Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

THIS!!!! My kid is a Senior. We made a massive mistake choosing SJC and it is going to impact his options for college. I have an A student who struggled as a Freshman due to two back to back death the first month of his freshman year at SJC. SJC never allowed him to recover academically. Please parents realize that it they gate keep their classes for honors kids and it WILL impact your child’s future! My son was in accelerated math going into SJC. SJC forced (and I mean forced) him off of it. He wasn’t allowed into Honors classes with a B plus (about .7 point away from an A). He was not allowed to take more than two APs his Junior year. He is now is pre calc because he was forced out of the accelerated program. The college he wants so badly’s rep told him he didn’t have a shot and they won’t even look at him even though he is an A student because of his APs and Math over which he had no control because he had no control. The school is rigid, too big and doesn’t care about each kid wholelistically. They care about sports. Period. The resentment I have towards what this school has done to my kids future is deep. If they take your kid off the honors/college math path, get out!!!!! I have so much regret for my hard working good kid. It is devastating!!!!

I want to add your kid is better off in public where they can choose their path. His public school friends didn’t work nearly as hard as he had to try to get into the higher classes. They simply signed up for them. Their GPA’s are amazing as a result. They are all going to get into amazing schools. I am sick over it. I paid for them to screw my kid over. If you care about where your non athlete non scholar program kid goes to college, this school is not it!

This is the PP with a Sophomore....I hate to hear this and it has been my concern for my kid as well. I agree with you that while some teachers are nice the really doesn't care about your kid and the rules are strict. I can't believe that even with a family death they wouldn't work with your son. That is not acceptable. My kid is a hard worker, accelerated in middle school. Now off accelerated math and English. Also a good athlete but did not make the team in his sport. He is hoping to get back to some honors/AP but math will never happen once off, right? We came from public and have considered going back also but my kid decided to stay at SJC as we don't have a good IB school. I constantly worry about this exact situation. Do you mind me asking what level colleges your kid wants? Mine is focused on state flagship level schools, which of course vary but many schools he likes need a 4.0+ from public schools and he will certainly not have that at SJC. He is thinking that he can get away with a lower GPA in private but I am not so sure.

Your kid sounds exactly like mine. Good student. Good athlete. Good kid. But not enough for SJC to allow to shine in any capacity. I felt they actively held him back. My mostly A B plus Senior does not have a 4.0 at SJC because he was blocked from higher classes. I had your same nagging concerns and it was all justified. I also begged my kid to leave SJC even this year but it was too late. He is applying to all the same pool of schools everyone else is, southern state flagships, mid sized private schools. Despite his hard work, college reps are telling him that it will be for nothing. Please sit your kid down and explain this to him. He is a Sophomore and he can still set his path right at a different school that cares about him. It will impact his college admissions.

I was telling my husband this same thing. I feel like SJC has taken more than it has given. I did plenty of research ahead of time, or so I thought but clearly I was not asking the right questions, or reading the right reviews. I do hope that your son ends up with at least some of the options he wants, he does sound so similar to mine. Maybe reaching out to college reps now would be eye opening. I am not sure how to navigate that but you are right that there is still a little time to jump ship and even though it would be messy it may be worth it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

THIS!!!! My kid is a Senior. We made a massive mistake choosing SJC and it is going to impact his options for college. I have an A student who struggled as a Freshman due to two back to back death the first month of his freshman year at SJC. SJC never allowed him to recover academically. Please parents realize that it they gate keep their classes for honors kids and it WILL impact your child’s future! My son was in accelerated math going into SJC. SJC forced (and I mean forced) him off of it. He wasn’t allowed into Honors classes with a B plus (about .7 point away from an A). He was not allowed to take more than two APs his Junior year. He is now is pre calc because he was forced out of the accelerated program. The college he wants so badly’s rep told him he didn’t have a shot and they won’t even look at him even though he is an A student because of his APs and Math over which he had no control because he had no control. The school is rigid, too big and doesn’t care about each kid wholelistically. They care about sports. Period. The resentment I have towards what this school has done to my kids future is deep. If they take your kid off the honors/college math path, get out!!!!! I have so much regret for my hard working good kid. It is devastating!!!!

