Why Choose GSCM

Spend time with GSCM families and sooner or later you’ll hear someone ask, “So how did you choose the school?”  We’ve decided to share some of these stories so that you can find out what parents — just like you — asked themselves as they searched for the right school for their family.

“She tells me she is upset she does not get to go to school on Saturday and Sunday!”

We are thrilled with our experience at Good Shepherd.  My kindergarten daughter (D) and preschool son (J) adore you and talk a lot about their school day at home.  I can see their desire to learn evolving already!   At home, J. will work diligently on writing his letters, all on his own, washes his hands without being told and is starting to be so much more independent.  D. is determined to read and is practicing more than ever.  I often find her “reading” to J.  Again…all without prompting from me.   She is also interested in cursive writing and will want me to practice letters with her at home.  I did not notice any of this last year when she attended a traditional preschool.

I was anxious about D’s transition, especially since she had never been in a Montessori classroom before.  Now she tells me she is upset she does not get to go to school on Saturday and Sunday!    (She also asked, “Mom, can I please, please, please go to this school next year?”)   It is so exciting because what I want more than ever is for my children to develop a life-long love of learning and I can tell they are headed down this path from their experiences in your classroom.  And again, it thrills us more than ever to see J. come home dirty from his outdoor work and have D. tell me she got to go in the creek today!   Thank you for all you do.

“I cannot say enough about GSCM”

Going into Lower Elementary my children were able to continue with their love of learning as they progressed in their education. Sitting at a desk listening quietly was replaced with hands on interaction propelling their desire to seek further and discover even more than the materials they were presented.  My daughter loved first grade right away and continues to feel this way during second grade. I am amazed at what she has learned in the last year and a half! Because the teachers make the learning fun the children want to learn more and are given the flexibility to do so. If they fall behind in a subject they are given the time to learn it – at the same token if they are ahead of their level they are given the option to move forward. I also feel that the classroom teaches the children to be responsible for their own learning. When my child started the first grade we were really nervous about the fact she would make speeches in front of the class – I thought that maybe first grade was too young. I was wrong about this. Although it was frightening at first, my daughter has grown more confident in this area. Many children don’t start public speaking until later on – I am very impressed with all the children. I cannot say enough about GSCM – the individualized attention and the comfortable, caring atmosphere has enabled my child to not be afraid to learn. I can’t think of anywhere else that I would rather send her.

 “GSCM is one of the few schools around that is doing 4th-6th grade right!”

My daughter entered GSCM at 6th grade from an excellent-rated CPS magnet elementary school where she had been since Kindergarten.  She was in a Montessori environment from infancy through preschool.  After she and I spent a morning shadowing in the 9-12 environment, we knew that GSCM was where she belong.  She wanted to stay for the entire day and she didn’t want to go back to her old school to finish out the school year.

She has been so happy at GSCM.  She has grown in self-confidence and she feels she is learning more in the self paced, experiential, interdisciplinary learning environment.  She has also enjoyed having church, atrium, and service outings integrated into her curriculum.  I really feel like GSCM is one of the few schools around that is doing 4th-6th grade right!

“The teachers care about them and help them to succeed by setting them up for success, not failure.“

After shadowing the first high school, the first thing my two 8th graders said is that they do not want to leave GSCM.  They love it here.  They feel challenged and safe and loved.  They feel like the teachers care about them and help them to succeed by setting them up for success, not failure.

They got into and received academic scholarships at every school where they applied. Many 8th graders choose to go to a school where their friends are going or where there are good sports teams.  My children want to go to a school where the teachers will care about them and care about whether or not they succeed.  They are looking for an extension of GSCM.

At GSCM the staff truly cares about each student.  They treat them with kindness and respect and teach them natural consequences.  In turn, the students respect the teachers.

Obviously for us, money is a big consideration.  When we talked about some of the schools and how we would pay for them, one of the things that came up was taking their younger siblings out of GSCM and using that money towards high school.  My children flat out said “no” to that.  They don’t want their siblings to miss out on what they had experienced.  It is more important to them that their siblings get to go to GSCM then for them to go to one of these private schools.  That speaks volumes for the love and respect they have for GSCM.