Saint Mark's Elementary School

1050 East Altadena Drive

Altadena, CA 91001

33 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-6
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 16, 2024

This school simply is not for everyone. On our tour of the school, the admissions team told me that they meet the kids where they are in their emotional and intellectual growth. And I simply found that not to be true in our experience. A teacher left abruptly in the middle of the year and the response by the staff was shockingly inept. We spent three years at this school and were incredibly disappointed by the lack of communication by the faculty - but the administration/leadership at the school was especially disappointing. I did not feel like my child was properly supported, so we left - even though we originally had every intention of staying at the school for years.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2023

TL;DR: You'd be missing out if you didn't check out this hidden gem! I could go on and on about everything, but to save your time and mine I'll point out some highlights. - Low student to teacher ratio. Preschool is 15 kids/2 teachers per class. Elementary max of 20ish kids/2 teachers per class. Allows for differentiation in the curriculum so your kid is a lot of attention and being challenged at their level.- Focus on teacher retention: very good, nurturing teachers with lots of experience that are invested in the school long term.- Excellent 7th grade admissions stats.- Amazing school community: I do not know how I would raise these kids without this village and all its resources. People (administration, teachers, parents, etc) are truly authentic and caring. - Episcopalian school but actually very light on the religion. More focus on being a good person and social, emotional, moral education. Very important in this modern world. Many diverse families here, not just Christian.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2023

I have had the privilege to send multiple children to Saint Mark's School. While I still have a young one enrolled and thriving, my other children got into their first choice school and are both doing very well. While being academically prepared is obviously a concern for many parents, I was more worried about making sure they had a balanced upbringing. One of the school's main missions is to "Honor the Student's Childhood." That really resonated with me because in this day in age, I feel like we are in a big rush to make our kid's "grow up" so quickly. The community at Saint Mark's School is very tight knit and you can really feel the love for each other. Of course, no school is perfect, but I think any of the adversities faced are perfectly normal and ends up building character for the child and the parents alike. I feel so lucky to have my family be part of Saint Mark's School and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any young family who values a good balance.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2023

Saint Mark's is a warm and welcoming community that is intentional about meeting students where they are and holding them accountable to challenging academic standards and expectations for treating others with respect and decency. Your child will feel an immediate sense that they have a place in this community. Your child will be known. Every year, students graduate 6th grade with choices for admission to the most competitive 7-12 private schools in the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas. The head of school is amazing--she is visionary, known nationally, and is particularly adept at building strong teams of leaders and teachers. A Saint Mark's education is a worthwhile investment in your child's future.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2022

This is our second year at Saint Mark's School. We love our children's Pre-K, K and 1st grade teachers. There are small class sizes and two teachers per class which facilitate personalized learning. The kids' needs and abilities are addressed both academically and socially. It is a warm, supportive environment with great parents. The school provides a lot of fun activities and events which balance out the academics, so my kids really want to go to school. In fact, my children ask to stay for extended day.I love the partnership St. Mark's has with its sister school in Haiti. There is an annual walk that we do to raise funds for the school. The walk lasts as long as the students' daily walk to school. Children raise funds and share information with the Haitian school throughout the year. This and other efforts help to develop empathy. We are not a religious family. My children are culturally Jewish. I do appreciate that this school is Episcopal because I think the church emphasizes kindness and compassion while celebrating differences. Last year the teacher told me proudly that my son had drawn Hanukkah candles on his Christmas tree. She was thrilled. I love that St.Marks is a Pre-K to 6th grade program. It gives my children a chance to grow up in a safe and loving environment. It also gives them the opportunity to reinvent themselves for middle school or high school. I would highly recommend this school to others.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2022

We have been a part of the Saint Mark’s Family for 3 years now, and our two children are thriving for so many reasons. The low teacher-student ratio really helps the faculty get to know each individual student and assist individual needs. Being a preschool-6th grade only, your child learns to become a leader at an early age. Our graduating 6th graders are well spoken, confident and compassionate leaders. Community is central to everything. The families come from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and are warm and welcoming. We have made many close friendships here. The families are also very supportive of the faculty and staff. They truly want the staff to continue to grow in their education and other learning avenues. We feel very blessed that our children are able to receive a first rate education in such a warm and positive environment.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2022

