Boston Area Catholic Schools (Cambridge, Lynn: appointed, 2014, house)

[vik215]

Any suggestions on best Catholic schools for an incoming 3rd grade girl and 9th grade boy? We would prefer a Classical Catholic education- not common core.

We are moving to the Boston area due to a new job for my husband. He will be working in Cambridge. We are looking for a home between 700-900k, 3000 sq ft, 5 bedrooms with pool, with easy access to the train with an hour commute into Cambridge. Research on Zillow/Realtor.com shows Stowe, Franklin, Medway as having homes within our parameters.

Any suggestions on towns/schools to look at?

[gf2020]

Neither Stowe, Franklin or Medway will be an hour commute to Cambridge via train.

You should be considering towns along Route 2 west of Cambridge or up 93 north of Cambridge. Be prepared to be disappointed because even $900K will probably not get you a 5BR house with a pool within a 1 hour commute of Cambridge.

[alidmc]

I am only familiar with the Catholic Schools in towns slightly North of Boston, so I will recommend schools/towns in your price range. Are there any other attributes you are seeking for towns? I am not very familiar with Stow, Franklin or Medway, but I believe all are slightly further away than 1 hour from Cambridge.
Do your truly need 5 BRs? The reason I ask is that you won't find many 5 BRs in Mass, period. Many homes, however, will have 4BRs and an office, or 4BRs and some flex space (basement or third floor open space). If you include 4 BR homes in your search, you will open up many more possibilities.
Not many homes in Mass have pools, either. A pool has limited use in cold New England and they are expensive and a hassle to maintain. Many towns have community or private pools (country clubs)- are you open to that option?
I am very familiar with St. Johns Prep and Malden Catholic. Both are all boys Catholic High Schools. Both have terrific sports programs and a solid curriculum.
For elementary schools, I know St. Marys in Melrose, St. Josephs in Wakefield, and St. Patricks in Stoneham. In addition, there is Our Lady of Assumption in Lynnfield. I have heard good things about all of them. There are several other Catholic Schools in the area, but I have the most familiarity with those.
In absence of any other preferences, and assuming these schools meet your needs, I would suggest the following towns to live (all should be within an hour of Cambridge):
-Wakefield
-Melrose
-Reading
-Lynnfield

[missionhill]

West Roxbury? Catholic schools (St Theresa, Holy Name and Catholic Memorial) right in the neighborhood, heavily Catholic community, convenient train to South Station and red line to Cambridge, and your budget will go far there.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by vik215

Any suggestions on best Catholic schools for an incoming 3rd grade girl and 9th grade boy? We would prefer a Classical Catholic education- not common core.

We are moving to the Boston area due to a new job for my husband. He will be working in Cambridge. We are looking for a home between 700-900k, 3000 sq ft, 5 bedrooms with pool, with easy access to the train with an hour commute into Cambridge. Research on Zillow/Realtor.com shows Stowe, Franklin, Medway as having homes within our parameters.

Any suggestions on towns/schools to look at?

St. Columbkille Partnership (partnered with Boston College) could be a good elementary school in Brighton.
http://stcps.org/elementary-school-a...ership-school/

St. Joseph Prep is only a half mile away, also in Brighton.
Saint Joseph Preparatory High School

[jayrandom]

You could consider Dedham/Norwood. Probably an hour to Cambridge from Dedham, maybe a little more from Norwood. Xaverian Brothers in Westwood is a good boys school, Ursuline Academy in Dedham is a good girls school. Not sure about elementary in either.

Another option would be the South Shore. I know very little down there, but you might get an hour commute to Cambridge and I'm sure there are plenty of Catholic schools.

[CaseyB]

Xaverian is a high school. Ursuline is middle school/high school.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Xaverian is a high school. Ursuline is middle school/high school.

Not that it matters because the boy is in 9th grade, but Xaverian is 7-12 now:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xaveri...rs_High_School

Xaverian is a Catholic college preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. The school is a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School that enrolls 880 students from more than 60 different communities. The primary objectives of a Xaverian education are to prepare students "to meet the demands of higher education, to contribute to society, and to answer the call of Christian service." Xaverian is known for its highly educated staff of which over 95% hold graduate degrees from some of today's most competitive colleges. Every classroom has a Smart Board, and teachers have the ability to utilize five different computer labs that are available to meet with classes. In 2012 the school instituted a technology initiative, opening its Wi-Fi access to all students and beginning a "Bring Your Own Device" program.

A unique aspect to Xaverian is its Academic Department Centers, which allows students to seek assistance from any teacher, not just his specific classroom teacher. There are Academic Department Centers for Mathematics, English, Social Studies, World Languages, Theology, and three science labs (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). Each department is staffed with teachers who are available during the day and before and after school for assistance for any student.

In 2014, the Francis Xavier Division (grades 7 and 8) was established, bringing in the first-ever 7th grade class.

[CaseyB]

Oh, that's interesting. My daughters were friends with a lot of kids who went there. They were invited to their dances and the proms. That's a very good school and the kids are polite.

[audemars]

I'd second (or third) Xaverian. Went there years ago and it was one of the best educational experiences of my life. College was a breeze after four years in Westwood. In my experience, it's a place where boys learn to become men. Strong academics, best in state athletics and most importantly, they teach respect for self and others.