St Bernardine Elementary School

815 Elgin Avenue

Forest Park, IL 60130

6 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on October 06, 2020

I graduated in 1968 and love this school and cannot wait to visit it one day if I ever get back to Illinois
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2012

We love this school so much! We have two children there, and we are thrilled with everything: strong academics, close-knit school community, robust extracurricular offering. The location is great too. And you should hear where our graduates go! St. Ignatius, Trinity, Fenwick, and many other great schools. Definitely worth checking out.
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2011

My daughter attended the school for two years. I love the family values and friendliness of the staff and parents. We are non-Catholic but the religious orientation was inconsequential because they seemed to all be spiritual people & my daughter was influenced positively by that environment. However, there are very little resources at this school. No Smart boards & only two computers in the class. The math book was convoluted & confusing and there is no tutoring for students who need it - outside if Fenwick & Trinity HS kids coming late in the year. I do not think the teacher knew how to access the individual talents and potential of her students. My daughter was a 5th grader who did get one on one time w the teacher, but that was only once a week for 15-20 minutes! We are moving to Oak Park and hopefully there won't be a one-size fits all approach to education there. My daughter made life-long friends but that was just not enough in this competitive world.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2011

This is an outstanding school for our 2 daughters. We are not Catholic, but the teachers and curriculum are outstanding. At first, I was disappointed that there was weekly mass, but now I understand how important it is to the school. I was worried about my girls fitting in, but everyone has been wonderful and friendly. 2010 - 2011 was our first year and I am thrilled we made the switch from the public schools. Great school, great atmosphere
Submitted by parent on June 21, 2011

s. Bernardine is a diverse, catholic elementary school from 3 years old through 8th grade, with before and after scholl care. St. Bernardine promotes acedemic excellence, integrity and social justice through creative initiatives that allow students opportunities for learning and critical thinking. Thank you St. Bernardine!
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2011

Strengths: Diverse student body. School elected to enter program w/ Arch of Chgo. to better compete in:enrollment, curriculum dlvp, infra-structure improvements, tech., service proj., financial stability & scholar-ships.Core group: parents, staff, parish working together enthusias- tically to make St. B's a premiere school. Active PA offers many kid/ family events throughout the yr. Weaknesses: Low enrollment, low wages & high turnover in leadership over the past decade will make it difficult to recruit & retain highly skilled teachers. Award winning read- ing program in lower grades. Other grades curriculum& teaching methods avg. My child is in 5th grade & over the past 30+ wks has not received even 15 min of individualized instruction from the teacher. Size of class: 11. Enough said. Disconnect between parish& school.Too few parish kids attend St. B's.Too few non-cath school families and/or teachers support parish/school events. New pastor(2 yrs) improved quality & appearance of mass. Seems less interested in spirtual lives of non-cath students in class. Friendly school. Core group volunteers-parents/staff/parish AMAZING.Overall little parent support.Dedicated principal.