Old St. Marys School

1474 S. Michigan Ave

Chicago, IL 60605

19 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 12, 2023

My student has been at this school for two years now and loves it. They are eager to see their friends each day and the teachers are very invested in the students learning. Love our experience so far!
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2023

Amazing school overall. If you can afford it, it is a no brainer vs Chicago Public school. Zero bullying. Teachers are amazing and their communication with parents very prompt. My son loves his school and classmates. I am happy students attend weekly mass and focus on God and Education.
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2021

This institution has lost its way and leadership certainly does not embody Catholic Core values or the rigorous academics one would expect. The adopted curriculum is nearly identical to the local curriculum that was adopted by CPS 10 years ago. We transitioned our student to Parker after both the principal and Father Brad sarcastically stated that the school cannot support all students--"we simply do not have the resources or skills to help all students." Leadership has forgotten or has chosen to ignore that catholicus means "universal" and all are welcome. These two also complain that the parents of Old Saint Mary's have a sense of entitlement and privilege and, therefore, are by nature "difficult to deal with." I am surprised that leadership is so dismissive of parent concerns. The culture and climate of administration seem very negative and mired in gossip and false pretension.
Submitted by teacher on August 26, 2020

Incompetent and dishonest administration. School and parents failed to instill values in students. Cheating rampant. Lack of rigor in curriculum. Style over substance.
Submitted by teacher on July 08, 2020

poor communication, lack of Catholic identity from administration, little to no support for struggling students
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2019

We've been at OSM for 7 years now, out child is in 6th grade and we enjoy the school and support she's been given. There are cliques, but that happens at every school, company, etc.. this is normal. I find most parents to be super laid back and approachable. There may be a few snobby parents, but who cares, just ignore the losers who think they are better than others. We all bleed lol.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2019

My daughter has been enrolled since at 3 and now in first grade. Her academic growth from the start of K to the end was remarkable. I hope to see the same growth in first grade. I also understand that graduating 8th graders have been extremely successful in getting into competitive high schools. The community is strong, with parents and children frequently socializing at and away from school.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2018

Old St. Mary’s is a wonderful school. We have been there for the past 11 years with our first child graduating this year. The teachers are outstanding and really care about the children’s education. Would highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2018

Old St. Mary's is an excellent school. We have been more that satisfied with the education our kids have received. The community aspect of the school and the families that make up the school is second to none.
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2017

I have two children at OSM and have had nothing but a positive experience. Great school, teachers, administrators and community.
Submitted by other on November 26, 2017

I wish I had never attended this school. My time at Old Saint Mary's was one I would never want other students to experience. Firstly, the education was, to put simply, lousy. In transitioning to high school, I realized my peers were bounds ahead of me in the curriculum which has been ultimately frustrating. Most importantly, the facet of this school I want to warn other parents of is the environment in which students learn and the religious and social aspect of this school. The teachers are atrocious. The main bullying problem at this school is the teachers. The environment I was learning in was not welcoming nor did it encourage me to grow as a unique individual. Teachers would say statements that were appaling but fellow classmates were too anxious to go to administration about it because administration were also a cause for anxiety. One teacher in particular, took it upon herself to tell me "I should be ashamed for showing my face in public". This is one of the many incidents I'll never omit from my memories at this school. In addition to teachers, I was, what I would describe as bullied, by a classmate for close to 8 years, but it was never brought to attention and was quietly dismissed. If you want your child to grow as a faithful individual interested in the Catholic faith I would also reconsider choosing this school. Religion felt forced and very polarizing, not welcoming at all. An example is my classmates and I did not have the choice to get confirmed or not. I would not recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2017

We had an absolutely terrible experience here. They do not take time with students that might need extra help. They are very bias and cliquey. Administration kept up appearances and said they were willing to help only to allow a few days for child to make major changes to fit into their mold. Very sad and disappointing. Considering they have Catholic "values" they only seem to practice them when it works for them. There 2 teachers in my child's class for 18 students, which was nice and one would expect they'd be able to spend a little extra time with students that need it. They are not equipped or willing to do so. At our new school, my child was handling 2nd grade in math in Kindergarten. OSM really needs to evaluate their leadership and how they educate.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2016

My children spent two years at OSM before we were relocated to another part of the country. I found the parent politics were similar to most other private schools (tolerable but cliques certainly present). The teachers and staff were warm and caring. However, the academics were sub-standard to other private schools we have attended and my children's current public school. My children were happy with student and teachers there but left unchallenged and often bored.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2016

