let me tell you parents. it's a good school but there are many spoiled brats i attended this school 6 years ago and and now am graduating collage the teacher ms zumbro and ms haulderman are very rude teachers/PRINCIPAL. Do but everyone else is very nice just raise your kids right. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. At the first walk through/orientation, what stuck out the most was that the principal knew every single kids name that walked by. I could tell right then that this more than a school, it was a community. My daughter is very new to the school and has attended one year of preschool and is currently enrolled in Kinder at St. Pats and she is already READING! She's only been in kinder a few months and I'm so impressed! I was nervous when we first enrolled my daughter about her being in the same class with the same kids for 9 years straight (k-8th grade)... Until I spoke with an 8th grade mom at one of the mixers. She said the bond that those kids have is like nothing else. They look out for each other and truly have each others backs. They start highschool with confidence and knowing who they are. There is a lot of parent participation opportunities which intimidated me a little. I'm a full time working mom with very little flexibility however attending the after hours mixers has allowed me to meet other parents who ARE available to work in the classrooms and attend the field trips etc. I constantly get texts with pics of my daughter and cute stories of what happened in class etc. It just goes back to the community of it all. Mass at school has literally brought me to tears. Seeing the confidence of the older kids doing readings in front of the whole school and parents/grandparents. Watching the priest interact with the children and call on them with questions. The kids are so eager to raise their hand and be called on. Its amazing, very interactive and inspiring. It truly just validates why I am so happy we chose to enroll her in this school and community. read more

We made the decision to switch over during the pandemic when St Patrick opened and allowed students to be in person. Our intention was just to stay until schools reopened but once we were there, we fell in love with the community. The teachers and staff are incredible and truly work to make sure your child succeeds. I'm so thankful our road led us there. read more

We love this school. My three kids have been attending since my oldest (now 3rd grade) was in preschool. I have been consistently impressed with the academics and attention to each of my children's strengths and works with them on areas of improvement. I very much appreciate the focus on the whole child and the values of service and mercy that are consistently reinforced through canned food drives, mass, mercy projects (service projects) and just general behavior on the playground. I very much value the school community as well. I am not from the area and knew no one when we came to the school. I have found it very welcoming and supportive. read more

I attended St. Patrick Catholic School, Arroyo Grande for nine years (1997 - 2006, Kindergarten - 8th grade). Throughout those nine years, I endured numerous traumatic situations that continue to haunt me through this day. I was bullied by many classmates, mainly the girls, and was treated poorly by staff and faculty members, especially the principal. The staff perpetually instilled the idea in my mind that I was not smart enough and that I would need a tutor, even in high school. I enjoyed basketball and wanted to play on the school team, but I was told I was not allowed to, due to the fact that I was "too short." I tried out volleyball but the coaches rarely allowed me to participate in the games. I had low self-esteem because of this which endures through this day. I have one traumatic memory of several (six) girls (two in the class above me and four in my own class) pushing me around in a circle, bullying me, during lunch time recess. The staff that were supervising recess did not stop the girls from pushing me. I have another memory of the biggest bully of them all stealing my watch and my ring. I was cyber-bullied by this same girl. She made a fake "Myspace" account of me and wrote on it how "ugly" I was, and that I needed to k*** myself. At school, she used foul language/profanity that I had never before heard of. I mentioned to the principal that she was bullying me and she told me (despite full proof I provided) that I was not telling the truth; I got in trouble instead of her. At one point, I had scratches on my arms and legs from my animals and was sent in to the school counselor because of this; I remember being told by the principal that my meetings with the school counselor were to be "secret" and if I told my parents about the "secret meetings"/said a word about them, I would never see my parents again. My parents ended up finding out about these meetings and were livid. When I was twelve years old, the St. Patrick School bus driver gave me a massage on the shoulders that made me extremely uncomfortable. I told the principal, and the principal called me a liar and did nothing about it; I don't believe this was ever even mentioned to the bus driver as he remained in his position as if nothing had ever happened. I never rode the bus again after that happened. I have another memory of my mom having to have emergency surgery and my dad picking me up late. I told the after school care teacher why my dad was late and I remember her telling me, "Yeah right; your mom is just making an excuse to be late." I called my dad and told him about this, and I remember him coming in to pick me up, again livid, saying "How dare you call my daughter a liar!" My dad was then banned from the school campus for two months after the after school care teacher completely changed the story around and said that my dad "threatened" her, which he did not. Another memory: One time, I added a couple of blonde streaks to my hair just like the other girls; it was barely noticeable. The principal told me that I "wasn't allowed to graduate" (two weeks before graduation) if I didn't get rid of them. I was the only one of all of the girls who got in trouble for this. On graduation day, the girls made me cry for making fun of me for having the same graduation dress as another girl in the class. They were so mean to me. No one should ever experience what I did, especially at a private, "Catholic" school. I have nightmares still, to this day, about the experiences I mentioned; they traumatized me and ended up resulting in PTSD. It has been 17 years since I stepped foot at St. Patrick Catholic School and I will never go back; I would never imagine sending my children there. My parents assumed I was getting a "better education" there, which was why they enrolled me, but the bullying and unfair behavior was and is not worth it. read more

