St. Mary's Academy

4545 South University Boulevard

Englewood, CO 80113

28 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 02, 2024

I am a current high school parent and could not be happier with the opportunities for my daughter to grow in self confidence, curiosity, and respect for a diverse community/greater world. Teachers are caring, encouraging, and supportive. School leadership is present and invested in the community and in promoting the happiness and personal success of all SMirls. SMA is truly a learning environment representative of all forms of intelligence/passions--with classes and extracurricular activities for every girl to find their home and people. The school's traditions and fun activities form special bonds and friendships that are truly unique and memorable. Most importantly, SMA is an environment where girls learn to celebrate and recognize each other's achievements--and prepares them to be women who will make their communities and work places better.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2024

my daughter is a 6th grader at St Mary's Academy I could not be more pleased with our experience. we have been welcomed into a warn and Nurturing community and my daughter is thriving. The Curriculum is designed to challenge and engage my daughter and I am so grateful for all the wonderful teachers she has had this year; they go above and beyond to help all the students and help them with anything They may need. there is also a lot of extracurricular opportunities for my daughter from sports to clubs. there is something for everyone. St Mary's feels like a family and we are so lucky to be here we are looking forward to both of my daughters attending next year. I wholeheartedly recommend St Mary's to any parent seeking a top-notch education for their child. It's not just a school but a caring and inclusive community that nurtures the Mind, body and spirit of every student.
Submitted by other on June 06, 2023

We LOOOOOVE St. Mary's Academy!!! It is the most warm, inclusive, supportive, friendly community, while at the same time offering incomparable academic instruction and unparalleled leadership opportunities. Our daughter is happy every day! She loves her teachers, her friends, what she is learning, and how she is learning. SMA celebrates its students and their individuality, their power and their sensitivities. Students are encouraged to rise up in everything they do, without creating harmful and unnecessary stress and pressure. Our daughter and her friends have a saying, "only at SMA" to recognize the unique and. incredibly special experiences they have daily. SMA challenges its students to become change-makers in the world, and that they do. We cannot adequately describe the beautiful gift of St. Mary's Academy in our lives and in our daughter's life.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2023

My son attends this school and we were so excited about the school when he first attended. But, the school is not at all what we expected. They falsely advertise that they are a Catholic Independent school. They have been at odds with the Catholic Church and the church itself has asked their parishioners to pull their children from this school. It would be ok that they are independent but with catholic views as they say. But they don’t even appear to be Christian based. There is zero mention of God and Christ in any of their correspondences or daily activities. The kids have no formal religion class, no formal mass, let alone any Christian guidance. I’ve seen my son actually become anti religion from his time at SMA. He refuses to go to mass and hates Catholicism now because this school has taught him that the Catholic Church is anti gay and lesbian so he shouldn’t follow the Catholic Church. They are very pro LGBQT and seem to be brainwashing the kids to feel that they must be bisexual and open to exploring their sexuality. I don’t believe this should be pushed so hard by a school. Yes, teach respect and openness but there seems to be a hard push and agenda to make the kids feel that they have to be a certain way or else they are not accepted. They are teaching this to the kids from a young age at this school. I don’t understand why they need to keep touting that the are Catholic Independent. Just be a private school and drop the St Mary name. It’s truly false advertisement. There’s also a weird agenda to teach that historic famous white men in history were all evil. My son comes home from history and frequently tells me how evil, for example, Washington, Lincoln and Ford were. That they she not be respected. How the heck is the what should be taught in history? To hate American historic figures? It’s scary. Bullying is also rampant in the school. Verbal, physical and cyber bullying occurs with zero discipline or consequences. I believe that kids that have parents that donate money, have no repercussion for their actions. The positives, the general academics are good. Teachers are good and teach effectively. My son enjoys his classes and there’s lots of room to advance at your own pace.
Submitted by parent on July 25, 2022

My oldest son has attended Pre-K and Kindergarten at SMA. He will be going there next year for first grade, and our younger son will be starting there for Pre-K. We couldn't be happier with our experience at SMA. The teachers are fantastic. They genuinely care about their students, and you can tell they actually love being in the classroom teaching. The teachers know each of their students as individuals and treasure them for the gifts each child brings. It is truly incredible. The teachers also go above and beyond to help your children. For example, my son's kindergarten teacher noticed that he had a speech problem, something we had noticed but did not realize was abnormal. She asked if we would be interested in speech therapy for our son. We said yes, and his teacher immediately reached out to a speech therapist she knew and arranged for the therapist to work with our son at school. In addition, both his Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers bought a bunch of different types of pencil grips to help him with holding his pencil and writing. These are just two examples of the many ways they have put in the extra effort to help my son succeed. I am so thankful that my children have the opportunity to grow and learn with these teachers.Furthermore, the community of parents at SMA is just wonderful. We had toured other schools in the area, most of which have many positives as well, but we felt the parents at SMA were genuine, easy-going, and kind-hearted, more so than any other school we toured. Because we had moved from out of state, we just felt like these parents were people we wanted to be friends with and their children were kids we wanted our kids to be friends with. It just felt right.Lastly, I would like to mention how hard the teachers and staff have worked over the past two years to keep the school open and operating. The school worked hard to respect the threat of Covid-19 while also maintaining an awareness of what was best for the students. I always felt like the school was taking into account all the latest developments along with the welfare of the students and faculty. I just think SMA did an amazing job navigating the past two years, and I am thankful for their hard work.Thank you SMA for loving and caring for my son! Excited for all three to eventually be there together!
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2021

