St. Joseph Elementary School

5 Obtuse Hill Road

Brookfield, CT 06804

36 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on January 23, 2022

Still recovering from the damage the nuns did to my self-esteem almost 40 years ago. sister Pauline was about as evil as a human being as I have ever known. Sister Mae was even worse. John Salato though took the prize. He was nothing more than a bully.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2018

The situation at St. Joseph School is unfortunate. It has rapidly gone downhill over the years. My 2 Daughters have had different teachers for Kindergarten and 3rd grade. Some staff have stayed but there is a real difference between certain staff members. It was such a good school but it isn’t any longer. The school was set to close and now they are going to reopen as a multi age school. Unfortunately, there are more unanswered questions than answered questions for the new year. The parents that want the school open are spinning lies and trying to convince others on the fence to stay. It is sad and not at all Christian. Too much parental involvement. They dictate to the administrators and that is terrible! Multi age is not the answer. If you want a good Catholic education there are other options not too far away. Look around and make a truly informed decision.
Submitted by other on April 21, 2017

The teaching atmosphere is fantastic. The faculty, staff, and administration all work together and get along. This environment allows us to strive together to educate every student to their full potential. We respect one another. This Christian atmosphere is felt by the students, parents , and community. Our students are well prepared for any high school they decide to attend. SJS PRIDE!
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2015

We came to SJS from a small town nearby with a similar public school - K-8 in the same building. I was looking for a school that would provide a meaningful report card (no more P/M/E grades), encourage older students to be role models, teach cursive handwriting, provide better supervision of students, assign quality homework (no more busywork), "differentiate" aka challenge children who have mastered concepts, and provide a flexible curriculum. I found all of this and more at SJS. My children are thriving in classes of 19 students (and one teacher), where they just "drifted along" in smaller classes of 12 students in our old school (one teacher and a para). SJS starts teaching Spanish in Pre-K, and by the time the students are in middle school, they are speaking and writing at a high school level. All recess and lunch is supervised by two faculty members, who actively engage the kids and create a friendly, supportive, safe environment. Our principal treats everyone the same - no favortism - and is often walking the halls of the school, greeting all the children by name and supporting the teachers. All students from 4th to 8th grade have Chromebooks. Only one standardized test is administered per year - on paper, not the adaptive computer test. I could go on and on - SJS provides a wonderful education and I would recommend this school to anyone!
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2015

Awesome school, wonderful teachers and a nurturing and a caring environment. This is one of the best school in the area!
Submitted by parent on March 11, 2015

SJS Brookfield is a hidden gem! This is a wonderful, faith-filled school community. It is a small school, so all the children and teachers know one another. The teachers are extremely qualified, educated, professional, creative, kind and they set good examples for the students. This is not your "old fashioned" Catholic school where the desks are set up in rows and students do worksheets all day. This school is vibrant and the children have fun learning. At SJS, faith, charity and kindness are top priorities. Children participate in various charity projects throughout the year. They receive classes on religion, but perhaps more importantly, faith / religious education is intertwined in everything else they do / study throughout the school day. I am continually impressed by the maturity and comportment of the older SJS students. By the time students reach 7th and 8th grade, it becomes abundantly clear the value of a faith filled, private school education. I would highly recommend SJS. It truly is a hidden gem of a school!
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2015

I'm very displeased by this school this year. I do not recommend this school. They have a very strong focus in fundraising, to the point of being obnoxious. We as parents feel obligated and often bullied to have to donate lots of money to the school. The focus are not in the children anymore. As said by another parent before, they don't care about both parents that work, asking for too much extra time from parents. And for the kids themselves who are being asked to do too many extra work and volunteering. Unfortunately this was the worst year with this school and our last.
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2014

I submitted a February 2, 2012 post praising the school. I an reiterate that I still feel that the school provides excellent and rigorous academics and appreciate the raising of my children's social awareness through the study of faith. SJS is no doubt a better alternative to public shool, but other private schools might have ironed out these rough spots that seem to persist at SJS. In that respect, SJS seems to be a work in progress. The new principal is very zealous in furthering the interests of the school and advocating for improvements in both physical buiilding, teacher and student resources and finances. He works very hard and is resourceful but is a bit inconsistent and his results can seem arbitrary. Another frustrating aspect, is that there is an underlying, pervasive attitude that is anti-dual working parent families. The school , admin and teachers, seems to not really consider the situation of dual working parent families often such as in scheduling parent-teacher conferences days (only 1 evening over 3 days) and requiring fund raising activities (3 diffferent ones in 1 month's time!). Still sticking with the school for now however...
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2014

This was a great school year! Very happy with our child's education, experiences, and teacher. The principal turned the school around... we hope he stays! Some staff are leaving... this is a good thing, but we will miss Mr. Murphy and Ms. Cadmus.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

One of the best schools w great community, teachers and staff! Kids get a great education and religious background! Couldn't say enough good things!
Submitted by other on March 26, 2014

Inconsistent teaching (much deadwood amongst the staff), dismal infrastructure and a poor front office made our time at the school a waste of money. The new Principal is making great strides (after years of failing leadership) and must be commended as he is a very strong leader, but he has much work to do to recover what has been lost and bring St Joe's back to what it was.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2014

