St Anne Elementary School

1320 14th Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94122

13 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 23, 2023

Pros:-Mr. White won't be pushed around. He doesn't allow the parents to control the narrative.-Parents are heavily involved. They are great gardeners, coaches, assistants, cooks, decorators, donors, chaperones and friends. -With 3 kids (2 that graduated) I've seen 3 different class cultures. Some classes have a great culture, some are totally toxic though.-It's safe. Just try to get in! The only thing I don't like is there are RV trailers parked around the playground sometimes on the other side of the chain linked fence.-Very clean school. No odors, always appears taken care of.-Strong catholic pride that may or may not be used against you. -Priest drives a Tesla so they are sustainability conscious. Cons:-The school answers to the church. Take that as you will. -There is heavy bias in favor of the girls. Many of the girl cliques throughout the grades are evil. They lie to the teachers to get the boys in trouble.-Some of the boys experiment in the bathroom and it's normalized among certain grades. My sons have walked in on this multiple times. -Academics are weak. My kids that graduated were on principal honors but are struggling in high school and tested below grade level. -Teachers 6-8 are not strong individuals. They rule by fear, aren't very strong speakers and don't prepare the kids for high school. The admissions process in centered around everyone being advised to apply to SI (strong coincidence that the 8th grade teacher's brother is in charge of admissions at SI) and one or two other feeder schools. -Constantly threatening environment. Teachers aren't supportive after 5th grade (5th grade teacher is the best!).
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2022

Our child has been at Saint Anne for a year and we are extremely happy with the school. After a year within the SFUSD system, Saint Anne is a breath of fresh air. The school puts an emphasis foundational education, character, and civic engagement. They administrators are well organized and responsive, there is strong parent involvement, the community is very helpful and engaging, and our experience with the teachers has been great. They have a great after school program with several enrichment options which you can sign you child up for (e.g., art, tennis, yoga, chess, Chinese, soccer).
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2021

Pre-k at St Anne was a wonderful experience & k-2 were good but it was all downhill from there. There was a tremendous amount of busy work instead of thoughtful assignments that promoted learning. The quality of teachers was inconsistent and sub-par in upper level math and science. The Principal, Mr White, knows every student’s name and cares. However there is a huge bullying problem at the school and we did not feel supported. The PE teacher & after school coordinator, Mr Campbell, and the Director of Pre-k, Judy Glaeser are the best. Enrollment is rapidly declining for a reason. Girls’ sports are also not supported with a clear message that boys are the priority.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2019

This school was highly recommend to me by three friends who attended this school. Consider if you want your child to be a well rounded and confident person. My child is active in his community, supportive of his friends and peers and confident in his life. He still goes back to this school to see the staff and faculty and helps out/is supportive of the school. This school provides a curriculum that challenges the students to do better than average. Even though my son had a learning difference, he still tested higher in his abilities and was accepted to his first choice high school . This school is more than an educational giant, it is a family - a wonderful community.
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2019

The first time my kids forgot to pack a lunch Mr. White went across the street to Andronico’s community supermarket and bought them lunch. This year St. Anne switched to a different lunch vendor and the kids can buy lunch last minute. Most days after school I hang out to chat with a teacher or two while they stand at the gate and my 1st grader plays a little bit with friends from kindergarten and 1st grade. Kindergarten and 1st grade gets out at 2:50 but my twins in 6th grade are in class till 3:10 so he gets to run around and play in the yard till then. Sometimes, he will play till 3:30 when the gates close. Often, he will play soccer, or kick ball or volleyball with friends from kindergarten to 8th grade. Today he played with his kindergarten teacher (from last year) showing her some of his soccer moves.My twins in 6th grade are testing at the 11th, almost, 12th grade range for STAR testing. All three kids are excited about and happy at St. Anne. They especially like to tell me about the fun they had at PE. Mr. Campbell, the PE teacher, even has my kids practicing for the games they play at PE. Not because he asked them to practice but because they enjoy his games so much they want to do better. My oldest daughter is currently a sophomore at Saint Ignatius. She attended St. Anne for 8th grade. She is still excited to visit and chit chat with friends and teachers.St. Anne is more than just an excellent school with high academic standards, it is a tight community with awesome teachers and staff.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2019

St. Anne is a wonderful school. The teachers and leaders understand that all families and students are different, and works with everyone to bring out their personal best. Academics are rigorous, which is why students from St. Anne to go to top-notch high schools. Play and creativity are also emphasized through a wonderful PE program and academic projects that include both written and creative aspects. The parent community is involved and there are lots of great family events, like the crab bash, walkathon, open house, etc. Most importantly, my kids enjoy going to school because of the community at St. Anne.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2019

The experience has been great and we could not be happier. Our child loves the school, teachers, classmates as well as children in other classes. It is truly a wonderful community that we cherish.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2019

This is a great school. We have two kids here. A few years ago, when we were looking for a school for our oldest, I asked an admissions officer at the local Jesuit high school where the best kids come from. He named St. Anne's and two others. My wife and I visited those three and three others. We chose St. Anne's because in addition to the academic reputation, we loved the principal, the kids seemed super friendly, and both Spanish and Mandarin are taught. Since bringing our kids here, we've found the teachers to be very caring and the academics to be very strong. I read a report that St. Anne's students regularly score top or in the top three of 50-something Bay Area Catholic schools. The extended care program is inexpensive, offers tons of activities, or just lets kids play, which is often under-appreciated nowadays. The preschool/pre-K program is at least as good as the Marin Day School that our oldest was in for a few years.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2019

Our daughter attended St. Anne through 8th grade--we all had a great experience.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2019

We moved our kids here from public school and I am so glad we did. The community cares for each student and makes sure s/he is supported and getting the guidance that is needed. The junior high teachers are amazing as is the ressource person that one of our children sees almost every day. I only have great things to say about the education, the teachers and the community here.
Submitted by parent on November 25, 2017

We attended St. Anne for 4+ years. Early on we experienced St. Anne as a supportive school that looked out for its kids, but as the years the culture became a harsher and less kind. Slightly more than 50% of the teachers we had used shame and fear as the primary mechanisms for motivating students. Some teachers even publically humiliated students in class. The school believes in heavy homework loads and promote this policy as a badge of pride. The largest problem at St. Anne and our primary reason for leaving is the current Principal, Tom White who regularly dismisses the concerns of both parents and kids. He is highly dismissive of anything he doesn't want to hear or doesn't already believe. It is difficult to give such a negative review, but parents should know what they are getting into and do their homework before sending their kids here.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2014

My child attended St. Anne for K to 8. The school subsequently added a pre-school. All of the teachers were credentialed, with many of them having advanced college degrees. Although my child certainly had her favorite teachers, we thought all of them were very dedicated to their jobs and students, and were well qualified. We have no regrets about sending our child to St. Anne.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2012

My child attends here, and I can tell you the academics programs are stellar. The school is about 3/4 asian and 1/4 caucasion. I do wish they were a bit more diverse, but it still is one of the best catholic schools, with high test scores in the city. Low class size too. Kindergarten classes are at 22 students with 2 teachers per class. The kids test very well here. Teachers demand excellence and most if not all students seem to love it here. Hidden gem, but not so much anymore.