Dayton Oaks Elementary School

We were very happy that St. Louis school chose to accept students in person for the 2020/21 year, while the public schools and many private schools were virtual only. My son benefitted from being in school. Even so his grades and behavior were showing signs of "cabin fever" with all the extra distancing rules. Bizarrely, in May and June when Howard County showed the benefits of the vaccine program, and the public schools reopened (in accordance with CDC and State of MD advice) St. Louis did not make any changes to their regulations, not even following their own guidelines from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I wrote to the principal, pointing out precise opportunities for changes within the guidelines, but she did not reply to my e-mails. I also talked to the grade teachers about homework issues, and they did respond with an action plan. However I cannot recommend St. Louis school until the current principal (Thomas) has moved on.

We have a 10-year relationship with GCS and I currently have 3 children enrolled. Our family has had a wonderful experience, and our Children love the school. We are in the River Hill School District, which is an excellent public option. However, we send our Children to GCS for the small class size, personal attention and nurturing environment. The school student body is small by design, but the support and community network feels large and robust. I highly recommend GCS for families looking for strong academic college-prep education, in an intimate environment.