I can't imagine a better school experience for my children. This is a great school!
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 09/15/09
Sears is an awesome school! The Village of Kenilworth is a tight knit community and Sears is the pulse. There is a lot of parent involvement both of time and money, which is the KEY to the success of a Public School. Yes, there is always room for improvement but overall you are hard pressed to find a
... Read more better school on the North Shore or Chicago-land area. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/13/09
I agree with yesterday's post in that the school is overal top notch and has the best of both worlds being a public school in one of the wealthiest, small communities that is so suportive of enrichment. And that iwth any issues of human nature and child development, issues like teasing and bullying exist
... Read more everywhere. The problem that many are talking about at Sears is that administration needs to handle the issues more effectively by upholiding the school policies so that all in the school community are rest assured that things are being managed appropriately no matter whose child is involved or how much money or influence the parents have. Also, the administration, board , teachers , staff, and parents need to hear from more parents that they support them 100% when situtations come up to execute proper measures. More parents need to attend board meetings. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/11/09
This school provides a top-level education in a private-like setting. With less than 600 students and grades pre-K through 8th grade at one location, the whole community supports and participates in school and related activities. I have had two children recently go all the way through school at Sears
... Read more (they are now in high school). Both received a quality education and tools for success in high school and life. Yes, there have been isolated incidents involving cliques, bullying and entitled parents which get alot of notice because it is such a small community. These problems are everywhere. In my experience, they are related issues as the bullies have parents who won't acknowledge the truth. The school has reacted appropriately to these situations. Anyone considering moving to the North Shore must look at this school and the village of Kenilworth. Your children will have the best in education, sports, and community spirit.' Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/10/09
We attended the school for two years and while the academics and teacher ratios were great, the social climate was not. There was a very strong air of entitlement among the kids (and parents) and a focus on how much money they could spend on birthday parties, clothes, etc. We move out of the area to
... Read more avoid raising our children in that type of money oriented environment. There also was a bullying problem, starting in the third and fourth grade. One girl we knew was taunted by girls for months and the school did not step in to act. The administrators were not very open about discussing it or detailing what their policies are regarding preventing bullying. The problem was also detailed in a local newspaper story. In the end, the great academics did not outweigh the trade off of having to raise a child in that environment. Read less
Posted by a parent on 10/23/08
This school has an excellent learning environment. The teachers are extremely passionate about educating the children. Everyone is friendly and caring. The programs offered are outstanding, as are the technological resources. This is by far the best school in the area.
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Posted by a parent on 09/20/08
The Joseph Sears School is not what it was many years ago. Bullying is a serious problem within the entire school. Lack of supervision in unsupervised settings is a major problem. Parents totally control the school, and enable administration to act upon discipling children. Teachers are unable to
... Read more challege students in fear of losing their jobs. Cliques within the community are filtered through the children. Children are ostracized from social setting, sports and extra activities after school. This is not a safe, nuturing environment for a child to learn in. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/18/08
Parents (and taxpayers) should expect that this school would have a stellar curriculum focused on strong academics while steering clearing of educational fads and fuzzy methods. Sadly, that is not the case. Like most North Shore schools, Sears revolves around the appearance of quality -- curb-appeal
... Read more education, we can call it. Grab a copy of the Core Knowledge Sequence (or the popular press equivalent books by E. D. Hirsch) and you'll be in for a shock: it's not clear if Sears comes up to that standard for any subject in any grade! Meanwhile, what you will get for your astoundingly high property taxes is an overall emphasis on process over learning. Read less
Posted by a parent on 12/02/07
I loved Sears school. We are moving away, and the kids and I will really miss it. The first grade curriculum is so fantastic: so tightly designed, so interesting to the kids. Fifth grade is tough, but all of the teachers did a great job of preparing my daughter to excel in sixth grade. Overall,
... Read more I couldn't ask for a better education for my kids, private or public! Read less
Posted by a parent on 02/03/06
Joseph Sears School is an excellent school. However, there are a few issues that need to be addressed. Music program for 3rd and 4th grade is not adequate - needs to be more sophisticated and engaging. Discipline is a concern. Boys fighting on the playground suggests that there are not enough teachers
... Read more to supervise or teachers supervising are not skilled enough to manage the children. Tenured teachers is a problem (as I imagine it is in most schools). They rewrite the rules to suit their needs. It's happened recently in my child's grade and I am not happy. This is where leadership comes in. The school is in a state of transition. It shows. We are not quite sure whether the principal is staying. We have a new superintendent. Teachers and parents are not sure of what to think. Leadership needs to be stronger to deal with opinionated parents (like me). Read less
* In 2007-2008 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Kenilworth schools — Joseph Sears School is located at 542 Abbotsford Rd, Kenilworth IL 60043. 542 Abbotsford Rd is in the 60043 ZIP code in Kenilworth, IL The school district for Joseph Sears School is the Kenilworth School District 38. Joseph Sears School is a Public school that serves grade levels PK - 8.
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