Harpeth Valley Elementary School

We have absolutely loved Saint Matthew School! I have three kids, and they are all thriving at different grade levels. There is a great community feel, and even though we are not Catholic, we have always felt totally included and loved. The school is also a nice size, with about 45 to 50 students per grade. And we also love the K-8 model. I think it’s so much better for middle school kids to be with their younger classmates, instead of being with high schoolers, where they feel pressured to grow up too quickly. Overall, we have just loved being an SMS!

Our family moved from out of state and enrolled at Saint Henry School during the middle of a school year, and our experience has been very positive! The community is the largest Catholic grade school in Nashville with three homerooms per grade. Saint Henry's offers small-group enrichment (grade school) and differentiated learning (middle school) for students working at an accelerated pace. A resource team, including a full-time counselor, is available for students who need additional support. Students at Saint Henry have homework every night and the teachers work together to ensure students are not overburdened. Work assigned is always meaningful; never "busy work." The teachers truly care about each student and his/her success, and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia are a wonderful example of the Catholic faith in practice. The school recently renovated its science labs with state-of-the-art equipment and implemented a new curriculum with a focus on hands-on learning. Saint Henry School really shines in its fine arts offerings from the annual (Disney Junior) musical theater production to the fine arts classroom complete with a kiln! All students are exposed to music education through concert band, handbell choir, guitar, or voice. Of course, no review would be complete without commentary on the cafeteria, and my children rave about the offerings. Finally, because we were curious, most of Saint Henry's graduates continue on to Catholic high schools, namely St. Cecelia (all girls) and Father Ryan (co-ed).

Wonderful. As explained above, there are so many amazing things going on in this little community that our family loves being a part of it.