St Michaels Country Day School

Cost not worth the return. The other independent school option 10 minutes away is half the price with the same curriculum and extracurricular offerings. Don’t be fooled by the laundry list of amenities your child gets. Most of those amenities don’t apply to younger students. I find it interesting that a parental review would use a buzz word like “at capacity” (How would a parent know that?) It sounds like it was written by the enrollment director herself.

Our 7 months SMCD was marked by a profound communication breakdown that left us feeling excluded and neglected even thought my son learned a lot at SMCD. Allow me to use 3 examples to explain what I mean:1. The Pre-K class hosted show-and-tell every Friday. However, this was never communicated to us for the first two months. I assumed I should wait for the teacher to announce the schedule, as had been my experience at other schools. It wasn't until my son, in a moment of desperation, expressed his wish to participate in show-and-tell and refused to get off the car that I approached the teacher for the schedule. To my astonishment, I was told it had been occurring every Friday. The oversight of this simple yet crucial information made us feel detached from the classroom community, a first clear sign that we were isolated.2. No one informed me that there was a number to call before arriving to pick up my child. For 2 months, I waited outside the school building, hoping someone would notice and bring my son out. It was only after frequently observing other parents waiting inside their cars and myself inquiring about their process that I was made aware of the number. Again, this vital information had not been shared with me, forcing me to discover it on my own. What was more frustrating and, in a way, humorous, is that I don’t know what else we may have missed because no one ever came to us or called a meeting to go over the class schedule or logistics. I had reached out to check whether there was anything else I should be aware of, but never received a reply.3. My son had been potty trained but may have been too shy to ask to use the restroom at school. Despite repeatedly asking teachers to remind him and preparing extra clothes, he frequently wet his pants, at least twice a week. These incidents often went unnoticed, and he would wear his wet pants even during outdoor playtime, in the cold Newport winter! My concerns were met with silence until an email from the school nurse, after another accident in late May, indicated she had been unaware of the frequency of these accidents. “I was unaware that he often has accidents at ESD and wish I had known so we could have worked on some strategies to help him feel comfortable getting to the bathroom during ESD time earlier in the year. ”—this is 6 months into school year! I don't want to attribute all above events to a lack of diversity, but I felt strongly that we were terribly isolated as a minority at SMCD.

We are entering our second year with our child in St Michael’s. We moved from another local private school and couldn’t be happier. The curriculum is challenging, (which was our biggest concern), and the parents and staff welcoming. We definitely feel like we made the right move and our child agrees. There is a reason this school is enrolled at capacity every year. Definitely take a tour or attend an open house if you have the chance, their current director of enrollment is really communicative and open to any and all questions.

Not worth it. Kids from SMS tended to be towards the bottom of the class in high school. Don't pay for packaging.

We love St Michael’s. We moved to the area last year and it has been a great addition in our children’s lives. The teachers/staffs always offer feedback about their day and are so helpful with any concerns we may have. I highly recommend this school.