My three children have been at Paragon for the majority of their school careers. I respect and…read moreappreciate the teachers, staff, and administration. We have had a great experience with Paragon overall. I read the previous review of Paragon and I have some thoughts. I agree their high academic standards do not necessarily make for a perfect classroom setting for hyperactive children. Or even active children. Honestly, if I had my way, Paragon would follow more of a Montessori-style structure and would allow for kids to have more hands-on learning and less time in their seats. However, most of the teachers my kids have had have been fairly creative in their approaches to dealing with students' needs. For example, many teachers incorporate dance breaks or allow students non-traditional seating, like a big exercise ball so they can bounce their wiggles out. Many of the teachers offset the boring (but necessary) lessons with learning games and engaging activities. One of my favorite things about Paragon is the people. Along with having caring, patient teachers and administration, the other parents and students are overall respectful, kind, and helpful. Prior to Covid, Paragon held frequent school-wide events, which were usually very well-attended, indicating an unusually high level of parent involvement. There is also a high emphasis on moral character. Each month (or maybe trimester?) has a different moral focus emphasizing that month's virtue (perseverance, encouragement, kindness, integrity, responsibility, etc.). I love this so much! More than being successful academically or professionally, I believe today's kids need to learn these moral virtues. What good is it if your child is the highest paid, most awarded pigglegiggologist if he's also a selfish butthole who cheated on his wife and left his kids for the nanny and yells and humiliates waiters because they get his order wrong? Also, I have to say just a random snippet about the principal, Mr. Kriesch. I happened to be in the office one day last year when I heard Mr. Kriesch's voice from his office. Clearly, a kid had been acting out in his class and had to go see the principal. I didn't see or hear the kid but overheard Mr. Kriesch explaining to the student the importance of allowing the teacher to teach and the other students to learn. It wasn't necessarily the words he was saying, but the respectful way he addressed the student. It was as if he fully expected the student to rise to the level of maturity with which he was being treated. I have no idea if the kid actually started right, but I know he probably left feeling heard and like Mr. Kriesch believed the best of him. Also, during the virtual learning this past year, I have appreciated the lengths the teachers have gone to to make things as clear and as smooth as possible in a less-than-ideal scenario. I have also appreciated their grace. As a parent of three, it was pretty overwhelming trying to keep up with all the emails and assignments and so I didn't. Not well, anyway. There were dozens of announcements and emails I didn't read, phone calls I didn't listen to and I know my kids missed assignments and missed out on quite a few other things because of this. I dreaded parent/teacher conferences because I figured I would be parent-shamed for my parental laziness. On the contrary, I felt encouraged by each teacher and each seemed to focus on positive attributes, while still addressing my kids' personal challenges. I was pretty grateful for their seemingly non-judgmental feedback.

My child started at Paragon as a kindergartener in Fall 2020. The rules about in-person, hybrid,…read moreand online schooling were rapidly changing and I was beyond stressed. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the way Paragon stepped up for the plate during this time. The staff did a wonderful job of keeping my kiddo safe while also giving him a great education. The principal is very hands-on and present. Shoutout to Mr. Reigle for being my sons favorite teacher and for getting him excited about computers. We toured 6 elementary schools in and Jackson before deciding on Paragon. I can say with confidence that this school is the best choice for families living in the Jackson Public District.

B+ Great learning environment. Caring staff and faculty. Parént involvement necessary. My daughter…read moreloves it here.

The priests at Queen of the Miraculous Medal are superb!! Some of the best homilists that I've ever…read moreheard! Come and be very impressed for yourself... Don't just take my word for it!

