Like many parents, I read the reviews before enrolling my son at St. Anne's, and I'll admit, I was…read morehesitant. Some of the concerns raised gave me pause. But as we near the end of our third year (currently finishing 4th grade), I feel compelled to share our experience because I'm genuinely glad we chose this school.
No school is perfect, and yes, we've had our challenges here and there. But overall, St. Anne's does an outstanding job across many levels. My son is not only thriving academically, he's also genuinely happy. The school strikes a wonderful balance between being firm and structured, while maintaining a warm, positive environment where kids are encouraged and challenged to grow.
One of the highlights for us has been the next-level extracurricular offerings and the way St. Anne's integrates experiential learning in every grade level. These hands-on experiences really resonate with the kids and make learning more fun and meaningful.
Our first year was a bit rocky, while St. Anne's is a private school and doesn't follow public school IEP protocols, the principal at the time (Mrs. Bournazian) went above and beyond to work with his teacher and me to put support systems in place to help him suceed. When she became Head of School, I was a little nervous that our dynamic might shift, but the transition has been seamless and honestly, the school has continued to flourish under her leadership. We still feel incredibly supported by both the administration and teachers.
Speaking of teachers, we've been very fortunate. Each year, my son has had passionate, caring educators who are truly invested in their students' growth. I've heard some concerns among parents about staff turnover, but having experienced two other schools (one public and another well-known private school in OC), I can say this is fairly typical. Teachers move on for all kinds of reasons, what matters more is the consistency of care, and we've always felt that here. With the exception of one long term sub that was not ideal, we've had outstanding teachers from 2nd to 4th grade. The music program is beyond impressive, Mr. Yaple works wonderfully with kids of all ages. Same for the arts program, the school puts on a more professional production than some theater houses in LA. This is a school that provides the opportunity for all kinds of kids to thrive.
Socially, like many schools, St. Anne's can feel a bit cliquey at times, but we've also met some truly amazing families, and my son has built wonderful friendships.
All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend St. Anne's. I'm grateful we ignored the negative reviews and gave it a chance.
