This is hands down one of the best schools in Atlanta. A National Blue Ribbon School. It is a…read moreschool that focuses not only on academic excellence (and the academics are superior to most any other schools) but also focuses on serving others. The faculty and staff are like family and they truly care for each of the children as if they were their own. All three of our children attend St. Thomas More and our oldest has been there for eight years. I can remember once my son coming home with something he had written about why he loved St. Thomas More and he wrote "St. Thomas More teaches you to be kind." My kids are receiving a top notch education and feel safe and very happy at St. Thomas More and I could not ask for more.

From the owner: From the moment you step on our campus at Saint Thomas More Catholic School in Decatur, Ga., you…read morecan feel the difference. Joy is abundant! We live our school mission as “a joyful learning community reaching out to the world as the hands of Christ.” Affectionately called “STM” and located in Decatur, GA, Saint Thomas More Catholic School offers Pre-K4 - 8th grade students an education for their mind, heart, and soul. At our National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, we provide an academically challenging, innovative learning environment that is Christ-centered and based on Catholic values and traditions. We strive to inspire a global sense of understanding, respect, and compassion for others and the courage to put our faith into action. As an accredited private Catholic Pre-K, elementary and middle school inspired by the Jesuits, we are committed to the Jesuit ideals of academic excellence, the service of faith, the promotion of justice, and the education of the whole child.

Hess has been a great fit for my middle school child! It's a small, warm and accepting community…read morewith many great teachers. The small class sizes really help my child thrive. I also appreciate the focus on outdoor time and field trip experiences.

We discovered Hess Academy when we were looking for a preschool program for our son. By the time it…read morewas time for him to begin Kindergarten at City Schools of Decatur (he was zoned for Winnona), we were so in love with Hess that we decided to stay. There are so many things that are great about Hess, but here the three things that work especially well for us. First, plenty of healthy outside time. The kids begin the day with 20-30 minutes in the playground before they need to into their classes. Lunch and recess are another hour, and everyone finishes the day with another 15 minutes in the playground. Second, classes are capped at 12-14 students with two full-time teachers. The individualized attention that our son's intellectual and emotional needs receive are, therefore, outstanding. Finally, the kids (and teachers) do not go through the horrible Standardized Testing that has become the norm at the Public-School system (although teachers and educators have been saying for years that this kind of testing is pedagogically harmful). There is so much more to love about this school--like the devotion that Hess teachers show their students and the sense of community. Just go and tour the school!

If you want your kids to be more than just smart, to be Great human beings, This is your place. The…read morewhole culture puts being caring, honest, upfront, and respectful front and center. I see it in my kids every day. (ok, almost every day. They're still humans! :)) But they really do learn in a much more varied 'landscape' of people, of cultures, family structures and points of view and they are better for it. Plus they are getting all the tools for great conflict management skills, a key predictor of happiness. And that's the icing on the cake of solid academics. My kids are learning, and most importantly, they are happy and confident, they feel loved and like they "belong" at their school. (They beg me to stay at aftercare to play with their friends!)

When it came time to find a kindergarten for my son, I knew that I wanted a setting with small…read moreclass sizes, skillful teachers, and a focus on academics. However, as a psychologist, I also knew that I wanted a school that had a focus on social-emotional development. I feel so lucky to have found the Friends School for my son. They sincerely practice what they preach. My son has ADHD, and the teachers were exceptional in identifying his needs, using targeted strategies to assist him, and communicating with me about ways to support him. Despite his challenges, they never lost sight of his unique strengths. Now that he is in first grade, he is thriving. And, the beauty of it is, because it's a small school, his current teachers already have some familiarity with him and have been able to give me great feedback about his improvement. The focus on ensuring that kids are well-rounded citizens is also a real asset for FSA. My son is courteous, kind, and socially aware. He talks about helping the homeless, eating healthy foods, and caring for the environment. He gets adequate exercise and sunlight during the school day (which research shows is linked to greater energy and concentration). He is learning conflict management skills, mindfulness, empathy, and how to be a good member of a team. As someone who works with business leaders, I know that these lessons will be invaluable in his life. I once told the headmaster that he radiates warmth. His demeanor is so kind, upbeat, and positive - he never looks like he's going through the motions. I believe that he sets a great tone for the rest of the school. I can't rave enough about FSA. I'm so lucky that we found it!

