Any Feedback on St. Josephs Catholic School on Willow?

Hello. I do not have personal experience with St. Joseph's. I attended public school for K-8 and private Catholic school for High School. Although both schools were in comparable neighborhoods (South Bay)I felt the parent involvement at the private school gave it a slight advantage. The private school offered a lot of parent supported programs and clubs ( spiritual, academic and athletic).

I'm sorry I can't tell you about St. Joseph but my kids go to Holy Innocents also on Willow and we love it there. It is the only school in Long Beach that still have Sisters. As others mention it is important to go to the schools and classes and see where you and your children will feel safe. Good luck as a mom you know what is best for your children and your family.

May God Bless you and your family

I'm not sure what area you live in, but we are in San Pedro, CA. Our children are in a K-8 Catholic School. We live in the Los Angeles Unified School District which has its good and bad points. However, a religious education is important to us, that is why we have our kids attending our parish school. There are a couple of things you can do to sort through this: 1) Check out www.greatschools.com If the school is listed, there is general information about the school, and sometimes parental reviews about the school. You can also check out the public schools on this site to get a feel about the area. 2) Call the school principal and ask for a tour of the school. You will get a sense of how they approach things - and if the principal says NO without a good reason, well, that tells you something, too, right? Our principal is very open to having new parents come to her one-on-one. She discusses test scores and walks them through the campus. 3) Ask the local real estate agent to get you information about the school district so you can research the district online. Most have their own websites. The most important thing, whether public or private, is that you and your husband AND your children feel comfortable with the environment. Private schools also have additional obligations attached, such as serving Christian hours and continuous fundraising. But fundraising is also is public schools, so you need to figure out your own level of commitment beyond the academic ones. Also re: private - just because you *pay* for it, doesn't always mean it's better. Hope some of this helps; I am sure you will get many helpful responses. Good luck! By the way, we are happy with what our children are learning both academically and spiritually. :)

Cathie B.

My child does not go to St. Josephs, but I know a lot of people who have sent or are currently sending their kids there. It is right across the street from my home. I can tell you that based on the people I know, if your child is average - no learning disabilities - then it's a fabulous school. It is safe, well-rounded, and grounded in faith, morals, and values. However, I know a family who has two children with ADHD and the school could not provide the attention the children need to learn. They ended up pulling their children out and moving them to public school. On the other hand, I know a family who put their two oldest children through St. Josephs, but put their youngest through the public school right across the street - Emerson. They had trouble with all the second language families that were impacting the education their child received. I also know several families who have raised their children at St. Josephs and have sent their kids to private Catholic schools, specifically Mater Dei. Their kids are amazing...successful, well-rounded, and faithful!

On a personal note, my child goes to Emerson as I believe in public schools for a variety of reasons. I am very happy there and love what the school has to offer. I feel safe and like that the school feels like a family. However, I would not hesitate to send my child to St. Josephs. I'm sure it would be a wonderful school for your two little ones.

Sorry I could not provide personal experience there, but I thought it would be better to send some feedback rather than none at all. St. Joseph has a wonderful reputation!!! Good luck with your decision.

I dont know very much of St Josephs my kids attended St
Anthonys in long beach.I currently still have my youngest attend and she really likes the teachers. Kids are thought about the fundamentals of the catholic church which is one thing i really like. They attend mass weekly. And most inportantly you dont have the crowded classrooms so kids get all the one on one they need. Yes the tuition is a little high but you get what you pay for. Good luck in choosing what you feel is better for your kids

Hi,
I'm sending my son to St. Joseph's to start Kindergarten in September. We're thrilled that he's going to get a great education academically, and one that will support the morals and values that we're teaching at home.

To address a comment by another parent about qualification of teachers in private schools, I'm sure she's right. But all of the teachers at St. Joseph's are credentialed, and most actually have a Masters degree. You can call the principal, Mrs. Considine, and she will tell you that the teachers are exceptional and show you test scores that prove the job they are doing in academics.

Good luck with your decision!

I love this web site and don't want to be negative, and I don't know a thing about the school, but I have a dear friend who is suffering from cancer. She missed her donations to that church 2 times in a row, because she was so sick, and the priest sent her a nasty letter. She was so hurt that she has changed churches after 20+ years. I would not send my child to an institute that might be involved with something like that. The public school system here in this area has served my whole family and my husband's family very well. Good luck to you and your dear little ones.

Hi, N.,

I started teaching 15 years ago. I, like several of my colleagues, have taught in both public and private schools. I have not worked at or attended St. Joseph's School, so I cannot comment on it. However, I can tell you a few things about choosing a school. Based on my experience, the location of the school will give you a better idea of the quality and safety of the school than the type (public vs. private) will. I've seen good and bad private schools as well as good and bad public schools. One thing to keep in mind is that most public schools have more rigorous standards for teachers in terms of qualification. (They require a state teaching credential, whereas not all private schools do. Public schools can demand more as they pay teachers more, even though private schools can charge very high tuition. Higher tuition does not always indicate higher quality education.) Tour the neigborhoods and campuses of the schools you are considering. Ask the administrators of the schools you are considering whether you and your child can sit in class for a day or part of a day.

Most of the schools I have worked at, even in dangerous neighborhoods in L.A., have felt safe.

Good luck,
Lynne E
Mother of almost twins, too

HI,
Probably doesn't help much, but my neighbor's child (3rd grade now) goes to that school and has been going there. They like it!! The child seems to be having a good experience there.