St Marys Elementary School

OMG!!!! They are thinking about another ten percent increase in tuition on top of the ten percent increase last year. This already is the most expense parochial school in Nassau! To make the situation worst, the high tuition is in addition to what seems like hundreds of school fundraisers that you are pressured to participate in – Take a Break, TAB Journal, Ladies Night Out, Appeal for “full” tuition etc etc etc. etc. Where does the money go???? Will the school publish its budget???? How much money is getting to the children????

"See the school your friends and neighbors are bragging about!" The principal exclaims. Who are these friends and neighbors? My friends and neighbors are not bragging about the school – in fact, quite the opposite. Before you enroll your child, ask hard questions and ignore all the hype about “smart boards” and accreditation reviews. You need to know how many teachers have “left” the school during the past 5 years. You need to know how many teachers are leaving this year. You need to know if the principal is going to collapse the lower grades into a single class due to low enrolment. You need to know how many teachers have at least 5 years of teaching experience. You need to know how the student body tests in standardized exams. You need a list of the high schools that last year’s graduating class was admitted to. Do your homework Moms and Dads – These are the most important years of your child’s life.

I am so happy the school year is almost over. I can't wait until my child attends school somewhere else. This sad chapter at St. Mary's is almost behind us. I doubt I will regret our decision -- no one else who left before had.

St. Mary's High School Manhasset. Suspects in SAT cheating scandal surrender on Nov. 22, 2011 – Catholic Virtues – Hmm.

TURN ON the air conditioning for the kids, Ms. Principal. If it’s good enough for your office, it’s good enough for your students. How do you expect them to learn on hot days in September, May and June??? It’s it worth saving a few pennies to keep them in uniform in a hot class room? They are not even allow shorts! What is wrong with the administration????

There seems to be new teachers in many grades every year. For a school of 30 somewhat teachers, the yearly turnover is incredibly high.

I can't believe all these reviews. No wonder the pre k enrollment at our lady of grace down the block is nearly 100 and St Mary's can barely form one single class.

Thank god for all the online reviews. I started to make some inquiry among my neighbors and I am grateful I did not enroll my kids there.

I am SO very disappointed with this school. As each grade progresses, I keep hoping that the education at St. Mary’s becomes more rigorous. Instead, what I found was a school that does the bare minimum to ensure it stays accredited. Draw some pictures – that is advanced art. Hum a song – that is advanced music. Estimate the number of ceiling tiles – that is advanced math. I found the teachers to be demoralized and the parents disengaged (except for a few moms for whom the school is the sole purpose of existence). I wish I never made the mistake of sending my kids here in the first place. Now, not only do they need to get acquainted with a new school but also new friends. However, that is still MUCH better than the alternative which is allowing them to waste the most inquisitive years of their lives in this educational wasteland.

I am not sure what the previous reviewer wants out of St. Mary’s. While St. Mary’s tuition is very high compared to others in the diocese, it is still not a “real” private school with its exorbitant tuition and infinite resources. It’s your basic good parochial school in a nice neighborhood. You child will get a decent catholic education. True the school’s curriculum and academic offering could be somewhat limited; all these children will catch up when they get to high school. There is no need to rush these children. If you want a school that emphasizes the love of Jesus in our lives, this is the perfect school. If you want a school that pushes only academics -- go somewhere else. Learning your payer in elementary school is more important than learning how to compete in life.

One of my children needs special help. Instead of offering assistance, the school's basic response was that it was the Parents' job to do anything above the pre-fixe curriculum that the school provides. This is certainly not great way to educate kids and definitely not Christian-like.