St. Matthew The Apostle School

10021 Jefferson Highway

River Ridge, LA 70123

9 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-7
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 12, 2023

They r the best of the best
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2020

I am a current parent at St. Mathews the Apostle school. My son will be in the second grade next year and started here when he was in prek-4. As I read the past reviews from nearly 10 years ago, I can’t help but wonder if I am at the same school! My experience with SMA has been nothing but sterling. The academic programs, if any fault, seem to be on par or more advanced than other schools in this region. In fact, the curriculums here are more standardized than most private schools and there are standardized virtual reading and math programs that help me monitor my child’s progress outside of parent teacher conferences. The faculty and staff are passionate and attend continuous education programs to ensure our kids are getting the best education they can. Are there bad apples in any orchard? Certainly! There are bad apples in any known universe but the school values parents’ feedback and manages them properly. The most amazing thing about the school is the community. Parents, teachers, staff and parishioners come together to do everything. Parents here can be as involved or uninvolved as they want but always know there is a community to back them up. There are no perfect schools, perfect parents, perfect children, but I am glad my son is at SMA. We plan on staying here for the rest of his primary education. Yes, I can find a more expensive school or a school where kids have IQ with 90% standard deviation but I am not sure I can find the same community this school is able to provide. Just my 2 cents.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2015

All 4 of my children went to St. Matthew from pre-k all the way through. Every single one of them thrived here, and they were all very different. Each one received an excellent education that allowed them to thrive in high school. They all went on to excel in honors programs thanks to the background St. Matthew provides them. The families at this school are welcoming and genuine. Most of my children's friends' families felt like family to us as well. The teachers genuinely cared about all of our children, and they helped each one get through their own personal struggles. One struggled with math, another with reading, and another spent a lot of time in the counselor dealing with anxiety. All 4 of my children have talked about wanting their children to attend this school, and I would recommend St. Matthew to anyone looking for a family-oriented, wholesome, and educationally sound catholic school. The teachers are amazing, and so is the administration. I love this school.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2012

My daughter attended St. Matthew from PreK 4 to 5th grade. She was a straight A/B student from PreK - 4th. Once she went into 5th, about 3 months into school, the problems started. Bulling from packs of mean girls, teachers who did not care, a principle who allows a teacher to roll her eyes and talk condescendingly to my husband and I during a meeting with the two of them to figure out why my daughter was struggling. The lower level teachers are great, but the Math and Spanish classes are lacking severely. Consequently, my daughter's spirit was beat down and she struggled the whole year. It is hard to hear your child explain how the teachers give her dirty looks and treat her poorly the day after I had to call the school for yet another issue (she was not aware of the phone call I made to school, either). She is at a new school and is thriving. The parents are welcoming (not cliquey like SMA) and the students are helpful and welcoming and these teachers, specifically the math teacher, truly care about the children and want to help them succeed. A number of parents pulled their kids out of this school for these same reasons. I do not recommend this school at all.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2012

I would not send my child to this school. The math and spanish programs are very poor. I had to teach at home what they should have learned at school. If you have a concern they make it your issue and not the schools. When I removed my children so did many others that had issues (not surprising very similar to mine). My kids now excel at their new school.
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2011

Thank you to St. Matthew the Apostle School for the great experience that my children had. Our kids say that they hope their children will attend St. Matthew one day.
Submitted by parent on July 06, 2011

The middle school Social Studies teacher is pathetic. I never in my life came across a teacher that can't handle problem students. The whole class suffers when she gets in one of her moods just because a child was acting up. She stops the teaching and tells the students to pull out the books and read because she can't take it anymore. Same for the current choir teacher. She constantly calls the vice principal because the students are acting out. She has gone as far as telling the class to go play out in the cold because I'm not teaching you. My child has had some awesome teachers with the exception of the above two. And before anyone questions me, my child is a well behaved with great grades. She was never the problem, she just suffered in her learning because of the above teacher's actions. Just want to warn the new middle school parents what they have in store for them when they get in the back building.
Submitted by other on October 12, 2010

I have 3 grandchildren there and they love it.
Submitted by student on March 16, 2010

I went to SMA since kindegarten through 7th grade. it was wonderful, i made life long friends i know! The teachers are wonderful and put in as much effort as they can to help the students grow!
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2007

After being a parent for many years and having all of my children attend St. Matthew, I have been very pleased. My children were all well prepared for high school both academically and spiritually. They are good students with a strong Christian background thanks to St. Matthew.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2006

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