St. Mel Elementary School

20874 VENTURA BLVD

Los Angeles, CA 91364

8 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 25, 2021

I hate it. i hate it. i hate it. i hate it.
Submitted by student on November 09, 2020

We are newcomers to both the church and the school. This school has been a blessing to our family in so many ways that I can’t even count. The staff, teachers, Father Steve, and countless others make our lives richer by accepting us and treating us like family. In a time where public education is unstable and volatile, St. Mel has given us the stability and gifts we need for our children’s education. Thank you from our entire family.
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2015

My husband and I grew up in the LA Catholic School System and have many friends that went to St. Mel for K-8. They all loved it and were very well-rounded people by the time they went to high school. We encouraged my sister to send my nephews to the school and they couldn't be happier. My mom has met many people who were thinking of sending their kids to public school after preschool at St. Mel but after seeing what was in the area they came back to St. Mel for Kindergarten. She had a similar experience with those trying to send their children specifically to a private elementary school and found that St. Mel was so popular they were not able to get their child into the school and went to schools like Campbell Hall instead because it was private and they were able to get in but the parents feel that they would pay much less for St. Mel for the same education. My husband and I will be sending our children to St. Mel one day. It is currently the best and most sought after Catholic school in the valley.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2015

NO real security. Easy to access from several areas. If your child is absent they will NOT call you. So if your child ditches, is abducted etc you will never know if he or she is in school until pick up time. The teachers: Some are nice, however your child will NOT receive the best education from the teachers. Many of them are not qualified for teaching and should never work at any schools. The principal is a JOKE. She has no clue what she is doing. You will pay for many extras beyon your tuition, but you can get away with it if you brown nose it and do "email" type volunteer things. Most of all if you really want your child to attend school with GOOD kids and if being around GOOD parents and GOOD faculty is important..stay away from St. Mel in woodland hills. There are so MANY better schools. This place will NOT prepare your child for High School or life at all. They do not have one decent alumni, which adds more evidence.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2013

Amazing school!! We went to just about every good private, magnet, and charter school we could for Kinder. The school had a very thorough entrance exam, so we were nervous, but he was accepted and we could not be happier. I can say that this is one of the very best schools, public or private, in Los Angeles. The Principal and staff seem to love what they do, and they run a very tight ship. Teachers are dedicated, creative, and overall outstanding. Parent involvement is excellent. It is definitely a rigorous academic environment, which worried me at first, but we see the school's high standards paying off. Our son loves going to school as well as his teachers and is learning like crazy. I could not recommend this school more hightly. Submitted by a parent
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2013

Compare to other Catholic Schools in SFV this school is superb . Positives: parents are very involved ( voluntary only ) with very organized PTO and alumni , teachers are fair, are subject matter experts, Principal is extremely involve ( real campus presence) , forward thinker and energetic , students have very few cliques because of 2 class & they get to be mixed up yearly, advance technology ( iPads) , usual fundraising & family obligations are way more sensible to current economic times . Security is also good. Negative: Huge class size ( though must be a good sign cos @ this time when other Catholic schools are struggling, this school is pretty full ), difficult parking on pick-up/drop off esp. for working parents , less diversity (though all are respectful of each other), after school activities are pricey ( though impress there are avail. programs compare to other schools). Overall, my kids are happy, thriving, challenged and are being raise as Catholics , as of us working parents , we are getting back what we paid for and more .
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2013

I rate the teacher quality low only so that attention is brought to the areas of math and science at this school. When 2/3 of a 7th grade math class require outside tutoring, then something is wrong with the instruction. The science dept also needs attention - there is crossover here, so similar issues apply. Unfortunately, at small private schools, it's hard to find the most dynamic teachers for every subject at each grade level.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2012

My child went to St. Mel for 2years and in those 2years she excell in academics but had problems socially, there's a lot of clicks and even though they say they are againts bullying, you will find a lot of them in this school.I was amased also but how there's teachers that favor kids because their parents do a lot of hours at the school, some parents are not very friendly either so unless yo have money and you and your kid have the same look as everyone that goes there you will be fine.