I want to add your kid is better off in public where they can choose their path. His public school friends didn’t work nearly as hard as he had to try to get into the higher classes. They simply signed up for them. Their GPA’s are amazing as a result. They are all going to get into amazing schools. I am sick over it. I paid for them to screw my kid over. If you care about where your non athlete non scholar program kid goes to college, this school is not it!

This is the PP with a Sophomore....I hate to hear this and it has been my concern for my kid as well. I agree with you that while some teachers are nice the really doesn't care about your kid and the rules are strict. I can't believe that even with a family death they wouldn't work with your son. That is not acceptable. My kid is a hard worker, accelerated in middle school. Now off accelerated math and English. Also a good athlete but did not make the team in his sport. He is hoping to get back to some honors/AP but math will never happen once off, right? We came from public and have considered going back also but my kid decided to stay at SJC as we don't have a good IB school. I constantly worry about this exact situation. Do you mind me asking what level colleges your kid wants? Mine is focused on state flagship level schools, which of course vary but many schools he likes need a 4.0+ from public schools and he will certainly not have that at SJC. He is thinking that he can get away with a lower GPA in private but I am not so sure.

Your kid sounds exactly like mine. Good student. Good athlete. Good kid. But not enough for SJC to allow to shine in any capacity. I felt they actively held him back. My mostly A B plus Senior does not have a 4.0 at SJC because he was blocked from higher classes. I had your same nagging concerns and it was all justified. I also begged my kid to leave SJC even this year but it was too late. He is applying to all the same pool of schools everyone else is, southern state flagships, mid sized private schools. Despite his hard work, college reps are telling him that it will be for nothing. Please sit your kid down and explain this to him. He is a Sophomore and he can still set his path right at a different school that cares about him. It will impact his college admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

THIS!!!! My kid is a Senior. We made a massive mistake choosing SJC and it is going to impact his options for college. I have an A student who struggled as a Freshman due to two back to back death the first month of his freshman year at SJC. SJC never allowed him to recover academically. Please parents realize that it they gate keep their classes for honors kids and it WILL impact your child’s future! My son was in accelerated math going into SJC. SJC forced (and I mean forced) him off of it. He wasn’t allowed into Honors classes with a B plus (about .7 point away from an A). He was not allowed to take more than two APs his Junior year. He is now is pre calc because he was forced out of the accelerated program. The college he wants so badly’s rep told him he didn’t have a shot and they won’t even look at him even though he is an A student because of his APs and Math over which he had no control because he had no control. The school is rigid, too big and doesn’t care about each kid wholelistically. They care about sports. Period. The resentment I have towards what this school has done to my kids future is deep. If they take your kid off the honors/college math path, get out!!!!! I have so much regret for my hard working good kid. It is devastating!!!!

I want to add your kid is better off in public where they can choose their path. His public school friends didn’t work nearly as hard as he had to try to get into the higher classes. They simply signed up for them. Their GPA’s are amazing as a result. They are all going to get into amazing schools. I am sick over it. I paid for them to screw my kid over. If you care about where your non athlete non scholar program kid goes to college, this school is not it!

This is the PP with a Sophomore....I hate to hear this and it has been my concern for my kid as well. I agree with you that while some teachers are nice the really doesn't care about your kid and the rules are strict. I can't believe that even with a family death they wouldn't work with your son. That is not acceptable. My kid is a hard worker, accelerated in middle school. Now off accelerated math and English. Also a good athlete but did not make the team in his sport. He is hoping to get back to some honors/AP but math will never happen once off, right? We came from public and have considered going back also but my kid decided to stay at SJC as we don't have a good IB school. I constantly worry about this exact situation. Do you mind me asking what level colleges your kid wants? Mine is focused on state flagship level schools, which of course vary but many schools he likes need a 4.0+ from public schools and he will certainly not have that at SJC. He is thinking that he can get away with a lower GPA in private but I am not so sure.

katelstein wrote:He was called a K***. He is a baptized, practicing catholic and has gone to catholic school for years. Given current events and the rise in virulent anti-semitism, racism and nativism, I am not surprised that kids are trying out that language. I shared this more as an example of the culture of the school.

is this typical at SJC? if you're not catholic? i have heard rumors of this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

