St. Felicitas school provides a welcoming, safe, and academically challenging setting for students…read more We have been with the school for ten years, with one child having graduated last year, and a second currently in middle school.
To be clear - I don't believe there are any perfect schools. As with any community of this size, there are many differing opinions, backgrounds, and goals. Constant conversation and compromise are needed. It is for this reason that I give St. Felicitas five stars. We have had many changes and challenges over the past ten years, and in our experience the staff here is wonderfully open to feedback and conversation, which have ultimately resulted in decisions that best benefit the school community as a whole.
As with all families, we have experienced a few personal tragedies over the years, including loss of family members. I truly believe that the environment at this school helped my children to face these difficult times feeling supported and safe, and helped them to heal with a trusted community.
Members of our staff have also experienced very difficult family losses recently. It was incredible to see how the school came together to support these teachers, through prayer, meal planning, and bringing their families together with our community to help them heal together.
St. Felicitas provides a good balance of religion and academics. Students regular attend masses and prayer services, and perform community service, such as helping to host "Young at Heart" for the older members of our parish. In middle school, students are required to perform a minimum amount of community service as part of the curriculum. Parents are also expected to volunteer a certain amount of hours during the school year, which I believe is a benefit. Through this we have formed some amazing friendships with other parents as well as the staff, and as a result truly feel that our voice is heard. As with anything in life, you get back what you put in. This is a community that believes strongly in giving back.
My older child is now a freshman at St. Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda. In her first week, she was moved up from Freshman to Sophomore math as she had already mastered algebra while at St. Felicitas. SJND is an academically rigorous school. Thanks to the education she received at St. Felicitas, my child is finishing up her freshman year with a 4.2 GPA. Four of her fellow graduates also moved on to SJND. In the first semester of their freshman year, all five were recognized with "high honors", which requires a GPA greater than 3.5.
St. Felicitas is not a 'fancy private school'. It is a tight-knit Catholic community of very hard-working families. If you are looking for a school where your child will learn academically, develop spiritually, learn the value of hard work, and be well prepared to move on to high school, this is the choice for you.