I've made excuses for the principal because I haven't had another choice. I feel she is a dishonest…read moreperson based on my experiences with her- and I could start with her inaccurate portrayal of where my child was at academically when he started. (A space he does not agree with, and neither do I.) Despite her claims "the children come first," it has been evident with the projects she picks out for children, but those projects are often far out of the scope of where the kids may be developmentally her own ego may be involved. Still- it's Sharp Park- so we force our children through tough things! During volunteer work, I have witnessed students become frustrated & upset- tears in their eyes- at projects promoted by the principal while she, herself, was barely able to complete said project successfully. Students were not given enough time to complete projects, & required adult help which was not available for each child because there is not a volunteer per every child or even every few children. The lack of professionalism I have faced- & my child by proxy- as a result of the principal of this school is appalling. In October I wrote the principal an email ONLY asking if a mid-year switch from Sharp Park was doable academically and emotionally. The principal never responded to said email meanwhile she took a meeting with my ex-husband to discuss the same thing. In justifying refusing to respond to me for two months while holding meetings in her office with my ex-husband (whom she had approached me about with concern more than once in the year previous) she justifies a lack of boundaries by citing in the email, her "concern is not solely academic." She goes on to state I was keeping my other co-parent in the dark (I was not- thank God for emails!) and how uncomfortable it made her. (The email included the superintendent in the CC.) ... I am fairly sure this type of statement alone is illegal from the mouth of a public servant as a public educator does not have the expertise or authority to begin to imprint personal opinions in how to raise a child, or any of the major decision making. (I thought laws were created for just this reason?) Likewise- she recently emailed me bragging about how she is able to have anyone my ex-husband wants pick up my child- but the name she was defending is of a person who quite literally doesn't exist. This becomes even more bizarre & dramatic because a year & a half earlier the same principal pulled me aside her school (y'all have cameras with dates, right?) when my son first enrolled to describe how weird she thought my ex-husband was and how uncomfortable it made her he wanted to amend changes to the pick up list. ***Please note: I was ONLY notified of the amendment because of the principal, I wasn't seeking this information & it is not common for staff to notify the other parent about amended pick up lists assuming the parents share JOINT LEGAL. SHE WANTED TO SHARE THE TEA! I have filed grievances against the principal with the superintendent, and have since filed grievances against both the principal and superintendent after the superintendent initially attempted to prevent me from filing a formal complaint. I have asked for a meeting with the board of education, but the board PRESIDENT is refusing to allow me the meetings I thought she is unable to deny? At this point my family and I are looking into the next steps both through the state and federally. I feel obliged to offer my experiences with any parents of students attending or potentially attending. I will be updating this review based on and around the handling of my grievance with the school board. I would publicly like to share my grievance with any parent or potential parent of incoming students. I feel the principal of this school is not an emotionally safe person for my child or myself, & I do not feel our experience has been terminally unique. Below is random leftover construction which has been a normal thing for awhile now.

Daycroft is a school unlike any other…read more The Montessori philosophy is the foundation of what makes Daycroft so amazing. The kids that attend Daycroft are genuinely some of the nicest kids I've ever met. There is a huge emphasis placed on the "culture of kindness" and it shows every day. Children are treated with respect, and therefore respect one another. When behavior issues arise, children are counseled through it by their teachers, not simply punished. There is an emphasis on understanding and empathy rather than control. A HUGE reason this is possible is the faculty to student ratio. Every grade-level classroom has two full-time, certified teachers. The class sizes are nearly always 20 kids or less, so that's a 10-to-1 ratio max most of the time. When they go to specials (music, art, gym, Spanish, library, and technology), each class is split in half (half go to music and half to art, for example, then they switch) to preserve that ratio- unless the class makes more sense to have more kids (such as gym or orchestra). Daycroft is a school where everyone knows everyone by name- students know and are friends with other students at other grade levels, teachers know students' names in grades other than just the ones they teach, and specials teachers get to teach the same kids for up to nine years. The bond that is created with such a close-knit community is special. Daycroft is a family.

