St Athanasius Elementary School

2510 Ashland Avenue

Evanston, IL 60201

24 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 20, 2025

My experience with this school has not been the best. The teachers here are very harsh on students and it seems like they feel joyful when they catch students doing something wrong. The teachers are more focused on punishing people than actually teaching. Students get in trouble very often for small things like walking up the wrong staircase or talking in the hallways. The dress code rules are insane and very sexist. My daughter got harshly yelled at for not having a sweatshirt that was past her hips even though it looked perfectly acceptable to me and it wasn’t cropped or anything. They are also expected to have shorts past their fingertips which doesn’t sound bad until you realize how long shorts have to be to be past your fingertips. I don’t think the teachers realize that no girl is going to buy boys shorts just to comply with their rules. The teachers overall do not contribute to a safe learning environment and there are many teachers that kids are too scared of to participate in class. The grading system is also very harsh and it provides unrealistic expectations for the students. I think a 7/10 would be considered a C- which I don’t think is fair.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2023

We’ve proudly been a part of the Saint A’s school community for 3 years and have had a great experience!
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2023

It is an amazing community of supportive parents. The teachers are great and the support staff is amazing. We are very happy.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2023

The teachers and staff care about each child and their success, helping each child realize their potential. The learning environment is supportive and they have thrived in the smaller classroom sizes. Our children have grown not just academically, but have also shown tremendous personal growth. Children are encouraged to be kind, inclusive, thoughtful, and have a service mind -set. The teachers and administrative staff are approachable and caring. Our children have benefited so much from St. A's. We are so happy with our choice and know that they will be prepared for the transition to high school.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2023

St. Athanasius School has been a gift to our entire family! We transferred to St. A’s when our kids were in 5th, 3rd, and preschool. The community is extremely welcoming and my children have thrived in their studies. When the pandemic hit, the teachers were spectacular at rising up and teaching virtually from March- June of 2020. And what a blessing it was for our kids to be in the classroom by August of 2020.One of my kids has special learning needs and the teachers and staff at St. A’s have been exceptional at helping him get the extra help he needs in the classroom, as well as accommodating private services to come into the school to work with him. The growth that my child experienced over the last school year is immeasurable, and we owe it all to this wonderful community.Also, my oldest, who is currently a rising sophomore @ ETHS, felt extremely prepared for high school as a freshman. All in all, St. A’s is a great place to learn and grow.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2023

We have been here for eight years and are consistently pleased with the quality and commitment of the teachers, the academic focus, and that our kids enjoy going to school here.
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2023

I am writing a review regarding the experience we have enjoyed at St. Athanasius school in Evanston. Our transfer from the public school system was not an expected move, but as I often tell people, while the pandemic was overall a negative experience, the best thing to come out of it was that we made to move to St. A’s. First of all, the most important aspect of education to me is a strong curriculum. I have been so impressed with the material my child has covered in the past two years while at St. As, including many lessons and concepts I was not exposed to until high school. She has been challenged with homework, reports, group projects, regular quizzes and tests. While her opinion of this work may not be as positive as mine, I am proud how she has grown and developed to independently manage her time and responsibilities. She is developing executive functioning skills that will help her later in life no matter what path or career she chooses to pursue. Moreover, while the work has been challenging, the pride of completing a project and or doing well on a test after studying has fostered a strong work ethic. Furthermore, given the smaller size of the school, my daughter has had the opportunity to develop strong relationships with her teachers. In addition to the strong academics, the next most important aspect of a school to our family is the community. We have been so pleased with the strong community at St. A’s, including the many opportunities to meet and develop friendships with other families, and the numerous opportunities to volunteer at the school. My daughter and our family have loved our time at St. As and look forward to enjoying our last few years as a part of this special community.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2023

The school is very old and not much has been renovated. The bathrooms are gross and dont get repaired well and all of the hallway flooring is dusty and original.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2023

I think St. A’s is a very special place! Our kids are pushed academically, supported emotionally, and challenged to be the best versions of themselves in our community. The parent community is incredible - welcoming and fun! We are so thankful for this great school!
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2023