St Joseph Brookfield is a wonderful school. This year (2013/2014 school year) is our third year at the school and our kids are in first and third grade. Both of our children have thrived academically, socially and spiritually. We did not initially attend SJS for the religious aspect, but the values instilled have become a critical part of what I expect from their future education. Academically the school has exceeded our expectations. The pre-K and K programs had my youngest recognizing sight words and reading more than a year earlier than my older child who attended another school for those grades. Mathematically both children are doing excelling and enjoying it. Both children really look forward to going to school and I appreciate the quality of the teachers. The school has good music, spanish, art, computer and gym programs. We have had more principal turnover for various reasons over the past 3 years than I'd like, but the current principal is very strong and has quickly and continuously driven improvement, enhancements and positive changes and will hopefully now be here a while. There is a good after-care program as well that my kids enjoy going to.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2013

We have been with Saint Joseph School for 13 years, we have two children who have graduated and moved on to private high school where they are achieving at or above the honors level. We attribute much of our children's success to the foundations in academics and faith that were acquired during their time at SJS. They were exposed to not only strong academics, but also, student council, athletics, student mentoring, strong understanding and practice of their faith, community service and outreach and a loving environment. SJS has been through many changes and the most recent in leadership and faculty have only made the school better and compliment the mission of the school. I have been complimented on my older childrens commitment to their studies, conduct and organization. I have one student still enrolled and expect the same wonderful gift of superior education, complimented with strong values in a faith based environment. We are happy to be part of the SJS family.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2013

St. Joseph's Brookfield has given my children a more superior educational opportunity then they would have had in our large public school system. Of course, along with that, has been attending mass weekly, and the spiritual teaching that is part of the curriculum, as well. There is a great sense of community among faculty, principal, HSA and parents. The classes are small, and the teachers are patient, caring and flexible. As a parent, I feel it is essential to be involved in projects, field trips, and other class related activities. Here we get to help, in fact it is welcomed. But, we have also needed some additional attention and academic support for one of my children, and St. Joseph's has worked with us to develop an amazing academic support team. We would highly recommend St. Joes Brookfield.
Submitted by other on November 19, 2013

I am a parent of four children that graduated from St.Joseph's School went on to high school and college. Today they are active, contributing members of society. I have been involved in the parish and school for over forty years.In todays environment we see a low moral standard,no role models and in some cases poor parenting. At St Joes we have a school which offers different standards, an alternative. We are not afraid to love God,have respect for others, say the pledge of allegiance. or pray in the class room.Today we hear about "core curriculum" At St. Joseph are children are taught to think.ask questions ,to learn and contribute in accordance with Christian values. Our children's success are measured not by fixed standards but rather by their ability to contribute to society, helping there fellow man and live the faith. We are blessed to have this school and staff
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2013

Our children are currently in 7th & 8th grade at SJS, and have been attending since kindergarten. From the beginning we felt the sense of family, acceptance and community from the other family. There is a very strong focus on Christian values and raising the children to be participating Catholics, and living the word. With regard to academics, the curriculum is very challenging, and with out a doubt results in graduates that thrive in their high school years. The new principal Mr. Bannon is a welcome addition, who have implemented many positive changes, including needed staff changes, and special focus on respect for all individuals in the school. The tuition and fund raising that we pay are well worth all the positive things our children will reap for their years at SJS. You absolutely owe it to yourself and your children to at least visit the school, spend some time there, and give it an honest consideration. I believe it will be one of the best decisions in yours and your children's lives.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2013

St. Joseph is a great school. I highly recommend it. Brookfield has good public schools but the education here is even better. The new leadership this year has made many positive changes. Focus is on kindness and community. New technology and music program. Lots of extra-curricular activities including STEM, Odyssey of the Mind and sports. The best After School Care and Homework Club in the area - you pay when you need and use it. Some new teachers with lots of energy and great ideas. Principal is organized, caring and a true leader. Parents support the school with fund-raising. Check out the school - you will be pleasantly surprised!
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2013

My elder son has been with St. Joseph many years since Kindergarten. Overall speaking we are very pleased with how the school staff help my son to develop to a fine, religious, and upright person. Nothing is perfect in life and surely there are ups and downs, but I have to say there are certainly more ups. We enjoy (and welcome) the academic challenges. From an extracurricular activities perspective, the school and parents working together have exceeded what I expect based on the available resources to private/Catholic school. I definitely agree with some of the earlier reviewers about the new energy and uptrend our new principal brings in this year. We always believe educating a child, either academic or behavior wise, demands efforts from both schools and parents; and personally we feel what St. Joe can offer complement nicely with what we as parents can offer and expect.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2013

This school has new energy and a positive climate. The staff is dedicated and encourages acts of kindness.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2013

This school has been the best thing that ever happened to my child. We have an awesome Principal who is a true leader and will help the school thrive for years to come. Staff is committed and the students are happy and engaged. Just last week they hosted a Memorial Day Assembly that was one of the best school events I've ever attended. Saint Joseph School is faith based education at its' best. I have nothing but good things to say about this school and will continue to send my children all the way through 8th grade. Thank you SJS for doing such a wonderful job!