St. Louis Elementary School

I was a student at St. Louis for nine years and I had an amazing time at this school. It was very easy to get involved and participate. I still have all of my friends that I went here with and they are now more like brothers and sisters to me. I think this is why "outsiders" think the parents are so snobby. This school creates amazing bonds between the people that you grew up with and you fall in love with the school and send your children there. Many of the parents went to school together and are already friends from St. Louis or SAA or CBHS. They are not snobby, they just know the "insider" parents very well. To all you parents complaining about this problem, why would you pull your child out of an amazing school because you are having problems becoming friends with other moms? Sounds selfish to me. Try to get more involved because your child will always look back at this time as an amazing experience that helped shaped them to become the person that they will be become.

St. Louis is a very good school, with a strong curriculum, strong teachers who work hard to give your child a wonderful academic experience. I have been a parent there for nine years, and I still marvel at this gift of a school we have in East Memphis. Is it perfect? Of course not, no school is. But our principal greatly desires to make it the best school it can possibly be. I am not from Memphis, and I did not go to St. Louis myself, and yet, I have never stuggled to make friends, to find opportunites to be involved, to feel that I am part of a community. Our principal and vice principal have an open-door policy. I know, I've used it. They listen, they care. They tell parents to call them at school if their child is having a bad day, and they will make a point to check in on that child during the day. That's the kind of people we have running our school and caring for our children. I also love that the Catholic faith is first and foremost at school. We are proud to be Catholic and it is taught every day, in every way. If you are interested in finding a great school for your child, go visit St. Louis Catholic School.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student at this school for nine years and did not enjoy it. I liked it up until the point when the new principal came. She changed everything and I feel like St. Louis lost it's originality and tradition. All the past and unforgettable teachers were either fired or retired and it made the school not feel so much like home. The kids are annoying and mean to new-comers. Also, new parents are not very welcomed unless they have deep roots within the school. Don't send your kid here. Go to Holy Rosary.

I agree with the other reviews. If you or your spouse is an alumni of St. Louis then you are good to go. The parents are extremely close minded when it comes to outsiders. And if you are not planning on sending your child to SAA/CBHS, well then you are an outsider. There is a good old boys network when it comes to sports. The emphasis placed on athletics is huge when it comes to the boys and it can be about who you know rather than how good your child is in the sport. The class sizes are also very large. Upwards of 27/28 per class. That being said, I love the new principal. I think she is trying to change things, but I am unsure she knows how political the school can be. When a good percentage of parents work at the school or are extremely involved, there is a bias that occurs.
—Submitted by a parent

If you live near the school. Just go to White Station. The children are meaner than average there and the parents are horrid! I pulled my child out this year.
—Submitted by a parent

My husband is starting dental school in the fall and we are relocating to Memphis. What is the best catholic elementary school that has a lot to offer?
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at St. Louis School and we are so happy! We switched from another Memphis Private School due to our decision of future education at CBHS/St. Agnes. There are more oppurtunites to volunteer at St. Louis as well as attend socials to get to know the other families. We have ALL (parents and children) made new and wonderful friendships! My children are growing intellectually as well as spiritually. They began the year a little behind so St. Louis for sure has a strong curriculum. The teachers did an awesome job catching them up and keeping us informed of what they needed to work on. I'm happy to say they had all A's, B's, E's, and G's!
—Submitted by a parent

St. Louis School offers a challenging academic curriculum that prepares students for high school and beyond. The principal and teachers are warm, caring, and energetic. They not only strive for the highest academic standards but also are dedicated to the spiritual growth of students. The parents are involved in school activities and provide endless volunteer hours to help improve the school. I highly recommend St. Louis School.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a volunteer and involved in every thing and I still am looked down upon by "the core clique" of moms. It is quite frustrating. On a positive note, I do enjoy the masses there.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an SLS alumni as well as a parent to two children, one who graduated last year and one who is currently a student there. I love all the changes being made and have strong faith that our school is going in the right direction. I believe in our church, school, and leaders. I disagree with the negative comments regarding parents not being inviting, I feel there have been many efforts made to involve new parents (ice cream socials, monthly meetings, Cardinal Connect, etc.), yet it is always the same parents at every meeting and volunteering at every event. Those who are critical of the attitudes of parents are the very ones who never volunteer, you have to put yourself out there and become involved. The Home ans School and Men's Club is always looking for help and it frustrates me to hear people refer to parents as snobby or not nice. Try volunteering and geting to know the parents before making negative judgements about them.
—Submitted by a parent

