The Nativity School

PO BOX 9180

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

15 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 21, 2024

Nativity has been a blessing for our family. The teachers have been excellent. True professionals who have reasonably high expectations, but are also warm and nurturing. The small class sizes allow for differentiated instruction in both math, language arts and science. This has been true since TK/Kindergarten and continues into middle school.The school added a counselor this year, who works with the kids in groups large and small, and I think individually. The social-emotional part of learning is important, and I love that there is this resource for them. They care about the whole child, and the values that are lived out at school.The small class size has also been fantastic for the kids socially. I know every parent really well, and we are a true community. Occasionally, there is a family that has an illness or needs help and the community really comes together. It’s also nice when you drop your kid off at someone’s house, you know what values are lived there.For cons, I will say that I have seen some kids with special needs struggle. For some, it may not be the right environment.For us, it has been exactly what we needed in a school for our kids. It’s a beautiful campus, but so much more.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2024

As someone who values the education and environment provided by our wonderful school, I must respectfully disagree with those who express dislike. Our school fosters a nurturing and supportive community where values such as compassion, integrity, and excellence are instilled in students. The dedicated faculty and staff go above and beyond to ensure that every child receives a well-rounded education that not only focuses on academics but also on character development and spiritual growth. I am grateful for the enriching experience my family has had at this school, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to others seeking a positive educational experience for their children.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2023

As a proud parent of a child at The Nativity School, I am thrilled to share my positive experiences. The Nativity School has truly become a second home for our family, providing not only a top-notch academic environment but also fostering a strong sense of community and values that align with our beliefs. One of the standout features of Nativity is the recent addition of a wonderful new school counselor. The impact she has made on the students and the school community so far have been nothing short of remarkable. Her compassionate approach, combined with a wealth of experience, has created a supportive space for students to navigate the challenges of life. It's heartening to see the school invest in resources that prioritize the holistic development of each student. The teaching staff at Nativity is truly the backbone of the school's success. Their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and nurturing each child's unique talents is evident in the engaging lessons they employ in the classroom. The depth of experience among the educators is impressive, and it translates into a rich learning environment. I appreciate the dedication of the teachers in instilling not only academic knowledge but also important values that will undoubtedly shape my child's character. Lastly, The small class sizes have been a game-changer for our family. The personalized attention each student receives allows for a more intimate and effective learning experience. Teachers can tailor their instruction to meet individual needs, fostering a sense of confidence and achievement in every child. It's evident that the school places a premium on creating an environment where students feel seen, heard, and valued. It's the perfect fit for my child and I am proud to send her to Nativity.
Submitted by other on December 26, 2022

There is a big bullying problem at this school. People aren’t friendly, I went to this school for 2 years and learned nothing.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2022

This is a great school!! We have been at this school for 13 years. Yes, it has had its turnovers, transitions and bumps in the road but over all we are extremely pleased to have our children here. Our older children that are now in high school are excelling and were completely prepared for high school upon entrance. There is no such thing as a perfect school but this is a perfect school for our family. Our kids that are there now are happy and our older children look at Nativity with fond memories with one of them even saying “I miss Nativity!!”
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

The Nativity School has significantly drifted from the foundations that once made it a solid neighborhood Catholic school for our children, academically and socially. Four years ago, under new leadership, the school changed drastically for the worse. There is a deep lack of leadership at the school that is felt by current teachers, students, and families and is evident by the number of devout Catholic families continuing to pull their kids from Nativity, as well as additional beloved teachers leaving after this school year.The curriculum is lacking or non-existent and is not at grade level, specifically language arts and math. Eureka common core math is used at Nativity. However, the teachers are not adequately trained to teach common core and often skip around or do not adhere to the program, leaving kids confused and missing key math skills. Students discover major gaps in their education once they leave the school. Nativity’s convincing written academic “plan” does not match what is actually being taught in the classroom. Contrary to what they tell parents, there is very little reading, writing, or educational instruction across many subjects and grade levels compared to their peers at other schools, including other Catholic schools. Nativity has a significant bullying problem. The current principal does not address bullying or harmful incidents, but rather he classifies aggressive behavior and bullying as kids will be kids, which led to damaging physical altercations between students this year. He has created an environment where serious accusations are dismissed, mandatory fiduciary reporting is disregarded, and students and teachers fear retaliation if they speak up. The misbehavior of students at the school is atrocious, filled with profanity and ignorant rants, physical assaults on students, disrespectful and calculated acts towards teachers, and an overall entitled environment based on lack of any rules being enforced by the principal.I can no longer recommend this school. The damage that is being done to these kids will leave lasting scars. Seeing elementary and middle school kids physically and emotionally hurt, dismissed, and unengaged is disheartening.
Submitted by student on February 08, 2022

this school, in short, is pretty much a nightmare. ive been here for 6.5 years and the whole thing has been awful. they say the stand for a bully free loving environment but ive seen a ridiculous amount of bullying towards people and nothing gets done. everyone is discriminated against, even by teachers. racism and homophobia is shockingly common, and many teachers themselves speak against marginalized groups. we are assigned too much homework and teachers rarely turn things in on time into the grading system, even if we did them. not to mention families with multiple children get accepted more frequently regardless of performance. if you have any kind of disability or learning difficulties its all over for you, youre going to get bullied and excluded no matter what you do and teachers wont even make an effort to help you. in my time here there has only been ONE teacher i genuinely liked. one. even throughout the extremely shifty staffing situations and extended unexpected absences by teachers. some teachers are just downright disrespectful, not hesitating to publicly humiliate students. i and many others have been a victim of this. everyone here is extremely immature and rude, with exceptions for five people at most. i would definitely not recommend going here at all.
Submitted by parent on March 11, 2021

