St. Andrew School

As a transfer family from Chicago Public Schools, we could not be happier with our decision. Saint Andrew principal, Sarah Cassavecchia, and the team welcomed us with open arms. My son is challenged by the rigorous academic curriculum while receiving the kind of on one attention that simply does not exist in the large CPS classrooms. The parent community is loving, kind, and down-to-earth. See for yourself and sign up for a school tour!

We have had the most wonderful experience at Saint Andrew school. We have 2 children at school - currently in 6th and 3rd and have been beyond pleased with the community, the teachers, their education, & extracurricular activities. The teachers & administrators are SO quick to respond to any questions or concerns - I almost feel guilty when they email back so quickly. It's truly something that sets St Andrew apart from the rest! It's been a wonderful experience, and we would recommend it to all.

St. Andrew became our first choice for preschool because of its location, but we have been there ever since because of the incredible school community. Ten years later, our kids have benefitted from the individual stranger attention, the extracurricular activities like newspaper and rock band, and the relationships we have built with other long-term St. Andrew families. Small class sizes are a perk we will miss as our kids transition to high school.

We became a part of the Saint Andrew School community 2 years ago. We currently have 3 kids that attend - 4th, 2nd, and preschool. We have been so thrilled with our decision to join this community - the teachers and administrators are wonderful and genuine. I feel that the small class size has helped my kids as each receives individualized attention. Due to size, my kids also love the opportunities to work with other grade levels, whether to be older or younger, and they learn to work together and develop friendly relationships with other kids throughout the school. The community for families is also unparalleled. Participation and community involvement are infectious. I enjoy that my children see the importance of building a strong, reliable, and authentic community.

I continue to be so impressed with the teachers at Saint Andrew School. They find new and creative ways to teach the core curriculum. One of my favorite examples is a unit in 4th grade that uses the Iditarod Dog Sled Race as the backdrop to teach math, language arts, social studies, and science. After following the race and learning through classroom activities, a field trip is planned, the Chicago Iditarod or "Chiditarod". Students form teams and race to checkpoint stations completing anything from math exercises to team building. My 3 children, now in 7th grade and high school, still talk about the Chiditarod!

Our family has been lucky to be a part of the Saint Andrew community for 7 years and we couldn't be happier. Our three children love the supportive environment and our relationship with leadership and their teachers is amazing. Saint Andrew is probably the driving force behind our family choosing to remain in Chicago proper as we raise our children because the educational and social experience there is exceptional. We are so thankful we found this community!

I couldn't be more pleased with our selection of schools. Our child is in a warm, caring, safe, and challenging academic environment. The principal staff, and teachers are so incredibly dedicated to the mission and values of the school. I am also impressed with the school's involvement in the community and the network of parents we have been able to connect with.

St. Andrews has been a life saver for our family. We moved our child mid year after she had a tough adjustment to school. The families and teacher say and faculty have been so welcoming and now she goes to school with a smile on her face. The curriculum has a good balance between play, academics and group work. Above all they insist on kindness and compassion which is needed more than ever as well as problem solving

This is our first year at Saint Andrew School, our daughter is in Kindergarten, and we can't say enough good things about Saint Andrew School and the Saint Andrew community of people!! I am a public high school teacher in Chicago at one of the CPS Selective Enrollment Schools and have had the opportunity to teach a lot of kids who went through Saint Andrew School for elementary, all of these students have been very well prepared for high school which is why we decided to even look into sending our daughter to Saint Andrew. Academically speaking, the small class sizes, the individualized instruction, the rigor of the curriculum, and the extra academic programs such as Computers, Spanish, Music, Art, and P.E. have all be very impressive to us. I am so grateful that Saint Andrew School offers Spanish language instruction for all kids as early as Kindergarten; this is not the case in many of the other area schools. Additionally, the extra-curricular offerings are vast from drama to Irish dance to Mad Science and the extended care availability is very conducive to the schedule of working parents, you can drop your children as early as 7am and pick them up as late as 6pm for a very modest hourly rate. The students even get homework help in the extended day care, which is also a nice perk for working parents. Socially speaking, the Saint Andrew community hosts many events throughout the year, from ice cream socials to fish fries to Biddy Basketball leagues; we have been able to meet other families with ease which has made our transition to a new school flawless. Finally, I would also like to point out that, being Methodist and having attended public schools as children, my husband and I were initially a little unsure about sending our child to a school that has a Catholic centered education, but this too has been a very welcomed surprise. A Christian education is a Christian education, our daughter has been learning a lot of great Christian foundations of good character, and we have had absolutely no problems not being practicing Catholics. Your child is not just a number at Saint Andrew, but rather a young mind with a ton of potential who is cared about academically and personally by all facets of the faculty and staff. This is has been a great year; our daughter loves to go to school!

Saint Andrew School is a wonderfully friendly and caring environment for the kids, families and teachers. We have been impressed with the academic challenges offered by the teachers and the personal attention given to the students. We love that the maximum class size is 24!The school holds up to this goal of being a small, unique school with great spirit and heart. Our kids are in Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten and they have loved going to school every day since they started 2 & 3 years ago. It is so heart warming to see your kids learning and growing because of their environment. In addition to the standard academic lessons of math/English/science, it is fantastic to know the kids are also learning computers, Spanish, music, art and gym on a weekly basis starting in Kindergarten. We also chose Saint Andrew for it's great extra-curricular offerings; chess club, basketball, Irish Dance, drama etc. By supporting all these classes and extra options Saint Andrew School focuses on developing well-rounded, moral, caring and intellectual students. Looking forward to the future, we are impressed by Saint Andrew's track record of high school acceptance. They have a very focused and personal approach to help each child succeed. The graduates go on to renowned Catholic high schools as well as the selective enrollment Chicago Public Schools. We look forward to many more years watching our kids grow and thrive in this great community.

We have had children at Saint Andrew School for the past ten years and love sending them here. We appreciate the caring atmosphere of both the teachers as well as the families. Class sizes are kept small so that each child receives individual attention. We also love that our school has full time learning specialists, a reading specialist, and a social worker. The extra curricular and summer camps can`t be beat! Truly a well-run school that puts children first!

Saint Andrew School is absolutely wonderful! Our children are currently in Junior Kindergarten and Transitions. Both of our children love going to school each day! The teachers are warm and welcoming! The class sizes are small and the student:teacher ratio is hard to beat. Our Junior Kindergartner also loves that she gets to participate in weekly Music and Physical Education classes. She also enjoys the extra "Books and Cooks" and "JK Crafters" classes after her normal school hours. We have seen so much growth in both of our children throughout their experiences with the Early Childhood Education program at Saint Andrew. We can't imagine our children having a better experience with school!

We absolutely love Saint Andrew School. We have three children that attend, and this is our 10th year being involved with both the school and the church. All of our children started here in their Transitions Program ( a drop off, play based program for 2 1/2 year olds.) We appreciate that teachers truly care about each and every student....your child is just not a number here. Teachers and Administration work together to recognize the strengths in each student, and set students up for academic success. It's a warm, caring and safe environment. We also like that the school has a Full time nurse, reading specialist, social worker, and 2 learning specialists.