St Paul Elementary School

Our family had both positive and challenging experiences at SELA. Many of the teachers we interacted with were warm and genuinely caring toward the children, and we appreciated their dedication. The families who attend are also wonderful.However, our overall experience felt inconsistent from classroom to classroom, which made it difficult to feel fully confident in the program as a whole. During our time there, we also experienced several staffing changes, and communication around those transitions did not always feel clear to us. This contributed to concerns about continuity and stability, even if that may not reflect everyone’s experience.Another factor for our family was that the school does not offer special education services, which limits the support available for children who may need additional help. From our perspective, there were also moments when supervision and overall structure did not feel as strong as we would have hoped for young students.We had conversations with other families that raised general concerns about safety and oversight. While we cannot speak to specific events or details, those discussions influenced how comfortable we ultimately felt.Academically, the curriculum appeared ambitious, and for our child it sometimes felt developmentally advanced in ways that were not the best fit. We also perceived the administrative style as more tightly managed than supportive, which seemed to create a tense atmosphere rather than a collaborative one.Although we were part of the Early Global program and met caring individuals along the way, what we observed and experienced led us to decide not to continue enrollment - particularly as what we heard about the Elementary program was quite negative. It was reported to us that Elementary turnover is high due to how the staff is treated from administrators. For our family, the combination of frequent changes, limited support services, and lingering concerns about overall environment made it difficult to move forward. We hope the school reconsiders their management styles as the general mission of the school has great potential.

Our family has been a part of the SJS community for 7 years now. Our children love the school and are excelling. The values we teach in our home are reinforced during school. My husband and I love that the middle school students mentor the younger grades. There is a real sense of community. The children learn academics as well as great life skills they will take with them. The school is definitely a hidden gem on the South Shore.

Our family joined the Derby community last year and we have had a very positive experience. One of the things we love most about the school is that children are allowed to be children. There is time for play and curiosity all the way through Grade 8, while independence, responsibility, and academic rigor are all fostered. For the first time in a long time our middle school aged child comes home from school sharing stories about new topics and ideas that were explored in class. Our child has made many new friends and clearly feels connected to classmates, teachers and the routines and traditions that reflect Derby's mission to "improve both heart and mind."There are too many great opportunities to list here - academics, fine arts, athletics, philanthropy, and more. We would highly recommend Derby to other families looking for a school that takes a holistic approach to education and fosters a life long love of learning.