Epiphany Elementary School

234 East 22nd Street

New York, NY 10010

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on November 13, 2022

I am a former student who attended the Epiphany School for nine years. My lower school experience was mostly positive, but once I entered the upper school it all changed dramatically. Apart from a couple of great teachers, the rest were there not to teach, but to slam students with homework. I felt like I was teaching myself. It also seemed like half of them felt fed up with the entire concept of teaching or were more interested in checking their cell phones than doing their job. There was zero discipline in the classroom, with loud and disrespectful kids and no rules. The principal is impersonable and gives a strong impression that she does not care. There was a lot of bullying going on as well, which was either unnoticed or completely ignored by teachers. There were many cliques, and majority of students acted vicious if you did not agree with their views. I write this now with firsthand knowledge of what a good school experience can be like somewhere else. It is truly night and day!
Submitted by other on August 31, 2022

As a former student of this school, I would not recommend. Every day I would go home with pounds of homework, teachers were all very strict and could definitely do a better job with teaching. I was at this school for 9 years and I’m still dumb.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2019

Last year, rumor is that 10+ students in 5th grade left to go to another middle school. This is their large attrition for middle school. Most parents felt they just wanted a better academic experience for their child.This school has zero focus on reading and critical math concepts in the lower grades. Its expected that kids just know how to write. They don't use any reading guidelines or levels to know where kids are at. The Reading specialist teaches such an archaic method of teaching. Parents actually ask to have their kids not be put into it! Epiphany uses GoMath, which is the worst Math curriculum. Other catholic schools, Immaculate Conception and Guardian Angel, use Eureka. Guardian Angel actually chose to move away from GoMath after 1 year because the book is step by step teaching (memorizing steps), not conceptual. You'll be writing lots of checks because nothing is electronic. Technology is a joke. There is no STEAM/STEM Lab, its a Science lab. And, once again memorization of vocabulary. The labs are pretty much play time.After school is glorified babysitting and is EXPENSIVE and only runs until 4PM (You'll need separate checks made out to cash to pay for each afterschool program!).
Submitted by parent on June 17, 2019

The family community is great. My child loved their time here but the administration and teaching staff were awful. They are lazy and inflexible when it comes to teaching. The reading program is great but they look down on kids who aren't reading above grade level. If your child learns easily and effortlessly and you are looking for a private school education then consider this school. Otherwise run away.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2018

We are current students at the epiphany school. Although we are staying another year, we were very underwhelmed with the level of enthusiasm amongst the staff. Some teachers have favorites and do not seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs. I would like more diversity within the staff itself, as well as the student population. I know many of the male students would appreciate seeing more male teachers. The parent community is fabulous and the school does an excellent job fundraising. I believe this is a safe school with nice families, but lacking in many areas relating to teachers attitudes and creativity in the classroom.
Submitted by other on March 16, 2017

My three children have/are attending this school and it is doing an amazing job with them. We are delighted with the school as an education center and a community builder.
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2016

Our daughter attended Epiphany for both Nursery and Pre-K and has grown tremendously from an academic perspective. She has loved her teachers in both years who were a mix of both strict and nurturing. Financially, the school is a gem given city-living costs. We would highly recommend this for nursery and pre-K programs.
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2015

Epiphany is everything we hoped it would be. Rigorous academics but not at the expense of a student s happiness. These kids are happy, friendly, supportive & well behaved. The teachers are professional, patient, accessible & fair.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2015

My son has gone to this school for 8 years, and it is a good school. The teachers are overall good, the Principal is strong. My only complaint would be that while they provide extra help to kids falling behind, there is no extra challenges given to kids who can master the material. The kids my son has befriended are from very nice families. It is a great environment for the kids - they like going to school.
Submitted by parent on January 27, 2015

This is an incredible school. We join a year ago and we couldn't be more happy. Grades 4 to 8 have iPads, teachers are very professional and committed. My kids were very welcome and happy to find many friends. Epiphany kids are very polite and friendly. I am very happy to be part of this school.
Submitted by other on November 23, 2014

