Lake View High School

We pulled our son out of a private school after bullying went unchecked and we placed him in Hamilton. It was the best decision we ever made. Not only is he excelling academically and socially but also emotionally. The school teaches (preventative) conflict resolution using proven coping tools like deep breathing and reflection forms. In fact, my 11-year old son now encourages me to use deep breathing:)

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!