Our family has been at Daycroft Montessori for four years and are starting our fifth year. We…read morehighly recommend the school. We annually renew our decision to enroll at Daycroft due to the following: 1. The Montessori philosophy: mixed-age classrooms, children work uninterrupted on learning activities that they freely choose from a teacher-created set of options, children primarily learn by working hands-on with a myriad of subject-appropriate materials rather than verbal instructions from an instructor, and work plans designed for each individual child to the point that, depending upon the needs of the child, work plans can range from daily to weekly in duration. 2. Two teachers in each Daycroft classroom. This translates into a ratio of approximately one teacher for every 10 students. 3. The extraordinary religious, racial, and ethnic diversity of the children enrolled at Daycroft. For those of you reading this review who are new to the Montessori philosophy, let me explain that Montessori means disciplined choice. There is zero chaos in a Daycroft Montessori classroom. There may be a quiet hum, or happy chatter, but no chaos. From their workplan, children choose which item to address when. They are taught how to effectively focus and not interrupt other children's work. Because workplans are individualized to best fit their learning style, the children become deeply engaged. Before they move on to a new activity, the children must clean up their current activity. So, classrooms are tidy, calm, and, at the end of the day, everything is back in its place. We particularly love the diversity of the Daycroft families. Because it's so diverse, children learn experientially about the many skin tones, religions, & ethnicities. The teachers invite families in to share their rituals, foods, and experiences. Parents have the opportunity to become as involved as desired. I've volunteered in the classroom and my husband has volunteered in after-school. (There are quite a number of after-school activities for the children.) Daycroft has two locations. The Zeeb campus is K-6. Our family's experience has been at the Zeeb campus, which is where I will focus my review. The building is in excellent condition; bright, clean, and well-designed. It includes the K-6 classrooms, a robust library, media center, well-appointed art room, music room with risers and instruments, multi-purpose room (used for lunch, spanish, and after-care), kitchen, gym/auditorium, science room, sickroom, and administrative offices. All classrooms have smartboards and other types of technology (computers, etc). All children at Daycroft have Spanish twice a week and upper grades learn additional languages, and the etymology of language. Musical instruments are introduced at an early age, and increasingly sophisticated instruments are added as the children progress through the grades. There is an orchestra, choir, and band, and the children perform a concert semi-annually. Annually, in the spring, there is an all-school musical that is amazing. Every child is involved - creating the sets, singing in the chorus, and/or being on-stage. At Daycroft, children have choices appropriate to their age and abilities. All subjects are taught extensively and deeply throughout the children's time at Daycroft. For example, geometry and algebra are introduced in pre-school; each year, a child's learning of such subjects advances in sophistication. Because the children have individual workplans and uninterrupted worktime, they progress at their pace (with the teacher's encouragement and guidance, of course). What the children learn at Daycroft is far advanced from what my husband and I were taught at the same ages in our own school experiences. The administrative and teaching staff are always available to the parents. Two years ago, our daughter hit a personal "bump in the road". We spent time with her teachers and the head of school to work through this and found the experience to be very gratifying. All of us worked collaboratively to help our daughter traverse the situation successfully. From a distance, I've noted this scenario repeated successfully with other children at Daycroft. All children, at some point, will need some extra attention and the Daycroft staff has the time and commitment to provide it. From a physical perspective, children have gym three or four times per week. Plus, of course, recess. At the Zeeb campus, there are two playgrounds with age-appropriate equipment - one for lower elementary and a second for upper elementary. Zeeb has a garden, pond, and wetlands for the children to use in their curriculum. Some classrooms also include yoga daily for the children which has been a wonderful thing. Check out Daycroft Montessori - you'll be glad you did.

I really dont believe anyone in this school really cares about making sure their kids grow and are…read moreable to achieve college. I recieved almost next to no help while attending, many teachers and the prinicpal herself, are bullies who constantly pull power trips. As well as the Catholic education, does not teach you that God loves everyone, they teach that there are rules to it and that you must live exactly by his plan and that he is unforgiving. This school is the reason I am no longer Catholic. Their theology is meant for seminarians not high school students struggling with their faith.

From the owner: Lumen Christi Catholic School offers an excellent education to students in grades 7-12 in Jackson,…read moreMichigan.

As a student from JPS montessori, the school is mid. The teachers do some stuff about bullying. I…read moregot a woodchip thrown at my throat (It didn't do anything extreme) but that's not the point. Gym teacher did nothing. Last year I was being severely bullied. Nothing was done about it. I got my hair pulled and got hit in the face 3 times and the girl who hit me didn't even get a suspension. DONT SEND UR KID TO JPS MONTESSORI!​

Great elementary school. Awesome teachers and staff. My kids all love it there. Fantastic education…read moreand they really provide a comprehensive educational experience that will make your children well rounded and help prepare them for future school years! Highly recommended!!!