I am a parent of twins and we began Saint Mark's School in the first grade. Our experience has been an incredible one! My children have really embraced the experience at this school, there is a balance between academics and social emotional learning. This wholistic approach builds on year after year and it prepares the kids in a developmentally appropriate way, my children have enjoyed their teachers and rave about the community that makes Saint Mark's so special. COVID was a difficult time for all and I have such appreciation for how quickly the school was able to pivot and begin online instruction for the students and since then, they have not skipped a beat in making sure that students and teachers are safe as we continue to navigate thru these times.It brings me so much joy to know that my kids are ready and prepared for the next stage in their education, middle school! I have Saint Mark's to thank for preparing them to be kind, strong leaders with a hunger for knowledge
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2022

My son has been attending Saint Mark’s since Pre-K4 and is now wrapping up his 2nd grade year. We have loved the strong and balanced education he is offered. The enrichment class opportunities he receives have a dedicated teacher, including: art, science, technology, music, Spanish, library, wellness and PE. We enjoy the down to earth culture and diversity of the community, including the amazing teachers. His past three teachers and Teacher Interns (TI) have been incredible. Every class has a TI to assist in academic and social settings, which is an incredible asset to the students. My son is happy, thriving, and well adjusted (especially through the pandemic). He has made life long friendships and looks forward to going to school each day.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2021

This is an excellent school where everyone cares, truly cares about the children. Yes, it's a private school so there is everything that comes with that. But, I have seen a lot of independent schools in the area and St. Mark's is truly special. They are able to uniquely combine academic rigor with community and wellness. A hidden gem in the altadena foothills.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2021

I will be remiss if I did not post this review. Parents with children of color, please think twice before entrusting your child to this school. Saint Mark’s, unfortunately, perpetuates all things that are wrong in today’s society. The school lacks patience to deal with families that are different from what is considered “societal norms”. Thus, single working parents are misunderstood. Children of color are labeled and misunderstood. And when it becomes too much for this institution to take time to understand your circumstances, your child is asked to leave with a tarnished record. I write this review in the hopes that the school will change its culture, mindset and methodology. I was asked to pay upwards of $30 an hour to have a “helper” follow my child around the school. A privileged child who could afford to pay for this luxury was permitted to stay in the school while my child was asked to leave. Although devastated at the time, I thank God for the challenge and direction. My child is now thriving at another school and is in fact exceeding expectations as he needed guidance, dedication and academic rigor that saint marks could not provide. My recommendation is to shop around and make careful observations. For the money that this school receives, they are part of everything that is wrong in systemic racism that grapples American society today.
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2018

Excellent, our two girls have loved the environment, and have grown so remarkably emotionally, in intellect and in confidence.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2016

The teachers with the exception of very few are probably not as acredited or seasoned as one would hope. Not sure how a teacher goes from teaching preK to being head teacher in an upper elementary. They are teaching Singapore math which is different than common core, but the same philosophy and just as frustrating. When parents have to take a course so that they can help their children do their math homework, it's an issue. Mind you, they've been teaching this for 3 yrs now and are just realizing that the parents need to learn this as well. Why did it take 3 yrs? Perhaps it's asking to much even though we are paying for the teachers to be well versed in their teachings, in all areas would be nice. Perhaps sticking with the way the math was being taught for anyone from 2nd grade on would have been wiser. The "inventor " of Singapore Math says in his writings "if the students are not taught from the very beginning how to do this, most will struggle." For some reason they let the 5th and 6th graders stick to the original way of math, but anyone below gets to try and learn this. Its a pricey school as some have mentioned and some think it's wOrth it and some do not. That will have to be a personal choice. There are some amazing people and teachers just not high enough caliber as you would hope, especially for the price. Don't expect most of the teachers to go beyond their call of duty they won't and some can't teach or think outside the box. Some will and actually know the more seasoned teachers will. Good luck!
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2014

Our son has been at St Marks for his entire elementary school years. Though some teacher were better than others, it was overall an excellent experience with several extraordinary teachers in the mix (Mr Johnson & Ms Heidel are true stand-outs). It is also well priced for what you get. We have recruited several families over the years and they are all equally satisfied. Bottom -- an excellent education that teaches good value and is also a good value -- what more can one ask for?
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2014

I am a current parent (since 2003) and just had to respond to some of the issues mentioned below. Security is not an issue at the school - the sheriff and fire station are on the next block. A full time security officer would be nice but may be overkill. The head is retiring, but is still visibly engaged with the program and operations. Teachers' styles vary between traditional and modern as they do in ALL schools. Yes, it is expensive but it is a PRIVATE school in the Pasadena area. Come on! I assume Zero Tolerance refers to bullying - again completely off-base. Behavior expectations are very high and homework levels are normal for a private school. It sounds like the previous poster was just very angry. I cannot at all identify with her experience.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2013