My daughter has been here for almost three years now. Some previous comments I must laugh at. First of all- the turn over rate is not that great. Plus- many of these are young teachers are getting started- they may move or get married and unfortunately have to leave. As for bullying - that goes on everywhere. My child has not experienced this yet. Some regular occurrences of children disagreeing have happened- but as her parent- IT IS MY JOB to correct the behavior and guide her on how to react. So contacting the parents is the good thing to do- if they choose to do nothing about it-well then at least you know who you are dealing with. It's called life. Academics are fantastic. The teachers are two to a room in pre-school and kindergarten. My daughter is excelling at reading and writing. And as a parent who IS NOT part of the parent clique- I get along just fine. It's called growing up - and being kind and if people don't want to talk to me- I see it as their loss. I am a huge fan of the Parish and the wonderful opportunities they offer to serve the needy and God.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2016

Our child attended OSM. At the beginning (K-2nd) it was great. After Dr. Calihan left, it went downhill. I agree with the other rater(s) who said if you have money or connections, you'll do well. I also agree with the rater who mentioned the bullying. Funny thing is, it's the connected families that have the children who are bullies. My complaints (which fell on deaf ears because we weren't a part of the parent clique) were more specific such as uniform disparity, overcrowding and dirty politics. Uniform disparity: the school uniform policy isn't enforced and changes frequently...sometimes mid-year. We went from woven shirts to polos (in two different colors) mid-year. The gym uniform also changed (other "options" added) at a random time. Children also wear gym shoes with their school uniform on a regular basis even though it's a violation of policy. Overcrowding: students were eating lunch in their classrooms and cleaning their own desks. Not only is that unsanitary, but children need a break from sitting in the same room all day. Dirty politics: one or two families run the show. Don't cross them or they'll act like it's high school all over again. Basically, this is an expensive charter school because there's not too much that's like a traditional Catholic school. In fact, many of the families aren't even Catholic.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2015

My son is about to complete his first year of Preschool at Old St. Mary's School and I have nothing but amazing things to say about it. Like many parents, my biggest concern was how my child would transition from being at home to school. Although my son was very resistant the first couple of days, he always came home in smiles. By the third day he was so excited to go to school, he didn't want to leave! He quickly became very comfortable with his teachers who encouraged him to expand his social skills and make friends with all of his classmates. The progress that the has made throughout this school year and knowledge he has gained is astonishing. The teachers really hone in on each child's interests. It's fun to hear your child come home speaking words in Spanish, have the opportunity to take home the class turtle for the weekend, or bring home their various art projects. Also, every month the preschoolers go on a field trip that parents are able to chaperone; the experience is more than rewarding for everyone. There are so many opportunities to volunteer and get involved. If you don't have the chance to attend the events, the teachers update their activities weekly on classroom blog. In comparison to many of the preschool programs in the South Loop, OSMS is very comparable in price. It is definitely similar to the price of Catholic school in the suburbs. In my opinion, it's worth it to know that your child is happy and thriving! We didn't expect to live in the neighborhood for much longer, but this school has made us reconsider. We can't imagine taking our son out of this school, it is a great program. We can't wait to see what the next few years have in store for us.
Submitted by other on May 21, 2015

My child has been as this school for a few years. There has been a lot of mean/bullying behavior directed at my child over the past two years at least and with every incident the school "talks to the mean/bullying childs parents". Nothing ever changed. The school has nothing in place where they have consequences for such unacceptable behavior. No recess taken away, no detention, no expulsion.. nothing. They take no responsibility other than talking to the parents. They did go as far as bringing in an expert to talk to the children and the parents. Still the school has no policy of their own on consequences of bullying or mean behavior. My child has suffered for at least two years from the actions of the same kids constantly being mean, bullying and ostracizing. We have decided to place our child in another school that has no tolerance and has strict rules in place with regards to bullying and mean behavior. In talking to other parents, this is happening in other grades and they are also beginning to look outside of Old St Marys. I don't believe that the old principal Callahan would have stood for such behavior in her school. There is also a "parent clique" that goes on here. If you are not in the clique, you will never be acknowledged. They do not respond when you say hello at pick up or at functions. These are the parents that are on the PTA. The kids here follow in there parents footsteps. Cliques and mean behavior. Don't waste your money. Its a toxic enviroment. Take it to someone who has and has changed to a school that may be more expensive, but well worth it as there is a sense of community within this new school and my child is thriving there.
Submitted by other on November 20, 2014

If you have a lot of money or connections, you will do good at OSM. If not, they probably won't accept you. I guess if you are paying $8,000+ per student, you have to be well off to go there not to mention the building fund donation and all the other "donations" you have to make. This school is perfect for those families who are well to do and have extra money to give to the school. If you are middle class you don't fit in. It is far from diverse unless of course you are a rich black or hispanic. Go for the "interview" and see for yourself.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2012

I am so thrilled that my daughter and our family are part of this wonderful diverse community. The new school building opened in September 2011 and watching how the student enrollment keeps growing is amazing. The teachers and administrators are highly skilled, devoted and caring and there is a wonderful network of involved parents. My daughter is looking forward to beginning her fifth year at OSM!