New Horizon Center For The Dd

Good school with great teachers, superintendent is just ok

This school is OK. The teachers are great, at least the ones I've encountered. I have a 1st grader and 8th grader about to start the school year. They have been there for a few years. Ones of the issues I have is with the special education program that's offered. I don't feel students are getting the true help they need. IEPs say one thing and test results show another thing. My oldest one is starting 8th grade but has the reading level of a 2nd- 3rd grader. Even with outside resources and help from home, my son still has a hard time comprehending any work given to him. All of last year they said his progress was increasing but I have a feeling he's just being pushed through grade by grade. The school was good to my kindergartener. She did great progress. The lunch provided is okay, it's nutritional. The school is very involved with the community. I do see a lot of parents participation at school functions. The parking is TERRIBLE. A lot of parents do not care for the safety of students and drive carelessly. There have been a few close calls where I was hit while walking with my child. Be VERY aware and cautious of that. The school usually sends out emails to parents to remind them to be courteous but it goes to deaf ears. The school is currently under construction to fix the pick up/drop off situation. Overall, this school is OK. Beware if your child has an IEP.

Teachers were clearly caring and involved. My daughter had good friends and never reported bullies. Her math grade was a bit low and it didn’t improve until we moved and transferred her to another school with additional supports. I wish the school district had a bus system because drop off and pick up was a traffic nightmare. They close off streets to control the flow but this actually makes the congestion worse, not better. They had an external program hosting an after school program in the school which was convenient.

My child has been hit by other students and no one notified me despite them coming home with marks and welts. The staff also tried to blame my child for over reacting or lying, despite having physical proof. Also getting them into to speech program has taken since October, and they're still not in as of April. The teacher is curt and cold to the kids at pick-up, just literally shoving them off to parents. Another classmate has bruises on their flank allegedly from a teacher trying to get them to sit. Teacher withheld reward for having a hole in my childs shoe. This is not my child's fault and should not be missing out on the school experience because I couldn't afford new shoes right away. I cannot recommend this school to another parent. This teacher does not care about the well-being and safety of the students and neither does the school for letting this continue after seeing evidence and complaints from multiple parents. I feel incredibly guilty for keeping my child at this school. If it were not for the false illusion of getting them speech and it we would have left right away.

The school is situated in a quiet, pleasant neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. We were referred by friends and decided to give it a try. While the environment initially seemed promising, we found the 4th grade teacher to be ill-suited for an elementary classroom. In our experience, she lacked the temperament and sensitivity necessary for working with young students.Her teaching style was reminiscent of outdated disciplinary methods often associated with older Catholic school systems—overly harsh, rigid, and, at times, unkind. While modern Catholic schools now implement Virtus training to promote appropriate and respectful interactions with students, we felt this teacher operated outside those boundaries, occasionally crossing into behavior we considered inappropriate and potentially harmful.Ultimately, we made the difficult decision to withdraw from the school in search of an environment more aligned with contemporary educational values and respectful teaching practices.

We love PFGA! Our family has been part of the PFGA community for the past six years, and it has been a wonderful experience for all of us.One of the things we value most is how genuinely the teachers and staff have gotten to know our children—not just as students, but as individuals. They celebrate their strengths, recognize when they need extra encouragement or support, and continually challenge them to grow and believe in themselves. Over the years, we've watched our children thrive academically while also developing confidence and character. We've seen firsthand how PFGA is committed to helping every child flourish.We've also loved the many opportunities our children have had outside the classroom. They've participated in sports, piano lessons, choir, art and book clubs, drama, and musical theater. These experiences have helped them discover new interests, build confidence, and form lasting friendships.The parent community has been an important part of our experience as well. From school events to volunteer opportunities, we've felt welcomed and connected. There is a genuine sense that families, teachers, and staff are all working together to support every child.It's been exciting to watch PFGA continue to grow and invest in its students and campus through improvements like the new playground, renovated library spaces, and updated science labs. We can't wait to see what is next for our children and the PFGA community.We are incredibly grateful to be part of PFGA and wholeheartedly recommend it to any family looking for a school that combines strong academics with character development and a true sense of community. PFGA has been a place where our children have grown, discovered their interests, and become more confident versions of themselves while genuinely looking forward to each school day.