I graduated from this Catholic school over 20+ years ago, which was eventually closed down in 2006…read moreand turned into a charter school. I assume the school closed down due to lack of enrollment and outdated teaching resources. By then, there were a few nuns as teachers. I'm uncertain if the convent still exists, but I do know there's still a rectory that conducts its business. My experience as a student was that there were less than 10 asians in my class and there were usual cliques. Recess was dodgeball, jumpropes, and roller racers within the confines of the parking lot. With the exception of kindergarten, there were 2 classrooms per grade level.

IHM School was closed in 2006, but I had to write this to balance an earlier review that appears…read morehere. Years ago, IHM provided a wonderful and warm school experience. The sisters who taught gave their lives to solid, rich instruction and character development for their charges. Days were filled with meaty academics, as well as religion, patriotism, values, and family participation. The decline of IHM began the same way as it did for so many Catholic schools, as they became infected with the same fuzzy constructivist junk that has crippled public education. (For more on that, see: http://www.illinoisloop.org/catholicschools.html) The decisive blow to IHM school occurred when both the principal and pastor positions were filled (at that time) by individuals wildly unsuited to the task. Since these two positions have absolute power in a Archdiocese Catholic school (parents and the school board have mere advisory roles), this spelled disaster. Enrollment plummeted, and the school was closed. The neighborhood is the loser from the loss of IHM school.

Update: April 20, 2015 My children are now 7 and 3-1/2 years…read moreold and I and they love the school as much as ever. Currently, the school announced that they do plan on expanding the school. Update: August 16, 2014 My 6 yr old daughter & 2-1/2 yr old son attend. The school and parent community is still incredible and my only wish is that they expand their elementary program to middle school. Original review: It may not seem like much from the outside, but this school is a hidden gem. I honestly believe that there is no better learning or childcare environment than Gateway Montessori School. My daughter is 3 years old and has been attending Gateway since she was about 10 months old (Infant Program). When my wife and I were interviewing daycares, nannys, etc. for our daughter, we asked ourselves 3 important questions: 1. Can you we trust the Institution and Providers? 2. Will our child be Loved & Respected? 3. Will our child be learning and developing to her full potential? Can you we trust the Institution and Providers... ? Both my wife and I have complete trust in the school's Directress, Shelley Torres (and teachers). Once you meet her, you will understand. She teaches the 1-3 year old class and has the composure and patience that few have (and that is necessary for this age group). She has a long history as a Montessori teacher (AMI) and upholds to the standards that make a true Montessori school a great education. Gateway is a small school with small classes so you know all the teachers and assistants. The school hosts teacher presentations (as well as guest-lectures) and classroom observations. These are great opportunities for parents to see how teachers work with children, understand the classroom environment & materials, and talk with teachers. We leave our daughter at Gateway everyday knowing that she is in the best care outside of family. Will our child be Loved & Respected...? I see everyday not only how loving and respectful the teachers are to the children, but how my loving and respectful my daughter is to others. The teachers exemplify the qualities that I value in a caring & quality school. Among other things, they help the children become independent, guide them with reasoning (rather than control), support them emotionally, and encourage them to support their classmates with love and respect. I think my daughter has developed a true sense of empathy and understanding through working in the classrooms. Will our child be learning and developing to her full potential...? Number One, I want my daughter to be Happy (and she is). Number two, I want my daughter to Learn (and she does). Not only do the children build on their knowledge, but they learn about independence and practical life. They are drinking from cups in the infant class, baking bread in the 1-3 yr classroom, and learning about the trinomial equation in the 3-6 yr classroom. My (limited) experience with Montessori... My wife and I had never heard of Montessori education prior to attending a Gateway lecture. After meeting the director, learning more about Montessori, and seeing the school we were completely sold. Whether you are already familiar with Montessori education or not, you should see Gateway. As my wife and I have learned, this is no ordinary school.

