PG County Catholic Schools

[Anonymous]

We've got ours in St Jerome's in their Montessori preschool class and plan to keep her there for the Classical curriculum in elementary years. We're very pleased. The school is well run by the principal and parent input is very welcome - they're well organized to receive, respond, and incorporate constructive suggest. Some of the families with the school have Catholic U & College Park professors, so the curriculum overhaul years ago was really parent led and I think that set them up to be more receptive to input than the previous administrators.

[Anonymous]

Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

I'm at St Jerome's and they require a neat hair style, but are not very specific about what that means. What you describe would probably be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

What to the what now? You really don't think your kid might want a haircut until middle school?

[Anonymous]

Bump, Catholic Schools Week is approaching and I'd love to get more recent feedback on schools in the area, particularly St. Ambrose and St. Jerome. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I'm at St Jerome's Academy, with their Montessori preschool, and it's excellent. There is the structure of the Montessori program but there's also a lot of outdoor play, especially in the after-care program, so I feel like it's a nice combination of order & structure and then free play & nature.

[Anonymous]

12:23 again - also, if you're interested in the Catholic aspect of Catholic schools . . .

The preschool has what's called an "atrium" - it's the Montessori approach to teaching children devotion and learning about the different symbols in mass. My child has really taken to it and shows a lot more care about the religious symbols we have around the house.

The school supports the church's weekly lunch program for the hungry, which we're really enjoying supporting this year.

[Anonymous]

We've been very happy at St. Jerome Academy, which has a nationally renowned Classical curriculum. The school doesn't teach to the test, but our kids' scores have gone way up since we transferred them in. Our 8th grader got all 99th percentiles on St. Anselm's Abbey's entrance exam -- the admissions director was so excited he called us with the scores. His older sister and two of her classmates matriculated into a top-50 Catholic girls high school and their average PSAT score this fall was 211 - two of them will be National Merit Semifinalists. Our youngest has been at SJA from the start and has never scored less than 99th percentile on a standardized test.

Be forewarned, though -- the school teaches them to read well, write well, speak well and think well. They will end up smarter than you are. We lose a lot of arguments with our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

I have no idea what the policy is now but 25 years ago when Kid & Play were big. I got a high top fade like Kid but not that high. The principal at my Catholic School told me to cut it. When I said it was racist, she said I was engaging in reverse racism. My mom cut it.

[Anonymous]

No mention yet on this feed, but Saint Matthias is in Lanham has designed small classes. They use Responsive Classroom- a must have for me as a parent. Not sure how many openings they'll have for next year with the small class size, but worth checking out. My daughter got a spot for PreK for the fall! I'm impressed with the teachers, and how they know everyone by name.

[Anonymous]

Bumping this thread. Looking specifically for experiences at St. Ambrose, St. Mary’s of the Assumption and St. Pius X.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

You don't think your kid will have opinions about his hair until middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can any parent speak to the strict nature or adherence to certain policies such as hairstyles? For instance my son (currently he's only 9 months but I am thinking ahead) has a head full of really curly hair. I have no plans to cut his hair until he makes a choice for himself around middle school age. Would this be an issue? His hair won't be locked or styled in any fad manner, likely just pulled back in a ponytail or in neat braids for school.

You don't think your kid will have opinions about his hair until middle school?

She's clearly never met any 3 year old, ever. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread. Looking specifically for experiences at St. Ambrose, St. Mary’s of the Assumption and St. Pius X.

We are at St. Ambrose and have been there since Pre-k (now 1st). I really like the school. We looked at several schools (St. Mary's, St. Pius, Holy Trinity, a montessori, School of the Incarnation and Calverton). Up until 3-4 grade, they all seemed the same. Holy Trinity, SOTI and St. Pius all told us no because my daughter misses the birthday cut-off by 2 days.

I like the diversity of St. Ambrose, teachers with longevity, and friendly parents.

[Anonymous]

Very happy with St. Mary’s. Friendly and involved parents, great teachers, diverse student body, and the new principal is awesome.