I am the nanny for a kiddo that does pk-4 here. He adores it! He is always excited to go to school,…read moreloves to tell me about the projects and games he got to try. He has a few bestfriends that he gets excited to see too! He even loves doing the homework they assign, which is usually a small worksheet with the letter of the week on one side and his name on the other so he can practice writing them and becoming familiar with them. They do have more off days or half/party days than most daycares or pre-ks. This is fun but also means that this school is definitely only for those who can afford to take those days off, have a stay at home parent, or can afford care(like me) for the off days/half days. Great school overall!!!

Love this amazing school!!!!! The faculty and staff are extremely caring and knowledgeable! I…read morehighly recommend it!

I can't recommend the Early Education Annex. The classrooms are not centers-based, there is no…read moreclear curriculum, toys are not available for the children at all times and the classrooms are just really small. It doesn't seem to adhere to any of the newest research on classroom functionality or how children learn best. The inside playroom has a tile floor and few mats or pads to catch the inevitable falls. All in all it looks like this annex was an afterthought and that it doesn't receive the same attention or resources that the big school does.

I have three daughters at Ursuline and it has been so great for all three girls. The early…read morechildhood education building is fantastic. They do such a great job of making school a fun and engaging environment. The elementary school is a wonderful environment with low student-teacher ratios, a beautiful blend of the traditional classroom with art and music built into the day. The middle school is wonderful. Small classes, personal attention, a great mix of fun, academics, and art. I have seen incredible personal growth for all three of my daughters. I am so thankful my girls get to attend Ursuline and join their incredible rich history of educating catholic young women.

This school provides a quality education and culture experiences that are unmatched! You will be…read moreglad that you chose UA!

I took a tour of the daycare/preschool…read more Pros: They don't have a long wait list. Babies and toddlers are separated according to age and developmental phase. They are very flexible with drop-off and pick-up times, and have before-care and after-care at no additional cost. Spanish lessons start at age 1. The rooms are clean, they have structured days, and an excellent child-to-teacher ratio. Safe sleep environment for infants. Cons: I know from a former teacher that they don't pay their teachers a living wage, which must affect morale and how they show up to work. The teachers all seemed burnt out and scared. None of them talked to us, nor did it seem the administration wanted them to talk to us. Also heard from previous staff they have in the past (not sure about currently) been discriminatory towards non-Catholic students, i.e. not providing them with needed occupational or speech therapy. (Illegal) The days are structured, but are they too structured? These are babies. They start wearing uniforms at age 1, which I thought was hilarious. So do they need 20 uniforms for a week for how many changes of clothes they go through? No diversity among the preschool population. Almost exclusively white. The food included for ages 2 and up was catered and all came in styrofoam containers. The thought of this kind of waste and environmental damage is unfathomable. Ultimately, not the place for our child.

St. Louis King of France Catholic Church is located in Bucktown at 1609 Carrollton Ave not far from…read moreOld Hammond Highway. Father Hoang Minh Tuong replaced Father Bernie last year as the pastor and has been warmly accepted by the parishoners. This is a very close knit group of parishioners, as we see many of the same people each and every time we come here. The masses are always packed, so don't arrive late unless you like sitting all the way in the front.

Both my sons have had a great experience with friends and teachers. My kids are both athletic and…read moreit's great the school has a variety of sports which allowed them to be in sports all school year, (football, soccer , track and cross country) . I am very thankful for the teachers they have had from 2nd to 8th grade (these are the grades attended) . All teachers were easily accessible and responded to all my inquiries same day sometimes within the hour. The best part from my experience with Belle chasse Academy is the communication, I have been in the know when it comes with anything involving my kids. Communication is sent through parent square app, posted on their Facebook page and for extremely time sensitive information receive an automated call. Both my kids have had the opportunity to be in advance math which will have them enter high school with a math credit completed. BCA has many opportunities for advanced students to continue advancing in all core classes and earn high school credits in 8th grade. For our family BCA has been a great school and exceeded our expectations.

My daughter is in 8th grade and loves it. No complaints there. My middle son is in 4th grade and…read morehas also been doing well. However, my other son is in Kindergarten and has had a a horrible experience. Ms. Bylsma is not a good teacher and extremely rude. My son was so excited for Kindergarten and has a happy spirit. Not only did Ms. Bylsma kill his spirit, but ruined his Kindergarten experience. We removed him from her class and doing home school. Multiple families around us had the same comments about her. Choose a different teacher if your child is going into kindergarten.

BEST SCHOOL EVER My son attended Alpha from age 1-3. During…read morehis years there, he learned so much. We were very sad to leave but we ended up having to relocate. The staff is friendly and very hands-on. My son is now at a different school and is advanced for his grade thanks to Alpha Montessori. I'd recommend this school to anyone.

