Seven years ago when our first born arrived choosing a school was the last thing on our mind. Six years later we made a decision to send him to Nativity and could not be happier with our choice. While parishioners, my husband is not Catholic nor had he experienced Catholic education. Nativity has welcomed our family and made us an important part of our son's educational experience.

We looked at many options before choosing Nativity because frankly this decision has an enormous impact on our childrens' educational experiences now and in the future. Nativity's reputation for academic excellence was a key factor in our choice but not the only consideration. Education involves more than reading, writing and arithmetic. We wanted our son to have a well-rounded experience with children from many avenues of life, an opportunity to experience art, music and spiritual growth as well as a chance to work with students around the globe through the exciting International program.

One of the keys to Nativity's success not withstanding the enormous dedication of Principal Herring and his staff is the huge involvement of the parents. Many opportunities exist for parents who are able and want to volunteer. I've found volunteering to be a wonderful chance to meet my sons friends, other parents, students and teachers.

The best thing for any parent is knowing your child is in the right place. Our Jake is definitely happy and enthusiastic about learning. He summed it up after the first week of school by letting me know in the courtyard that "first grade is just awesome, Mom". Best of luck as you make this decision for your child.

Sarah and Jason Hilton
1st Grade Parents

"Our Backs Are Covered"

At some point along the way after your first child was born (maybe even before), a serious discussion began about where your child should attend school. If you live in Pleasant Ridge or a nearby neighborhood, no doubt you've heard about Nativity in some way. If you're like us, you bought a house in Pleasant Ridge before deciding on a school (our oldest was 15 months old at the time.) For us, the choice was either Nativity or move to another neighborhood for their public schools. Since we loved our house and our neighborhood, we decided to give Nativity a look.

Overwhelmingly impressed with expectations met and surpassed every year: these words are how I would describe our experience at Nativity as we begin our 7th year at this incredible place. With Bachelor's degrees from University of Notre Dame and Xavier University and a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati between my husband and me, we are probably considered "academic snobs." On that point, Nativity exceeds in every grade that we have experienced so far(our oldest entered 6th grade this fall.) In addition, I have seen the junior high curricula revamped and added to numerous times over the last several years to become very competitive with the 7th and 8th grade education at Walnut Hills.

In addition, we have found the parent community at Nativity to be dedicated, hard-working, committed people who, like us, wish for their kids to receive a strong education in a nurturing, supportive environment. We've made some fabulous friends within the parent community, thanks largely to the reasonable size of the school--not too big so it's easy to meet most everyone, but not too small to warrent concerns about Nativity's sustainability. From car-pools, to uniform swapping, from child care assistance, to fun weekend socializing, from new babies to personal struggles and losses, these people have shared some of the most amazing life experiences with each other. I truly feel this community of people has our "backs covered."

This education decision is a very important one, so take your time and look around at the numerous wonderful options for education that exist in our great city. There's every type of school possible so that's a lot of information to absorb and process. But, if you're looking for a school with strong academics (recognized on the national level), a myriad of sports teams and other extracurriculars, an incredible faculty full of dedicated teachers who love what they do (and choose to do it despite the lack of monetary reward!), a principal who has unparalleled experience and talent (also recognized on the national level), a community of parents that are active participants in all areas of this education process, then I encourage you to strongly consider Nativity. If you're like us, you'll end up head-over-heels thrilled with your decision and a child who, at the end of 1st grade, tells you "No matter what happens, Mom, don't ever take me out of Nativity!"

Scott and Susan Stegman
September 2006

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A Total Package

Our 4th grader has attended Nativity since kindergarten. We have been very pleased with the entire program and have enjoyed the opportunities to volunteer and partner with the school in our son's education. As an occupational therapist myself, I have been particularly impressed at the teachers' ability to tailor the learning methods to meet individual students' needs, capitalizing on strengths and developing areas needing improvement. Also noteworthy is the entire staff's dynamic response to issues and concerns as they arise.

Additionally we appreciate the variety of extracurricular activities beyond sports such as the international focus, variety show, literary & chess club to name a few. As a family, we thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Nativity Players "Camelot" which provided us an opportunity for fun and fellowship as well as gave us great family memories. I personally feel lucky to be affiliated with a community where so many people devote their talent, time and energy to my child's welfare.

Tracey Applebee
September 2006

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