Testimonials

 

From Students:

Here’s what some former eighth grade students said they have gained from being at St. Stephen’s School…

“A better education”

“Increased Catholic knowledge”

“Feeling of security”

“Life long friendships”

“Confidence”

“Enjoyed smaller class sizes”

“Moral values”

“Weekly Mass”

“Self esteem”

“Developed a strong relationship with God”

 “Organizational Skills”

From Parents:

Here’s what some former parents said about their child’s education at St. Stephen’s School…

Social

“I was very concerned about the transition into high school and about our kids getting lost at Champlin Park after being at St. Stephens. Whenever we went to school conferences I would mention this to the teachers. The teachers said, ‘We find just the opposite. We find those kids are disciplined and organized and focused and so when they get into high school they aren’t lost at all, they really know what they are about. They know what they are doing, they just get in there and do it.”

 

Socially, high school was great for them. They made a lot of friends in high school, but they still kept their friends from St. Stephen’s. The high schools around here are so big, everyone is bound to find friends with whom they can connect.”

 

— Gary S’s sons are 1995 and 1997 graduates of St. Stephen School.

Academics

“All our kids left St. Stephens and graduated with highest honors.  All the years of having assignment notebooks and homework taught them how to stay on task and get their work done.

 

Every time we would go to parent teacher conferences the teachers would say to us, ‘Your kids went to St. Stephen’s, didn’t they?’ I think because they had responsibility put on them during their years at St. Stephen’s School... the teachers here had expectations and the kids learned to meet those expectations, when they got to high school it was easy for them to step up and do the work.

 

— Jan K’s kids are 1991, 1993 and 1997 graduates of St. Stephen’s School.

 

 

“My son can see now that the education at St. Stephens was very good, especially math. He also appreciates the friendships he made. As a parent, I feel that he is ahead of the game in high school as far as discipline, academics and study habits are concerned. He would never dream of being disrespectful to a teacher.

 

Yes, they do have to work harder at making friends but I also think his time at a Catholic school has made him very discerning about the friends he chooses and therefore I have very little concern about him falling into the wrong crowd. I think attending St. Stephen’s better prepared him for public high school than if he had attended public middle school.”

 

— Lisa W’s son is a 2005 graduate of St. Stephen School.

 

Well Prepared

“We have heard from High School teachers that they could always pick out kids from St. Stephen’s because they excelled. Our boys did great, it was easy for them to get into honors classes. From everyone we talked to, we heard that high school was easier for St. Stephen kids because they were so well prepared.”

 

— Peggy J’s kids are 1995 and 1997 and 2006 graduates of St. Stephen’s School.

 

Peer Pressure

“The one thing I think helped, is that kids don’t get lost in the shuffle at a young age while at St. Stephen’s School. By the time that you leave St. Stephen’s School you are older and ready to face the greater world. While they are here [in middle school], they know drugs and alcohol are out there, but there is just not as much pressure to do those things. By the time they go to high school they are better prepared to handle those pressures.”

— Peggy J’s son’s are 2000 & 2002 & 2006  graduates of St. Stephen School.

 

The Teachers

“Our children really feel connected to the teachers.  It is nice how our children build these relationships and feel comfortable talking to the teachers even after they have left.

 

The teaching of the Catholic faith through formation, prayer, and attending school mass, helped instill in our children faith and values.  Our girls have learned how important it is to help others and volunteer.  The classroom sizes being smaller, the responsibility of turning in assignments, study habits, friendships, and participating in sports activities.  They are very organized and having the daily planner to stay on task regarding due dates for assignments and tests is a wonderful tool.  Each daughter has grown to become their own individual and has a good self esteem.  Neither daughter feels they have to do something they don’t agree with, in order to fit in.”

 

— Sue W’s daughters are 2003 & 2006 graduates of St. Stephen’s School.

 

 

Community

“At St. Stephens, my kids developed a sense of community and of acceptance, and that really carried them through all their years in the public schools. Many parents worry that their kids will be too sheltered at St. Stephens during the middle school years, but I’d love to explain the other side.

 

During those three years of middle school at St. Stephens, kids gain tools that help them deal with the “real world” in much better ways. They have tools to deal with those issues morally, socially, and emotionally that the other kids just don’t have.

They gained a huge amount of developmental tools to make better decisions, and why wouldn’t you want to give that to your kids?

 

When they left St. Stephens, my kids had a whole different set of tools to overcome peer pressure than their public school counterparts. They could step back and take a broader view and make decisions based on moral reasons.

I’ll take that any day.”

 

— Dan J’s sons graduated from St. Stephen’s School in 1998 & 2002.