St. Anne's-Belfield School

Having had one child complete Middle School at STAB and one halfway through, I feel I can comment on the quality of education received by my children at STAB during the past 5 years. We are extremely pleased with the curriculum and the quality of the teachers at the Middle School. They are bright, caring, enthusiastic and have taught my children how to think critically and outside the box. Coming from the Albemarle County public school system, we were very disappointed with enormous class size, overworked/unenthusiastic teachers (certainly not all but many) , lack of foreign language and arts options and particularly, the SOL-based curriculum that emphasizes rote memorization and allows little room for creativity. In contrast, we have been thrilled with all aspects of STAB. The student body is quite diverse and socially, my children have thrived and have many friends of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. It is a place where you can take two languages in middle school, be a jock AND an artist, musician or thespian. And no, we are not rich or connected. We value our children's education more than anything and feel this is the best option despite the hefty price tag.
--Submitted by a parent

Sadly, the car analogy and many other analogies already set forth are on point. The curriculum needs a major overhaul. There is an effort underway to further educate present faculty, but the understanding of what it takes to make a great school is just off the mark. The biggest problem is frankly that that a few parents influence and control much of what goes on; and, the school administration operates in fear of offending/angering these parents. Student discipline is lacking; and, the resulting social atmosphere is toxic. Though the facilities are great, more energy needs to go into understanding and supporting students and promoting independent thought and responsibility while assuring the fundamentals of a good education are still the focus of the curriculum.
--Submitted by a parent

If this school were a car, it would have the body of an expensive luxury SUV (think Hummer or BMW X5) and the engine of an underpowered lemon (think 1985 Yugo). The school recently completed an impressive $45 million capital campaign, so its facilities are first-rate. But, as the saying goes, Don t judge a dated text book by its cover. Courses are often rooted in rote memorization and tedium, the curriculum needs a complete overhaul (e.g., still doesn t offer a single computer science class), and the social dynamic can be brutal. With its resources, the school could be exceptional. But for bright, inquisitive, and respectful kids, STAB is a bit like getting a ride in sixteen-year-old s new BMW to go see the movie Mean Girls.
--Submitted by a parent

The reviews that appear below are obviously coming from disenfranchised individuals who are no longer members of the school community. St. Anne's-Belfield is and will always be an exceptional school full of caring teachers, responsive administrators, and remarkable students. The caliber of its facilities is outmatched only by the quality of education it offers. i could not imagine my children anywhere else.
--Submitted by a parent

Though there are some good things here, there are so many negative things that cause more problems as your child moves into higher grade levels. Unfortunately, I agree completely with the prior three reviews. It is sad that so much money and effort goes into this school. It should do better, but I see the efforts to improve doing the opposite.
--Submitted by a parent

If you don't fit the mold, STAB middle school is an especially hostile place. It was for our child -- it will take some time to heal the damage.
--Submitted by a parent

I am the parent of two students at STAB. The problems have only grown worse as my children have moved into middle school. The cliqueish-ness is crazy, for both boys and girls. My children are both good athletes and good students. There is, however, a real divide between the jocks and the nerds and it seems impossible to be a scholar-athlete. People will classify a certain year as being a "good class" or a "bad class". This largely depends on how many b--tchy mothers are in a particular grade. They have more to do with setting up the cliques than the kids do. The school makes half-hearted attempts at improving "inclusivity" and "civility", but given that at lot of the problem is the parents themselves, it is an exercise in futility. The school kow-tows to the more affluent parents and is loathe to discipline their children. Many parents at STAB seem to view it as another club membership, and don't question what goes on in the classroom. Many of the courses in the middle school particularly are extremely boring, and I've seen my children lose interest in almost everything. It's truly a deadening experience academically and a cruel experience socially. Uniforms next year = bye-bye!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a student at St. Anne's Belfield and I have attended since preschool. Despite rumors of STAB being "snobby", "rich", and "exclusive", anyone who goes there will happiy tell you they are all lies. Not only does STAB have excellent academic standards, they value the aspects of community, leadership, and moral. From my experience, I have found that the teachers are fantastic if you give them the chance. In Middle and Elementary school, the teachers were highly attentive to the students, but I found in High School they begin to drift away so that the student will become idependent and self motivating. Accordingly, if a parent enrolls their child at the high school level and expects "special attention", don't rely on it. This is a school for the bright, curious, artistic, confident, athelitic, diligent, passionate, comassionate students in wonderful Charlottesville. I am positive that when the time comes, I will be more than prepared for college due to the high standards and commitment of that my school has given me. I cannot recommend this school enough to anyone who is enrolling or not.

Attending STAB was the worst decision I ever made. The teachers and the kids are snobby and incredibly mean. They behave viciously at sporting events and are extremely rude. The academics are decent, but not worth sacrificing your mental and emotional health for.

STAB is great!!! Im in the computer lab as we speak
--Submitted by a student