My daughter has been attending Gateway Montessori School since she was 3 and it was located on…read moreMontrose Avenue. It's now in a brand new building on Pulaski specifically built for the school and my daughter is now in 5th grade. She loves it. She feels connected to the community and safe in the environment. I love the school, the teachers and the Director who has 35 years experience and I learn from her every day. The new space is large and bright with a lovely garden area for playing. The classroom sizes are still small with one trained teacher "Guide" and one assistant in each room. Classes are broken into 15months to age 3, age 3-6, and elementary age 6-12 years. Gateway is one of only two Montessori schools in Chicago that is recognized by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). This means they follow the original teachings of Dr. Montessori and they have all the required materials. All of the classroom teachers have under graduate degrees as well as the required AMI certification program for the level they teach which requires several years additional training. I feel really fortunate to have found Gateway Montessori.

Education, yes, respect and appreciation for a job well done. Athletics for females? Completely…read moreshocking that a school with female principal and vice principal provide so little support for the girls sports. The only time you will see them at a female sporting event is if there is another event happening simultaneously or afterward - so they make an appearance. The new Athletic Director (and boys baseball coach) Cott...there is not a shred of evidence that he cares in the slightest. Good place to learn and grow....and I guess it is a great example of what the young ladies may unfortunately face the rest of their lives.

Don't go here, the staff give you support freshman year and then they throw you to the wolves…read more Athletic department sucks.

Low key this place kinda whack but some of the teachers pretty chill ngl. Mr Z has the best gym…read moreclasses I've ever experienced and computer was always fun with the projects we did. Plus Mr Slawik always keeps it fresh with the assignments and his QUIA system was probably the only time I've ever studied for fun lol. Anyways this place is overall fun but a lil pricey. Lunches were good too. Anyways I'm prolly gon send my kids here Fr.

One sided school when other kids doing bad things to a kid and when that kid fight back they get…read moreupset to the kid that getting bullied that how bad the school is I wouldn't recommend the school to anyone

A friendly mixed race church that focuses on trusting the message of Jesus as the solution to every…read morechallenge, doubt , road map and community . Everyone is relatable and interested in connecting , supporting transition , and learning how a life that knows Christ is significantly better than trying to find meaning in other areas... it's the primary source of balance, insight, and understanding of being a fulfilled human.. absolutely the best opportunity you can find in chicago..

This is an outstanding church! Their clear love for Jesus and efforts to demonstrate that love to…read morethe community around them is refreshing and truly life changing. You feel welcome before you even come through their doors. They are diverse in backgrounds, race and age, so anyone can call this place home. If you've been looking for a church home or simply trying to find some answers to this crazy life, Anthem church is for you!

My son went here for half a year. His teacher was poorly trained and received her degree in…read moreadministration on line. She could not teach him and told us that he had a language disorder. We agreed to have him evaluated, and she and the principal did not listen to the results of the evaluation, before asking him to leave. He is now in public school, the academics there are stronger, the teachers and administration kinder and better trained, and he's getting A's. If you want your child to get a good education and be fairly treated, look elsewhere I have no respect for anyone who blames her own failures on children. Children deserve better.

This is a terrific school. The school uses the latest research to design its curriculum,…read moreincorporating experiential learning with every opportunity. The class sizes are small, so the teachers get to know each student individually and tailor their approach to the student's needs. The graduates of this school have a very high acceptance rate at the CPS selective enrollment schools as well as selective private schools. Highly recommend this school.

Our daughter started at Concordia when she was 5 months old and we've had nothing but an amazing…read moreexperience for almost a year now. The administrative staff and teachers are great at communication which made transitioning to daycare much easier for us. She has so much fun every day, and we absolutely love getting photos of her each day through the app. We honestly could not recommend the infant room at Concordia enough!

