St. Monica School

5950 Geary Blvd

San Francisco, CA 94121

47 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on February 06, 2025

Super great school. Good teachers and great students. Special education is not bad, and the students here are all super friendly
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2024

Our experience is not what we expected, although the family community was great. The experience with the teaching staff was not. That is obviously reflected with the current low enrollment especially in the lower grades. They seem to care more about how much money they can get from you rather than the actual social, emotional or educational well being of the children. Pulling our child from this school was the best decision that we could have made. I absolutely do not recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2024

The school has a very small administration. 1 principal, 1 secretary and the rest are teachers. 80% of the time it works out fine and the teachers do their thing. This provides a back-to-basics schooling with religion mixed in. However, the other 20% of the time it catches the school flat footed and unprepared, especially when some intervention or increased communication is needed.As other reviews have mentioned, we’re seeing students enroll that have chronic behavior problems, the lack of counselors or sufficient support staff to either work with those students or ID them as special ed causes bigger issues in the classroom to the detriment of the entire class.When the art teacher disappears and art is no longer taught at the school, there's no communication or plan to bring it back. So the school moves along for a year without any art classes.Most of the teachers are great but you have some bad apples. With such a small administration there seems to be no process in place or guidelines to reward the good teachers and manage the poor ones.For many families this school will be fine but with highly rated public schools in the area and other Catholic schools seemingly more vibrant, you'll question why you are paying tuition for a school that is so bare bones. If you have any expectations beyond the Reading, Writing, Arithmetic for your school, look elsewhere. The school doesn't have the infrastructure or support staff to properly do STEM, SEL, Arts, Athletics and anything beyond the basics. The school probably hasn’t changed much in 60 years (teaching style, facilities and programs).
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2024

Our review is based on a more organic experience. To see reviews from others and the timelines written we would say that these are likely the experiences of those with children in lower grades. Upper grades are a difference story. There have been radical changes over the years...some good...some not so good. St. Monica would make an excellent K through 5 school...but recommend pursuing elsewhere for middle school. We started out having a lot of confidence in senior administration, but gradually they have reached their limits as to what they are able to offer. Not to disparage academics, but you should know that middle school class sizes are large. My understanding is that this is somewhat due to other school closures in addition to transfers from other schools. Also there has been a steady "decline" in the 'student/family culture" over the years. We will likely keep our children there until our oldest graduates as he is now in middle school, but we will transfer our youngest after that. Some hurtful things have happened recently which we will not discuss here. But it is clear that we have outgrown the current situation.
Submitted by student on March 16, 2023

great school, I definitely recommend it to any students.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2023

It's now our second year at St. Monica School and we couldn't be happier! Our kiddo is thriving both academically and socially and we love being part of this community. The teachers and staff are attentive and provide families with the support they need, especially through these unpredictable times. Our family isn't Catholic and so are many families that attend this school, but what is modeled and taught are the human core values we believe in.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2023

We were planning to enroll our child in public school, but then COVID came along while our little one was in preschool. We didn’t like the way SFUSD was handling the pandemic so we shopped around and talked with friends and opted for St. Monica, and we couldn’t be happier! The teachers and staff are excellent, and the parents and community are welcoming and supportive. Our kiddo has made a lot of great friends and loves her school, so we’re very happy with our choice!
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2021

My daughter just started kindergarten here in August and we could not be happier! The teachers and staff are so caring and thoughtful. The other thing that has really stood out to me is the community at this school. The parents are so involved and the PTA has made it fun to be involved. I feel confident that it’s not just my daughter who is creating great friendships. The school is also a good blend of Catholic and non-Catholic. It’s a great balance. I feel so fortunate to have found Saint Monica School.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2021

I am parent of a soon departing 8th grader at St. Monica school. St. Monica really demonstrated its commitment to education during the Covid pandemic. After hearing some of the horror stories of other schools’ performances during the pandemic I clearly saw St. Monica's values, leadership and putting our child's education as their priority. Under the leadership of a great principal, technology and homework packages were issued in a few days after in classroom instruction was stopped. During online instruction I was also able to lean in on some of the virtual sessions and saw how well the teachers delivered the school curriculum, captured students’ attention, and enforced a high level of discipline in a virtual environment. I honestly felt that the students lost no time and continued on in their 7th grade education during a very difficult time. Once limited in person instruction was allowed St. Monica led the way in structuring and executing a smoothly run protocol that allowed for my child to attend 2 days a week plus an alternating Friday, with little or no incident. I am truly appreciative of the school’s efforts both during and coming out of the pandemic and highly recommend St. Monica’s.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2021

St Monica is a wonderful school with an amazing staff and close-knit families. We started our oldest son in top 10 public school for kinder in San Francisco and transferred him to St Monica after 2 weeks. The teachers at St Monica were nurturing and caring and we loved the structure and support for the students. We enrolled my youngest son at St Monica just two years later. We have gotten to know all the families in our sons' classes and I have to say that we are so pleased with the school, the curriculum, the extra-curricular activities and the student and family community. Both of my children (4th grade and 2nd grade now) have really thrived there. They absolutely love it there and look forward to going to school every day. We wanted a safe and nurturing environment that helped our sons to love learning while building their characters. This was exactly what we found at St Monica.The lower class sizes are small (between 12-20 kids on average) at St Monica which was great for my kids. They received personalized attention in kindergarten (1 teacher and 1 aide) and the teachers really got to know and understand my children. They customized the learning environment and curriculum that would be support my kids and encouraged opportunities to develop and engage their ideas and opinions. I also liked the communication between the teacher and school with the parents. If my child had a challenging day, the teacher would call to let us know. In essence, our child(ren) mattered, their day mattered and our involvement as parents mattered. During the COVID pandemic, St Monica School held in-person and hybrid classes during 2020-2021. Even as the pandemic has lingered into the fall of 2021, we have been so impressed with how St Monica has maintained the safety of the kids while encouraging the highest standards of education. The families at St Monica have supported one another and pitched in for special events (e.g. Halloween) and extracurricular activities (e.g. CYO sports). This school is really a secret gem in San Francisco.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2020