short version: My…read moreson was not emotionally safe at Arbor Montessori School. We started Primary 8/2021. Soon after, a member of the lead teacher's immediate family became ill requiring unexpected & sometimes long absences. Though the situation caused lots of inconsistency and concern about how our kids would be affected, we all sojourned with the teacher and supported her as best we could. Sadly, after ~2 years, the family member died. The teacher left for a period & returned 2/2023. In 4/2023, our son started being afraid to do things he'd done prior & extremely afraid to be away from me/mom. Over the summer, he was extremely terrified of going to camps. We ended up keeping him home because drop-off seemed like such a traumatic experience for him. We had no clue what brought on his fear. When school started in 8/2023, he was still afraid to go to school & his behavior escalated. Arbor recommended several therapists since they didn't have support staff within the school. From their list of recommendations, we chose the therapist who was familiar with our particular class as well as Montessori education. This therapist is widely known and respected in the Arbor community and among other notable schools in the Atlanta area. The therapist stated our son likely learned of the teacher's loss & was afraid of himself & me dying. Arbor rejected the therapist's opinion. Instead, the Head of School stated that perhaps "Montessori was not for him" and that the "school's business model doesn't allow for one-on-one support." They began taking steps to withdraw & refuse emotional support to our son, e.g., the Head of School and Director told us they didn't know what to do or how to handle the situation, however, they told us we needed to leave the school within 5 minutes although my son was not secured in the classroom or with the teacher and he was not yet comfortable to stay. We coordinated a meeting with the therapist & Arbor to make a plan to help our son feel comfortable at school. Arbor sabotaged the meeting. The Director wouldn't let the therapist speak, kept interrupting her, and had a reason for not being able to implement any of the therapist's suggestions. After that meeting, I knew our son was not safe there. We emailed the president of Arbor's Board of Directors detailing what happened to us and requested a meeting. She responded that she would investigate and get back with us. The next day, the Head of School sent an email terminating us because of what we wrote to the Board.

Our youngest daughter attended Arbor in grades pre thru 8th grade. We have always thought of Arbor…read moreas a special place. It's always been very accepting and welcoming. It was like an extension of our family. Now our daughter has moved on to a public magnet high school. She is thriving in her first experience outside of Arbor. I trace her early success to how well Arbor prepared her to meet the next round of academic challenges. I unequivocally recommend Arbor to any parent looking for a quality educational environment for their children.

What an awesome school! It has been a neighborhood school for over 50+ years. The building still…read morelooks like the original. It is a small school with some of the most amazing teachers. They have a great program for children who need a little extra help too. The drop off/pick up here is simple. They are very involved in the community too. They have an edible garden that they grow veggies in. This school needs an updated playground and at one time, Lowe's and 11Alive said that they were upgrading it, but I am not sure why they have not as of yet. Hmmm.... I highly recommend this school!

Okay. I don't go to this school lolz =P And I don't even have kids yet…read more But, I live in the area and my sister, who does have a lil girl, is looking to move closer to me (Yay! =)), and wanted to check out some of the elementary schools in the local area. She's not looking to move til the end of summer, but getting her ducks in a row early. :) Anyway, I went with her on a tour of the school to check it out. It's pretty nice. It's definitely an older school, but I kinda like that - it gives it a nice old-world feel of the days when innocence was a bit more the norm. All of the teachers and staff seemed so nice and friendly and they were all very knowledgeable. The way it's built, there's a cute little courtyard in the middle of the school and that's really neat. They have a big cafeteria, with one of those stages up front :) A nice big gym in its own building for the kiddies to play their games and exercise. A very nice little library. The outside is pretty huge out back, with some basketball courts and a nice wooded area. The playground was pretty lacking though. But when I asked about it, they said that actually they are building a new, better and bigger one this very month! They have a dedicated system for disadvantaged children and they do participate in the pre-K lottery thing, which my sis was really excited about =P. It's literally right in the middle of a big neighborhood (it borders on mine), so it's REALLY convenient if you live in the area. And of course being Asian, we were concerned about racial diversity - but no need - walking around we saw students from everywhere, so that's really nice too.

I use to go to this school and it was terrible. They taught the same stuff over and over and over…read moreagain every year. The school look very old and wore out. The school´s lunch is terrible. They once school served expired milk. I do not recommend sending your child to this school.

Some of my siblings and family went to this school. The teachers are very nice and passionate about…read moreteaching. They are patient and they also try to get the parents involved with doing homework assignments due at the end of each school week. They also have a diverse group of students which is nice to see. I would highly recommend this school for families who live in the area.