We have fallen in love with this school and the amazing families and teachers that make up this community. In a nutshell: top-notch academics, personalized attention, small class sizes, a strong community of like-minded families and the Catholic/Christian values that our family holds dear are all packaged at St Athanasius.- Top-notch academics: Both our children learned to read in kindergarten. Our 2nd grader, now keeps track of her daily homework assignments in a binder and then completes them independently each day for class. Our children come home excited about school and all the things that they are learning in math, science, religion, art, music and language! There is genuine excitement when they talk about the things they have learned or accomplished at school.-Extra Curricular Activities: For the younger grades: there is after school care available for families who need a place for the children to go while they finish their work day, additionally there is a running club, Girl Scouts, a theater class offered through Mudlark, and a new StoryArt program where the children meet after school to read a story and then do an art project related to the story. For the older grades: we look forward to someday participating in after school athletics as well as recess options like: cartoon drawing with Mr Regnier or sign language with Ms. Foyle.-Friendly Teachers and Families: If you want to start your day with a smile, just drop your child off at St Athanasius in the morning. My husband and I love the mornings when we are able to walk are children to school. So many familiar and friendly faces await our arrival - including our wonderful principal, Ms Foyle, who is outside greeting the students at drop-off every morning! We love that our children are getting to get to know kids from all different grades. Both of our children love talking about their 7th and 8th grade buddies and the activities that they get to do together at school – attending mass on Wednesday mornings and also doing service projects, art projects and science experiments together too!Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about the community and the academics of St Athanasius. This school is truly living their mission: "To provide each student with an unsurpassed Catholic educational opportunity, to encourage strong academic achievement, to help develop each student’s unique talents and gifts, and to inspire our students to become leaders in the imitation of Christ."
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2023

St. A’s has been wonderful for our family. We transferred in when our oldest was in 5th grade- but I wish we had come sooner. We are so grateful for the academic rigor- our kids have been taught study and organizational skills in a kind, amazing learning environment. The community is fun- and involved- lots of ways to get involved!
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2023

We have spent the last 9 years at St Athanasius and plan to be with the school for 3 more years as my younger child completes middle school. This community has instilled a love of learning in both my children as well as tremendous empathy for others. We are so grateful to the full-time social worker on staff who has been there for us throughout the various ages and stages of childhood. The parent community is wonderful!Both of my children are well prepared academically, socially, and physically as a result of St As.
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2023

Fabulous school! The academics are outstanding and the teachers are dedicated and invested in their students’ success. The community is loving, supportive and engaged.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2023

We have 4 children at St A’s - a 6th grader, a 5th grader and twins in third grade - each with very different learning styles. Despite these differences, each of our children are flourishing academically, socially and spiritually. There are so many wonderful resources available…our principal, the teachers, resource teachers, reading specialists, school counselors, aids, etc They have all been extraordinary. St. A's has an extraordinary team of educators.Our community is what sets us apart from other schools. St A’s is welcoming, supportive, kind and fun!!! We are very thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family.
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2023

St. Athanasius has been a part of our family for my 3 children since my oldest (now 17) was in kindergarten. My youngest still has 2 years left. St A’s is not only a school but also a community of teachers, families and friends that have done more than just educate but guide my children.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2023

My child transferred to St. A's two years ago. The school has been a wonderful experience. It is academically very demanding, but there is also a strong emphasis on community and athletics. All students who want to participate in athletics are encouraged to do so, and a large percentage of the students participates in at least one school sport. This is great for their bodies and also for their sense of belonging at school. The school hosts many events that also further a strong sense of community. The smaller classes have been good for my child, who feels seen by the teachers and has gotten to know each and every other child in the grade. We are not ourselves Catholic, but we feel welcome at the school.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2022

St Athanasius is a wonderful school with caring and dedicated teachers!!! They have worked hard to create a close knit community and the students are truly benefiting from their expertise, extra support and the individual attention they provide on a daily basis! We are so grateful!!
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2020

I met two people that attended or parented St. A's children while my child was there. The first was a doctor that transferred her child to Haven as the parents and children were provincial. The second was a teacher that found the school to be small and bullying to be prevalent. My child dealt with children that could benefit from exposure to a wider world. The parents think a great deal of themselves. You can and will do better going elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2015

Saint A's is the hidden gem of the North Shore. The school provides a strong academic foundation in a loving faith-based environment. The teachers are great and the dedication of the staff is apparent at all levels. I've been extremely impressed with the school's participation in a wide variety of charitable community projects. We've been very happy with our experience at the school and our daughter loves it!
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2014

Our daughter transferred here in 6th grade, as the already overcrowded public middle school in our neighborhood was slated to grow by 100+ students without adding teachers. At St. A's our daughter's 6th and 7th grade classes have been ideally sized (about 17-20 per class) and she has had innovative, and exciting teachers. We are especially impressed by her the social studies teachers, who are dynamos...as well as her English teacher. This is not a stodgy old fashioned Catholic school. Most of the teachers have MAs and are using newer teaching methods, some very creative. (for instance, Her social studies teacher in 7th grade is having the students analyze primary documents to gain appreciations of social history...something we did not do until college!). As a result, she loves school. Our only complaint is that there is far too much homework...but I guess that is a common complaint in all schools today!