I was really excited about this place for my 13 month old. But below I'll detail the terrible…read moreexperience I am STILL having with this organization. My kid has been at home for the past year with family and in-home care so I looked carefully for a daycare where she could be around babies her age and be close to our house. I checked it out and paid my nearly $1,000 deposit to hold her place (this included a registration fee, deposit, and first week's tuition). The center is expensive although they do have sliding scale options for lower income families. I also paid the first month's tuition of about $1,000 on the first of the month (this is for two days per week). We started her for one half day and immediately I realized it wouldn't work out. I think the staff is really busy because we didn't get any information on what to bring despite being told they would call us a few days before. I called them and got a list. We felt ready after that. But the reason it won't work for us is due to her age and stage of development. She is very big for her age and ahead of milestones. So the other babies were sleeping while she was awake and vice versa. She was also with a lot of younger babies but still too young for the toddler room. After realizing this I wanted to put her into a different, smaller, more age-appropriate daycare recommended by my friend. When I withdrew her, I was informed Concordia would be keeping my nearly $2,000 even though my kid had only attended about 4 hours of daycare. Fast forward two weeks later and they are now telling me a refund is coming, but they have changed their story about whether it will be a direct deposit or mailing a check. I am not confident I will see a penny from this place and it feels like I am being forced to donate $2,000. Meanwhile we have had to pay for the new daycare as well as a family emergency this month. So this is causing quite a hardship on my family. Concordia leadership does not seem to care. In short, I would avoid this place unless you have a lot of money or qualify for the sliding scale prices. And do not sign up unless you are 110% sure it will work for you. I will update this review if/when they make us whole.

This school is amazing, so many different opportunities for every single student. You aren't forced…read moreto take a path because there are so many more to explore on your own. The teachers are great and get along with the students. The food is actually decent compared to the other high school foods. There's off campus lunch with lots of different food options around you. Lane literally has a bit of something for everyone. There are 100+ clubs it's so much fun. If you want a true high school experience then lane is the way!

I am aware Brian Tennison is now Supertindent. In…read moreretrospect, former Principal Brian Tennison was the most neglectful staff ever seen at Lane Tech College Prep. I am an adult who is 40 years old. I know right from wrong. Principal Tennison might have shook every Lane students hands while he was in office, he neglected their needs as far as stress goes. There was no relief, no therapist offered whatsoever. Brian Tennison did not care. Plus, he took away all the parents privileges to volunteer at their Prom. I was devastated at that time. Even though, my youngest daughter was unhappy about me not going to her prom. I would have been very happy without dancing and prom dinner. I rather be in the same ballroom with both my daughters' prom instead of dinner and dancing. We survived without it. I do not know who changed the prom volunteer policy. Hence I am very sad at Brian Tennison. Dr. Christopher Dignam was a very very excellent principal. Dr. Dignam allowed parents to participate as prom volunteers. You rock Dr. Christopher Dignam!!!!!! Does anyone have a say about the parents, prom and Dr. Chris Dignam?

