I'm writing from a different perspective than others may have in the past, as an attendee of a play…read moreperformed there. I organized an outing with a few friends one evening to watch a performance of the 1776 musical there. That show was really well done, great work to all who were involved! That said, to the venue itself, I thought it was beautiful and awesome! The theater itself was really nicely decorated and put together, and the hallway and everything was really scenic and such as well. I never knew this was there, and glad my friend told me about this play (he was involved with the production of it) to experience it and to see this really cool space!

Well known high school for teens who like music and writing as well as many more special…read moreactivities. Some of the group Boyz II Men, Will Smith, Richard Gere, Pink and more Philly natives attended the Philadelphia High School of Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) It's considered one of the best schools in the city of Philadelphia.

I have two sons at the school and a third will enter next year. I cannot say enough about the…read moreschool, the students, teachers, and parents. My boys thrive on the small classroom environment; although, my daughter did not, so the intimacy isn't for everyone. She opted for a larger school (Masterman) and was very well prepared for the academic rigor of that school, because of the foundation provided by St. Peter's School. The traditions (May Day, declamations, Branches of May, etc) provide families and the entire community with opportunities to share in--and support--the development of the students. I've found the teachers and administration to be responsive and a source of wisdom and support. My family has enjoyed 10 years at the school and we're looking forward to another nine years!

Advantages: * A foreign language and the great French…read moreteachers * Declamation * The small class sizes * The backup care as a flat fee (takes it off the mind about getting care for most needed days) * The school spirit activities Disadvantages: * The horrible, unorganized administration * The small class sizes Don't expect any Einsteins to come from here -- due to Einstein not speaking until he was 4, this school would have filtered him out as an inappropriate student. The fact that they post a poster that says "Everyone is welcome and accepted here" is misleading. The administration are only concerned with low maintenance children, so don't go to this school unless you are sure that your child is cookie-cutter. There is tons of busy work, which I'm not sure results in learning, as my child got 80-100% on everything, but the administration told us that our child was underperforming. The administration of the school didn't even congratulate us when our child got an external award, which left us with a cold feeling. I know that this review will not make a difference since the Philly school system is so messed up, that you're desperate to get your child ahead and will send your kid here no matter what. So, let me be honest here -- St. Peters is good until it's not (meaning that if you have a child that's out of the norm). So in most cases, you're probably OK and will have a pleasant experience. Given that most parents reading this are sending their kid to pre-k/kindergarten and have no idea what their child will be like in their academics, let me give some advice. If this school asks you to get a psycho-educational evaluation, DO NOT DO IT (or do it eventually on a long wait list at a more affordable college but refuse to give it to them). We did it, spent a fortune, and St. Peters hardly tried to accommodate the child given the evaluation. We thought that they would truly take it to heart and that the "personalized attention" that they try to imply through the small class sizes, would materialize. NOTHING. They just used it to get rid of the child. It was quite disappointing because the teachers seemed really lazy about trying new things... they would occasionally try something that worked with my child and then would stop and complain later about the child and I would have to ask "why aren't you doing X incentive that worked"? Beyond this, if they do go after your child, do not feel alone. I have heard countless stories about them getting rid of perfectly normal and especially gifted children who just cause them extra work. I feel like they create an atmosphere that parents are constantly in fear and panic because they put pressure on parents to do their heavy lifting. For me, "homey don't play that" with their large tuition. But they don't care and kick kids out all the time. Apparently, they don't need the money because of Philly's lacking schools that create desperate parents. Moral of the story: Elect officials who will build Philly's public schools, give to your public schools (even if you don't go there). Because without good competition, private schools don't have to care about every child and surely don't care that children are unique, fragile blooms. Extra negative notes: There is so much evidence of lack of organization -- some major announcements are not until the last minute, I got the initial advice to read the newsletter like a bible because there are things buried in there, and their graduation took 3 hours, with kids as young as 7 having to wait without dinner until 8:30 to get out. Extra positive note: At least they organized an afterschool program with a flat fee.

My granddaughter had the opportunity to attend their summer camp. Not only did they get to do…read moreoutside activities they did alot of fun crafts. She met so many new friends and the teachers were beyond Awesome. My children had the opportunity to also go to this wonderful school when it was known as Epiphany of Our Lord. I have complete trust and love for this school. Thank you Ms.Cody, Mrs.Polidore, Ms Zelman,Mrs. Roccuzzo, Mrs.Maratei and the other wonderful staff of the Camp that I missed. It was a learning experience and a fun experience for my granddaughter.

Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School offers an excellent alternative for quality education in…read moreSouth Philadelphia. At Our lady of Hope, the culture is one of safety, acceptance, encouragement, and care between the students, the teachers and the students, and the administration and the students. The teachers at Out Lady of Hope have outstanding teaching experience and consistently strive to use not only technology but also research-based methodology to provide children with quality education. The size of the classrooms allow for an inclusive learning environment and for the teachers to focus on the diverse needs of every student as an individual. Our Lady of Hope also provides for learning experiences that are unique not only in comparison to the public school system in South Philadelphia but also to other private and charter schools in this geographic area. Exceptional learning opportunities for students include a fully implemented (including trained staff) Lab Learner science curriculum, a robust middle school "academy" with an advanced curriculum, foreign language instruction, interactive technology-based instruction throughout the school, individual student access to state-of-the-art computer labs and leading edge personal computer equipment such as iPads, and a rigorous program in both art and music. Overall, the education that OurLlady of Hope can provide is consistently far superior to other options that might be considered for your son or daughter in the city of Philadelphia.