First year at this school and my kids love it! They are both so much better behaved and have…read morelearned a lot during their first year here. The principal, Mrs. Mitchell, is a firm and fair principal that knows how to run a school well. She addresses any problems with any student and makes sure they are performing as they should at school. All the teachers are well trained, patient, and experienced. Mrs. Olsen (3rd Grade) has helped my son immensely with his academics as well as shaping him to be a great student! Mrs. Morawski and Mrs. Pozezinski (Kindergarten) have taught my daughter quite a bit and she is a much smarter girl because of it! The school is well maintained and they teach the Roman Catholic faith quite thoroughly as well. I am very satisfied with St. Mary School and recommend to anyone who wants a quality education both academically and spiritually to enroll their children here. A+++

If your child wants a true education, enroll them in Elgin U-46. They have all the resources you…read moreneed to help your child succeed. St. Mary's facilities are old and outdated.

We moved to the area at the start of the pandemic and by 2021 were ready to send our 4 year old to…read morea Montessori. So began our hunt for the best of many in the Oak Park area. We didn't know any folks who had sent their kids to one near by so had to do cold calls and tours. I reached out to a few in the area and Mrs Eggerding was the fastest to callback and schedule a tour, starting us off on a great foot about how well the school had their act together. We got to observe a classroom and we're extremely excited by the vibe of the guides (Montessori speak for "teachers") and the children. There was just so much independence and respect that we knew we found the right school. At first our 4 year old was resistant. He had been with his grandmother for the last 1.5 years of the pandemic so I get his resistance. But even after day 1 he was excited to share his experiences. We eventually sent our second child there too in a different classroom, which they were happy to accommodate. We couldn't have been happier with our choice even with a 10+ min drive every day. We're definitely planning to send out third there as well. At first it doesn't seem too different from other schools as far as what they're able to do but by even a few months in they're showing so much more independence and eagerness to do more. It's a challenge to me to expect and enable them more at home. The guides have been wonderful about getting to know our children and guiding them on their journey. We've had a few parent teacher conferences which are helpful to peek behind the current as they're often exhausted in a good way by the end of the day. Our child's guides and the front office staff were very receptive to questions and helped us both understand Montessori better but also our child. It was funny for us as parents to go from a city daycare that sent us his eating, peeing, pooping, and activity schedule with activity photos nearly as they were happening to come to Montessori which is really trying to put the child first and focus on them, not logging everything they're doing. I had been a Montessori student so expected that but it was still funny. We get photos and reports every couple of weeks and had parent teacher conferences that did align with what he was saying or what we figured was going on.

If i could rate this place half a star i would. i took my daughter here for preschool and she loved…read more1 teacher only 1. as soon as she got into her 1st year at that school she was getting bullied by everyone and the teachers because she had a physical disability. the classrooms are VERY packed, my kid was in a class of 35 from preschool to 6th grade. she was the happiest little girl and she loved dressing up and having parties, but as soon as she got into 1st grade she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. she was CONSTANTLY having fights with her teachers because of her depression, later she was diagnosed with explosive anger issues. because of her teachers . she was coming home crying because of the kids bullying her. she eventually had to leave in the middle of her 6th grade year because her mental health was super bad. she is now happily at gwendolyn brooks middle school and doing much better.

Great school with awesome teachers! Convenient location with easy drop off and pickup.read more

Becky Gonzalez was the preschool teacher for both of my children. I pulled my older son from a…read morefancy private preschool to put him in her class and was extremely surprised and pleased with how much he learned under Ms. Gonzalez's tutelage. I cannot imagine a better learning environment for a child entering school than the classroom of Ms. Gonzalez. It's warm and inviting and filled with interesting, educational activities for children. Ms. Gonzalez has incredible relationships with both parents and students. She is kind but firm, challenging but patient, and manages to be entirely empathetic while maintaining complete professionalism. Ms. Gonzalez is extremely knowledgeable regarding innovative, progressive teaching methods and practices and was the first teacher to introduce the Responsive Classroom approach to me. This method helps foster a feeling of camaraderie and instills a sense of respect for one another among the students in her classroom. She is also Nationally Board Certified, which is highly unusual among most preschool teachers. Ms. Gonzalez is passionate in her commitment to teaching and does an excellent job of differentiating her teaching by maximizing her brightest students' performance while helping struggling students through individual attention, kindness and support. She always keeps her students' parents informed of what and how their children are doing in school so that we can also work with our children at home. I highly recommend you send your children to Bucktown Academy.