I was a student at Ravenswood Christian School, then known as Ravenswood Baptist Christian School,…read morefrom August 2001 till I graduated Class of 2014. It's unclear to me why "Baptist" was removed from the name (Could it be a branding thing?) but I do feel the current name lacks the same rhythm it once had. What is more, it totally ruins the cheers the cheerleaders recited at basketball games. ("The Patriots are the best! / Yes! / R-B-C-S!") Although, these days, I'm unsure if the school still has a cheer team, let alone a basketball team, to speak of. But times change and so does leadership. I submit I can't speak to the current school administration, nor to their conduct with their students, save for one particularly egregious actor. (More on that later.) At glance, it seems some former classmates of mine are now themselves staff members of RCS. But I digress. I can only speak to my own experiences as a former student, which I would describe as unpleasant. Bad, even. And though I don't resent my parents for enrolling me here, I do believe it was an error on their part. But I know of many other students who had it far worse, who were themselves victims of severe bullying by both students and staff alike. I'm ashamed to admit I was often a participant in this bullying, often greenlit by the staff, when I myself wasn't a target. Even still, that was no excuse. I recall one incident where our math teacher Mr. Ullmann (Long since dismissed, but too little, too late, frankly.) kicked a chair from under one student, V.F., humiliating him in front of the whole class. I even joined in on that chorus of laughter and to this day feel sick to my stomach that I'd been party to this bizarre humiliation ritual. I hope wherever V.F.'s at now he's in a better place and knows that wasn't OK. Last I heard, which, granted, was many years ago, Ullmann got a job as a truck driver following his dismissal. Now, that could've just been schoolyard gossip, but, if true, that's probably a better job for him. Nevertheless, Ullmann's inappropriate behavior spanned numerous incidents, yet, sadly, it took a posse of concerned mothers applying steady pressure on the school admin to get him removed from the faculty. But, as I said earlier, by the time he was dismissed, the damage had been done, and a whole lot of kids were mistreated as a result of the admin dragging its feet. A tale old as time. But that's all in the past, right? Surely the dregs have all been weeded out since then, no? I wish this was the case, but since checking the R(B)CS website it appears Mr. Bob Szontagh is still employed at the school as a secondary teacher. That's too bad, and what I find to be a glaring error on part of the new admin, because this man should have absolutely zero influence on a child's developing mind, and I, now an adult, am worse off for having been his pupil. Szontagh's conduct with us was so vulgar and so inappropriate he made Ullmann look like a Boy Scout. (More than once Szontagh referred to his genitalia as "Big Daddy" in gym class.) Why he is still a teacher there can be explained by way of what clout he has within the larger church congregation, for he's of the last of the "Old Guard" I knew from then and has taught at R(B)CS for decades at this point. And, to his credit, he had undeniable charisma and was often a favorite among the children. His lessons, however, would often shift into these long, tangential lectures that had little to do with the subject at hand. They were akin to watching a two-bit standup comic practicing his tight five for the Klu Klux Klan open mic. And his jokes were awful as they were bigoted. I remember once he opened a science class with "What do you call a gay guy on rollerskates?" ..."Rol-AIDS!" Well, a lot of us 11-or-12-year-olds were fortuitous enough to not suffer from heartburn, so, mostly, the joke went over our heads. Even still, this was a science class. Did my parents really pay my tuition just so I could be sat down to watch this guy make AIDS jokes in class? Short answer: Yeah, more or less. I'd like to say that it's unbelievable how Szontagh's still teaching here more than a decade later but, given what I know about the school, I actually find it pretty believable. Mostly I feel bad for the kids who are getting robbed of a decent education and for their parents who are paying for one that's second-rate.

When I went to school here they gave is seats. The principal spanked kids with a paddle with the…read moredoor closed. You could hear kids crying and screaming. Meanwhile the principles kid got knocked up. I thought I had leprosy as a child making us read the king James version bible. They forced. Me to eat food I told them I couldn't until I vomited. Good times! Watch the movie Jesus camp. That what this school is. Let us pret is another one about fundamental Baptist like this. Two stars because I was a good kid so my experience with the teachers was good. I liked them. I also got a good education.

Belding Elementary is a great school. I have been assigned to Belding for over a year as their…read moreschool nurse. All of the staff is very friendly, and are genuinely invested in their students. I love the special classes that they have for all grades. Every child gets the opportunity to learn Arabic, as well as participate in a dance class that teaches everything from modern dance, to tap, to breakdancing on a weekly basis. If students are having trouble in class, then teachers aides take them to the side to work on their problem areas. This is a small school, but that is perfect to ensure that all students receive the optimum learning experience. Fun note: The garden in front of Belding with the picnic tables is a certified wildlife habitat.

Belding Elementary has been home to my daughter for the past 4 years (having transferred her here…read morefrom a private school starting in 5th grade). The leadership under Principal Yutzy and the time and care that the teachers at the school provide each student is a joy to witness. Students are challenged according to their abilities and are gently prodded to excel. It is almost like an extension of your family when it comes to the care/efforts put forth by the faculty & staff for the students. As a parent I can honestly say that my interactions at the school were more enjoyable and inclusive than they were at the private school. The education provided by all the GREAT TEACHERS over the years helped to enable my daughter to be prepared for that arduous task of Selective Enrollment and it got her into Northside College Prep. If you are debating whether to place your child at this wonderful neighborhood school; take the leap of faith as you will not be disappointed. We will miss Belding, but in our hearts we will ALWAYS BE A BELDING BULLDOG FAMILY!!