Pittsburgh Minadeo K-5

My daughter completed K-2nd grade here before we moved from the area. Almost all of her teachers were wonderful. I liked that they had an arts and music program and that all of the kids were very welcoming to one another. We did have an issue with one of the 2nd grade teachers but other than her our experience was pretty great. their after school program was also well run.

To start with we LOVED the teachers and atmosphere for our toddler. But, we had to pull our child out due to negligent and lax COVID policies that have resulted in weekly exposures and illness among the children too young to be vaccinated. These policies are an outgrowth of the lax policies being exhibited at local shuls where masking and distancing are non-existent. This has exposed vulnerable children and adults to a cycle of disease and the administration have not only ignored parental concerns but have further relaxed rules. On two occasions we were told to get PCR tests but no one ever actually looked at them. The last draw was that they waited several days after an exposure to let the parents know and then put into place a testing schedule that would have exposed children to any additional COVID positive children for up to 4 days. The principal only responded to concerns when outed on public facebook discussion pages and refused to participate in any sort of forum with the parents the doctors who are allegedly consulting with him (no evidence of their consult has been shown to parents). This is not a school that takes health seriously.

SEA is a really special place. My younger child is off to a great start with beginning reading skills, and has already grown so much in learning about her own feelings and getting along with others. She even has advice for me sometimes on how to calm my body when I'm frustrated with traffic haha! My older child has completely transformed as a reader--from absolutely dragging his feet to read anything at all, to reading without being reminded to. He loves school and says it feels more like summer camp, even though he's writing 5-paragraph essays and practicing cursive! They both love developing their artistic skills, and are eager to show off what they can do in math. Most importantly, I'm amazed how quickly they have absorbed the Core Values in really practical ways that I see at home and when they're out in the community. I am so grateful for this community of dedicated teachers and staff. The teachers are just second-to-none, and their passion for teaching and their affection for the kids is so clear.

Supportive environment for social and academic learning. Excellent parent network. Very caring staff and teachers. Sports are present, but weak.

Three of my grandchildren have or are now attending this school with the fourth starting this fall. They have all received an excellent education, and more importantly found a welcoming, spiritual and nurturing environment in which to learn.