This school used to be good until the new principal was assigned this year. it's been one problem…read moreafter the other since the beginning of the year. I'm not the only parent upset either. Several parents have already removed their children or vowed this will be the last year they attend. Unless the current principal Sharron Voneda is replaced I urge you not to subject your children to this school. All of the issues were having are from the 2nd grade class which is also the class the principal teaches. The class is made up of 2nd and 3rd grade students being taught simultaneously. When second graders are unsure about their work, math specifically, they're directed by the teacher to seek counseling from a third grade student (while the teacher plays on her phone) which as my child and another student have told us parents is not helping them learn but just confusing them more. We had to get together a couple months ago because the 2nd grade teacher/ principal decided to ban jackets because they were "distracting" and forced students (in all grades) to sit freezing in chapel and class until enough of us complained and got the new ridiculous rule overturned. Then there's injuries to students by accident to themselves or inflicted by other students that the teacher is being made aware of but neglecting to tell the parents. Some as serious as head injuries and a kick in the stomach to a child that has a hernia which is being monitored. There's a lot of sexual talk going on between students (2nd graders mind you) and the parents aren't being made aware of the situation till days or weeks later or not at all until our kids tell us. How this is happening un noticed in a class of 8 is beyond me. Unless it has something to do with the teacher being in the phone and not paying attention. In the beginning of the year it became an issue of tests being given without notifying the parents so we can study with our kids. Instead she would verbally tell the kids and expect 7 year olds to know how to study for grammar, religion, science, Latin, spelling and math tests which will all often times fall on the same week. This week for instance they have a test on 5 chapters of Latin almost 100 spelling words, bible verse memory, grammar questions memory and math. All on a week where they have a field trip, half day, and field day. Just awful planning and gives little to no time for proper class time to prepare young students for these large bodies on information on several subjects and testing them all on the same day. I have to spend at least 2-3 hours a night doing homework and studying. And I'm not the only parent complaining of this. The abundance of work these 7 year olds are expected to do on a daily basis is draining to them and us. Like I said. It's really just the principal/teacher. Also the 4th 5th and 6th grade are all taught together as well. I'm not sure how that works but I can't imagine they're all getting the proper education for the grade level they're in.

I have been a parent at Gloria Dei Academy for nine years. The staff are wonderful and very…read moreattentive. Though the school has gone through a few changes over the years, it has always provided my children with a great education. When Gloria Dei was not offering middle school, my oldest child transitioned into a 6th grade public school and earned all As in advanced classes. My two other children currently attend Gloria Dei (6th and 2nd grade) and really enjoy it. It is a very small school so it has more of a family atmosphere which we love. Due to the size, some grades have been blended for the past few years. At first I was unsure how that would be but it's actually worked very well for the children. They implemented a new curriculum this year which is more challenging but not stressful on the students (according to my children). My 6th grader usually has no more than 30 minutes of hw daily including study time and my 2nd grader has maybe 15 minutes of hw. Gloria Dei uses a user friendly website for grades which is updated daily/weekly with homework assignments and scheduled tests. Also the children keep track of assignments/tests in planners. This has helped my 2nd grader become a more responsible student. Teachers are present at afternoon carline so if my children have any problems during the day I am notified at pickup time. During this past year there were a few issues in my 2nd grader's class but they seem to have been resolved after one of the children withdrew from the school earlier this year. Overall I have been very pleased with Gloria Dei and feel blessed to be able to continue to send my children there. (After reading a negative review regarding the 2nd grade class, I asked my child about some of the specifics and was told opposite of what the review stated).