Stratford High School

The school is a small school and the staff is highly dedicated to educating their students and instilling positive thinking and values.

I'm extremely disappointed with my interaction and experience with this school's administrative team. After being accepted, my child was not considered for enrollment because of his needs and I wasn't afforded the decency of a collaborative conversation to see how we could best support him in the school's setting. I had higher expectations from a magnet school and the professionals leading it.

St. James School is an excellent school. The teachers are dedicated and talented educators, and the school leaders are kind and caring. One thing I know for certain is that students at St. James are given the opportunity for an outstanding education. If you are open to it, the sense of community is truly off the charts! In my experience, you get from a school community what you put into it, and I would strongly encourage any family exploring St. James to take the leap and volunteer.A lot of the volunteering centers around fundraising. That's kind of a given with Catholic education. While, it can seem to be a lot, I do feel that the sales and events that are held to raise funds do truly go towards the kids education or safety. Every year, the principal does an overview of the budget and vision for the year to come. It is clear that money is not wasted. It is plowed back into providing educational materials for the kids or important safety initiatives, such as new doors and a new entrance with double door security. My husband and I were not practicing Catholics and hadn’t attended church in years when we first looked at St. James., We were a bit hesitant about Catholic education. However, the school was welcoming and accepting of us regardless—and we are so glad we didn’t let our hesitation influence our decision!What we experienced was a wonderful community paired with excellent academics. Yes, children are taught Catholicism, but at its heart, the focus is on teaching students how to be kind good people of faith and how to give back to the world. That’s a message everyone can benefit from today!!St. James offers so much for its students, including support classes, advanced classes, and extracurriculars such as art, music, and sports. It is a truly well-rounded community that prepares children for the larger world, including the transition to high school.Our principal, Mr. Robertson, is a kind and caring person who always puts children first. Everything he does is centered on the well-being of the students.The best part of our experience is that my son has made lifelong friends—genuinely great kids from wonderful families. So have my husband and I.While the journey wasn’t always smooth, the destination was absolutely worth it. I highly recommend St. James!!