St. Patrick school is a gem in the Five Cities area. It is place where my children have flourished, both socially and academically. From the preschool through the elementary and jr high, the teachers have fostered and encouraged a love of learning environment. My child was having difficulty understanding a math concept and his teacher worked with him one on one and simplified the concept and related it to something my child was extremely interested in. My child was so thankful to his teacher, as was I! In my experience the principal has had a very open door policy. When my family had a concern last year, she made herself available to discuss our concerns and handled the manner with sensitivity and professionalism. We have seen the school prioritize students - from wonderful school activities such as a color run, bringing snow to the campus, dances, trunk or treat and so much more! In doing so, the school really fosters a sense of community among the students, staff and families. We have been very proud to be members of this St. Patrick School community. read more

We have two boys, going into grades 2 and 6 in the Fall. We have been with St. Pat's since our oldest was in preschool and we love the teachers, the philosophy of responsibility and accountability, and the well-rounded education they receive! Principal Halderman and the office staff are welcoming and caring, and have high standards for their school. It's so nice to offer a well-rounded academic experience to our boys -- they still have art, PE and music as well as computers, and the "reading, writing and 'rithmatic" requirements. They call St. Pat's a "school community," and it most certainly is. I highly recommend the school...and they offer financial aid to families who need some assistance, so don't let the cost stop you from getting more information. read more

First time at St. Patrick's school. Nice gymnasium. Yummy concessions. Parking is at a minimum. Other than that great space forJunior High ballets. read more

So here's an update on where we recommend for post-daycare, pre-kindergarten after leaving our beloved Little School for Toddler's! After careful interviewing and selection we chose St. Patrick's Mercy Preschool. We are Catholic, but that isn't a requirement and that wasn't the reason we selected them (it's just a nice addition for us). The program is awesome, broken into three levels, they accept from 2.5 to 5 years old -- or preK. They are actually in the process of fine-tuning their pre-K program to be a "transitional Kindergarten" program that really gets students ready for the more rigorous Kindergarten environment. I love the staff -- Jack loves his teacher Miss Elizabeth. The director is professional, knowledgeable and warm -- and a mom of three boys herself so empathetic -- Miss Ward. The assistants are also great. There isn't high turnover for staff -- which I also like. My little guy gets attached to his teachers and so I don't want to see a revolving door. I think teachers genuinely like being there! So do the kids! And the parents are really a community -- the school encourages that. Miss Elizabeth Miss Bernie show genuine interest in engaging students, with projects like making home-made playdough in class themed with holidays or activities, or asking students to each bring in their favorite vegetable to make veggie soup and learn about healthy eating. They do fun reading-related activities like celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with art projects and reading circle. They sing, they go through letters and are through numbers 1-30, learning them in Spanish as well. I'm a busy working mom married to a busy working dad and we could not give our little guy all that he needs to keep his busy, super-smart mind engaged and prepared for the next levels. We would recommend St. Pat's to all parents looking for a fantastic, progressive and organized preschool program. read more

The last open house was very nice and made me and my wife consider this school as a very good option for my son. When it come time to pay for tuition, the staff were extremely rude and demanding. Because of this, I sent my son elsewhere. I refuse to send my child here ever. read more