Beresford School

I generally enjoyed my time here, but I would suggest that the parent(s) give the child extra education, as the school material is generally too easy and your child might have difficulty in a good middle school.

all three of our kids went there. Wee loved it. The principal is top notch. Thank you

I don’t usually write reviews, but I feel compelled to share how much WUES has done for my children-TLDR: WUES is an outstanding school with a strong community. Whether you value academics, safety, or connection, WUES delivers on all fronts. Academically, WUES is second to none. The teachers and principal are deeply involved, and thanks to generous PTO support, students benefit from learning tools and technology that many schools can’t offer. While the workload is rigorous, students are often better prepared for junior high than even those from top private primary schools.In terms of safety, the school is on the same block as two police departments and a fire station, which offers an unmatched peace of mind.Finally, what truly sets WUES apart for my family is the community. The parent involvement and PTO here is unmatched. Parents and teachers go above and beyond to create meaningful opportunities for kids to connect—whether through afterschool clubs, enrichment programs, or fun events (there's soo many!). The student body is diverse, thanks in part to the school's location, and that diversity is celebrated and embraced. The school also emphasizes character development through a positive behavior program that teaches and rewards kindness and respect. When we first moved to the neighborhood, I was in awe by how polite and respectful the children were—and I truly believe the school plays a big role in shaping that culture.All to say this school is truly a gem.

In spite of what they present, STMES is NOT a peer school to St. John's, AOS, and River Oaks Baptist. The administration is not willing to confront issues with the programming and continue to stick their heads in the sand. Instead, they bend to the whims of a few loud parents. The "community" of this school is nothing but a facade for enabling codependent children.The school's mission statement includes the idea of play, but the teachers and administration are not able to see intellectual play as a possibility. This is taken so literally that even in the upper grades, students are rarely given personal responsibility for developing independent thoughts. Rather, the school focuses on creating self-handicapping, immature students who cannot problem-solve or show grit when facing practical and academic challenges. These children are overly reliant on adults to closely monitor and navigate every aspect of their lives, so the children never feel the discomfort of learning a hard lesson. What a shame for these kids when they enter high school and college where their parents' power to save the day will significantly diminish. The academic program here is significantly below grade level even by HISD standards, over 20 years behind modern standards and educational research. On average, students are about 2 years below grade-level. This becomes increasingly apparent in the higher grades with 4th and 5th graders barely able to write simple paragraphs with supporting details and many students who have not mastered basic multiplication facts (generally expected to be fully memorized by the end of 3rd grade in other schools).While the teachers are nice, there are many who do not have teacher certifications and other formal training. This no doubt contributes to the school's issues with adequately preparing students academically.This environment is worst of all for students who are gifted or high achieving. Because nearly 50% of the student population is receiving special education accommodations, teachers are forced to give these students the most attention, leaving more advanced children to read or complete busy work without the benefit of teacher instruction to provide challenges and push their thinking. The large class sizes negatively impact the students with accommodations as well. Because there is no opportunity for reteaching during class nor after school tutorials, students who are absent or need additional support miss their enrichment classes daily.

This school goes above and beyond for their students and parents. They have an excellent and in depth education program, nurturing their students' full potential. They work well with the parents, always offering respect & understanding. Their nutrition is wonderful as well, even offering breakfast and supper for children who arrive quite early or have a later departure.

We moved from New England in the summer of 2020. One my wife's new colleagues suggested SHMS in lieu of our ability to go tour schools due to Covid. We signed our 2 year old daughter up believing that we could move when everything opens up. She is now in Kindergarten at SMHS and our son, who wasn't born at the time, is now there as well and we couldn't be happier. caveat - Neither of our children are disabled or have major behavioral problems. Things of note - 1. We are paying almost $1000 less PER MONTH than we did in New England. Now that we've been here for a while, there are cheaper options for sure, but it felt like a MONSTER discount when we got here. 2. For additional fees, they offer soccer, ballet, spanish, and piano lessons during the school day. 3. There are schoolwide events - Fall festival, spring rodeo, Halloween, Christmas programs, etc. 4. They do offer kindergarten. It is small, 2-4 kids per older classroom, 3-4 classrooms, who combine together for "socials," field trips, and lessons together. 5. Siblings often cannot be in the same classroom so that they do not distract each other and can develop their own identity. 6. I have only seen 4 of the classrooms, 3 younger and 1 older, but every single teacher I have met cared a great deal for my children and helped them through potty training, teething, tantrums, learning to read, learning to do math, working out problems with other children, etc. 7. They have a FANTASTIC summer program which includes a pool! Older children get to swim, there are lifeguards. 8. One downside, other schools we have seen provide digital pictures or video of your child on a daily basis. This school does not have an app or (at the time of this review) even a website. It definitely feels like a word of mouth restaurant. 9. There are multiple parent-teacher conferences throughout the year. There aren't grades (before kindergarten) but they do give you written feedback on behavior, learning milestones, etc.

I Just recently graduated from St. Vincent de Paul and it was a wonderful school. I love how everyone knew everyone else because it was a fairly small school, and the academics are excellent. I went from being an underachieving student and athlete to recreating myself into an amazing student and an exceptional athlete. I mention this because SVdP helped me along my path to success. The teachers are all extremely kind and will work with the students who are willing to work with them. There have been some bad apples when it comes to teachers, but they are not currently employed there any more. The elementary school is a great program that helps each student according to his/her needs. In terms of Middle School, the school's strong suits had to be Math, Religion, and Literature. The academics are not extremely rigorous, but they are challenging. I will forever treasure the bonds that I have formed at SVdP for the past ten years, and I look forward to sending my children there.