Lafayette Elementary School

UPDATE: SF Archdiocese has now announced a new leadership team for St. Thomas the Apostle School for the 2022-23 school year. They are long-time members from within the school community. We are hopeful for what the next academic year holds! ORIGINAL: Over the past 4 years, we have witnessed firsthand how a strong school community can thrive from the investment of teachers and a solid school administration that believes in raising the bar academically and genuinely supporting students and families. Unfortunately, the new principal (Maria Collins) and administration lack the empathy, communication, and critical common sense skills to continue the aspects of STA that have made the school a success over the years. There is a lack of transparency with finances and the new administration is quick to blame teachers and staff for any issues that arise. Communication is abysmal to non-existent and barely comprehensible when it is issued by the new principal, whether verbal or written. Newsletters frequently lack any useful information and contain misspellings and randomly capitalized words. Discipline and classroom management issues are not effectively addressed and consequences are inconsistently applied, even when the handbook is referenced. Teachers are amazing but they are unsupported and it is very sad how they are treated by administration. Until there is a change in administration at STA, look elsewhere. Also be sure to do your research on how the administration interacts with and supports the school community, students, teachers, and staff since they set the overall vibe and tone for a school's culture.

We’ve been incredibly impressed with this school’s summer camp and preschool program. After being referred by other preschool families, our son attended camp last summer and absolutely loved it, and we quickly understood why.The programming is truly special. Between the language immersion, outdoor adventures, and the way they naturally spark curiosity, it feels like such a thoughtful and enriching experience for kids. It strikes a rare balance of being both structured and fun, while still allowing kids to explore and be themselves.Equally impressive is how well the school is run. The communication, organization, and overall experience for parents is some of the best we’ve seen. Everything feels intentional, seamless, and incredibly well thought through.Most of all, the teachers and staff stand out. They are kind, engaged, and clearly passionate about what they do. You can feel the care they put into creating a warm, inspiring environment for the kids.We’ve truly been blown away and feel so lucky to have found this community. We love it here.