I used to go to this school years ago during 5th - 6th grade... it was an AWFUL experience when it…read morecame to SOME teachers. I loved going on academic/ musical field trips, eating pizza almost every week, Bible studies, and all the other fun activities the school would hold. I only liked the music teacher.. he was so fun and kind!HOWEVER I will never forget how one of my female teachers would literally bully me and treat me so unfairly. She was so dramatic and manipulative I cried. The teachers were so nosey too!... always ease dropping on everyone's conversations! It was so strict! I remember getting yelled at for the most stupendous things too! I also remember getting yelled at in front of the class by the "Spanish" teacher.. she basically reminded me in front of the class that I don't have an A (it was a B) she ranted at me as though I was failing the class.. The school would also say some offensive stuff about Catholics (They don't like catholic beliefs). It's okay to not agree with peoples beliefs but it wasn't very Christian like and it is in appropriate. How could a school so Christian have so many questionable behaviors. It was so odd! It was a strange time period that I will NOT miss. (Maybe it has changed since then but this was my experience)

I had prayed and contemplated this review for months now. I wasn't sure I wanted to share our…read moreexperience at this school, but if this review helps just 1 student, then it will be worth it. We saw some red flags at the school after the first year of sending 2 of our children here. One of our children was held back due to failing one class, and barely passing another. Both of those classes were taught by the same teacher. We hired a tutor for the next year and that child's grade went from an F to a C with only having a once a week tutor session. That speaks volumes. This teacher continued to NOT teach class. The school did not discipline or replace. Instead the "smartest" student would often teach the class. Our kids were often put down by the teachers with such phrases like "I don't even want to be teaching." Or "I don't get paid enough for this crap." It was obvious these teachers were unhappy and they passed that onto their students. Last fall, after trying to communicate with staff about our child's bad grades, we received no help at all. We realized that after 2+ years we were doing our children a disservice by keeping them in this school. We made the choice to enroll them elsewhere, but agreed they should finish out the year at PCCA. However, this spring an incident caused us to pull our children before 3rd quarter was over. After we made the school aware of the incident, they circled the wagons. They lied, covered up, and downplayed the incident. No apology, no remorse, and no repercussions. Since pulling out our children we have been homeschooling them. We have tried to get documents and our children's schoolwork from them, only to be running in circles. They have refused to allow us access to our children's Google classroom so they can get their work. When they finally allowed us access, everything was DELETED. They refuse to send us research papers and class notes. This behavior speaks volumes to their integrity and just how much they care about their students. There is so much more, but for the sake of my own sanity, this is where I will leave it. My children will have scars from this school and (most) of the staff there. But "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God has already been working through this awful experience, and I hope that our experience will help others.

my son loves going here and the staff is great. such a nice place. They do so many fun things with…read morethe kids.

I love this DayCare/Pre School. The classrooms and facilities are clean, the teachers do not have…read moremore kids then they can handle in the classroom. The owners work with you and explain anything you need to know. They have an app they send pictures on daily and update....

This is by far the best daycare center we have ever had the pleasure of sending our kids to. Our…read moreyoungest son went there for 3 years, and if it weren't for having to transfer him to a daycare closer to his special needs school, our son would still be at Ma's. They are kind hearted, loving, caring, wonderful people. Our son has autism and they were always willing to work with him. He also has a profound language/speech delay, and so he has a limited vocabulary and difficulty expressing himself. Every single one of those teachers worked with him and loved him and cared for him just as they would any other child. No matter what, they were willing to work with us and our son. When we had financial difficulties, they were willing to work with us. This is just by far the best daycare center ever. In the past we had a couple good experiences, but the home-based daycare we were at before going to Ma's 3 years ago was horrible and left my faith completely destroyed in daycare. The women at Ma's L'il Champs have completely restored my faith in daycare because of their excellence in what they do. Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this place. I cried when I had to pick up my son there for the last time. Maybe I'm going to have a harder time than he is adjusting to the new place he has to go to. I would recommend Ma's L'il Champs to anyone for a daycare center. In fact, I have recommended them to many people in the past. There's only one thing that matters when it comes to your child, and that is that they are loved and well cared for when they are in someone else's hands, and that is exactly the way they will be treated at Ma's.

Great school. My kids love it. teachers are friendly and patient. Looking forward for the years to…read morecome. Highly recommend

St. Francis de Sales HS is a school on the upswing. The work of Principal Roni Facen (an alum…read moreherself) has brought new life and energy to the building. Recent improvements to the library, cafeteria, weight room, and Gymnasium building are just the start. Enrollment is increased by 30% this year--just a sign of the renaissance of the school. AP subjects include English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, US History, and Biology. Honors courses are offered in most subject areas. Class sizes are small (generally fewer than 18 students/class) with opportunities for 1:1 tutoring and other support services with classroom teachers and support staff. Charity and charism are part and parcel of the school's mission and philosophy. As such, students give of themselves through many different outreach opportunities such as our monthly food drives, COVID-19 testing and vaccination days, mental health support and awareness community events, and Ecology/environmental outreach at Big Marsh Park and other nearby wetlands. Students are warm and welcoming to each other. It is a supportive, loving environment for learning. Sports have always been a keystone activity. Recent options include Soccer, Basketball, Track, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and Cheer & Dance. Activities offered include Photography Club, Anime Club, Gaming Club, Students in Action (Multiplying Good), Weightlifting and Ecology Club. Occasional grant funded programs provide even more opportunities such as a Build-a-Bike class.

My son has done a few classes with Patti's; Gymnastics, swimming and dance…read more The swimming is hit or miss. We originally did Saturday mornings and he managed to regress. One of the instructors that was subbing heard my complaints of his regression and worked more with him. She suggested doing the everyday for a week class with her. We did and he improved immensely. So much so that I did another week the following month while still keeping the Saturday. After that the Saturday class seemed a waste of time as my son was with kids still afraid to get in the water and he was floating, going down the slide by himself etc. A plus for Patti's swimming is as a parent you can sit by the pool and hear what's happening. There are only 2 classes max at the same time. As far as the gymnastics and dance go my son loves them both. He looks forward to his classes and will ask when can we go again, which is never the case for other programs. He's super excited for his upcoming dance recital and loves showing us his "moves" at home.

I signed my nephew up for swim lessons. I was not impressed with the class. I felt that there…read moreshould have been more one on one lessons. It felt like I was giving him lessons in the pool.

Excellent before and after school program. Merrillville buses bring to this schoolread more

Not sure how this place received 5 stars. Walked in to get information on cheer for my daughter…read more The lady was friendly at the counter but when I met the two owners, I believe, can you say attitude?! I felt unwanted but I stuck it out for my daughter. They provided information but when I asked questions, they seemed annoyed and put off. I asked about their record as far as competition and that's when the excuses started. It almost sounded like they blamed the parents and sometimes even the students. They went on and on about the older team but after some research and talking to other parents, that's the furthest from the truth. Not a way to do business if you ask me. The pricing is a little outrageous too.

When my daughter wanted to get into all-star cheer I looked into a few and after finally landing…read morehere I was amazed. Not only are the coaches super helpful with her but they answer all of my questions. The staff offered additional classes for her to take to improve her technique in tumbling. It was nice to find a gym that is super supportive and have great role models for my daughter to look up to. The older girls at the gym a super friendly with the younger athletes and it take away the intimidation factor.