Our Lady of the Lake School

Wow! The negative reviews here are shocking. We relocated from California over the summer and OLL is the best thing about our relocation. Our two children are so happy and safe here. This school does a wonderful job of providing a caring environment where children are free from social fears and motivated to learn and grow. The education is excellent. I am not sure I really like Oregon, but with two other young children yet to enter OLL I am not moving again. It is difficult expecting my fourth child far from home and family in a new place. The parent community support that I am offered is tremendous. We are truly thriving in this dreary weather town as a family because of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a child at OLL school. I really battled between private Catholic education (as I experienced although my husband is not Catholic) and the fact that I purposely moved to a "good" school district. I did a lot of research and questioned everyone I could from both public and private. I found that people who had graduated from OLL and moved to both public and private were extremely happy with the transition. Most who I spoke to said their children were extremely well prepared and most placed in advanced classes. I was scared away by kids having "issues" on the public school bus and the lack of oversight and discipline in public schools. Also impactful were the budget cuts to both phys ed and art programs. Now that we are here we would not change our decision. I appreciate the lack of classroom distraction(thank you discipline!), that my child feels safe and happy at school, that the children get plenty of exercise (both body and brain), that the children are taught morals, values and respect (along with math, reading, science, social studies, music, art, etc!) This education is a financial sacrifice for our family, but to provide a strong foundation we are willing!
—Submitted by a parent

We've had three children attend and are very pleased witl OLL. Our oldest ended up going to the public high school and has been able to go right into all of the adv placement courses and seems to be well ahead of classmates from LOJ.
—Submitted by a parent

We've had our three children attend OLL and finally chose to take our last child out. Sending her to the local public school was the best decision we've made. It was a huge wake up call to find out that the teachers & curriculum in the public schools were equivalent or better. I agree with others who say that by middle school, OLL is weak. The teachers are beyond tenured, they're above any criticism whatsoever. If you have an issue with the school, it falls on deaf ears (Principal and Vice). There's entirely too much favoritism. There is little opportunity for a very bright child; ours were simply not challenged after sixth grade. The school/parent community and parish community are very different. The hypocracy in the school is noteworthy. While they boast about "faith based education," it's just a catchy phrase. Just because they teach religion doesn't mean they practice it. A few teachers are downright mean. We've been dissappointed that they teach to excel on standardized tests, but care little about teaching & demonstrating character. Instead of inspiring the students to love learning, they stress grades excessively. Your children will be stressed, that must we assure you.
—Submitted by a parent

I rate OLL as a solid 3 star, which is really dissappointing, given it's private school tuition faith based school. There is nothing stellar or unique about OLL, except they do indeed teach by intimidation and shame. Detentions are every Monday afternoon, and a time-out "bench on shame." There is also the "silent lunch detention" table and everyone knows why the child is there and it is humiliating. Much of the homework is busy work, but a great deal of it is expected to be done by the parents. There are many costumes to be sewn, poster board type projects that are obviously done by parents with professional oversize printers. Of course the teachers realize the homework and most projects fall heavily on the parents, but parents are intimidated also. When you have other children, it's difficult because you don't want to make it more difficult for them. Favoritism runs rampant.
—Submitted by a parent

If you are looking for a faith-based school, filled with dedicated and devoted teachers and a supportive community, look no further. Our Lady of the Lake School prepares students for a life ... a life filled with faith, knowledge and an appreciate of the community in which he/she lives. Students leave this school as citizens of the world, with an eye towards service and compassion. We are truly blessed to have this fine school in our neighborhood. Of recent days, the school has won many awards for being a top-tiered school in Oregon! Visit the school yourself and see the difference ...
—Submitted by a parent

At the elementary level, this school is unequaled. You and your child will be very happy. There are serious issues at the 6h, 7th, and 8th grade level, however. Several of the teachers have become spoiled and complacent. They are unwilling to make an effort to reach out or understand any child that poses a challenge, possesses any individuality, or is not their favored select few. They use intimidation and humiliation as teaching tools. Students become afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, or speak up in the classroom for fear of humiliation and become unwilling to talk to parents for fear of retaliation. These teachers have forgotten the true meaning of being great educators. Spending time working in a different environment may help them to better appreciate the wonderful student body and parent community at OLL. Parent-Teacher communication is poor, the homework load is excessive, and although your child may receive a good education in some areas, it comes at the expense of their happiness and self-confidence.
—Submitted by a parent

We are so pleased that our children have been able to attend a school that is faith-based and community driven. Both our kids have been given a stellar academic education as well as a safe and caring environment to grow up in. No school is perfect and there are always ways to improve but, overall, we have nothing but positive comments about our experience at OLL. There was one weak teacher who taught my older child for one year but that teacher is now gone. All other teachers have been stellar educators and loving examples of the Catholic faith for our children. They have grown up feeling a connection with their classmates and with the school community at large. The older child was well prepared for high school and the younger (7th grader) is thriving at the junior high level. Opportunities for parents to be involved have been numerous also.
—Submitted by a parent

