St. Michael's School

I have two sons that currently attend St. Michael's School. We have been a part of the SMS community for 5 years. The staff, students, and parents have all become part of our family. I was a public school teacher for many years and never encountered such a welcoming and warm environment where everyone has your back no matter what. I feel safe knowing that my children are getting an amazing education in an environment that I trust. This year has been so hard with COVID and St. Michael's made it a priority to open our school safely, and I will be forever grateful for that! Students and their education is made the priority here and I could not be happier.

Our family has been at St. Michael School for five years and we have been extremely pleased with the staff and curriculum. The staff is a mix of newer and seasoned teachers that hold students to high academic standards while creating a nurturing and Christ-centered environment. Even during a pandemic, when so much has been upended, our children have continued to learn and thrive. The parent community is also fantastic. It feels like an extended family.

Our kids have attended SMS for four years now. We have a son who started in TK with Mrs. Lessard, a very experienced teacher, perfect for the little ones starting school. We have been equally pleased with all the teachers he has had, and we can tell he has done a tremendous amount of learning, even during the shelter in place. Academically, I do not see much difference with the instruction our eldest received at Sunset. The small size classes help with academics, resources, personalized attention, and a sense of community. Our son has made his best friends, and we have become friends with the parents. This connection has been invaluable during our Covid situation. By contrast, in our daughter's public elementary school, we did not see friendships developing, because of the larger classes and annual scrambling, until she was in 3rd grade. I feel that all of his classmates and their families are included, and show care and concern for any situations different families may be going through. In a way, it is like an extended family. The community is one of the strengths of this school. We have had a great experience in public school (Sunset), but we find more community, friendship, and education in values for personal growth at SMS. The SMS middle school that our daughter attends has experienced teachers with knowledge in multiple subjects. Parents are very involved, and they manage many initiatives. The principal is excellent. She is approachable, a good listener, and proactive in finding solutions. She knows her teachers well; she is a good liaison between parents, teachers, students, and staff. Since she started four years ago, she has worked collaboratively to bring excellence to the school. She always leaves communication channels open for parents, students, and teachers. She is truly devoted to the school, and during Covid times the amount of work she put into keeping the school open and safe has been remarkable. The teachers followed her initiative and worked non stop to continue daily instruction online, turning an in-person school into a distance learning school overnight. During the summer, there was a tremendous amount of work to reopen the school while maintaining safety protocols and keeping the online learning option for those students unable to come on campus. This obviously goes far beyond their pay and speaks volumes for the teachers' and staff's commitment to offering quality education to help raise wholesome children.

St. Michael has been a wonderful place for our children. The staff are nurturing, while keeping high standards. The principal is responsive to parent questions and concerns. Academics have improved every year since we have been there, and they really do rival the public schools! That plus the Christian values make it a fantastic environment.