Cowesett

I am extremely disappointed with our experience at St. Rose of Lima this past school year. I made the difficult decision to withdraw both of my children after ongoing concerns, particularly regarding how my 5th grade son was treated. It became clear that his teacher was targeting him unfairly—to the point that it felt like she was bullying him. This teacher was over the top and would even "adjust" grades, dropping scores from the 90s down to the 70s with little to no clear explanation. This kind of inconsistency made it difficult to understand how my son was truly performing and undermined his confidence. He had consistently earned A's in previous years, yet there was no back-to-school night or clear communication about grading expectations or assignments. I regret not removing my son from this toxic environment at the beginning of the school year, when the red flags first became apparent.Communication from the school was also poor. Important emails were sent late at night—often after 9 PM on a Friday—about issues that allegedly happened earlier that day or earlier in the week. If something truly required parental attention, it should have been addressed promptly.My daughter, who was in 1st grade, struggled with reading throughout the year. Despite this, no evaluations or extra support services were ever offered to her, which was very disappointing.Additionally, the school community felt extremely cliquey. Many of the parents behaved more like high school students than adults, creating an unwelcoming and judgmental environment.Overall, I expected much better communication, support, and professionalism from the school—both in the classroom and within the larger school culture.

Our family had high expectations based on what was presented during the open house, tour, and interviews. Unfortunately, the school does not live up to what is being sold. Outdated teaching practices, stale lessons, and lots of mundane worksheets do not serve the students’ learning. In a culture stuck in the past, nothing new and innovative is happening, putting students at a disadvantage as other schools embrace technology and incorporate it into the curriculum. Scare tactics and punishments are used instead of support and encouragement. Parents must volunteer to run all of the sports and extracurricular activities or they do not happen. Overall, it falls very short of the image that is projected onto the community.