My School is closing!!…read morehttp://www.northjersey.com/education/educationnews/Hackensack_Catholic_school_to_close.html Hackensack Catholic school to close Wednesday, February 18, 2009 BY JOHN CHADWICK NorthJersey.com STAFF WRITERS A Catholic elementary school in Hackensack will close in June because of declining enrollment, the Newark Archdiocese said today. Holy Trinity School, on Maple Avenue, has experienced about a 24 percent decline in students since 2000 and currently has an enrollment of 183, said Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the archdiocese. Church officials plan to merge Holy Trinity with St. Francis School, a parish school on South Main Street that also has suffered enrollment loss and is down to about 118 students. The archdiocese decided that St. Francis School would be the one to stay open because it has received extensive renovations in recent years. The school is under a flight path for Teterboro Airport and received government grants for soundproofing, Goodness said. "To try and level off the costs of providing education and stabilizing enrollment, which has fallen at both schools, the natural solution is that the parishes should combine their schools into one," Goodness said, adding that such issues as transportation and staffing were still being worked out. Holy Trinity is the sixth parish school that the archdiocese plans to close this year and the only one in Bergen County. The other schools are in Hudson, Essex and Union counties. Goodness said that schools with declining enrollments typically turn to the parish for financial assistance. But with parishes also struggling with changing demographics and increased costs, their ability to support schools is limited. "It is reaching the point in some parishes where they cannot support the school in the way they might have in the past," Goodness said. The pastor at Holy Trinity said the parish was contributing about $150,000 to $200,000 to the school, but the enrollment was still falling. The tuition is about $3,200 a year for parish families. **************************** How could I *not* give my Elementary school five stars? (Especially if it's Religious!) No, seriously. All kidding aside, this was a Catholic K-8 school, complete with boys and girls in plaid uniforms, nuns in habits, and daily assembly outside in the parking lot (YES, even in the SNOW) to 'line up' and take attendance. Though I was never baptised and never raised Catholic, I thought this was a great place. The teachers and sisters at this place ran a TIGHT ship. You wouldn't ever THINK of smack talking, much less bring stuff to school that didn't belong. The fear of the cruxifix at the front of each classroom was enough to set you straight, regardless of your religion. Looking back, for a faculty of ALL women, these ladies knew what they were doing- they did NOT take crap from us kids! AND, I even learned a few things, science and math, and they even had art and music class. Gym in those uniforms was pretty uncomfortable, though I was only there from 3rd through 5th grade ... and THEN I went to public school in Southern California! Oh, the horror!

I also attended Holy Trinity (K - 7th) from 1959 - 1966. Am…read moresorry to hear of its closing. It played an important part in my life.

I'm really surprised by the review about the Seedlings Classroom below. My son just started in the…read moreSeedlings Classroom this year and so far our experience has been wonderful. There was a simple miscommunication when it came to his diapers (super minor) and the teacher rectified it right away and contacted me to clarify/discuss. The teacher and/or school are always reaching out, even for something simple, to keep me and my husband apprised and informed. We appreciate this so much and truly find it to be a reflection of those they hire to nurture and educate the children. We find their COVID protocols very well followed, and we're not nervous sending our son here a few days a week. The staff, teachers and administration always greet us at pick up/drop off and make us feel like our sons going to a special place and loved. In reference to the other comment on curriculum, they're under 2 years. They are just getting acclimated to going to school, let alone the ability to do a true art masterpiece. I think that's a bit unrealistic when it comes to an expectation of artistic ability at that age. Our son has come home with some really great art projects and we're really happy with his progress being he's not even 18 months old. He's learning so much already and we're grateful. Overall, we're very happy with Ridgewood Montessori and will continue to send our son for years to come (as long as everything stays as great as it's been!). In addition, once our daughter is age appropriate we would love to continue the legacy with her attendance as well. Thanks RW for a great experience and for showing our son love, attention, and teaching him every week. We're proud to be part of this school!

My son has been at Ridgewood Montessori School since 2018. He began in 3rd grade and is now in 6th…read moreand I can't say enough positive things about the personalized education he is receiving. From the incredible teacher to student ratio, personal education plan for each child, and all students in the elementary school even learn a real instrument (mine is learning guitar) ... the list goes on and on. I have even been impressed by the amazing handling of the past 2 years of Covid protocol.... All impressive!! I personally feel that these children have had the most "normal" school experience possible during the past two years giving them support and consistency that children need. Teachers are very responsive to emails and always make themselves available both before and after school for any concerns both in person and via zoom. Administration knows all the children by name and engages with them regularly. We came from another private school where our experience was disheartening and are so happy to have found our Ridgewood Montessori School Family!

