St Viator Elementary School

Good school for grades pre-k through 3rd, after that not so much. Lots of programs are attempted to improve school performance that start strong and fizzle out. Bullying is a huge problem. The principle does not keep up with her job, all talk and no action. Many parents are frustrated with her approach to problems with students including bullying, IEPs, and fights between students. One mother told me she was not called or emailed when her 2nd grade daughter was punched in the face by another classmate. I've had my son come home with bruises and no explanation. His glasses were broken and I was not called or emailed. These are small examples with this school. School events consist of great family events which would be great if parents didn't use it as their drinking opportunity in the alley with coolers of beer and liquor. Parents too busy drinking to watch their children as they run a muck.

I'm a resident of Old Irving and absolutely love our historic neighborhood! When my girls approached school age, I started looking into potential schools nearby. Unfortunately CPS provided nothing but headaches- between their crazy lotteries, distance challenged schools and larger class sizes. So I had to think outside the box. That's how I ended up sending my non-Catholic girls to St. Viator and couldn't be happier. :)

St. Viator puts an emphasis on academics, community and smaller class sizes. They even increased the school day to include more math into the curriculum. Teachers leverage online programs like Super Kids (reading), Rosetta Stone (language) and Go Math. I admire how teachers are actively involved and use creative techniques to engage and inspire their students. Peace Builders are also core to their education and I can see a difference in how my girls treat people kindly and with respect.

As a working parent, we take full advantage of the after school care and wonderful enrichment programs. So far they've taken chess, hip hop, drama and building robots. Our evenings consist of doing homework, peppered with fun activities such as brownies or bitty basketball.

But in the end, what really matters is that they are happy, challenged and surrounded by people who love and support them at school. Which is why I'm so glad we found such a wonderful neighborhood school that my girls are thriving at.