THIS!!!! My kid is a Senior. We made a massive mistake choosing SJC and it is going to impact his options for college. I have an A student who struggled as a Freshman due to two back to back death the first month of his freshman year at SJC. SJC never allowed him to recover academically. Please parents realize that it they gate keep their classes for honors kids and it WILL impact your child’s future! My son was in accelerated math going into SJC. SJC forced (and I mean forced) him off of it. He wasn’t allowed into Honors classes with a B plus (about .7 point away from an A). He was not allowed to take more than two APs his Junior year. He is now is pre calc because he was forced out of the accelerated program. The college he wants so badly’s rep told him he didn’t have a shot and they won’t even look at him even though he is an A student because of his APs and Math over which he had no control because he had no control. The school is rigid, too big and doesn’t care about each kid wholelistically. They care about sports. Period. The resentment I have towards what this school has done to my kids future is deep. If they take your kid off the honors/college math path, get out!!!!! I have so much regret for my hard working good kid. It is devastating!!!!

I want to add your kid is better off in public where they can choose their path. His public school friends didn’t work nearly as hard as he had to try to get into the higher classes. They simply signed up for them. Their GPA’s are amazing as a result. They are all going to get into amazing schools. I am sick over it. I paid for them to screw my kid over. If you care about where your non athlete non scholar program kid goes to college, this school is not it!

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

THIS!!!! My kid is a Senior. We made a massive mistake choosing SJC and it is going to impact his options for college. I have an A student who struggled as a Freshman due to two back to back death the first month of his freshman year at SJC. SJC never allowed him to recover academically. Please parents realize that it they gate keep their classes for honors kids and it WILL impact your child’s future! My son was in accelerated math going into SJC. SJC forced (and I mean forced) him off of it. He wasn’t allowed into Honors classes with a B plus (about .7 point away from an A). He was not allowed to take more than two APs his Junior year. He is now is pre calc because he was forced out of the accelerated program. The college he wants so badly’s rep told him he didn’t have a shot and they won’t even look at him even though he is an A student because of his APs and Math over which he had no control because he had no control. The school is rigid, too big and doesn’t care about each kid wholelistically. They care about sports. Period. The resentment I have towards what this school has done to my kids future is deep. If they take your kid off the honors/college math path, get out!!!!! I have so much regret for my hard working good kid. It is devastating!!!!

The athletics situation at SJC is extremely competitive. Athletes are recruited. If your kid wants to play a sport in high school, unless they are close to D1 material there is a good chance they won't play during their high school or get into the fancy facilities.

SJC robotics team performs well in competitions. I am surprised there are any requirements to join. I haven’t heard that’s the case. However during the main season (January to April), it’s like a varsity sport time wise.

Regarding sports, you can walk on to freshman teams and get playing time, but it gets less at JV and then nonexistent at varsity (unless you turn out to be a superstar…I am sure that has happened though I never witnessed with my own eyeballs).

You still have to practice just as hard as everyone else, so you need to decide if it is worth it to be on the varsity team junior and senior year and get almost zero playing time.

Teams like XCountry, rugby and crew are no cut or nearly no cut.

My kid is a sophomore this year and likes SJC pretty well. I wanted to comment on the requirements for honors/Ap English and also math if your 9th grader takes (or has to repeat from 8th grade) Algebra 1.

A B+ in non honors 9th grade English gets you grade level 10th grade English. You have to have an A in 9th to move into honors in 10th. (I think its a B if you start in honors) Then in 10th, you need an A to move into 11th honors, and a 95 or above, which is near impossible, to move to AP.

In math if you don't start in honors you need to be in the top 5% of all Algebra 1 students (last year that grade was about a 95) to qualify for summer Geometry and then be on track for honors Algebra II as a sophomore.

All a bit frustrating esp since teacher difficulty and grading policies vary depending on who you get.

My experience is that the girl athletics are easier to make the team (I have friends whose kid had never played a sport and made the team). The boy sports are pretty impossible to make.

We came to SJC for academic support, but now really wish we would have chosen a school were a good player could make the team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many of the Catholic schools you need a high grade and a teacher rec to get into Honors or AP classes.

They have more traditional course offerings so there are not as many choices as you would see in public schools.

Having minimum requirements is not particular. SJC has minimum grade requirements to get into honors or AP. There is nothing wrong with that.

