St.Bartholomew Catholic School in Bethesda recent feedback

[Anonymous]

Would love feedback on this school in terms of any innovative approaches to teaching/learning, welcoming of other cultures/races/ethnicities? Is everyone Catholic? How do they handle kids belonging to other Faiths? How is the sense of community? Are parents open to new families coming in without a traditional connection to the school? Thank you for your honest and kid feedback.

[Anonymous]

They nearly shut down 2 years ago due to lack of enrollment to sustain it financially. Parents, alum, and parishioners banded together to salvage it and increase enrollment. We know one family with kids there (and we're parishioners) and they really like it. In terms of inclusivity, they are currently doing a fundraising campaign to fund the costs of 1-2 special needs students attending (they will need more resources, thus the additional funds) which I think is noble and also shows their commitment to a diverse student body.

[Anonymous]

Saint Bartholomew is a wonderful school with great community. The families are all welcoming and my children are learning and thriving. Having come from MCPS, it was a big surprise to see how much hands on science, social studies and Spanish is happening in the classrooms. This is something that has been been taken away from some public schools (ours was one of them) and it was great that my kids can now be explore these subjects and gain broader interests. The teachers are fantastic and go out of their way to make the children feel loved and appreciated. The school has a kind and inclusive community. They try to make all people feel welcome and celebrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They nearly shut down 2 years ago due to lack of enrollment to sustain it financially. Parents, alum, and parishioners banded together to salvage it and increase enrollment. We know one family with kids there (and we're parishioners) and they really like it. In terms of inclusivity, they are currently doing a fundraising campaign to fund the costs of 1-2 special needs students attending (they will need more resources, thus the additional funds) which I think is noble and also shows their commitment to a diverse student body.

Laudable, but also indicative that they cannot, currently, cater to a diverse student body like public schools can.

[Anonymous]

I’m pretty sure the OP is interested in religious, racial and ethnic diversity and not the ability of the school to support those with developmental problems.

This is a relatively small parish serving an upscale part of Bethesda and Potomac. Much of the reason for its existence is to prepare Catholic children to participate in the sacraments of the Church. Its student population is either 100% Catholic or close to that.

[Anonymous]

We have been very impressed with the creative and hands-on teaching methods as well the inclusive community. It is overwhelmingly Catholic and there is weekly Mass and religion classes. Class sizes are small, 15ish per grade. We love it, but I can imagine a family or child who is not Catholic might feel out of place - not excluded - because of the heavy emphasis on religion.

[Anonymous]

It's a Catholic school full of Catholic people raising Catholic children. Everyone will be welcomed but do not expect them to change or cater to you. The school is kind and inclusive. The academics are excellent and individualized. Do not walk in with any type of entitled mindset. They will walk you right out the door. It might be the best thing about the place. That being said, the HSA is a snobby, vapid vipers nest. The advisory board needs people with real business experience. And given the location of the school, the clients are real leaders in their community and industries. They should be consulted regularly. It is a sad waste that they are not. The admissions director needs replacing or a transfer to a school with less entrenchment. When teachers and administration are going to board member and HSA birthday parties etc, objectivity is lost and bad decisions are made for personal reasons.
-post covid family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a Catholic school full of Catholic people raising Catholic children. Everyone will be welcomed but do not expect them to change or cater to you. The school is kind and inclusive. The academics are excellent and individualized. Do not walk in with any type of entitled mindset. They will walk you right out the door. It might be the best thing about the place. That being said, the HSA is a snobby, vapid vipers nest. The advisory board needs people with real business experience. And given the location of the school, the clients are real leaders in their community and industries. They should be consulted regularly. It is a sad waste that they are not. The admissions director needs replacing or a transfer to a school with less entrenchment. When teachers and administration are going to board member and HSA birthday parties etc, objectivity is lost and bad decisions are made for personal reasons.
-post covid family

Can you share more about the HSA being "snobby"? and what do you mean by "they should be consulted regularly?" (in terms of advisory board)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a Catholic school full of Catholic people raising Catholic children. Everyone will be welcomed but do not expect them to change or cater to you. The school is kind and inclusive. The academics are excellent and individualized. Do not walk in with any type of entitled mindset. They will walk you right out the door. It might be the best thing about the place. That being said, the HSA is a snobby, vapid vipers nest. The advisory board needs people with real business experience. And given the location of the school, the clients are real leaders in their community and industries. They should be consulted regularly. It is a sad waste that they are not. The admissions director needs replacing or a transfer to a school with less entrenchment. When teachers and administration are going to board member and HSA birthday parties etc, objectivity is lost and bad decisions are made for personal reasons.
-post covid family

Can you share more about the HSA being "snobby"? and what do you mean by "they should be consulted regularly?" (in terms of advisory board)

Why does the admission director would need to be replaced? There too long?

[Anonymous]

Saint Barts is a wonderful school. The staff, students and administrators are all there for the right reasons. It really feels like a family. Having been in education for 20 years and consulted with multiple local schools, I can tell you Saint Barts is special.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saint Barts is a wonderful school. The staff, students and administrators are all there for the right reasons. It really feels like a family. Having been in education for 20 years and consulted with multiple local schools, I can tell you Saint Barts is special.

+1 - in addition to the fantastic teachers, I’ll add that we have not encountered the snobby behavior mentioned by a PP. Nearly all of the parents we’ve interacted with, including the Admissions Director, have been friendly, warm, and caring. While we have not engaged much with HSA members, when we have volunteered for activities in the past, they have been responsive and appreciative. It has been a wonderful experience.

[Anonymous]

If you are even thinking about going to this place I would cancel it right now. You might see some reveiws that the school is great but half of those people either work there or went to school there when they were kids when the school was good. Recently They got a bunch of new staff who don't teach you a thing and can be pretty mean. Also I have seen that a lot of the kids can be bullies as well as the teachers. If you go there and have a great time good for you but it's just a warning and persinaly I wouldn't chance it. There are a bunch of other nice schools in the area which I am sure have a much higher chance of being a good school for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are even thinking about going to this place I would cancel it right now. You might see some reveiws that the school is great but half of those people either work there or went to school there when they were kids when the school was good. Recently They got a bunch of new staff who don't teach you a thing and can be pretty mean. Also I have seen that a lot of the kids can be bullies as well as the teachers. If you go there and have a great time good for you but it's just a warning and persinaly I wouldn't chance it. There are a bunch of other nice schools in the area which I am sure have a much higher chance of being a good school for you.

Guessing by the way this is written you are a student there? If so, I’m sorry you haven’t had a good experience. It’s a small school, so definitely not for everyone. That said, we really like St. Barts and do not work there nor are we alums.

[Anonymous]

As with any school, I’d strongly advise any family considering a school to reach out to the school, take a tour, and talk to current families rather than having feedback on an anonymous forum be your only data point.

[Anonymous]

We are a current family and love it. The staff is great, the families are nice and my kids are getting a great education. They offer a lot of extra activities that my kids also love like play, band, choir, basketball, tae kwon d, and aki club. We have been super happy so far.