I could not disagree more with the comments posted September 15, 2009 and March 19, 2010! I am a parent and can say, unequivocally, that parents DO have a say in this school; the teaching staff IS stellar; and the principal and vice principal do MANY things! Is any school perfect? No. Can improvements be made? Absolutely. For me the bottom line is this. . . Are my kids getting a Catholic faith-based education? Yes. Is the school community a caring and supportive environment? Yes. Will my child be prepared for a college preparatory high school? I believe so.
—Submitted by a parent

I have read the previous reviews of OLL, and can agree with some of the comments, but not all. I think the potential for the school to be the best in LO is real, we have had many obstacles with our leadership and I see that changing very soon. Keep in mind, this is a Catholic school and not just a private school. You have to ask yourself how important you think it is to infuse your beliefs and values within the education and formation of your child? Some parents have had unrealistic expectations and been disappointed. But , at the same time, there have been areas that could use bolstering. Because OLL is private, we have to raise enough money to support everything that goes on there. we have been hit financially and programs have suffered, but I am sure this is similar in a public school too.
—Submitted by a parent

The lack of leadership by the principle and VP is the main problem with this school. Teachers don't have the direction or drive to do much to improve things. Not a very happy place for kids to be. Detentions and too much homework are what the kids see. Parents are good but don't seem able or commited enough to make the changes needed to improve the school.
—Submitted by a parent

We were quite nervous about moving our child to OLL as it represented school #3 in a short period of two years. We made this tough decision because of our religious values and we have not been disappointed. Our daughter s teacher and her fellow classmates have been very supportive and kind. We feel quite blessed to be part of this amazing family
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended OLL from kindergarten throuugh 8th grade. What a mistake that was. The parents have no say in what happens at the school and the principal and vice principal don't do anything. The math departmant as well as the history and english departments are lacking. Expect at least 2 hours of homework, and expect 1.5 hours of that time to be busy work. The diciplinary program at OLL does not work. nor affect the students in any way. The only, and I mean only thing that my daughter was prepared for in high school was science. The science teacher makes science fun and interesting to the kids. Overall, this school makes students do lots of busy work, does not provide accomidations for students with learning disabilities, and (for the most part) a terrible teaching staff. I highly reccomend not sending your child to this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teaching staff and administrative staff are excellent. The parent community is very cohesive and provides an abundant support to the students and the school. We have three children attending currently. We have two older childrent who attended very good public schools but the education from Our Lady of the Lake is far superior. Add the aspect of a faith based education and its a home run.
—Submitted by a parent

The education is what you'd expect out of a parochial school. Expect nearly two-plus hours of homework from your child from 4th-grade and above. The faculty and staff are sub-par when dealing with students with behavioral/emotional issues. They simply lack the resources and know-how to help. Was new to the school when our student arrived in the 3rd-grade and found it hard to break into the clique of other parents. This school community has a lot of money, and it can be hard to keep up with the Joneses. Proceed with caution.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Oregon from the East Coast and my child started at OLL as a seventh grader. She is there now and has had a wonderful experience! What a warm and caring community of teachers, administrators, and parents. Plus the students, despite the fact that many had been together since kindergarten, were open to newcomers and very friendly. I went to parochial school myself (in Virginia) and my older children attended parochial school (in Maryland), and I would compare OLL very favorably. I was sorry to read the few negative reviews because they do not reflect our experience at our Lady of the Lake! We feel very blessed to have found such a great school!
—Submitted by Beth McQ, a parent

Thuis is an exellent school. I am currently attending this school as a seventh grader. I highly recomend sending your child here, especially an older student. The teachers are strict but fair. You work hard but you play hard. Our Lady of the Lake highly prepares you for highschool. The teachers are wonderfull, understanding, and full of enthusiasm. This is the best education I have ever had, and this is the best you can get. signed ~Haley~
—Submitted by haley, a student

My child went to Our Lady of the Lake and never came home with a smile. She always came home complaining about how the teachers were clueless about what they were teaching. I recommened that you do not have your child attend Our Lady of the Lake for the same reasons. My child's experience with this school was miserable. It's hard to see your child go through school with never seeing that beatiful smile.
—Submitted by Mary Martin, a parent

We have hardly anything good to say about our experience at OLL, and we are saying nothing good about OLL to anyone and everyone who will listen. God help the child who is either very bright or very challenged because Our Lady of the Lake s faculty and administration are totally incapable of dealing with them. We hope that things change some day at Our Lady of the Lake, but doubt there is much of a chance with the current faculty and administration.
—Submitted by Debra and Patrick Walsh, a parent

If you are looking into this school for an older child, I strongly advise you avoid it. I went here and changing to public school was the best thing I ever did, for my education and my happiness. My brother suffered so much in his last two years at OLL. Although all grades do have strong academics, the students' quality of life at this school leaves something to be desired. The kids are never required to think for themselves or have opinions that differ from their teachers, and it's certainly not encouraged. Please proceed with caution.
—Submitted by Helen Claire Dziuba, a former student