Chicago Montessori

We have had such a positive experience at Courtenay. My kid attended the pre-k this past year, and will be returning to Courtenay this year.This school is under excellent leadership. The admin is engaged with the whole community, dedicated to programs and initiatives that benefit both the students and their families. Whenever I’ve had questions or concerns, the administration has responded promptly and thoughtfully. I attended nearly all the monthly ‘Coffee with the Admin’ meetings with the principal and assistant principal and got to experience firsthand their appreciation of parental feedback. If someone had a question or concern that couldn’t be addressed at that moment, the principal was quick to get the information relayed to us. We loved our kid’s teacher team and were so lucky that they have the wisdom and experience to see when a student requires intervention. We were a bit worried about the transition from daycare to pre-k, but from the very beginning his teachers were engaged and communicative about how they were supporting him in the classroom and how we could support at home. I felt he was truly taken care of and given an environment in which to thrive. He came home happy and was eager to go back the next morning. During LSC and other school community meetings, I met passionate educators of the 3rd-8th grades and it seems that the entire staff knows every kid in the school. I also found the Child-Parent Center a great asset. Their sole purpose is to create opportunities for parents and families to get involved in the school community. They organized parent volunteers for field trips and school performances, and offered a variety of on-going opportunities (cooking club) and classes (CPR, wellness, culture) throughout the year that gave me the chance to meet other parents. To top it off, they have a flourishing ‘Friends of’ organization that further supports the students and school as needed and the new playground is fantastic for all ages.I’m so pleased this is our neighborhood school, and I am excited for our kid to continue to experience such an open and friendly learning environment.

I’m speaking for my sister and me. I am a regular student who had already graduated 2 years ago, this school is amazing. My teachers were great, really did try they’re best to give advanced education to us, they kept us on check, while also having some fun, yes of course some teachers were strict and not fun, but they really did prepare you. Likewise, My sister had some trouble with all the subjects and had to have individual classes to help her keep up. Which I found very great. She told me how the classes helped her, along with some books I gave her, that fit her interest, she grew well alongside supportive teachers. They gave her weakened work as well, and supported her all the way through. Great teachers, with great patience. The safety and diverse community is great, they have a lot of opportunities to be out and social, clubs and afterschool programs, a great park, and a great school ground with a safe community. Though, the counclers do need some work with keeping everything fair from a problem I had with another student. They do care about every student, adress problems the parents have, give meetings and try to keep the students comfortable. Other than that, the school is fine, and well. I’m saying this as a graduate from 24, and my sister just graduated. It was a good time in that school. I recommend putting your student in!!

School places strong emphasis on academic excellence, including regular homework assignments, weekly quizzes and tests. Teachers are involved and very supportive,. New principal - Mr. Guerrero is successful in promoting academic discipline and parents' involvement. There is a zero-tolerance policy on bullying. My two children attend Ravenswood Elementary and I have seen steady improvement in school's academic ranking over the years.

I am thrilled to recommend NPES to families as it is a place that really centers and cares about children. As a small, independent school it is able to be responsive and nimble and I have seen so many excellent additions to the program in recent years. This is truly a gem of a school in a challenging chicago landscape.

If you’re looking for a welcoming, inclusive community where your child will have personalized attention from teachers who care about your child, then Pilgrim is definitely the school for you. We were not happy at our previous CPS school. Our daughter wasn’t happy, she felt ignored, the focus on timed tests (in 1st grade!) made her anxious and she started to not like school. Since we moved to Pilgrim, she has absolutely thrived. Her love for learning is due to the amazing teachers at Pilgrim. She’s a straight A student, scoring in the 90th+ percentile in both reading and math. She’s in her 8th grade year and Mrs. Andreen works one on one with each student to prepare them for the high school application process. She’s been a lifesaver! Our younger daughter loves her teacher as well. I love the care and support she has provided to my youngest and as parents we love the fact that we can communicate easily with teachers. They are very supportive and responsive (which was not our experience at CPS). It is also by far the most affordable private school option. There’s no way we could have afforded the other private options on the north side. Pilgrim’s like a hidden gem. I can’t say enough good things about our tiny but mighty school community!

We have been a part of the St Ben's community for four years and are extremely happy with the quality of the education and how invested and caring the teachers are. St Ben's also has so many extra curricular activities for the kids, sport twice a week, Spanish, Art, STEM, music and many more. There is lots of school events to get involved with for example Daddy/Daughter Dances, Mom's/Dad's nights out, a Gala, Fun Run and great Oktober Fest that the Parish puts on. The communication to parents each week is very clear and informative. Our daughter is thriving at the school, we are very happy at St Ben's!