My son attended this school for about 6 months before I decided to take him out of the school. The…read moreeducators are all female and are wonderful. The school's director, Victoria was great to us and always looked out for my child and others. The kids were disciplined accordingly and taught how to deal with their big feelings. But even though the ladies took good care of the children, the facility needs a serious upgrade. The toddler rooms were kept as clean as they could be kept but there are many things that needed to be updated. The bathrooms for the children for one are horrendous! It always smelled like urine and the lighting was always so dim and the toilets were nasty. The carpets in the some of the rooms needs replacing and there is one room closed off near where the kids had lunch that smelled moldy and you can see the mold on the walls. Also, there were dead roaches in there. I never saw the staff or a cleaning crew clean the toys after closing. There are livestream cameras but it's so outdated you really can't see anything. The video lags and it's pixelated and there's no sound. The curriculum was pretty consistent and standard for the kids but there was nothing really exciting for them to do. The older toddler kids, the teacher would spread dirty mats on the floor and put the kids on the mats with different toys to play individually. I asked one of the staff members if the rugs were washed weekly and was told that they were never washed ever. So that's gross! Some of the electrical outlets were broken and exposed to the children. The toys they play with are very outdated and dirty. You can literally see the layer of dust on all the books on the book case and the inflatable planets hanging from the ceiling. The staff looks overworked though and I've seen many times that it can be too much for them handling so many kids. So I think more educators can alleviate that issue and I think they were working on that. The playground is decent and the lunch area is okay too. Overall the school is okay but because the school needs so many upgrades I really would not recommend it.

This school is amazing!! So happy that we found it and got in! Our family relocated to River Ridge…read morefrom out of state. Our son doesn't have any siblings so it was important for us to get him into school to interact with others kiddos his age. He loves school so much that he is always the last to leave and occasionally cries as he wants to stay longer. I was really worried about him integrating into a preschool as he's always on the move, I was amazed to see him sit at the table to eat or stay seated at story time. But my son isn't perfect, he gets restless and sometimes wants to get out of a group activity, so his teachers redirect him to complete an activity on his own such as reading a book, taking a break to lie down on a pillow, or giving him sensory toy to play with, etc. It's just so awesome that my son is getting great care with the development he needs. Meanwhile, they use Procare communication app which allows you to connect with the school directors and teachers. Teachers send pics, updates of how my son is doing throughout the day. They have plenty of activities so it's so cute to see pics of him doing art, making crafts, or having in-school field trips, workshops, etc. Finally, I love that my son is well fed. They have catered breakfast and lunches brought in every day from a local restaurant called "Boucherie". This is at any additional cost at $5.25 a day, but well worth it as he is getting a variety of foods and we don't have to stress out about preparing meals and snacks. I love that it's all healthy and homemade, not that processed food drama. I love Excel Early Learning Center. Thank you so much for providing such a loving environment for our son, and the tools he needs to let him explore, discover, and learn. You're simply the best!!

Amazing teachers & excellent staff. LOVE my VOL family!! I have the best coworkers ever!!read more

Its a Catholic private school, and from what I been told, one of the better/ cheaper ones on the…read morewestbank. I have my two daughters come here since pre K 3, they love it, and I like it. We know a lot of the other familys now that they been in the system for so long. So its a comfort thing. There is a new big gym lovingly called "The Deuce" because it is the second version of the bldg. Not cause it looks like a deuce. Like most private schools, it is busting at the seams with attendance. Every year the classes get bigger and the parking and pick up and drop off get crazier. This school's big fund raiser event is called Cajun Fest. Like other schools fairs, they will have a few local favorites like Chee Wees or Molly Ringwalds or Amanda Shaw along with the in-school in-parish band. Then there is all the cookie dough sales, the Worlds Finest Chocolate sale, endless Weekly Reader book fairs and something else I cant remember. Only thing they haven't done that I used to sell was fruit cakes. I actually liked them. But I digress. This school isn't really any better than others I have seen in the same grades, what I am paying for is better parents. Not teachers. Parents. Parent teacher nights here are waiting in line outside the classroom , parking lots are full. Parent teacher nights at a equivalent public school, those are typically empty. Better parents mean better students. Teachers are not supposed to raise your kids, only teach. That is why I break off $800 in my butt every month to ensure they get the best education without distraction, without fear of a crazy pajama wearing momma come in shooting because the teacher sent a note home that her child should take a bath and brush her teeth one day. I do enjoy this school and attending the church and all events like the annual fish fry during lent. Its a great opportunity to reconnect with those we only see in the gym and dropping off in the car pool line. All the teachers and the principal are very nice and somehow, know each of the students name. I seen it and I don't know how they do it. They do care here.