Private schools in Little Rock (fit in, catholic schools, assessment)

[jwisconsin]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some info on Mt. St. Mary's and Pulaske Academy? Do you feel they are better than the public schools in the area?

[ecloebl]

Originally Posted by jwisconsin

I was wondering if anyone could give me some info on Mt. St. Mary's and Pulaske Academy? Do you feel they are better than the public schools in the area?

Both my kids went to PA, my son from kindergarten through high school and my daughter through the eighth grade. At that point, she could not take it any more and had us send her off to boarding school in another state. The PA administration is very rigid and inflexible, leading to frequent problems if your kids do not fit in their mold. The biggest problem for us was that the school is next door to Fellowship Bible Church, and although allegedly nonsectarian, actually firmly in the grasp of the church. If you do not agree with their fundamentalist agenda, your kids will suffer.

[Sam I Am]

ecloebl, I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of "firmly in the grasp of the church". It's a private school and is sought out. The only thing I will say negatively about it is that it seems to be the more elite kids, and some of them - SOME of them - and their parents seem to be confused about their level of importance in the universe...and I would agree that "molded" seems to be a good word to use for the PA kids, whether by virtue of the school administration or the fact they all seem to come from about the same background. And while I am not a fan of organized religion (much to my family's chagrin), I'd have to say Fellowship Bible must be doing something right, judging from their amazing growth and outreach programs.

Mt. St. Mary's.....while that is the Catholic school of choice for middle and upper school girls, they've veered off their conservative Catholic teaching in the last 5-10 years. If that aspect is very important to you, I would suggest you sit down and talk seriously with the administration and get their take on things. I'm only getting info secondhand from a cousin whose child is enrolled there, and we all know there are at least two sides to every story. Conversely, The Mount and it's counterbalance, Catholic High for Boys, consistently turn out well educated, scholastic performers. If your child is a marginal student or has a problem with authority, it may not be the place for them. Since Father George Tribou passed, I think Catholic High may have lightened up some.

There is also Cathedral on Cantrell Rd. by the Dillard's corporate headquarters if you are looking for the more elite schools. It's quite impressive.

[strumpeace]

Episcopal Collegiate School is a good choice.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

Episcopal Collegiate School is a good choice.

That's the one I meant, on Cantrell.....Cathedral is down on Spring St. My bad, foggy brain - thanks, Strum!

[leslied]

Stay away from the public schools in Little Rock. Send your kid to a Private School if you can. There are a few really good ones. My first choice would be Little Rock Lutheran, second would be Abundant Life, then maybe Arkansas Baptist and Any of the Catholic Schools.

[defiance]

My son is in St. Mary's as we speak, and while I can't say it's perfect, I believe the school is superior to public schools in the area (compared in our experience to Pulaski Heights, at least, which is supposedly well-respected).

An early comment mentioned that they had moved away from 'conservative catholic teaching', I can't really see that myself; the curriculum is good, and includes a religious aspect. Perhaps my perspective is skewed, though, since I'm not actually catholic. I can say that the administration and teachers do not hold that against parents or students in any way, as long as the student keeps up with the curriculum - I was pretty afraid of that when we started, but I've been pleasantly surprised by their acceptance.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by defiance

My son is in St. Mary's as we speak, and while I can't say it's perfect, I believe the school is superior to public schools in the area (compared in our experience to Pulaski Heights, at least, which is supposedly well-respected).

An early comment mentioned that they had moved away from 'conservative catholic teaching', I can't really see that myself; the curriculum is good, and includes a religious aspect. Perhaps my perspective is skewed, though, since I'm not actually catholic. I can say that the administration and teachers do not hold that against parents or students in any way, as long as the student keeps up with the curriculum - I was pretty afraid of that when we started, but I've been pleasantly surprised by their acceptance.

Your SON is in St. Mary's? Quite the feat - perhaps we've missed something - St. Mary's is the girls' school - Catholic High is for boys?

[Sneezyone]

My DH and I are moving to LR next summer and plan to enroll our oldest pre-K child (at 5 years) in the Cathedral School and our youngest (at 2 years) at Ms. Selma's Academy.

The Cathedral School is elite and well-kept without the snootiness of Pulaski Academy (way too many people thinking way to highly of themselves IMHO). I've had my fill of that crap frm my own boarding school days. It should also provide the ideal combination of structure and environment for my oldest daughter who needs very few incentives/opportunities to stand out.

Our youngest boy will be enrolled at Ms. Ms Selma's Academy. I love Ms. Selma's homey vibe and scrupulous attention to the unique and individual needs of EVERY child (academic and social). It's also ethnically diverse which is a big plus for DH and I. My son is a big boy with a strong family tradition in athletics and the more age-appropriate nurturing he can get early on, the better (b/c people often treat him as tho/assume he's older than he is).

[defiance]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Your SON is in St. Mary's? Quite the feat - perhaps we've missed something - St. Mary's is the girls' school - Catholic High is for boys?

LOL - wow, I completely snarfed that one! Must've been half asleep My son is in holy souls. I know nothing about St. Mary's