Cardinal Hickey Academy

1601 West Mount Harmony Road

Owings, MD 20736

23 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 12, 2023

Cardinal Hickey Academy is a school that is providing a well-rounded education for my child. Its academic rigor and faith filled environment has been exactly what we were looking for my child.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2023

We enrolled our three-year-old son here last school year with very high expectations. We were disappointed.The Montessori program is not a pure Montessori environment. It does not honor the three-year cycle as they move students out of the program at kindergarten. Furthermore , it being a Catholic school program, trumps fidelity to the Montessori model.Montessori is an instructional model that believes in a prepared environment for each child to learn and thrive within. At Cardinal Hickey; the environment is prepared for the children of that particular community-my child was one of racial and cultural difference. Therefore, he suffered. We chose not to re-enroll him, and he attends another Montessori program and is thriving. He also loved summer camp at a local private school, because the communities love and see him. My son will likely always be the minority; that’s the demographic of our county, BUT his new school values inclusion, grace, & empathy- and that’s the difference!
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2023

We absolutely love this school and are very happy we chose Cardinal Hickey Academy for our kids. The teachers and administrators truly care and do an excellent job. The class sizes are small, and our kids get plenty of individualized attention. We appreciate the school's strong focus on faith and character. Two of our children have graduated and moved on to the local public high school and we are now seeing that CHA established a very strong foundation that set them up for success in high school and beyond. Additional pluses: Spanish is taught in all grades and music curriculum is very strong. The school has both a beginner band and an advanced band. The school also has a great drama program for 5th through 8th graders.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2019

We've been so happy to send our child here! We've truly found a community that we love being a part of!
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2019

Great, CHA has an awesome community of parents and the students rock. We are glad to have found this place as our home.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2019

We love CHA! I cannot imagine going to any other school. We love the feeling of community and we feel they really cared about us. It’s such a special place. My child loves going there!
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2018

Not a very good experience. There is a saying about students not remembering how a teacher always looked or what they did but rather how they made you feel. Some middle school teachers make students feel worthless.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2018

Great experience! My children learned (and continue to learn) in a great faith based environment.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2018

I have NO regrets about sending my children to CHA. It was a true blessing for our family. My sons are still friends with students that they went to school with at CHA. They have a strong foundation and bond with one another.
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2018

Over the years, CHA has greatly declined in the quality of the environment and atmosphere of the school. The academics were strong in years past, our children were educated, families were welcome. The atmosphere used to be christ based and family oriented but is is not this any longer. The recent principal was fired and this tells you everything and this mismanagement goes all the way up to the Archdiocese. Severe incidents that were reported were kept quiet. Communication to parents is non existent or vague. Teachers became disrespectful to both students and parents, apparently under the stress of the administration. The behavior issues, bullying, teacher moral, teaching skills, constant substitutes, disgusting broken bathrooms, have become the norm for them. CHA used to be a great school but the last administration has destroyed a great place and the teachers seemed to go along with her to keep their jobs intact. Teachers act as if they know nothing about what has recently occurred, and maybe they don't but parents invest way too much time and money in CHA for what it has become. At this point I rate it poorly because the safety of children is at stake and all the education and prayer in the world will not overcome emotional damage that is done.
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2018

We thought we were getting a Catholic, Christ centered school, but the way families have been treated at this school is so far from Christ in our opinion. Many families are now leaving the school and enrollment was already low. The school use to require testing to be admitted. Now they are taking students who are expelled from other schools. We use to have a Home School Association, but for many years the culture has been to block any parent communication. Teachers have reported that they were advised to limit their communication with parents. Starting in the preschool Montessori program, we were advised it was an accredited program. Come to find out it isn't an accredited program like other schools in the area. Several parts of the school including the bathrooms are run down and money doesn't seem to go to improvements for the school, but who would know because despite tuition increase parents never receive copies of the budget. I would not recommend this school to anyone and immensely regret sending my children there.
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2018

All I can say is that my son has always loved school. This school may be a good fit for some, but it was a terrible fit for our family. It was the only period in my son's life where we had to struggle to get him to school each day. We have left CHA and my son is back to learning and loving school. We were treated very rudely and unprofessionally by my son's teacher, her assistant and the vice principal. We tried to have a meeting to resolve the situation; however, the staff seemed to have no interest in hearing our opinions. I've sent emails to both the teacher and the vice principal which have never been answered. For me- you couldn't pay me to keep my kid there let alone pay to send him. Thankfully, many of the public schools are blue ribbon schools as well.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2018

We have raised all our kids in CHA, all of whom had different intellects and learning abilities. For us, it has come down to lifelong friendships, deep roots of community, Christianity, character and excellence. One child still remains while the others are young adults thriving in their colleges and careers. Even in their 20s our children make a tremendous effort to see their CHA friends and their families. For us, choosing CHA has meant making an investment in the whole child. Not only do the kids leave CHA with a great education, they continue on as engaged learners who become equally involved in their high school communities and beyond.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2018

We came to CHA because of a Military move. My oldest started in 5th grade and my youngest started in 2nd grade. We were welcomed in by the teachers, students, and administration before the first day of school. We are a happy and proud CHA Family. Lions for Life!!!
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2018

My children have had a wonderful learning experience at CHA. The students respect each other and are like a family. This is a wonderful school community and I'm thankful for all of the talented people that dedicate themselves to the school each day.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2018

My child loves this school! Academically she is challenged everyday and expected to do her best at all times. The program is rigorous and is preparing my child for tge future.
Submitted by parent on December 29, 2016

Teachers are amazing! They really care and are highly qualified. I teach in public schools and can not begin to explain how much better CHA is! Students are so much farther ahead in curriculum and generally in life! The concept of respect and integrity is not foreign! Children are respected and taught to respect everyone.
Submitted by parent on December 22, 2015

The Cardinal Hickey Academy is a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School. Follow the link below: http://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/winning15md442pv_cardinal_hickey_academy.html
Submitted by teacher on May 28, 2013

Cardinal Hickey Academy is one of the best schools in Calvert Co. All of our students leave very well prepared for High School, whether it be public or private. Year after year the students have been accepted to their 1st choice high schools. Many times I have had students return to tell me how well prepared for High School they were. Even those who struggled with our program are surprised at how easy high school suddenly is. This speaks wonders for my fellow teachers and our program.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2013

What was once a great school has significantly declined. The once challenging curriculmn is now a one size fits all, so if your child is advanced or struggling you will need to supplement on your own time. There are no longer sisters on the staff, with the principal being replaced by a lay person almost three years ago and the teachers being replaced by lay people this year. While the teachers are still outstanding and truly care for the students, the adminstration has been a significant issue. All you need to know to realize how the school has declined is to know that only a few years ago there were not enough available slots for all of the children who applied. Now there are plenty of slots available. With the good public schools in the area you are now better off attending public school.