We have 3 daughters at St Mary’s, 2 of them special needs. Great staff, community feel, school spirit and educational program! Truly special teachers who genuinely cares about the students.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2021

My daughters were challenged during Covid-19 as they began their school year in 2020 to remote learning. It was a difficult time for everyone to get used to & have a new normal in order of making it the best of the school year. I can honestly say that St. Mary's Academy allowed my girls to believe in themselves and succeed during these difficult times. Both of my daughters Gabriella who was in 7th grade and Ana Isabella who was a 10th grade student at the time were really amazed with the extra efforts their teachers put in so that they could understand their assignments and have any questions answered they had. Their teachers would be available anytime, they prioritized all students & sacrificed so much of their time. The teachers quickly identified that my middle schooler needed more help and thought it would be best for her to return to in-person learning after her 1st semester once school was open again. My daughter Gabriella immediately picked up and improved in all of her classes due to the guidance of her teachers. Upon returning to the school, Gabriella was navigated with the best health and safety policies, procedures & rules the school had put into place to keep all students safe from Covid-19. Gabriella quickly developed her routine of care on a daily basis and understood why procedure were required by the school and made sure to wear her mask daily My high school student was taking it day by day doing remote learning and was encouraged to continue to do her best. Ana Isabella made honor roll and she credits her teachers who always went out of their way to help her. I absolutely love that my girls have teachers who are kind, caring, honest, and who are their biggest cheerleaders. I feel blessed to know that the school has put so much thought about how to keep our kids safe and has demonstrated that because they care about our students, our kids can go to school and relax and learn so that they will succeed not only in school, but also in life.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2021

St. Mary’s is a fantastic educational facility that has offered our son a solid and safe experience over the course of his first year there. His teacher over the kindergarten year, Michelle Irwin, is phenomenal and thoughtful and takes a vested interest in each student. Notwithstanding the last year situation and the fluidity of last years’ semester, especially the second one, we thought the school did a terrific job in navigating through rough waters. On the educational side, the curriculum is sophisticated yet appropriate. One of the reasons we especially like the school is because of the many subjects and diverse areas of study which Calvin is exposed to. This includes: a foreign language, physical education, and science. The Director, Karen Smith, is fantastic at communicating timely & necessary information to us which assists us in navigating our lives as well. We appreciate all of the faculty and staff at the school and look forward to a terrific first grade.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2021

St. Mary's Academy is one of the top private schools in Colorado! My husband and I researched various schools in the area and St. Mary's met and exceeded all of our expectations. The fact that many teachers in both the Lower School and Middle School have been teaching at St. Mary's for numerous years speaks volumes! The caliber of skilled teachers, the outstanding leadership, the dedicated faculty and administrators and the wonderful St. Mary's community set this school apart from all others! Having moved our three children a few years ago from another private school to St. Mary's, we can attest to the fact that they are getting a solid education! The teachers and faculty know every child by name and truly care about their success and well-being. Educating children for over 157 years, they are strong leaders in education and they know what they are doing! Even throughout Covid-19, they did everything in their capacity to ensure that all children attended school in person. During the pandemic, the school was so well organized and prepared that it felt like the teaching never skipped a beat. We are grateful to be part of this wonderful St. Mary's family and we are looking forward to our three daughters attending the all girls' High School!
Submitted by parent on November 03, 2020

Excellent. We have a daughter in 4th grade at St. Mary's Academy and couldn't be happier with the growth we've seen in her since enrolling. The academic rigor at SMA is creating a strong foundation for continuing learning. This occurs in an environment that SMA has fostered of genuine caring for her well-being. We couldn't recommend St. Mary's Academy more highly.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2020

