Bump. Any updates on this school

Anonymous wrote:We are a new family starting SRS 2023-2024. Our child is thriving K and is excited to start 1st grade at a new school. Can a family that started in K or later share their experience? Are the kids (particulaly girls) very hard on "newcomers" who start in K or 1st?

You’re bumping a thread from 2016 that had a different question than yours, so you may end up with a mix of folks answering OP without noticing the date rather than your question. You might want to repost as a new thread.

We are a new family starting SRS 2023-2024. Our child is thriving K and is excited to start 1st grade at a new school. Can a family that started in K or later share their experience? Are the kids (particulaly girls) very hard on "newcomers" who start in K or 1st?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a son who will enter K next fall and was really disappointed in the class sizes at St. R. It didn't seem like there was much being done beyond what the kids would do in public school. But that's just me. If I'm paying for private, I really want smaller classes.

Former public school parent now a SRS parent. I can assure you that SRS has a better situation than public because my child attended public for kindergarten. The public schools have large classes with only one teacher in the class -- no assistance at all. That can be very difficult especially with a kindergarten class. SRS has a teacher and a full time assistant. Class maxed out at 26, but not sure...maybe less for kindergarten.

If you want "really small classes" you are going to pay at least double what you pay at SRS.

We are at public and we have 21 kids in K and a para educator comes in the class in the AM. I would never pay private if the K class was 26 kids. That is insane.

Like I said, I don't know how many kids in the K class. There may well be less than 26. Why don't you call and find out. The fact you have 21 kids in your public school class is pure luck as the MCPS cap for kindergarten is 26. And at MCPS, as you get up to 4th and 5th grade, class size increases to 30, well over SRS cap. Our public did not have a para educator at all. All SRS classes have full time para educator. Also the SRS curriculum is far superior than the failed 2.0 curriculum at MoCo schools. Just go over the the MD Public School forum and get a taste for the disaster they are dealing with. Here, I will save you some trouble: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/582096.page

I know MANY unhappy parents at MCPS right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a son who will enter K next fall and was really disappointed in the class sizes at St. R. It didn't seem like there was much being done beyond what the kids would do in public school. But that's just me. If I'm paying for private, I really want smaller classes.

Former public school parent now a SRS parent. I can assure you that SRS has a better situation than public because my child attended public for kindergarten. The public schools have large classes with only one teacher in the class -- no assistance at all. That can be very difficult especially with a kindergarten class. SRS has a teacher and a full time assistant. Class maxed out at 26, but not sure...maybe less for kindergarten.

If you want "really small classes" you are going to pay at least double what you pay at SRS.

We are at public and we have 21 kids in K and a para educator comes in the class in the AM. I would never pay private if the K class was 26 kids. That is insane.

Anonymous wrote:I have a son who will enter K next fall and was really disappointed in the class sizes at St. R. It didn't seem like there was much being done beyond what the kids would do in public school. But that's just me. If I'm paying for private, I really want smaller classes.

Former public school parent now a SRS parent. I can assure you that SRS has a better situation than public because my child attended public for kindergarten. The public schools have large classes with only one teacher in the class -- no assistance at all. That can be very difficult especially with a kindergarten class. SRS has a teacher and a full time assistant. Class maxed out at 26, but not sure...maybe less for kindergarten.

If you want "really small classes" you are going to pay at least double what you pay at SRS.

I have a son who will enter K next fall and was really disappointed in the class sizes at St. R. It didn't seem like there was much being done beyond what the kids would do in public school. But that's just me. If I'm paying for private, I really want smaller classes.

My daughter currently goes to St. E's and we absolutely love it!!! She has been there since Kindergarten and the teachers are amazing and the principle is too!!!

Despite the "recent event" no families we know have contemplated leaving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well in light of the recent news, I imagine many are flocking from St. E's to other area schools. I worry about those poor children who were victims. Sad and scary.

This is what PP is referring to: http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/Web-2016/Youth-Minister-Arrested-in-Sexual-Abuse-of-Teen/

PP is stirring the pot. I haven't heard of anyone fleeing the school.

Anonymous wrote:St R's has high teacher turnover. High class ratios. Very Catholic and the moms are WAY too involved and think their shit don't stink. They make working moms feel guilty. They have no fields or grassy area for recess/gym. Huge sense of entitlement for really very little. A child left there for Ritchie Park a few years back and was behind on the basic curriculum.

This post couldn't be more inaccurate. Let me address some of the claims, most of which are totally false.

1. "St R's has high teacher turnover." FALSE. SRS teachers for the most part have been there for an average of 5 years. Some have been there from day one and others joined in the last 4 or 5 years. The teachers are extremely committed and dedicated.

2. "High class ratios." FALSE. The classes are maxed out at 26 and each class has a full time assistant in addition to the teacher.

3. "Very Catholic and the moms are WAY too involved and think their shit don't stink." TRUE and FALSE. Yes, very Catholic, and I see nothing wrong with that. The kids have morning prayer each morning before going to class. It is a great way to start the day and come together as a community. In addition to the focus on Catholic identity, the school is extremely nurturing and loving. I love that the parents are involved -- it is a great community. The last comment about the sh!#, I won't even address.

4. They have no fields or grassy area for recess/gym. TRUE This is unfortunate and is my only complaint about the school. The make use of whatever space they have, but it is true they don't have an official soccer field or anything like that. Their gym teacher is amazing though.

5. A child left there for Ritchie Park a few years back and was behind on the basic curriculum. ??? I highly doubt this, unless the child was already struggling. SRS is going to be a Blue Ribbon School when it qualifies. The only reason it does not qualify is because it is a very young school. Other than the length of time requirement, SRS 100% qualifies to be a Blue Ribbon School.

The PP sounds to be angry. Not sure why, but it is unusual to hear such negatives about this wonderful school. The principal is amazing and has a passion that I have never seen in any educational environment.

I work full time and I have never ever experienced what the previous poster describes. SRS is a FANTASTIC school!!

St R's has high teacher turnover. High class ratios. Very Catholic and the moms are WAY too involved and think their shit don't stink. They make working moms feel guilty. They have no fields or grassy area for recess/gym. Huge sense of entitlement for really very little. A child left there for Ritchie Park a few years back and was behind on the basic curriculum.

My older daughter attended St E's years ago in a lower grade, just before St Raphael's opened their elementary and had a terrible experience. The classes are over crowded (31 kids and many with learning challenges) and they teach to the average (which is not high). The girls were incredibly nasty - lots of name calling, throwing rocks on the playground, excluding during recess etc. We pulled my daughter out after a year but she still has terrible memories of that place. On the other hand I have several friends with kids at St. Raphael's who love it. My younger child went to preschool there and it was incredibly loving so I would imagine the school is too. My advice is to choose St R's.