The teachers, staff, and community create a welcoming environment that truly feels like home!…read moreExperience an outstanding academic program infused with Christ-centered education.

It is a school that serves kindergarten through 12th grade. Located right on route 208 north in a…read moregreat location. It is a part of the Hawthorne Gospel Church and teaches biblical values as a central part of their curriculum. The facilities are state of the art, the athletics get better and better every year, and the staff are some of the most knowledgeable, dedicated, and loving teachers in the world. The classes are small so the the student teacher ratios are always very good. Many of the alumni that I have talked to are still great friends with the people they went to high school with because the bonds formed at Hawthorne Christian last.

As far as a parish I chose to worship elsewhere however the school does a fine job in the education…read moreof children Pre K-8th but the sports program is limited. The predominantly lay faculty is female as is the administration, classes small and curriculum modern. The teaching methodology utilized is Differentiated Instruction and the entire curriculum is based on the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. St. Leo's School Mission Statement "St. Leo's School educates children through a holistic pedagogy based on traditional Catholic and Franciscan values, scholarship in learning and innovation through the acquisition of 21st Century Skills - preparing students to succeed and live in a multidimensional world as faith-filled people of God." BSE13

We have two children attending the Village School ("School"), and have been there for over 5 years…read more When our first son started there at the Primary level (at 3.5 years old), it was not our intention to stay at a private Montessori school. However, each year, we saw our boys thriving at the School; not just academically but in their overall development as a person. This is a result of the experienced and dedicated teachers, principal, and staff. The Village School is one of very few Montessori schools in Bergen County that goes to 8th grade. We chose the School initially for this reason, in the event our children stayed on beyond Kindergarten. The School fosters a caring community environment within the school and beyond. It is an ethnically-diverse population of students, with many mix marriage households. The School was (and has been) proactive since Spring of 2020 in complying with COVID requirements to re-open school; so the students were able to start school in September in-person (for those who chose to do so). One week after the March, 2020 lockdown, the School was up and running for virtual learning; keeping a full day school schedule. The teachers worked tirelessly from June to September to get their classrooms re-oriented and ready for in-person learning; which is from 8:30 to 2:30 Monday to Thursday, with Friday being a 100% virtual school day. Despite the challenges this year, our family feels that our children are still being nourished socially and academically because of the support from the Village School.

An amazing place! The Village School is exceptional, not just with its curriculum and academics,…read morebut truly educating the whole child. It teaches not for the child to memorize, but to master and understand fully the concepts. They also hold executive functioning as a corner stone in its approach to education, something many children are loosing these days. It has structure, a robust and rigorous academic curriculum, and their enrichment programs harken back to what we used to have as children (woodworking, maker space, sewing, engineering, robotics, chess). They also teach Spanish beginning at the toddler level all the way through to eighth grade. We couldn't be happier that our children have thrived there and call it home.

Thank God I'm not here anymore. Teachers at new school are so much nicer. Glad I'm finally out of…read morethis place.

Love GSA. It's like a family. Everyone looks out for each other. I have two kids there and I see…read morethe great development they have year after year. Great academic program, and wonderful sports program. Besides all of that, kids learn about faith and discipline, so they consequently become better human beings.

I'm in love with how the staff treats their children here! Indoor/outdoor playground…read more Huge fish tank to occupy kids coming in and potentially distracting them from the Monday blues , hot lunch program and turkish program. Music, karate and gym included in tuition. Awesome director and leap curiculuum ensures that parents receive pics and videos daily.

Our daughter started in PK3 French last September and it has been amazing. Her teachers, the class…read moreparents, the administration team, everyone has been great. Strong recommendation.

Our daughter started at Tessa this fall and absolutely loves it. She is in the PreK2 Spanish…read moreprogram. Her teachers are fantastic educators and caring people. She talks about her friends and teachers constantly. The school has a really great community as well. We feel very fortunate to be able to send her to Tessa!

This is a great school. It has small classroom size. The teachers can spoil you with information…read moreand attention. I can't say enough good things about this school. I love the community feeling. The older students help out the younger students and everyone knows each other...a total community. There is fundraising but not to the point that it becomes annoying. I am happy with the academics. Love it..

My experience here at St. Andrews school over the past eighteen years, has been rewarding…read more This being my fourth child, has prepared all of them for an enriching future with a safe, fun, learning environment with catholic values. I also am pleased with the way teachers engage the learning needs of each student.Overall the school has exceeded my expectations.