We are both parishoners and parents, yet neither my wife or I are cradle Catholics, or had prior connections to the school. That being said, we could not be happier with the decision we made to send our children here. Most importantly, both of my children are happy and have made wonderful, lasting friendships. The teachers have been, for the most part, proactive with both of our boys and are genuinely concerned for their well-being. Athletically, the school offers opportunity for children of all abilities and the coaching dads have been good mentors and examples to my boys. As for the pretentiousness, this is East Memphis and East Memphis, no matter the private school, will have some degree of snobbery; and while that may be the example for some, we've managed to find a home in this parish and could not be happier. St. Louis might not be for everyone, but for Catholics looking for a functioning parish school with extensive parental involvement & pride, then this would be a good fit.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has attended this school for several years and he/she continues to excel academically and socially. However, I will say he/ she is the type of child who would excel no matter what school he/she attended, some children are just that way. I wanted to point this out because I am trying to give an honest parental review for the school. I am not ready to give all the glory to St. Louis at this time. It is true there is an excellent sports program there and they do a better than average job of getting all students "on board". The 2010-2011 school year also brought an excellent new music teacher, however the new principal needs to work on her social skills; she is not a warm person. The biggest downside for me from a parental perspective, is that I would totally agree with some of the other reviews in that a large number of the parents are down right rude, bordering on ostracizing newcomers or outsiders if they are not from their church. For moms, if I had to compare it to something, it reminds me of high school or the movie "Mean Girls". Many of the parents are snobs and it is funny because they have no apparent financial or educational reasons to back that attitude.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has the best of everything, teachers, school staff, volunteers, children, parents, technology, and an overly active Men's Club within the Church who does a ton of Fund Raising activities which in turn help keep costs down for the school as a whole including the families. This year brought many changes to the school which included a new Principal, several new teachers, and a plethera of new ideas and opportunities. I think we were all a bit hesitant to change thigs but I think it has all worked out beautifully and has enriched and challenged our kids in ways that we had never dreamed of. My daughter has been much more challenged this year and surprise surprise, she has excelled! We are so sad that our time at this school is coming to a close with Graduation right around the corner but I'm sure that my Daughter will always look back on her years at SLS fondly and remember these years as the best years of her childhood! Go Cardinals!
—Submitted by a parent

You will either love it or hate it. If your family has deep ties to the school that run a couple of generations, then read no further and enroll your child!! If you are new to Memphis area or are considering transferring your child to Saint Louis from another school, then please consider that this may not be the school for you. I would definitely agree with a previous post of the Saint Louis community not being very freindly to "outsiders". After three years there we --gasp--made the switch to public school and are quite satisfied both academically and socially.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been very pleased with the new principal and teachers. They are energetic and are devoted to high standards not only in academics but also in our children's spiritual growth. We are new to the parish and school. The families we have met have been very welcoming and my children have made friends quickly. The pastor has been very supportive and is very active in building a stronger relationship between the church and school. I highly recommend St Louis to anyone who is looking for a strong spiritual community and an outstanding academic environment.
—Submitted by a parent

I have always loved St. Louis, now I love it even more. Our new principal has brought in tangible improvements and there is a new energy among the teachers. My children are happy to go to school, and yes they are challenged academically. There is opportunity for everyone. The word that comes to mind most is "community." We have an outstanding church, pastor, principal, teachers and families that cares for each other in all kinds of ways. I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful community.
—Submitted by a parent

The school and church preach catholic values which are not followed by the majority of the parents . . . The parents are not friendly at all to new families, and their children are equally mean and narrow minded. The school is really inbred. If you want a school with a bunch of self centered parents whose children are over indulged, then come here. Oh, they have a good sports team--hopefully your child will be able to navigate the politics and get to play. . . . . .
—Submitted by a parent

St. Louis is a fantastic Catholic School, led by a great new principal, and a wonderful caring pastor. With the addition of new technology, laptops for teachers and students, and projectors in the classroom St. Louis stays at the forefront as a leader in elementary education in Memphis. The families and their involvement create a excellent environment for children. We could not be happier with it as a school and foundation for our children.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful catholic environment coupled with outstanding leadership by our new principal, Teddi Niedzwiedz, and Monsignor McArthur. Mary Sellers is a great new addition to our Music program, as well as, Jenna Jauchler, in Spanish. Strong Christian values, wonderful parish school with active parent involvement and lots of new technology to encourage a better classroom experience for my children. I am quite happy with the staff and my children are challenged and have done quite well in school.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school with a great Catholic environment. Wonderful group of families that are very involved with many aspects of the school and church.
—Submitted by a parent