state of Oklahoma! This school is worth the tuition!