We are a family committed to Catholic education who has decided to pull our children from this school and transfer to another for several reasons. We are not alone in making this move, following many who have left over the last 2-3 years because of the same reasons. Since 2016, there has been a lot of turnover with teachers and leadership and because of this, we feel the mission of the school, the feel and the culture of the school have been lost. There are only a handful of teachers who have been on staff longer than 5 years. The majority of staff are new with 1-2 years at the school only. In the last 2-3 years, the school has had 2 very different principal and pastor teams at the helm, along with an interim vice principal for approximately 4 months after the termination of an earlier principal. In any organization that undergoes leadership change, there are always going to be challenges, but we feel the abrupt changes to leadership with very little continuity of message, mission, and culture from one team to another and to the new teachers being hired has impacted Nativity's ability to offer a quality Catholic education that they had been able to offer for many years. We were hopeful with the new principal in 2019 that things would start turning around, but they have not materialized in our opinion. The focus that had been on stronger academics and the ability to provide differentiation with both math (starting in 5th) and language arts has been removed with no plans to bring this back in the near future. All students in a grade therefore are learning the same material hampering the progress of students who may need extra help and others who are ready for the next level. For the other core subjects of science and social studies, those lessons have always been the same for all students in the class, which we were fine with. We have also seen a dramatic shift in the character and behavior of the families and kids who attend the school and we are unsure as to why. Kids will argue and can be mean to each other, but when these instances had occurred in the past, the faculty and school always handled immediately and appropriately and the kids learned from the experience and truly tried harder to be better towards their classmates. Cliques/groups will exist but we feel that there had always been a high-level focus on fostering respect and kindness to others who were in different groups, but this has been lost somewhere along the way.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2020

We are very happy with The Nativity School and the solid and strong Catholic education are children are receiving. It’s a very exciting time to be part of the school!
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2018

The school is mediocre. The education is basic. Too many negatives to list.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2014

This school is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. It is a community filled with kind, welcoming staff, students, and parents. If you are looking for an extremely organized, welcoming, loving school that cares about your family, academics and God, then look no further.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2014

We have been at The Nativity School for 4 years since our son was in kindergarten. Our daughter is now in kindergarten and couldn't be happier! We love the warm and nurturing environment that extends beyond the classroom. The teachers really take time to get to know each child and his/her needs. One thing that I think sets Nativity apart from other schools is the strong sense of community. This was so important to us as parents that we our children felt apart of a community, but as parents, we did as well. We feel very blessed to have found such a wonderful community of teachers, friends and children at the Nativity School.
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2013

Nice facilities but only for kids with zero issues of any kind. Heaven help you if your child has any learning issue at all. The Saxon math will torment you. Our impression was that they're more interested in winning awards then educating neighborhood Catholic kids. Not even sure the Catholic part matters too them. Principle is quirky, over controlling and tone deaf to any constructive advice or criticism. Hard to accurately describe how weirdly difficult she is to deal with. If you have an A student that walks a perfectly straight line you'll probably be just fine. If not, run away.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2013

We love The Nativity School. My son is in the 3rd grade and this is our 4th year at the school. We have loved the teachers, the facility, the religious integration with the church, and all the extra curricular programs it offers: Spanish, Music, Art, PE, Technology. I have faith in the decisions from the Principal because Nativity always keeps the students best interest in mind. There is a lot of parent involvement and I think it helps to keep the school running smoothly, but it also fosters a sense of community and pride that my husband and I appreciate. We are looking forward to continuing our son's education at Nativity through the 8th grade. Go Nativity Stars!
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2013

The Nativity School has been a great fit for our family, both for the children as well as for us parents. The class sizes are small, with many lower grades having teacher assistants in addition to the full time teacher. Our son has a vision problem, and the teachers have been consistently attentive and helpful. The academics are challenging, the teachers are professional, well educated and caring teachers, the specialists are excellent, and the students can really be themselves at Nativity. They feel comfortable with the classmates taking risks, and enjoy being on school teams together. We joined their church parish, which has enabled us to bond with the church and school community as a whole. We feel confident our children will be happy and well cared for at the school, and that is all you can really ask for as a parent. It is well worth the tuition as many public schools in the area have much larger class sizes and have cut specialists, as well as compared to other local private schools, where tuition is almost double that of Nativity.