Kathryn D. Markley El School

Caring teachers and a wonderful program. The children are always learning something new and exciting.

I attended SSPJ many years ago and felt more than adequately prepared for high school. The morals and scholastic habits instilled at this fine school have carried through my life to this day.I now have 2 children attending SSPJ and I am very happy with their education. The school cares so much about their students as whole persons. They nurture their souls as well as their minds. My children love going to school every day, which is truly a testament to the environment fostered within the walls of SSPJ. They are also achieving within the top 10% nationally on terra nova testing so their enjoyment at school goes hand in hand with effective education.I feel that SSPJ is worth the financial investment and the 20 minute commute for my children. We moved from one of the area’s very best school districts to a far less desirable district because of our confidence in the education at SSPJ.

I was at villa for two years. Unless you want your kid to turn out as someone who cant express themselves, don't put them in villa. The social atmosphere is absolutely horrible. My first year I spent half of the year with no friends, and there was barely any help with that. I was not welcomed warmly. I felt weird, and odd. I did make friends though, at the end of the year. But I lost those friends and ended my second year with 2 friends. We were all outcasted because we were different. I was being talked about, bullied behind my back, and outcasted. Teachers do not do anything about this, they barely even recognize the situations (or care). Nor do they parents get note of the bad social atmosphere, they hear it from their children directly. It got so bad I moved schools, and im happier than ever. I learned im not weird and odd, it was just the girls at my former school who made me think that (and unfortunaly the teacher's too). Villa may not say it, but villa is about blending in. Not being yourself. Do not send your children here, my little sister is starting to get bullied by her own friends now. There ate false rumors being spread about her. There are many better schools, do not go here. (Stuff I want to add; one of the nuns there told one of my friends that she hated me. All because I looked different. I was incredibly happy with my looks, but she wasn't. Anyways, hey villa, thanks for how miserable you made me. Also this is a very obviously homophobic school, careful!)