St. Christopher School in Rocky River, Ohio

“Its interesting that the negative reviews I and others have shared keep disappearing from this site. Our experience at St. Chris has not been positive in any way. In our opinion the acadmics are weak. For example, we had to hire a private tutor to keep our child challenged in math. There was no gifted education and our child needed that. In addition, one of our other children was bullied terribly and the school and the parents involved did nothing to help. In our opinion, many of the parents are extremely snobby and fail to recognize the real problems that exist. Its sad that the school has declined but in our opinion it is not an example of a good Catholic environment nor is a strong academic school. People in Rocky River recognize this so while this review will probably disappear, just ask around for the truth.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am a parent of children at St. Christopher School and have been pleased with the academics, the faith-based teaching, the dedicated teachers and the many other wonderful families we have met over the years. It is a community that fosters a commitment to the success of our children both spirtually and academically. No school is perfect and there will always be circumstances that cause a family to make another choice that is best for their child and family but we have not had the negative experiences noted in another review on this site at all. St. Christopher has a very strong enrollment in a public school district that is very strong which speaks to its exemplary quality and the many happy parents and children there. I would strongly recomend this school and am pleased with the Catholic education and foundations for life that my children are receiving.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am sorry to read the review from April 21. Our experience is quite the opposite. We are not from Rocky River, but chose to send our child to St. Christopher School. He has grown academically, socially and spiritually while attending school. The teachers are terrific and differentiate instruction based on our child's learning style and ability. His friends are all different -- athletes, quiet, smart, funny. He has made friends through the clubs offered through the school as well as through athletics. We have seen the academics improve through the leadership of the principal. The school's test score demonstrate year over year improvement and the curriculum changes the principal has implemented are paying off. We could not be happier with St. Christopher School and encourage anyone who is considering sending their child to just visit and see the difference.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have 2 children enrolled at St. Christopher.. My children are very different in temperment and learning styles. St. Chris has gone out of its way to make my children feel included, accepted and nourished. We really like it here.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Our family has been very happy with St. Christopher's School in Rocky River. Our public schools are very good so the fact that our school is nearly maxed out student wise speaks for itself. Our achievement tests place us in the mid-high 90's on the core subjects. Our extracurriculars range from science club, school newspaper, knitting club to ski club! All that being said, to me I truly value the sense of community that our school enjoys. The interaction between the Junior High students and the kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders is truly wonderful. There are many opportunities for parents to become involved and interact with the administration, with the students and with other parents. It is also reassuring to know that there are 500 kids looking out for my kid!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We are very pleased with the Catholic environment that St. Christopher provides to Rocky River. We are happy that things are fair and no longer run by a few elite parents. The teachers are kind and caring. Parents can be involved in many ways. Students are respectful and have many opportunites to be involved in choir, band, scouts, drama, sports, and various academic clubs!”
This review was posted by a other.

“While we were lucky to have a few loving, motivated teachers who cared about the kids and actually enjoyed their job, too often the modal teacher screamed w/abandon (so much for teaching 'self control'), taught ineffectively, and appeared to grade with the object of humiliating their charges. At far too early an age (developmentally) continuing on through 6th grade, students were burdened with excessive/often meaningless homework and subjected to often sadistic grading standards that amounted artificial grade deflation. Ex: a 4th grader has all the relevant info on a science test but omits words like, 'of' and 'the.' Final test score: 'D.' If you favor mindless memorization, lack of diversity (in more than the obvious ways, i.e. a point of view that deviates even slightly from a narrow minded 'norm') & having your child's self-confidence/love of learning steadily eroded - this is the school for you & yours!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We have had four kids go through St. Chris and are sad to see how it is deteriorating. Despite some new technology there is a growing evidence that the new principal is destroying what was once a very loving wonderful school. The pastor does not make the school a priority and recently spent thousands on a new piano instead of investing the money in the school. The upper grades continue to be weak in math and English. We will finish with our last in 2010. If we had a younger child we would find an alternative.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We are leaving St. Chris this year. I have a daughter in 8th grade and a son in 3rd but we can no longer tolerate it. My son is the best athlete in his grade and the athletic program is not strong enough to foster his talent.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Good school till you hit 5th grade and than it is horrible. Most people only stay to get their kids into the Catholic high schools. New principal is doing nothing and the pastor could not care less about the students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The best place I have ever been a part of in my entire life”
This review was posted by a student.

“Wonderful facilities and extracurricular activities. Strong community, with a high level of parent involvement.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“St. Chris has a certain warmth about it. The parents are so involved that it has made us feel welcomed to our new home. However, the education is middle of the road. If your child is gifted there are no programs to further their abilities. But that being said, most do very well in high school. Sr. Pat is an amazing principal.”
This review was posted by a parent.