Belville Elementary

The few teachers my children have had are and were amazing. Some have left due to the terrible change in leadership. The board and current people running it (the pastor and his wife of the church it is affiliated with) are very deceitful, devious, and disturbingly uncommunicative. Unfortunately, it seems as though their vision and mission are not of the best interest of the children or their community. They had such a beautiful school and program. But they have completely lost touch with the point of having a Christian school for our community members to send their children. Their behaviors and decisions should make them shameful. When teachers or caregivers are mistreated and taken for granted is when children get hurt. Displacement is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person redirects a negative emotion from its original source to a less threatening recipient. Or the pure stress of poor management can make them lethargic, less focused, and irritable. This is what you see in childcare. Do not trust the Christian portion of this school’s name. It does it a disservice and the board and interim directors should be vastly disappointed in themselves. Their actions and behaviors reflect nothing of what Christ was like or how he is to be portrayed.

Our experience with St. Mary Catholic School was unfortunately not a positive one. If your child begins their educational journey here from the start, your experience may be different. However, for families joining later or with children who require any form of academic or emotional accommodations, I would advise careful consideration.We found communication with teachers to be lacking, and there seemed to be minimal investment beyond the basics in the classroom. Concerns were often met with blame directed at the student rather than a collaborative effort to support them. For some families, this approach may work, but it was not what we hoped for in a nurturing academic environment.Our experience in the middle school also raised concerns around how bullying is addressed—or rather, tolerated. Additionally, while the current principal (as of two years ago) may be focused on the operational aspects of the school, we found him difficult to communicate with. When concerns were brought up, we often felt dismissed and unheard, with comments suggesting the school's limited resources as justification.If your student fits the mold of a high-performing, independent learner, St. Mary may be a good fit. However, if your child needs a more supportive, communicative, and compassionate environment, I would strongly encourage you to look elsewhere.Regrettably, this was the most difficult and disappointing educational decision we made for our child.