We've had three students attend this school, so we've been an enrolled family for nearly 10 years. Many of the reviews here are accurate - it's a caring/nurturing school that works on very important goals like respect, global/community awareness, etc. Most of the kids are kind and respectful. Teachers know most children by name and seem to genuinely care about them. The campus is lovely (yes, security is lax), parents are hyper involved. But, the teachers are very uneven and there's a big turnover this coming year, which is a good thing. 3rd and 4th grades have suffered in recent years with uneven teachers, and resource teachers are mediocre and rely on tired lesson plans. There seems to be a tremendous effort by the head of school to appear current with all the instructional trends ... ipads in classrooms, field studies, STEAM curriculum, outdoor classrooms. But it's hard to gauge how much benefit this really has for individual students/classrooms, parents don't get much info about how this is helping their children. I don't think Saint Mark's is as "progressive" as these trend adoptions make it seem - most instruction is fairly straightforward and traditional.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2013

Our child has been attending the school since pre-k. I was surprised to see some of the prior/older reviews chastising the head of school and indicating that the teachers/staff fear her. As a SAHM and one that is on campus a lot, I have never seen or heard anything of the sort. Our child is thriving. The campus is clean and well kept (although security could be tighter), there are many resource classes (art, music, science, motor development, Spanish) as well as fee based after school enrichment programs. As a relatively new parent, it is a bit hard to tell how decisions are made (do parents have pull, or only some, does the head of school make decisions unilaterally) but I do feel that my questions and concerns are addressed timely and directly. The class size and teacher:student ratio is low which does allow for more individualized learning, however there does seem to be some resistance to setting apart advanced learners. As with most private schools, there is a requirement to donate and a lot of fundraisers in addition to required parent volunteer hours. All in all, it is a solid school.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2013

Walking onto the St. Mark's campus is like walking into a giant warm hug. This school is fantastic. Our daughter is thriving in this environment. The teachers are so thoughtful and caring. The students are engaged, respectful and polite, not to mention always walking around with smiles on their faces! Science and technology are outstanding, as is the amazing art room. The administration and teachers put significant thought into curriculum and childhood development. As a parent, I really appreciate that St. Mark's stays abreast of current research and ideas relating to education. I feel that my daughter is both challenged and supported in her studies. There is a lot of opportunity to get involved at the school as a parent. I've found all the other parents to be delightful people and have enjoyed every volunteer job I've done. The staff and administration are kind and genuine. One of the delights of the school is the trips for the older students, especially the 5th grade Washington DC trip. This school is a real gem and I am grateful every day that our daughter is a student at St. Mark's.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2013

This school is awesome. It strikes the right balance between progressive and traditional learning approaches. As a "new to the school" parent, I have found the staff open to questions and suggestions and other parents welcoming and down to earth. My son is a kindergartner this year. He is reading, writing sentences and doing advanced math and further developing his "right brain qualities: inventiveness, empathy, meaning, etc. All within the context of becoming a person of integrity. I have found the head of school impressive and approachable. If anything, she runs the school like any leader, respected and loved, tough but fair. Her commitment to the education of the children is tireless. The after school offerings are well rounded and fun. The working parents ratio is much more realistic than other area schools. The unique approach to individualized learning based on each students comprehension level is something you won't see in area public schools. My son's curiosity is encouraged and he has never been criticized for asking to many questions. It is amazing to see how proud the students are of their work. If this is on your list take the tour! You will love art room.
Submitted by other on December 16, 2012

The principal bullies and intimidates the teachers. Most of the staff lives in fear of her. If you want a school that used to be stellar but wants to promote ia fake image of success, this is the place for you.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2012

My husband and I fell in love with Saint Marks last year when we toured and our daughter is now a Kindergartener. We feel so blessed that we found Saint Marks. Our daughter has begun to blossom after only a few months. She is more independent, more thoughtful of others and very excited about learning. While there are worksheets and traditional academics, Saint Marks is teaching her a love of learning through exploration! She attends music, art and Spanish each week. The parents are down to earth and very welcoming. From the book fair to the Halloween parade, there is such a warm and positive feeling among the students, families, teachers and administrators. I know that many parents feel nervous about the fact that Saint Marks ends in 6th grade. This school is worth the sacrifice and it is very apparent when you look at the 6th grade class that they are ready to move on to the next adventure. That adventure will include entrance into the top schools in the Pasadena area including Westridge, Poly and Flintridge Prep. Saint Marks is an absolute gem!