Terrace Gardens

The school seems to teach for the statewide test that are given. My daughter had lessons on the same topics for months at a time. The Leadership is there to say no more than to help the kids grow. There is not a real sense of community. Through online learning during the pandemic it as obvious teachers were not teaching. Her teacher meet with the students for a short time and then assigned them graded homework that it was up to the parents to teach and help the student with. Bottom line before the pandemic and after the pandemic, the school seems more interested in their ranking than actually teaching the students for the long term and providing a strong foundation for them to succeed in a highly ranked university.

I had three kids at SJE and each had good years and bad years. The quality of the teachers is extremely inconsistent. One year, it feels like your kid’s teacher is the best and then the next year, it’s poor instruction, poor classroom management and disorganization. There’s no social emotional curriculum and it’s sorely needed. There’s kids having all sorts of problems that go unaddressed - learning difficulties, bullying, - and it just gets ignored for years. The middle school has overcrowded classrooms (there are no lockers and full backpacks on the floor) and no electives to offer. The discipline policy is inconsistent and negative. We didn’t really connect with other families and the kids don’t have good opportunities to bond. We switched to public school and feel like it was the best move we ever made.

Our children attend Chesapeake Academy and we are beyond delighted with all the school has to offer. We receive weekly communications from the teacher about current and upcoming classroom activity, frequent updates (with pictures sometimes!) about a given lesson, and are in awe of the way our kids' teachers deliver. We get tons of info in a weekly newsletter from school and have found the PTA to be really committed and generous with supporting events at the school. We love that there is not only a head of school, but a highly qualified academic director working to continually update the curriculum with teachers. Our kids LOVE Spanish, art, music, PE in the full-size gym, and the tight-knit community. Most importantly, the character development and respect displayed by the students here is absolutely genuine and such a huge part of what makes Cheasapeake Academy so special.