It is probably necessary at a big school, but it does limit a student who goes through a rough patch. It gives kids no room to stretch and grow and no grace for messing up. If you struggle at any point, you are off track for rigorous college prep even if you get your act together after adjusting.

Not saying SJC should change, but that parents need to know going in that there is little room for error. It will be limiting for some kids who could have taken a more rigorous course load elsewhere.

The grade prerequisite does allow kids who "get their act together" to move up to more advanced classes. I believe that the requirement generally is that a student must have a B+ in a regular level of a subject in order to qualify for the honors level the next year. If a freshman gets a B English that freshman will have to take on level English sophomore year. However, if that student gets a B+ in English sophomore year then the student qualfies for AP or honors level English junior year. The grade prerequisite ensures that the kids in honors/AP classes are capable of doing advanced work. My SJC graduate is at a top college, and he tells me that he has less homewok in college than he did at SJC.

I've had multiple kids at SJC. In the time that we've been there, the school has expelled quite a few kids. The details are always kept quiet, but several of those kids were expelled for drugs. Kids get detentions if they are late to class, for uniform violations, and one year several freshman got detentions for being disrespectful on a school field trip. Some students there undoubtedly break the rules, but they all also know that there will be consquences if they are caught. IMO the consquences keep the misbehaviour to a minimum.

My very different kids love SJC. Most SJC students find their crowd by becoming involved in the music, theater, athletic, or Cadet Corp programs. Athletics are competitive. SJC may not be a good match for kids who aren't particularly talented, but who want to play sports in high school. However, there is a girls club rugby team that allows walk-ons and an e-sports team.

My oldest is a SJC graduate and he attends a very selective college. He tells me that he was very prepared for college - more so than most of his peers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many of the Catholic schools you need a high grade and a teacher rec to get into Honors or AP classes.

They have more traditional course offerings so there are not as many choices as you would see in public schools.

Having minimum requirements is not particular. SJC has minimum grade requirements to get into honors or AP. There is nothing wrong with that.

It is probably necessary at a big school, but it does limit a student who goes through a rough patch. It gives kids no room to stretch and grow and no grace for messing up. If you struggle at any point, you are off track for rigorous college prep even if you get your act together after adjusting.

Not saying SJC should change, but that parents need to know going in that there is little room for error. It will be limiting for some kids who could have taken a more rigorous course load elsewhere.

katelstein wrote:He was called a K***. He is a baptized, practicing catholic and has gone to catholic school for years. Given current events and the rise in virulent anti-semitism, racism and nativism, I am not surprised that kids are trying out that language. I shared this more as an example of the culture of the school.

Parent with two non-athletic kids, one graduated SJCHS and one still there. I’m so sorry to hear of your experience; I am surprised the school did not come down hard on the offenders. One of my kids got into trouble and was suspended twice with a threat of expulsion. I’m glad the school took the infractions seriously because I did not want my kid to continue down that path. Because kiddo wanted to stay at SJC, they got their act together quickly but it was a rough period of time. Mr. Themistos was amazing. My experience was the school seeks to partner with parents to reinforce behavioral expectations. True to Catholic tradition, they do forgive if the offender is able to move forward positively, and they also connected us with outside resources to help our child. Participation in a program to address the past transgressions was required. The type of offences my kid got into trouble for are things that are routinely overlooked by the public schools. We are thankful to SJC for having high standards, and again, I’m so sorry you had a different experience.

He was called a K***. He is a baptized, practicing catholic and has gone to catholic school for years. Given current events and the rise in virulent anti-semitism, racism and nativism, I am not surprised that kids are trying out that language. I shared this more as an example of the culture of the school.

katelstein wrote:We sent our son to SJC and pulled him out after a year, despite decent grades, some strong teachers, good experience in sports and music. There were drugs in the bathroom. He had stuff stolen out of the classroom and locker room. He was physically accosted in lunchroom, threatened multiple times, regularly called a religious / ethnic slur despite being a Catholic kid with partial jewish ancestry, etc., etc. Mr. T. was not helpful. In my view, the administration doesn't care or just can't manage because the school is too big. We had heard a ton of good things before sending him there. Felt like we were sold a bill of goods.

Can you elaborate on the religious/ethnic slur? This worries me.