We were so lucky to have chosen FYC years ago when our little guy was just 6 months old. After a…read morebrief time on the wait list, our son began in their infant room and over several years aged his way up to the pre-K room. At every stage, we felt his days in their care were enriching and rewarding. A few weeks before his 4th birthday we moved to the suburbs and were unable to keep him there, but we can't say enough good things about the level of care and attention he received at FYC. At every age we felt he was stimulated, nurtured and provided opportunities to grow. More than just a day care facility, the structured school-like setting and curriculum really helped him develop strong skills of all kinds. Physical, social, emotional, intellectual. They focus on age-appropriate activities that are fun and engaging, but also educational. So many people have remarked over the years how "smart" our little guy was becoming, and we believe much credit is owed to the kind, caring teachers in each of the classes...people who we could tell genuinely enjoyed working with children, helping open their young minds to life's many joys and possibilities. Our son made many friends at FYC; the school promotes a sense of community through extracurricular events...picnics and parties where parents can see their children interact with others. The parents of the other children there are also a welcoming and friendly bunch, inviting classmates to birthday parties and continuing that true sense of community. Our son thrived at FYC; he remembers and misses many of the teachers there. We certainly recommend it for any parent seeking more than a basic babysitting facility, but an enriching early childhood experience for their little one. Kudos to Nikki and Katie, and all the great staff, for their dedication to providing an exceptional environment for early childhood growth and development.

I can't say enough about this place. My child loves his teachers and always has so much to say…read moreabout what he is learning or doing. The activities are engaging and age appropriate. The teachers are very friendly and responsive. If you're looking for a prep school experience, for your child may not be as stuffy as others but I can't think of a better place to bring my child in the city.

We have been at St Ben's for four years, and we are so happy here. The teachers and leadership are…read morefully committed to the kids. There is a true sense of community, and parents are really welcoming. We love that we get so many extras here - sports are offered as young as PK, student council starts in second grade, an abundance of clubs including chess and coding, violin and strings, etc. My kids especially enjoy the art, library, STEM, PE, and Spanish classes!

The Nook has been in our family for the past 7 years. The Nook on Leavitt is truly something…read morespecial! The staff is amazing--so warm, communicative, and clearly passionate about what they do. They keep things fresh with creative weekly themes, and I love that they incorporate Spanish, dance, and music into the day. It's a nurturing, engaging environment that makes learning fun. Highly recommend! Thank you Ms Reyna, Ms Yesenia, Ms Vero, and Ms Ashley!

As a teacher at The Nook, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the incredible work they…read moredo. The teachers are not only highly qualified but also genuinely care about each childs well being and development. The facility is clean, well-equipped, and provides a nurturing environment for children to explore and learn, I'm constantly Impressed by the center's commitment to creating a positive and enriching experience for every child. Love, Learn, Collaboration

We have our two little girls, ages three and six, at the GEMS world Academy, and we could not be…read moremore happy with our experiences there! The quality of the education has really spoiled us for going anywhere else, and communication from teachers and administrators is amazing, they always hear our concerns and respond, to such an extent that we don't email them on nights or weekends because we know we will hear back from them too soon! Additionally, my husband and I had concerns about putting our children in private school, but the value of this educational institution is truly outstanding. Highly recommend!

When we began looking at schools for our kids (then age 8 and 9), we were seeking a school with an…read moreemphasis on a more global and interactive educational experience rather than a curriculum focused on teaching to take tests. We wanted them to learn how to think and process information rather than to memorize. We also wanted them to have a more global understanding and what it meant to be a member of a global community and interact with a diverse student body. We found that, and more, within GEMS World Academy ~ Chicago. The teachers are among the top of their fields and know how to get the best out of their students. The Field Studies help them engage and interact with the outside world and apply their learnings in real-life settings. Our kids engage with a diverse group of students, parents, and educators. It's exciting to enter their lobby and hear a mixture of different languages spoken at any given time. We're entering our third academic year at GEMS and my kids look forward to going to school every day, something I couldn't say when they were attending their former school.

My kids have attended this school for several years. Teachers are caring and they are following…read moregreat safety protocols esp during covid. We are so happy to be part of this community

This hurts a bit to only give 3 stars, I was a 5-star thinker about this school initially. And…read morethat's the problem with this place in a nutshell - GREAT at making a first impression, but it didn't quiiiite hold up for us. The turnover had been a problem - our daughter had three directresses within a single year in her room. Only one of the four primary classroom teachers was the same when we left as when we started. Only one of four teachers stays for two years?! I think this kind of defeats the whole purpose of the multi-age, multi-year classrooms that are so central to Montessori education. Entry-level staff was constantly being sent to training, and people were moving up fast. It's a great opportunity for an entry-level child-care provider at this school, since you might be #2 in a room in two years if you don't make a huge mistake. But, the school maybe should be doing better at recruiting, hiring and training and addressing the underlying cultural problem that seemed to push teachers away. We were there for two years as our two kids were 3- and 4- years old and had a really solid experience. The kids were well-cared for, basically safe, had great materials and facilities and loving staff around them. Problem is, I don't think you can execute on some of the most basic ideas of a true Montessori education if you are always changing over kids and teachers in the classrooms. What's amazing is how well they handle it and maybe the kids are learning some valuable lessons by going through change. But it's not what we expected when we came in with such a brilliant first impression and when we paid such brilliant tuition and made a brilliant donation at the big brilliant fund-raising event. This seems to be a boldly for-profit school, and essentially still a fast-expanding start-up. That might be the core of the long-term challenge. I *love* the people, top-to-bottom, and I wish them well. Your kids will be safe and well-cared for here, and it is a convenient place to drop kids off on your way to the Loop every day. They've nailed parent convenience, safety and peace-of-mind. When they get the Montessori child's and teacher's experience a little better polished, this place might really be special.