We had a very disappointing experience with Shrine Grade School last year. Before enrolling,…read moreseveral local teachers warned us about leadership and academics at Shrine, but we chose to give it a chance and quickly regretted it. The school was consistently disorganized. The principal seemed disengaged and unhappy in his role, while the assistant principal was unapproachable. Even their newsletters were full of grammatical errors--alarming for an academic institution. Most concerning was the school's push to hold back pre-K students. Even when classroom teachers said children were ready for kindergarten, administration insisted otherwise (this is the case for 3 different families we have spoken to). In our case, they repeatedly claimed our 4 y/o May-born daughter was "too young for Kindergarten," which is simply not true. We later learned this was likely due to a lack of kindergarten space, making the decision feel misleading and financially motivated. The one bright spot was our daughter's teacher, who was kind and capable, but strong classroom teaching cannot make up for weak leadership. Now that our daughter is at a new school, the difference in organization, communication, and overall educational environment is striking. I fear for Shrine's future if leadership and priorities do not change.

Very nice place my kids love going to school here it's such a great Catholic education such great…read moreteachers and great community

Let me start off by saying the church is absolutely beautiful. The priest is so kind and checks in…read moreon classrooms sometimes during the day. Which is absolutely wonderful. The principal Mrs. Bala is the most caring person I know she expresses gratitude in all she does. Also she knows every student's name by heart. The American History teacher is very compassionate. She cares deeply about everyone. The English and Literature teacher has a great understanding for helping young learners. She teaches them how to work hard and educates them accordingly. The Spanish teacher is outstanding she teaches students in new ways. She makes learning fun and makes school exciting. Everything else needs to be better developed or up to date.

St. Mary is an amazing little school in downtown Royal Oak for preschool - grade 8. The teachers…read moreand staff are an exceptional caring team and the families form a wonderful supportive community.

Our twin boys had the best experience at HWCP. The teachers are amazing and so creative and…read moreengaging. The entire program is so well run and organized by their director - highly recommend!

Loved this school for my boys! The teachers are great and they do the cutest projects and…read moreactivities with the kiddos. We're so glad we came here!

Teachers fun great funny sweet, perfect singing, lovely happy sweet, kind perfect andread more

The head of school is very kind and welcoming, staff is very polite as well. I love this school and…read moreyou will too!

Our daughter spent several years thriving at Japhet School. She earned nearly straight A's,…read morecherished her classmates, and fully embraced the community. We believed we were in the right place -- until her mental health began to decline and the school failed to act. In January 2025, her grades dropped noticeably, and her pediatrician, counselor, and prior neuropsychologist all recommended accommodations to support her suspected autism and rapidly progressing anxiety. These recommendations were brought directly to the Head of School and her teacher -- and were met with delay, deflection, and silence. Despite presenting medical documentation, past accommodations, and a collaborative proposal, no meaningful steps were taken -- not even acknowledgment. For months our daughter struggled through 5+ hours of homework per night, experienced escalating distress, and began exhibiting severe trichotillomania. We asked for urgent follow-up, confirmed her suffering, and even laid out specific accommodations recommended by her care team. The school's response? Vague reassurances, inaction, significant delays, and ultimately -- a statement that they were not resourced to help and we therefore were forced to withdraw her with 7 weeks left in the academic year. Her final days at Japhet were devastating for her and me as her parent. Staff completely ignored our emails. Her friends were never told she was leaving. She was sent home with hours of homework knowing it would never be graded and despite confirmed withdrawal due to mental health. There was no closure. No sense of RELIABILITY, HUMILITY, or RESPECT not for her as a learner, nor for us as a family. Japhet often speaks of its 18 character qualities -- initiative, courage, gratitude, justice, respect, reliability, joy, humility, peace, and more. But in our experience, these values were words on a wall, not principles in practice. When our child needed understanding, flexibility, and human connection, zero compassion was shown despite the fact that she was unraveling inside their very own walls. We share this to caution other families of neurodivergent children, especially those with autism +/- PDA profiles. If your child requires flexibility, emotional safety, accommodations or genuine partnership -- be prepared. Our experience was marked by neglect, poor communication, and a striking lack of sensitivity. Japhet may not leave students behind academically -- but emotionally, we were left entirely alone.

I looked at multiple preschools before enrolling my son at Japhet. It wasn't a hard choice once the…read moreadmissions director gave me a tour and informed me about their character building program and showed me projects that kids had done in previous years. My son used to go to a Montessori for two years prior so I was wondering if he would be able to transition well and to my delight, he is thriving and loves his teachers and loves going to school. The school has a unique community feel that makes everyone feel included, informed and well connected. I am so glad I found japhet! If you are looking for Schools in this area (anywhere in pre k to grade 8) I highly, highly recommend that you visit Japhet and see for yourself!