Westchester County Catholic Elementary Schools (Yonkers, New Rochelle: home, catholic schools, college)

[Monikini]

We're relocating to Westchester from Virginia. We would appreciate any input on the quality of parochial schools in Westchester. Along with the original 3 R's we also hope to provide our children with a strong faith formation. If they don't have that - what will they have to rebel against as teenagers?

[CaptJohn]

The first option for researching Catholic Schools in the Westchester County area is to go to the source - the Archdiocese of NY website: http://archny.org/education/search-for-a-school/index.cfm (broken link) From here, you can research grammar schools or high schools, and check the specific town each is located within. You will even find links to some of the schools. Use the city-data site here to get specific information about each locale, and before you know it, you'll have narrowed your search! Good luck!

[mead]

Go to a webpage like greatschools.net. Type in the name of the town or the name of the school. Look at what other people have said about the school to get a gague of what it is like.

I honestly don't think you're going to find what you're looking for in Westchester county though in terms of faith. Are you coming from the Arlington diocese? Because if so things are quite different up here. If you want to give the faith to your kids then you might just have to do it on your own.

[bemn]

Mead.....interesting response regarding Arlington Diocese and Westchester area.....you say you'd have to teach them the faith on your own....how so?? Just trying to get some insight! Thanks!!

[ExNYC]

I went to Catholic schools all the way up to two years of college. Immaculate Conception School in Tuckahoe, Maria Regina High School and Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, NY (no longer operating as a school). The high schools in the area are excellent. Grammar schools may not be as good as public schools academically, depending on which town you're in. Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT comes to mind as an excellent elementary school. Holy Child in Rye, NY starts in grade 6 and is also excellent, but both schools are, I believe, for girls. For boys there's Iona Prep in New Rochelle, with feeder schools like Anunciation School, in Yonkers. St. Joseph's in Bronxville also has a good reputation as a grammar school.

A word to the wise; if you plan to send the kids to Catholic schools, skip towns with an excellent public school system as the taxes will knock your socks off. Check out towns like New Rochelle, parts of Yonkers and White Plains. Don't even THINK of Mt. Vernon.

[Monikini]

Thanks! I have actually visited those sites. Unfortunately it's very hard to gauge the academics on the sites since there is no benchmark. The public schools have test results - not that that is necessarily the truest indicator, but it helps place a school, at least academically. The Great schools website seems very limited in the number of comments - sometimes I think the administrators are using the comment lines as promo areas or very disgruntled parents vent their anger - everything is either fantastic or terrible...

[Monikini]

Thank you - Yes, we are coming from the Arlington diocese. In what way are things different? I have been considering home-schooling my three boys - are you aware of any Catholic home-schooling groups?

[Monikini]

How was growing up in Tuckahoe? Any thoughts about your grammar school? Thanks

[Kathleenh54]

I grew up in Eastchester, NY. My 'rents sent me to Immaculate Conception School after which I went to Maria Regina. ICS was gloomy with no playground equipment or gym. Also, the nuns were mean! The sure could control a classroom with 30 kids in it however!

[mead]

Tuckahoe is a nice town. I believe there is a Catholic home schooling group in Westchester, PM me if you want more details. Some of the public schools in Westchester are really nice though. Don't overlook them. Schools in towns like Scarsdale, Bronxville could give any private school a run for their money.