Any recent feedback on Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School?
SJND is one of the high schools my 8th grader is considering. He likes the small size and what felt like a friendly community on his tour. He is a nerdy, academic kid and is looking for an academically challenging school. (The only other private school he is applying to is College Prep.) SJND seems to suggest that it can provide real academic rigor. We are wondering if any current parents can speak to that. What is your child's experience with teachers? Have the classes been engaging and challenging? Is the math curriculum strong? Will it be more challenging than the classes available in Oakland or Alameda public high schools? (The two options available due to divorced parents.) We've also heard some rumors that athletes get preferential treatment and are able to get away with stuff that other students cannot. Any truth behind that? Thank you for your feedback. -An overwhelmed mom
Parent Replies
I am not a current parent, but I did have a daughter graduate from SJND, and another daughter that graduated from CPS. I also work in a public high school in San Francisco. Each school was a good fit for the daughter that attended. I found SJND to have "real academic rigor" in the sense that expectations were high, support was high, curriculum was challenging and engaging, and students in her classes were engaged in learning. My daughter from SJND is currently in a graduate program out of state, and for undergraduate school she was accepted into 8 out of 9 "selective liberal arts colleges" and received generous scholarships for school. Both daughters felt very prepared for college. The daughter who attended CPS did struggle with the intensely competitive academic environment, and it has taken her several years to stop describing herself as an "average" student. She does say she is very thankful to have had that education. She also graduated from college and is pursuing a career she loves. The one thing I would say about CPS is that they do not "encourage" students to apply to the UC system, the UC schools are seen more as "safety schools". There is quite a push for the schools back east. But, that was our experience several years ago.
Good luck, such an exciting time! Enjoy!!