St. Mary's School

With a background in education, it is discouraging to see when teachers and faculty are complacent with meeting the unique leadership that students need to facilitate their individual and educational growth. This year has provided many challenges for teachers and schools with the pandemic and necessary alterations, but this has also allowed the truly experienced and passionate ones to excel. It is becoming increasingly apparent throughout the school year that some staff members lack compassion, business acumen, and heartfelt assertations. There are some truly amazing educators in this school, but the manner in which leadership addresses parental concerns with the opportunity to unenroll at their location instead of assessing the validity of the constructive criticism for growth potential is disconcerting. There are always avenues for improvement, and hope to see that opposed to sustaining complacency.

Seemingly, we are having similar issues to others that have shared recently. Disappointing results coming from the pre-school program, and a lack of responsiveness. Among other, non-pandemic, issues that have arose this year apparently the school is allowing children in this program to play 'Siren Head' at recess. One look on the internet, and it is easily concluded to be completely inappropriate. It is understandable that these things may come from individual households, but a certain level of parental responsibility at a catholic affiliated school and teacher supervision is expected when in their care. This is not something that is justifiable, except in the absence of attentiveness to the children.

We joined St. Mary's in the kindergarten readiness program this year with full intentions of continuing enrollment for our child through at least 2nd grade, and possibly further. After the experience we have had this year with Ms. Compton, we are debating even finishing out the year. She has lacked any constructive communication, and is irresponsible or flighty when addressing any critiques or questions. The program was advertised as a progressive preschool option for kids in their 2nd year of prek or for young 5 year olds who would be more comfortable waiting another year for Kindergarten, yet there is no focus on prewriting or prereading skills which is being blamed on Covid19. Their focus has been on social development, so is basically another daycare; which would be a great addition to an actual educational basis, but is not. We had tried to express our concerns gingerly and direct, but have received negligence in response. Hoping that sharing our experience may change this, or at least help others when weighing their options.

We continue to be disappointed in the level of communication we receive from our current teacher, and this institution... St. Mary’s is a tuition based, family funded school with financial contributions from prestigious Owatonna (and surrounding area) businesses and individual private backers. With consideration to this school being a private education facility that is supported through the families that elect this option, and the funding that is obtained, it is widely assumed that this would correlate to a higher level of concern for the students; alarmingly, this has not been our experience. Specifically, in scenarios relating to younger children and their chaperone responsibilities; inclusive of dis-satisfactory hygienic issues. My spouse, and myself, have expressed an array of diverse areas of concern to various levels of leadership that have often equated to little to no recognition of indiscretions on their behalf, no attempts to discuss resolution, often condescending remarks, or quite verbatim an Oops response. While sharing our disheartenment and discontent with other parents, we've found this to be a commonly occurring issue. Regardless of religion, the choice to attend a private school that usually yields smaller class sizes for the attendees should be an option for any parent. Unfortunately, having to sacrifice appropriate divulgence of information in relation to your child’s well-being and their scholarly advancements to obtain that seems highly contradictory. If there were other viable private elementary options in the area, the consensus seems to be that it would be well received.

Went to see a grand child's play. Lots of fun!