College Hill

My children both attend Eugene Waldorf School and I can’t tell you enough how deeply the teachers at this school care for each and every student. The teachers use the Waldorf understandings of child development to create their curriculum anew every year to best meet the needs of the individual children before them that year, so the education is always meeting the children where they are at. I also attended a Waldorf school myself through high school and can share that I still remember things I was taught in elementary school, because they were brought through stories and we did our own writing about whatever we were learning, which helps you digest and really integrate information. Math and science are learned through experiences, so the children can truly feel the concepts underlying what is being taught, as opposed to rote memorization. Because the class stays together each year children are forced to work through challenging social dynamics when they arise with a long term view.

I transitioned my 4 year old daughter to this school after a rough 3 months in her former pre-kinder program. Night and day difference. She is more helpful at home, excited to go to school everyday and learn, her confidence in herself has grown by leaps and bounds, and her social skills have improved tremendously. The pre and post school meltdowns completely disappeared. The staff are incredibly patient and kind to her. Ms. Ellen & Ms. Rosie are fabulous! Montessori education is an excellent choice for kids who have ADHD and also great for TAG children because the children go through the curriculum at their own pace. She finished pre-school (primary) after 5 months there knowing where Antartica is, can count to 100 by 2's and 5's, and knows how to spell out simple three letter short vowel words. Pretty good for a kid who hasn't started kindergarten yet! The teachers work to build the whole student up. No obsession over test scores, the focus is on mastery and her strengths are nurtured instead of discouraged here ; creativity, out of the box thinking, and self reliance. A great deal of the factory model approach to education discourages kids from doing anything but sitting in their desk and listening passively to the teacher. That's not what most people do when they enter the real world! So many high paying jobs need problem solvers not drones. Set your kid up for success! What they gain at this school is worth every penny you pay! You will not be raising future coach potatoes!

Strongly reconsider before enrolling your child at O’Hara Catholic School — it’s not worth it!Tuition increases every year, yet class sizes continue to grow. Most classes are larger than nearby public schools. Despite paying premium private-school tuition, families do not receive small class sizes or individualized attention. Beyond tuition, expect constant added costs. The facilities fee alone has increased from about $50 to $275, with new fees appearing year after year—despite facilities being rarely available for student use. Fundraising and donation requests (monetary and in-kind) are constant & excessive and often feel pressuredIt is also important to understand what the school does not provide. O’Hara does not include breakfast or lunch; there is a hot lunch program, but costly. The school does not have a nurse or medical office, does not have a school counselor, and does not offer track facilities or a track program for middle school—services many families reasonably expect at this price point.Parent involvement is mandatory and not friendly to working families. Each household must complete 32 volunteer hours/year. Unmet hours are charged at $50/hour, adding up to $1,600 per year if you can’t volunteer.Academically, O’Hara is underwhelming. While a few teachers are strong, the overall curriculum is weak and inconsistent. Many families pay for private tutors to fill gaps. There are no world languages, little cultural awareness/exposure, and no meaningful cultural appreciation. You are not receiving a stronger education than what is available at public schools; just at a much higher cost.Despite the Catholic label, the school does not feel faith-centered. Most families and staff are not Catholic, including communications staff (which shows in the comms) and messaging feels generic and superficial. The environment resembles a polished, flashy evangelical mega-church where money and appearances matter more than substance and strong values.Communication is excessive yet poor. Lots of emails, yet key information is often unclear, inconsistent, or misspelled. The school relies heavily on parent ambassadors and word-of-mouth, leaving families dependent on other parents for important information.Ultimately, O’Hara is more like a country club. You pay about $1,000/month PER CHILD not for academic excellence, but for status and a sheltered environment—without strong academics, cultural depth, or authentic Catholic education or values.