Immaculate Conception School

41 Mountain Avenue

Somerville, NJ 08876

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 25, 2023

We are very happy with our experience at ICS. Our child is getting a great academic and spiritual education.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2022

We were so excited to begin this year, but we are very disappointed. There are many things, and I feel that is important to share and wish that we had known some of these things prior. We found that there was no writing curriculum. The teaching with regard to math and literacy is straight from a text book. The children are told what they have to read and have no choices. It also seems that children are deterred from asking questions if they do not understand something and told to figure it out on their own and belittled by being told that based on whatever grade they are in, they should know the answer. I feel that because many of the teachers are not certified, they are missing the training for effectively teaching and understanding children. While this is not always the case, we found this to be true for math & literacy. My children were so afraid and refused to ask the teacher for clarification on anything, because they said she would get mad at them. This was done if front of the class and was so embarrassing for them. They came from a district where questions for help are encouraged.Some teachers are very harsh and sarcastic with the children, to the point of embarrassing them in class by sharing personal conversations in front of the class. There was so much negative and bullying behavior among the students and it was almost made worse by some of the teachers. There is a lot of yelling at the students in the classroom, which is very sad. Some students who were bullying or picking on other students were never addressed properly and directly. The teachers set the example. Our children have always loved school, but due to all of these things, our children were just not happy there. It was sadly a very stifling and negative environment in our opinion.
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2022

We are so pleased with our experience, we are new to ICS, in 6th grade, and of a very different race (African American). Wow! the children are amazing they welcomed her even though she has not been there all these years. The leadership is consistent and strong. I also keep daughter in the common core curriculum online to bridge any gaps and ICS does a great job in keeping her strong in math and ahead. She also admires her teachers and really enjoys her new friends. Overall, best decision we ever made for my child.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2021

We have been at the schoolFor 7 years. I am disappointed to say that once the sisters left, the school stopped caring about the students and became more about the money.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2020

Great environment for learning with teachers and administration that truly care for the students. Just a great all around community.
Submitted by parent on June 30, 2018

Wonderful. Academically challenging at a higher level. Daily biuld on relationship with God. Children have in their nature to be good to others; the elderly; the community the list goes on.. Priceless!
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2018

I had to move my son from his school mid-year. They weren't addressing the issues of bullying thoroughly. The staff at ICS and the students welcomes my son in a loving and caring way. The academics in ICS are also better and the way they group the kids together in the classes is excellent! So happy I made the switch this year instead of waiting until next year. Wish I did it sooner.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2018

Our children have enjoyed a great experience at this school. There is more homework that I recall having in grammar school, but they will be well prepared for high school. Interactions with teachers have been great and admin is also easy to work with. They place great value on character development.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2018

Every time I step out of the school after visiting or a function, I thank God we were able to have our children attend ICS.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2017

My son attended ICS for a year and a half until I had to transfer him. His experience at this school was horrible. He would come home upset everyday because his teacher was unkind and not caring. She would treat him and his classmates disrespectfully and in a mean way. Almost to the point of bullying and belittling them. It was an extremely negative experience for him as a child and for us as a family.Do your child and your family a favor and stay away from ICS!
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2017

Both of my children went to this school. We transferred the younger one to another school because the academic program at this school was so poor. The callousness of the teachers and administration is appalling. If a child is having difficulty, there is no help provided and the parents are not kept informed. If parents do not give large donations to the school (over and above tuition), the children are penalized.
Submitted by other on April 18, 2016

I am currently an ICS graduate and at Immaculata High School. As great the academics were, there were not a lot of extracurricular activities. Also, I had some teachers who didn't care about their students' opinions and beliefs. I believe Immaculata is a much safer and welcoming environment than ICS.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2015

ICS has an ultra-competitive honors/gifted program for a select group of students in grades 3 and up. My child does very well in school, but the standards are so high we're not certain of getting in at all. So the reviewers below must not have been aware of this program? Or perhaps their children weren't accepted and there is some negative feeling there? I can only guess. But they are factually incorrect in saying students aren't challenged somehow. If anything, the environment is overly competitive. Odd that there would be such incorrect information from people whose children attended the school. Again, who can guess at motives.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2015

I could not disagree with the previous parent more. My daughter graduated last year and I currently have a fourth grader attending ICS. Both are very strong students and have thrived in the academic as well as the nurturing social aspects of the school. My daughter is in all honors courses as a freshman and has maintained an A+ average through the two completed marking periods. I attribute this largely to the preparation she received at ICS. The reason I did not give the school a five star rating is I believe that under the new principal, the best is yet ahead for this school.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2014

I agree with previous reviewers. If your child is academically advanced or a fast learner, this school is not the right school for them. We had a "not so great" experience at ICS. Some teachers act like they don't care about our children and do nothing to provide a positive learning environment. My child was bored to tears in class and the teacher refused to give more challenging work because "it would be more work for her". Some teachers constantly yell at the students and we got tired of paying to have our child mistreated and under-challenged. My child would come home frustrated and unhappy on a daily basis - and this is a kid that used to love school! I think priorities at ICS are upside down; they are definitely not child-friendly.
Submitted by other on August 17, 2014

The school is a sad excuse for a private school and gives not the slightest care about their students