Apogee Winter Park

Our two children have been Brookshire Bulldogs for five years. We’ve experienced the full range of grades K through 5th. Our kids have been supported by a great community of teachers, admins, after school programs, parents, lasting friends and an amazing PTA that have all made going to Brookshire a wonderful experience for both of them. Our eldest child is now in Middle School and has continued to thrive academically and socially after having a Brookshire education. Brookshire is a great school. Can’t recommend it enough!

The school does not support children if they are getting bullied. Do not send your children here. If something happens, they do not correct the situation. They don’t punish bullying. They don’t punish the kids responsible and hold them accountable for their behaviors. Some teachers don’t get back to you if you need to talk to them about how your child is doing or if you need to find out what they’re doing in class to help them at home. They also don’t always give them the assignments that he missed if they are absent. The school seems pleasant at first on the surface, But they don’t get back to you if you need to speak to them, especially assistant principal and principal. They only care about using their school for perks in the city whether it’s for restaurants or treating their stuff to things they don’t care about the students. There are a handful that do care, but not enough.

We had our children at Alpha Christian Academy for two and a half years. Great teachers when our kids were in Pre-K and Kindergarten. However, that changed in August 2014. Parents were not notified when teachers were let go, nor when the administration changed. We didn't find out until the "Meet the teacher", a week before school started, when we were told that the 1st grade teacher was hired a week before hand. One of the Kindergarten teachers was hired a week ahead of time, and another 2 hours before the Meet the Teacher. It was insane. We instantly had reservations due to that knowledge, along with the Kindergarten classes being over-enrolled against the school policy. We, along with other parents, set up meetings with the new school director, Susie Book. Her first response to us was that if you didn't like the changes, you could go somewhere else. She kept laying blame on the previous administration, but could offer no real solutions. It got so bad that a church elder was called due to it.Susie Book's answer to everything was to blame the previous administration first and then tell us to go somewhere else if we didn't like it second. Because we found out so late, we were unable to secure spots at any other school because they too had waiting lists of people. We were forced to stay at Alpha, a place that we had loved the previous two years.Our kindergartners went through 3 teacher changes in less than 2 months and our first grader went through 2 teacher changes. We discovered that the kids weren't being taught the curriculum in Kindergarten. It felt like we had a meeting each week at the school.We even found out that it took 88 kids to break even for school finances. They were under-enrolled at that time, and by the time we left, the school's enrollment was down to around 60 kids. We were truly worried that the school would close before we made it to Christmas.We had recommended this school at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Now, we can say nothing but negative things. I would not enroll any children at this school, or a school where Susie Book is in any administrative capacity.

Worst school. Better off sending kids to public school

Having been part of the St. Margaret Mary Catholic School community for over eight years, we’ve grown to admire the leadership and dedication to student education. Nonetheless, we believe there's an opportunity for the school to enhance its offerings, particularly in modernizing and expanding extracurricular activities, clubs, upper class electives, and focus areas such as STEM, to meet a broader range of student needs and interests.My observation over the years is that students who fit the traditional academic mold tend to thrive here. However, I've noticed that students with unique learning needs or those who significantly outpace grade-level expectations may not receive the support or enrichment they require, especially in grades 6 through 8. While elementary students with learning challenges receive attention, this support appears to taper off in later grades, often limited to additional math instruction.Similarly, while the RISE STEM program for fourth graders and above is commendable, its limited availability (only two hours per week) and the absence of other STEM-related clubs for elementary students seem like missed opportunities for children eager to explore and excel in these fields.I believe that expanding support services for students with learning challenges, along with introducing more advanced learning opportunities and extracurricular activities, could significantly enhance the educational experience for all students, not just those "cookie cutter" students who fit the conventional academic profile.Enhancing the school's offerings would not only support students across the academic spectrum but also align with the school's commitment to fostering a rigorous and inclusive educational environment.