My son just completed his ninth year at Holy Cross (K - 8) and if I had to go back, I would…read moreABSOLUTELY choose Holy Cross again. School: There were realistic ups and downs which you will find at any school (and in LIFE!) I loved my kid's classmates and teachers. The other parents are supportive. The school (and the parish) has a working-class vibe to it (more working-class, less country club), which I am VERY comfortable with, because I come from a family of teachers, police officers, & firefighters. The student body is diverse (the outgoing 8th grade class was ~30% children of color). Scouting and band are our two favorite extracurriculars! Academics are the focus of this school. I am a public school teacher in Champaign, and I feel like a lot my time and energy is focused on behavior issues (which, unfortunately, leaves less time for teaching and learning). The kids at Holy Cross are still "squirrels" but they are not running the show. The Parish too... The biggest plus is that the whole family is now a part of a greater, Christ-centered community. We are a mixed-family: one protestant, 2 Catholics. We are known and loved, through our child, and through fun volunteer work for the school and the parish. It's actually changed my life for the better. When my kid was in Kindergarten I was a Catholic by name-only, and pretty-much living my life as an atheist. Without anybody hounding or harassing me, just by attending Mass and learning how to pray I've willingly come back into full communion with the church... and it's better than ANYTHING. (If you're on the fence, church is not about rules... it's about love and worship). Come on in! And make sure you volunteer for all the stuff... working together makes it feel like you're part of the family. : )

We chose Holy Cross School for our children when searching for options before our oldest entered…read morekindergarten 3 years ago. We couldn't be happier. First things first: the academic environment is outstanding. My kids are thriving with a challenging curriculum combined with a teaching philosophy that leads to lots of personal attention. Their classrooms set high standards for behavior, which means that not only are they learning in a comfortable environment, they are also developing skills in self-discipline, personal responsibility, and respect that are going to last them a lifetime. It's clearly working not just for my kids, because the average student at Holy Cross School is performing about 12 months ahead of their peers elsewhere. The best part for our family, however, are the things that are taking place beyond the typical academic courses. There is a huge emphasis on service - the classes take turns bringing fresh fruit and milk every week to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, and classes at every grade level make community service a central focus of their time (assisting and visiting the elderly, feeding the hungry, helping the Humane Society, etc.) I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a school partner that is so invested in helping create kids who know how important service to others is, and who take a look at the world around them and want to know how to help. Another big difference I've seen with Holy Cross School is the effort they put into healthy peer relationships and a joyful, supportive school culture. They pair younger kids with older student mentors starting in kindergarten, and have a great multiage/multigrade "house" program for those especially tough middle school years. Holy Cross is a Catholic school but it's about as diverse a group of students as you could expect to find, which is another nice bonus for us. All kinds of faith backgrounds, many different family backgrounds, so it creates a very welcoming community for anyone and everyone. They are launching a preschool program for 2014-2015, so while the school is K-8 now, it will soon be for 3 year olds through 8th grade.

This administration who run this school is horrible. There is little to no communication from…read morethem. I toured the facility. It is a VERY short tour there is not much to the building. I then and asked the "teacher" what the daily routine looks like. She didn't really have an answer. The first 3 hours the student gets to choose a subject, then lunch, and then the next 3 hours the student gets to choose another subject. Oh yeah, and they offer before and after school care. The playground (empty open field) is pretty good size. But there is nothing to do outside. My child attended this school against my wishes (mother made unilateral decision for our child's' education). I tried to get some info from the school regarding my sons' education. They literally provided nothing. The teacher actually told me, "we don't do that." I would like to believe that there are good Montessori schools out there. Montessori Habitat in Champaign, IL, however, is not one of them. Please treat your children right and keep them away from this horrible facility. Sincerely, Disappointed Dad

From the owner: The teachers at Montessori Habitat will guide and nurture your child's love of learning through…read morepurposeful, joyful, and often collaborative activities. Our school is located on two peaceful acres with butterfly gardens, vegetable gardens, and a berry patch. We serve children from age three through 8th grade.

Horrible, horrible school. Unless you want your kids depressed and crying in the car, begging for…read moreyou not to send them, do not enroll your children. Many teachers who turn a blind eye to bullying; also many teachers that punish students being bullied for responding to the harassment and assault. I have witnessed students being hit and called slurs, to which the staff do nothing about. There are frequent fights. The "accommodations" made for autistic students don't help with anything. So called "accommodations" are just handing a student a fidget toy and expecting them to deal with their problems. Whenever students get sent to the office, which I have witnessed firsthand, they are berated and yelled at. The office workers are extremely rude. I am being completely genuine when I say, please, do not make your children attend this school.

I is cool and it has a great ban program it is the best…read moreschool ever the teachers are the best

Great school. Private faith based education. Great place for your kids to go to school. Love coming…read moreto Kingswood!

DO NOT COME TO JUDAH. The first year here was amazing, but this year my child has been racially…read moreprofiled and bullied by administrators and children. My son was at the door doing door duty with another student and the kid got mad about not having a walkie-talkie, because you get the walkie during door duty, the other kid got mad that my kid got the walkie-talkie and tried to beat him up. My son reported this, and the people at door laughed it off. Do not come if you don't want your kid in fights, being racially profiled, and ignored!

JCS is an amazing school. Our preschooler comes home with tons of new academic knowledge and Bible…read moreknowledge each day. The preschool classroom has hands on learning stations the kids get to use and rotate through each day, the teachers are amazing, and the 1,000 books before Kindergarten program is awesome. Our little guy has enhanced his vocabulary and learning massively through this program, and his year over year reports from preschool 3's to preschool 4's show massive learning in all the basic skills you want your child to develop. Writing, numbers, letters, shapes, motor and vocabulary skills, recognition of spatial areas and associated names, counting..so much I could list. We are so happy with Judah Christian School and our entire preschool experience has been phenomenal. If you're looking for a preschool, (or elementary, middle, or hs) I highly recommend JCS as an the place to be.