I went to Whitney Young and it was fun. I learned a lot. Best teachers, by far Mrs…read more Brusek-Kaczmarek (English & Polish Club), Mr. Pasowicz (Psych), Mr. Jay Rehak (English & Writers Club), Mrs. K. Rehak (Chemistry-- not related to the English teacher), and finally Mr. Bruner (Art class & Art Club), who is no longer there, but who has changed my life forever. I think we all have a teacher that really touched us. Who knew that from freshman art, I'd be going to art school instead of journalism school like I first imagined for college. It was all because of Mr. Bruner. He got me my first job working for the city painting a mural, and I've been doing art ever since. So even though I am more in the fashion thing right now, hats are very artistic and sculptural. This is not your typical high school. Academics are very valued here. There are no cliches, at least there really weren't when I went there. I got along with everyone. I was really into art and writing, so I did that, and I had outlets for that through the after-school clubs. The minus was that the kids here were way too focused on learning and partying was sometimes out of the question with some people. Luckily, I had a group of friends from grade school that I let loose with. When you're doing Honors and AP classes, you need to balance that with a healthy dose of partying.

I attended this school from 6th to 12th grade. The majority of the time I experienced daily…read moreinappropriate remarks from some very ghetto kids from 2001 to 2007. The sexual vulgarity that came out of their mouths was so frequent I started walking from one class to another with headphones. Then I was told by security I was not allowed to wear headphones. At the time, we only had 2 security guards who regularly circulated. One was almost bed ridden due to physical ailments and had to roll around in an a special chair. The other was hearing impaired so he couldn't hear any of the sexual obscenities the boys were shouting. I would not recommend this school for that reason.

My husband and I moved into the neighborhood 9 years ago. I remember walking through the…read moreneighborhood and seeing how happy and well behaved the SMOW kids were playing outside. I knew I wanted to send my children there one day. Fast forward a few years, I have one child enrolled and the second who will be starting next year. The school far exceeded my expectations from all aspects! It's a great community, amazing staff, lots of fun enrichment options, strong academic support, and most importantly my child loves attending SMOW. Such a great school choice!

As a parent who has had four children go through St. Mary of the Woods School, I can confidently…read moresay this community has been one of the greatest blessings of our family's life. Over nearly two decades, we've experienced every grade level, every teacher, and every stage of childhood. Through it all, SMOW has provided not only an excellent education, but a foundation of faith, leadership, and character that will stay with our kids forever. The teachers truly know their students, not just by name, but by heart. They meet each child where they are, encourage their individual strengths, and help them grow into confident, capable, and kind young people. The sense of community is unmatched, families support one another, teachers and staff go above and beyond, and the parish connection makes it feel like an extension of home. There's something special about walking into St. Mary of the Woods, you feel it immediately. It's faith, it's pride, it's joy. We couldn't have asked for a better place for our children to grow up.

The song 'Selfie' by the chainsmokers would probably define about half if not most of the school-…read morewhite people moment. Rich teenagers who live in the DG area (what else do u expect...?), some kids from westmont and woodridge. The teachers are great. The deans do their job but engage students in a 'to the fullest extent of the law' way. Great facilities and area.

Our boys went to Downers Grove Christian School which was very small with small class sizes. We…read morewere concerned how they would transition into DGN and if it would be a good fit (however, we always heard wonderful things). We have been SO impressed with teacher/parent communication and the plethora of activities to suit everyone.

It's a school that has seen many hoops to jump through with the gentrification process but it still…read moremaintains its integrity. Meaning when you enter Avondale, its still the same school of the 70's and 80's (well for those who came through their doors) but it does have its newer ventures with computers and really nice wall hangings. Avondale is one of those schools that has character and although you may see a teacher or two from way back when, the majority of teachers here now are younger and just really loving to the kids. Not to take away from the teachers before, no not in the least, but the younger teachers seem to be very no nonsense and very direct. If your in the neighborhood, just stop by and let them know you just want to see how the school has changed, or hasn't. From the outside, you can see the newer parts of the school, but the inside still maintains its integrity.

Great school the teacher's are amazing and we love the Principal.read more

We LOVE LOVE LOVE the school, they have amazing communication with the parents via monthly…read more newsletters, online schedules and even personalized emails. We love how the school provides frequent parent seminars that are extremely helpful and full of information on how to guide our children in the right way with things happening now in today's lifestyle, whether its just a family game night or just after school programs for the students to keep them learning and educating themselves. They have an awesome outdoor basketball court!! The school works together to make it a fun environment for their students while still learning. We are happy with Garvy Elementary. 5 stars!!

I'm tired of this school, all 3 kids attended this school 2 out of 3 of them got mistreated. My son…read morewas mistreated and the Principal (Mrs.Bester) just had ignored it and did not report to cps. My daughter was pushed around and got sexually harassed by an older student, we reported to Mrs.Bester and she did not punish the kid at all, and the principal also blamed her that the kids were pushing her around. Also most teachers are very rude and very few of them are sweet. DO NOT RECOMMEND JOHN W GARVY UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR KIDS MENTAL HEALTH SCREWED UP.

Grammar school only less than a block long in the middle of a residential street with mean penguin…read morenuns who would whack your hands of you were out of line. But i went here from nursery to 7th grade when i grew up in chi town

I attended back in the 60's and mostly nuns taught us. Still living in the Chicago Chinatown area I…read morerun into others who went to school with me during those times. One thing for sure: they all graduated from high school & went on to college. As for current day involvement, I visit the school to pick up my grandkids every once in awhile. They tell me they like their teacher and enjoy going to class. They are taught current technology, multiple languages, and even gym time, which is something we didn't have back in the day. Results matter, and seeing some many of my younger friend's children going on to high school then college after attending St. Therese tells me a lot about the present day school's teaching!

i'm an alumn of latin (grades 9-12)…read more latin offers world class education, plentiful extracurriculars, and amazing opportunities. the community also supports an academic program for chicago's lower-income middle-schoolers, an adult learning program, an excellent community service program, and over $2mil. in scholarships. located in the heart of chicago (old town/gold coast), this school is top among independent schools and among chicago's finest institutions.

My kids don't go to Latin school but they played many basketball games with the Romans. The school…read moreis well located and beautiful. There is a lot of art on the walls. I'm sure that kids get good education in this school. This review is about behavior of parents of the Romans and the Romans Coach in season 2025/26. They put so much pressure on kids. One of the siblings of the Romans was cheering with mean words. The kid would position itself next to the hoop, so that only the players can hear. Unbelievable. One of the fathers was yelling at his kid because they were loosing. I felt so sorry for those kids, even though they are probably similar to their sickly ambitious parents. The Romans Coach is a nice looking woman, but unfortunately in traveling team she is well known to be mean toward the girls. She was so annoying during the games, she was too hard on her team, with an attitude of cruelty toward opposite team. Again - unbelievable. This is expensive school and kids in Latin school will be successful, but in the background of their success, there will be a lot of therapy, substance abuse, hidden inappropriate sexual behavior and on the top of that, life long competitive cruelty that was built in them in such a young age. Such a pity.