I wrote a review of this school back in July, for some reason it got removed. Anyway, I went to Epiphany and graduated last June, and I had mixed feelings about it. The academics are definitely some of the best in the city. However, many things need to be changed. Most teachers are great, but some are terrible, they harass their students and make them scared in class, plus they choose favorites, of course. No one wants to go to the guidance counselor because of how harsh and off putting she is, so kids have to handle problems on their own. Even though it's a great school, the kids are not as good as they seem. Sure, they're book smart, but out of class, a lot of these kids are really dumb, and also pretty badly behaved. They're snobs, too, making fun of and downgrading high schools other kids plan to go to. Epiphany is good in the long run if you want your child to get into a good high school, but it's not as good as it seems. Plus, they bilk you for cash every chance they get, so if your kid can still get into the schools you want by going to a cheaper or public school, just send them there and save your money.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2014

This review is for Pre-K only. We were very disappointed by the huge class size. Twenty five kids and only 1 teacher and 1 teacher's assistant. The kids are so young and little but the Pre-K teacher is not nurturing or sympathetic. As a parent we want to trust a teacher who has decades of experience but I think the decades of experience has left the teacher jaded and uncaring. It's sad to see a teacher who was probably once very good. She can't be bothered with children who don't fit the mold. She expects the children to bring classroom donations down to the classroom by themselves. If you hand her any donations, instead of saying thank you she says "okay?" Like you have inconvenienced her. If your child is a follower and does not have emotions or opinions, then they will do fine in her class. We spoke to the school psychologist about some issues our child was having and she was also unhelpful. She referred us to a place that costs several thousand dollars just for a consult.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2014

My daughter will complete Kindergarten this June at Epiphany and I am happy to report that we are extremely pleased with the overall experience. The school has a great curriculum that makes good use of the latest technologies. Additionally, each week we get a printed overview of the weekly course of study, which allows us to stay informed about what our daughter is learning each week. The school also nurtures a fun, inclusive environment where teachers and parents work together to achieve mutual goals.
Submitted by other on February 02, 2014

I love this school and am sad to graduate this year, but I will visit frequently.
Submitted by other on December 10, 2013

I have attended this school and I do not recommend enrolling your child at the Epiphany School. I have friends who went there their whole lives and said they loved their experience in the lower school. However, our grade was in agreement that the upper school is terrible. The teachers either have no control over their class or scream at children. Also, bullying is a major issue that isn't taken care of. Many students feel unsafe going into classes, because teachers are rude and students are disrespectful. No one feels comfortable going to the guidance counselor. Way to small of a school, unless you like cliques. This is a terrible, cheap, and disgusting place. I hope it changed since I graduated.
Submitted by other on December 10, 2013

I am a recent graduate of this cheap school. I HATED 7th and 8th grade. The teachers are 100% sexist. They treat boys a lot better than girls for no reason other than practically all of the teachers are women. I don't believe I received a quality education. Bullying is a huge issue in our school and it is NEVER addressed. All of our tests purely evaluate our memorization skills. It is ridiculous. I do not recommend this school to anyone. This school's only drive is money. There is a 70% white population. There is no diversity. Being different is not celebrated or embraced. All of the teachers point out your little mistakes. They are all nit picky. Each of the teachers have favorites in the class. I am so glad I graduated from this lazy money driven school. I honestly hope it's gotten better, though I highly doubt it has.
Submitted by other on November 08, 2013

It isn't hard to explain by me. This is simply not an education. It is nothing but a money fest for the principal and Catholic sexism it its finest.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2013

My children have had a terrific experience at this school. They are challenged every day in class, and receive all of the extras that make the school special: Physical education, art, music, language instruction, computers, iPads, etc. Principal Hayes is terrific and has the long-term experience that allows him to deal with situations with perspective. The financial support of the school's foundation keeps the technology current and provides teaching assistants in all of the younger grades. The parent association is very active and welcoming, providing tons of extras like dances, carnivals, a film festival, school musicals etc. Most importantly, the education that the students receive gets them into the top high schools in NYC, both Catholic and public: Regis, LaGuardia, Bronx Science, etc. If the students work hard (lots of homework) and do their best, they can be assured of being competitive with all of the students in other schools competing to get into the best high schools.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2012

This school is the best kept secret in NYC. I don't mind sharing this because my kids have already been accepted. The school combines old fashioned work ethic and manners, with progressive teaching. The students receive both spanish and mandarin instruction and there are smart boards and ipads in the classrooms. The school is catholic but the community is inclusive and the religious instruction is nothing but uplifting.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2012

We have 2 children attending Epiphany school, and we have been very pleased with the school. My kids are very different in terms of learning styles, and both have been nutured and instructed in a way that brings out the best in them. The parent involvement and community feeling are a huge part of attending the school!