I have a daughter attending St. Mary’s Academy’s all-girls high school and we are grateful to be a part of the SMA community. The high school has exceeded our expectations in nearly every way. It is equally committed to academic excellence and student well-being and personal growth. Girls have the space and support to explore academic interests and personal skills, as well as grow to understand the many ways you can be a leader in a community. Faith, community, justice and respect are the values through which students learn to navigate at this important time in their lives. The faculty are incredibly engaged and supportive. They are accomplished in their respective fields, and many have real world, non-academic experience that they bring to the classroom. Academics are well-rounded and include strong science and math departments. The curriculum is solid and there are ample opportunities for students to work at an advanced level. The high school administration sets the community tone with its energy and enthusiasm. The principal and vice principal continue to teach and they are an active part of the girls’ day to day experience. In addition to the strong academics and supportive community, the school implemented a comprehensive and effective return to school this fall with COVID, ensuring an equal focus on student/faculty safety and academic quality. The administration and faculty have demonstrated thoughtful decision making, detailed implementation and unending commitment to the students, creating in-class and remote learning programs and continuing to reassess and adjust as circumstances change. Faculty and administration have ensured thoughtful and thorough communications with students and parents during this uncertain time. I highly recommend SMA for any families considering high school.
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2020

My son was fortunate enough to attend the lower school directly upon our move from out of state in Nov. 2019. Whereas, my daughter spent the first few months of her Colorado education in a local middle school where the bullying was rampant, the academics lacking and parent communication almost non-existent. When COVID hit, my son continued to be challenged through his online education. The program at my daughter’s then-school tragically paled in comparison. Fortunately my daughter is now also attending SMA, and she could not be happier - with her peers, her teachers and the curriculum. The parent communication is exceptional, and the genuine concern SMA has for its students is palatable. How many schools can say their president was running around the parking lot on the first day of school with a thermometer in hand helping the lower school children reunite with their classmates? I cannot say enough about the SMA community.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2019

This is our third year, 2 in the lower school and one in the middle school. We have been very happy with the kind, caring community at St. Marys. Our child continues to gain confidence and academic success and has found a nice group of friends that we are happy to see her with. The teachers and administration are really concerned with the physical and mental health of the students - not just their test scores.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2017

We've had a wonderful experience so far! My daughter is very happy at St. Mary's.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2017

My oldest daughter enrolled at SMA in the 9th Grade. She is a self motivated student wanting to be challenged. This school has exceeded any and all expectations. SMA all girls high school is more than a great education it is an experience. Where every visiting lecturer, community service project, service trips, have been well thought out and serve a distinct purpose. I can't imagine my children anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2017

Our experience at SMA's lower school has exceeded our expectations. There are amazing teachers that encourage a true love of learning and community. They use the Saxon Math program and their reading program resulted in my kids loving and learning to read in their kindergarten year. Most importantly, the sense of community and values match those we hope to nurture in our children. Also surprised to say that I love the streamlined uniform! No peer issues related to clothing and all kids are ready for physical activity every day! Hope the MS offers as great an experience!
Submitted by other on May 03, 2016

If I could rate this school zero stars I would. I attended this school from kindergarten till the seventh grade. I was tortured at that school by other kids and the administration did nothing about it. The teachers at the school also did not know how to teach. They taught lattice multiplication, and very quickly I didn't understand. I brought the problem up to my teachers who insisted this is the way I MUST learn multiplication. I went home and by no surprise my parents could not help me and only had one option and that was teach me how to do multiplication the way they were taught as kids. I went in great at multiplication, only to be told that I didn't get taught that way and the way my parents taught me was wrong. I was FINALLY pulled out of that school after 7th grade and put into a nearby public school that I absolutely loved and was pulling a 4.0 GPA. I ended up in the honors program at the end of my 8th grade year. Overall I had a horrible experience at Saint Mary's .
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2014

St. Mary's Academy is absolutely outstanding. Even before our family welcomed our first child we discovered so many positive attributes about this school from those who either attended or knew of St. Mary's excellent reputation. The teachers, principals, leaders, staff, parents, alumni, and many others affiliated with SMA strive to foster a strong sense of community and caring. They are passionate advocates for realizing students' academic and personal potential. What's more, they stay well informed regarding the lastest instructional techniques, technology, culture trends, and other significant issues that impact educational quality. Our daughter has attended SMA since kindergarten. As she begins high school we are incredibly proud of the young woman she has become and anticipate GREAT things ahead. As with all educational environments, it's critical that parents stay engaged, proactive, and communicate constructively when concerns arise. Our family highly recommends St. Mary's -- celebrating 150 years; the first school to award a diploma in Colorado "Territory"!
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2014

Truly a "GREAT" school with a robust history and amazing faculty. The caliber of education at St. Mary's Academy is unequaled in Colorado. Though a few parents have expressed concerns, I believe these issues are isolated and rare. St. Mary's is special. It is an inspiring place to learn. The academics are top-notch. Sending our child to St. Mary's was the best decision of our lives.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2014

Run, don't walk, away from this lower school. We are spending thousands of dollars on counseling for our son after being severely bullied in the lower school. They could care less that he was traumatized there. Do not be fooled by promises of "happy day". Horrible on so many levels, but especially when considering the damage they've done without blinking an eye.