Memorial Middle School

It’s my daughter’s second year at St. Gabriel’s after spending most of her elementary years in public school, and I honestly expected the transition to be challenging—but it wasn’t at all! She absolutely loves St. Gabriel’s and can’t imagine being anywhere else. The entire community has been so kind and supportive, making her feel welcomed from day one. We’re so grateful for such a positive experience!

Your experience at this school will depend on your child’s teacher. Many of the faculty and staff are very nice, but unfortunately my poor child had a horrible experience. His teacher picked on him because he didn’t understand the majority of lessons because he needed to be taught like a kindergartner, not a junior high student. She would rip up his work in anger whenever he didn’t complete it correctly or just mark answers wrong without ever attempting to go over his work with him. I would like to add that he is FIVE years old!!!!! I tried to stay in contact and schedule conferences and updates but she went out of her way to avoid me or was very pleasant to my face and denied any serious problems. My child’s demeanor changed and he began crying and having bathroom accidents. I found out a little later that she marched him to the door and pointed to the pre-k room and asked him if he felt he should go back there. He had started crying frequently and told me school was a horrible place he was afraid of. I withdrew him immediately and reported her behavior but it was swept under the rug. I’m not sure why anyone would want to demean and belittle a 5 year old but my soul was crushed when I saw how sick and anxious she made him. I feel bad that he endured three months there but he is thriving in his new school and has learned so much in a short period of time. I would think that a school that preaches love and respect would refuse to employ teachers who clearly don’t believe that.

As a parent of a new Hershey Montessori YCC student, I can emphatically say that the facility, staff, & community is absolutely amazing. The formative years of your child will be positively impacted given the privilege to be a part of this welcoming family of mindful people. We have watched our child grow in leaps & bounds. Coming out of the locked-down pandemic years, one could imagine a young child's challenges learning to socialize. Hershey's execution of Dr. Montessori's vision is something all schools should strive to achieve.