If I could give this school more than 5 stars, I would! I have zero complaints about the school (having come from another private school). We both attended private schools when we were little and it brings back all the feels of our childhood experience!
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2017

One of the great strengths of St. Monica's is that each kid is loved and respected, unlike some schools where it can be easy to get lost. This has allowed our children (who are all quite different) to thrive academically in a caring environment.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2017

We transferred to St. Monica from public school last year when our children started 2nd and 4th grade. We absolutely love it. Our children made new friends quickly and are thriving academically and socially. We love the international feel to the school (we've met families who grew up speaking Swedish, Italian, Cantonese, German, French, Japanese, Spanish, amongst others). It is wonderful to see how the students take care of each other! We don't live in the neighborhood, but the nearly half hour drive is worth it to us. The historic school building has been fully earthquake retrofitted and just got a must-see science lab! We love that St. Monica is so welcoming of everyone, no matter what one's faith journey or background may be.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2017

I couldn't be happier with this school. Saint Monica's is a school that not only has a strong academic program, but teaches the children values of being kind and compassionate towards one another. The community of parents are extremely welcoming and made me want to volunteer in the school as much as I can. I feel fortunate that I found a great school for my sons. They look forward to going to school and participating in all the activities the school has to offer.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2015

We did a very thorough analysis of school options for our daughter. St. Monica seemed like a perfect place for her. The tour convinced us that this school would be our focus.After speaking with several teachers and Mr. Sweeters, the Principal, it was clear that the school values character development just as high as academic achievement. Several older students spoke and assisted in the tour. I was impressed with the poise and maturity they had. I learned that public speaking is a skill emphasized in the curriculum and students have ample opportunity to practice this.St Monica has been everything we had hoped for and much more. Our daughter is now in her second year at St Monica and she is thriving. If you're interested in an environment where your children will be challenged, supported, loved, and developed into exceptional people, you should seriously consider St Monica. We are so lucky to have found it.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2015

My kids went to a parochial preschool and we were satisfied with the curriculum, enrichment activities, and moral values instilled upon them in the preschool.So it was an obvious choice for us to look for a parochial elementary school when my older son was ready for Kindergarten.We toured a few parochial schools in the neighborhood last December and were impressed with Saint Monica for the following reasons.1. Leadership: We found in Mr. Sweeters, the Principal, a leader who sets clear direction and expectations. He was honest to point out the limitations of the science lab which was undergoing a makeover. He demonstrated the school's ability to respond to change by showing the various amenities that have been added to the classrooms such as wireless technology. He inspired us to believe in the school's vision.2. Faculty: We spoke to Ms. Padley the kindergarten teacher. Her holistic approach to kindergartners derived from the best of multiple educational systems appealed to us. We spoke to Mr. Mullens, the Vice Principal. He stressed on how the higher grades prepared themselves for high school not just academically but also by creative thinking and practice that reflect the core values of the school.3. Space: The school has ample space to accommodate an indoor gym, art room, music room, cafeteria, and extended care facility in addition to the spacious classrooms.4. Adoption of Technology: Technology when adopted correctly can be a boon. Otherwise it can be a distraction. We liked how the classes used voice amplification systems not only to assist children with disability but also to help all children with their public speaking skills. We liked how the school used secure web portal not only to keep you up to date on the progress of your child but also on the various events, and activities scheduled at school, thus eliminating a lot of paper trails.Cut to the present, my son is a happy camper at Saint Monica. He enjoys being in school and is constantly learning new things from his teachers and peers.As working parents, the extended care facility was a must have for us and we are quite satisfied with the programs offered including Mandarin, piano, guitar, academic chess, and sports. In addition I like the protocol and procedure followed by the staff to secure the premise when I go to pick up my son.
Submitted by parent on September 27, 2015

We really love this school. Our daughter has been here since kindergarten and is now in first grade and things couldn't be better. We aren't catholic but we feel completely welcome and we very much appreciate the values that are an important part of school life at St. Monica - they are universal values and have a real impact on building the students' character. Great teachers, great academics, great community, great parental involvement (and not overwhelming), great focus on the whole child and not just testing... what's not to love? St. Monica's is awesome!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2015

We LOVE St.Monica School! Great teachers, Great academics, and above all a GREAT community! The parents are really involved and we have met great friends through the years! The kids come home happy and truly like to go to school and that says a lot.Its a safe environment. My kids are constantly improving and getting high grades thanks to the great teachers (and hard work), and enjoying sports and being part of a team. We are so happy that we decided to have our children attend this school!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2015

We have been sending our daughter to St Monica's for the past year and its been wonderful. The teachers do an incredible job with the kids and our daughter couldn't enjoy it more. For me the most impressive thing is that the kids of all ages really take good care of each other, regardless of what grade they are in.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2015

St. Monica's school offers a very caring environment where children are nurtured and challenged. We have been with this amazing community for the last 7 years and I am in awe of how well rounded our sons are as a result of their program. Mr. Sweeters, the principal, has offered great leadership through the years and encourages the children from an early age to embrace public speaking. Being able to take a microphone and be both articulate and compelling, while feeling at ease, is certainly a challenge, but one they grow into, through practice. It is no surprise that, upon leaving for HS, they have their pick of the litter ( Lowell, SI, SH, etc). Go Bulldogs!