Located at the corner of St. Theresa's Avenue and Center Street, St. T's is about as West Roxbury…read moreas West Roxbury gets...for all the right reasons. It's not glitzy, its services don't offer a lot of flash or production values and and the place sometimes seems stuck 30 years ago. Maybe that's not a bad thing, and here's why... This is a parish and parish community that care deeply for each other. From the school, to the programs it sponsors for youths, families and its older members, St. Theresa's works to bring people together in a loving Christian way. The great thing is that its activities don't occur on a sporadic, occasional basis - they're happening all the time. Charity and love for one's neighbor is the rule, not the exception. At any time a visitor may see children learning about the Gospel in school as kids from a Scout troop put together a service project a few doors down from where a parish men's group is contacting a list of social service providers for a troubled family while other parishoners are working on a clothing drive for a homeless shelter in Boston. Meanwhile, in the midst of Masses, weddings, and funerals, the parish priests are constantly counseling people with a wide range of needs and visiting the sick and elderly. In an ideal Catholic community the parish is a vibrant hub of social and charitable activities and St. Theresa's is very much that in seemingly infinite ways. Probably the best test of a parish is how strongly the surrounding community shares its values. In their daily lives the people of the parish are an accurate reflection of the parish itself. Caring for each other, publicly or quietly, taking care of their neighbors, carrying out the message of Christ in their daily lives...people from St. Theresa's don't see that as remarkable, it's just the way things should be done. With a relatively small staff of priests serving a large community St. Theresa's offers a pretty straightforward, no-frills schedule of Masses. There are a couple of vigil Masses on Saturday, followed by four on Sunday, the last at noon. Consider yourself very lucky if you attend a Mass conducted by Rev. Raymond Helmick. A Jesuit, he is a deeply thoughtful preacher always with a fascinating insights into the Gospel. Some three decades ago St. Theresa's looked and sounded a lot busier than today. There were more Masses, higher attendance at services, more priests staffing the church, and many more social and activities for youths. Today it's a lot smaller, with fewer activities, lower attendance, and about two fewer priests than before. Though smaller it is still a place where people care for each other's spiritual and human needs. Like it was 30 plus years ago it is still a dominant part of the community and although smaller in size it is still a caring, loving parish.

I cannot say enough great things about this school. They have an amazing focus on academics but…read morealso enrich children in other areas with extra curricular activities that include dance, basketball, lego and book clubs, and more. I can't imagine my children would receive a more well rounded education elsewhere. The community surrounding the school is just as great. We have made lifelong friends with other families. An extremely high number of children test into exam schools no problem and attend high schools that include Latin, Latin Academy, and Roxbury Latin.

I was lucky enough to attended Delphi as a child growing up, and last month my toddler started…read morethere! The same things I loved about Delphi long ago are still present and thriving. The teachers are enthusiastic and passionate about learning and make every single day fun. The small class sizes allow for a strong nurturing relationships between staff and students, and my child feels welcomed and loved already. I appreciate that Delphi's reading program teaches students to read at such a young age and provides them with a genuine love for learning. It isn't forced upon them and that was something I loved when I went- I became a strong independent learner which helped me through college and into my career. Many of the staff that worked there when I was young are still present- which means a lot in this day and age. After a few weeks our son already loves his class, his teacher Miss Pam and the fun activities they do daily- art, music, outside time twice a day, painting, reading class, etc

I previously worked at Delphi Academy and I am ashamed to once be a part of this "school". They…read morepride themselves on their amazing teachers, when in actuality majority of them do not know what they are doing because they were never trained. I was given an outdated manual that does not teach children correctly and none of the materials that should go along with curriculum. It would ask me to take out certain math materials for a lesson and when I asked where I could get these materials, my supervisor said "oh we don't have those, just make your own." The admin is a complete mess and does not help teachers. When I started out along with three other first year teachers, multiple teachers who had been there for years say they hate the school and want to leave but cannot find another job. Never mind that the school is rooted in Scientology. The curriculum was written by the same person that created Scientology. When you ask them if they are affiliated with Scientology they will say no. However, in the front lobby of the school they have "The Way to Happiness" books for anyone to take. Books written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. I decided to leave the school when I saw their "reading" program. They do not teach children to read they teach them to memorize. This old practice of memorizing words has been debunked as the correct way to teach reading. Phonics is scientifically proven to be the best way to teach children how to read. They did not teach phonics and when I asked about it they told me they do not teach that because they do not believe in it. By using this strategy of memorization is harms students and creates bad habits that will be hard to break in the future. I had a parent during a conference tell me they want their child to learn phonics and they do not believe this is the right way to learning how to read and I had to lie to them and tell them this was correct because I was being monitored by admin during my conferences. I also had to lie to a parent and tell them their child was doing well when they couldn't write their name. Please I beg you not to put your child in this school. I know the class sizes are very tempting and they will woo you in so many ways, but it's a trap. They will not teach your child. Many of the teachers there are not certified, which even though it is legal, they will not get the instruction they need to be successful. If you don't believe me listen to the podcast "sold a story" about the problem we have.

Most teachers are inconsiderate and unsympathetic and egotistical. Bullying is rampant. It's…read moreincredibly cliquey with any non-white non-straight non-athletic and unconventionally attractive girls being excluded. Teachers turn a blind eye to bullying. Tuition goes up every year with several other expenses, like over 200$ for a retreat where students are fed chicken nuggets. No heat yet detentions are given to girls wearing pants or sweaters to be warmer. Stealing is rampant. School lunches are over priced. Some students show up drunk or high and teachers do nothing. However, the curriculum is challenging and expository writing fully prepares students for college, but at what cost?

For the last 2 years my daughter has been going to UA I…read morelove it so does my daughter they provide security, high education and higher level of self esteem.

Complete waste of time - the consultants did not help, their system was a joke, and nothing but…read morewaste of time and money.

We feel so lucky that our son worked with Dr. Megan Race. She kept him, and all of us, on track…read more She was everything one would want in a college consultant and more! This was our first time in the college process and she made the whole process less stressful. It was so helpful to have an expert guide us and be the one to help direct our son (vs us nagging him!). Our son got into his first choice college (early decision) and we are looking forward to working with Spark again for our second child. Besides having great consultants, Spark fully understands the college landscape and they give you that incredible inside knowledge to help craft your child's whole process. We looked at lots of college consultant companies and know Spark and especially Megan was the best choice for our son!