St Thomas Aquinas Elementary School

1719 POST RD

Fairfield, CT 06824

10 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 10, 2024

I would highly recommend St Thomas. My kids have graduated. We spent 12 years going from Pre K/K to 8. They are all now on to advanced classes in multiple high schools. They are happy and I am very happy. Wonderful families, teachers and staff. There are special poignant moments like first communion and confirmation, very moving events like Stations of the Cross, a fantastic sports menu - basketball, tennis, golf, skiing, cross country and more; plus the most special music director, an A+ counselor and most important an ever present optimism to make the next day better. We have made so many friends. My kids have wonderful relationships with teachers and students. I hope new families come!
Submitted by parent on July 06, 2018

We are very happy that we chose to send our child to St. Thomas. Our kindergartner has simply thrived there emotionally, socially and academically. St. Thomas is a very safe, loving, and nurturing environment. Our kindergartner eagerly ran into the school each day, came back with happy stories about what everyone learned and who they played with, and developed a strong sense of independence. St. Thomas has also provided challenges for our child that have enabled personal growth. Our kindergartner took advantage of "Beyond the Bell" activities like drama club, swim team, running club, and ice skating. Our child not only learned new skills, but also made friends in all different grades. Finally, our child's academic growth has been outstanding. We are only a few weeks into summer, and our soon-to-be first grader is eagerly (and independently!) reading 100+ page chapter books and telling us all about them. We hope to see St. Thomas enrollment continue to grow. It is wonderful to have small class sizes in the lower grades, but it may become an issue as children become older. Overall, St. Thomas is such a special community full of caring, involved teachers and parents (parents are required to volunteer at least 30 hours during the school year). We have loved watching our child grow and have been happy to be included in the programs throughout the year- from back to school picnics, to Halloween parties, to a Christmas concert and boutique, to volunteering as an Audubon ambassador, to field trips to the farm, and finally the tear jerker Kindergarten Graduation. We look forward to seeing what the years ahead have to offer.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2018

We have been here for five years. My children have friends. They are learning at or above grade level. They are involved in many activities. We are very pleased with their academic, social and spiritual development. As parents we have also made terrific life long friends. It's spectacular community.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2018

We have three children at St. Thomas. We transferred into the school and had experience with Fairfield Public. What we have found is an academicly rich environment, a caring environment, and an environment that develops and stresses character. We are so happy we made the choice to be at St. Thomas. In so many ways our society pulls children away from the values taught at home. At St. Thomas, we find just the opposite. The school works with the parents to continue the values taught at home. The administration respects the parents and the parents respect the administration, because we are all working with the same goal in mind, growing and nurturing the whole child.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2018

Our experience at St. Thomas is a 10! My daughter loves going to school everyday. We've met a lot of great people and made some lasting friendships with other families. My daughter loves wearing the school uniform--in her words--she feels like part of the group. This school was definitely the right choice for us. I feel like she is getting a private school education at a fraction of the cost.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2014

This school is better than public schools in curriculum, but the spirit of the school is lacking.... psychological (subvertive vs. overt) bullying and isolation. My child still talks about how unhappy the school experience was and the mean-spirited treatment directed towards anyone who was not part of a group or a bit more artistic. Conforming is expected, creativity or anything outside of the daily rote of their program is not encouraged. By middle school the kids, esp. the boys, are particularly rude and disrespectful to girls and teachers. Most of the teachers are very good but having a child mis-treated and sad... not good. The damage is still evident today.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2014

Fantastic school--principal is a true leader who has her students and teachers all working towards the same goal--education!
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2014

The public schools in Fairfield aren't that bad, but they aren't as good as private schools like St. Thomas Aquinas. The staff at St. Thomas Aquinas have higher expectations regarding behavior (dress, respect, presentation, decorum, etc.) that public schools would never address, and the academic expectations are certainly greater. If you compare your kids and the children of your neighbors, you can probably tell the difference in education. As mentioned by others, the principal and teachers at St. Thomas Aquinas are wonderful. To add to that, there are parents who are highly involved with great passion. There are also various after school programs that no one has mentioned previously, and a shuttle bus also takes kids to The Sportsplex. The school will watch your kids if you drop them off early or pick them up an hour or so after school for a fee. Uniquely, Fairfield school district provides public school buses for students of all private schools, so busing is another option, although one never knows when that budget will be cut. The only thing I'd prefer to improve is the music program; I would prefer to see more than a few boys singing in the choirs dominated by girls.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

There are a great many factors to consider when choosing a school, but unfortunately, there isn t enough space here to go through most. That said, this is the 2nd town where we were concerned about the direction of the public schools. We chose St. Thomas Aquinas while considering Hunt Ridge Montessori and the Pierrepont School, and we are very happy with our choice for the past couple years. We are non-Catholics, but this is our 2nd Catholic school, and both schools have been very accepting. Our daughter is half Asian, she grew up overseas, and English is her second language. She loves both schools, and only one kid has made fun of her during the past 3 years. The teachers at St. Thomas Aquinas are very warm, caring, and responsive. The principal is the most outstanding that we have ever experienced; she has a wonderful style that commands respect, and she seems to know every student and parent! There are many activities for parents, but we just haven t had the time. The only things we would wish for are a later start in the day, a tougher academic load, and possible options for Latin, Greek, or German (alas, few schools offer those) in addition to the French & Spanish.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2013

Unless you are a catholic and have been here for years, steer clear. Kids are mean and cliquey and talk over the teachers and throw things in the middle school during class. Other than basketball (which my son does not play) the sports program is nil. My son did get into a decent school after this school so academically it is far better for that than providing a healthy social and spiritual atmosphere. The principal is no nonsense and very good and the problem really is the culture of the school.