St. Mary's Academy

Ms. Mac is the most empowering woman we have ever met. She encourages us every day to fight for what we want out of life and helps us figure out exactly what we need to do to achieve our goals. She meets with every single student individually each semester to go over our class schedules and make sure that they are exactly suited to our needs. She cares deeply about all of the students at St. Mary's and gets to know us so that she can help us through the difficult high school process and in getting into colleges that are right for us as individuals. She understands that every girl is unique and gives her 100% effort every day to help us make goals based on who we are as people and to strive for those goals. Ms. Mac knows us well, there is no doubt, but there is also no doubt that this is an impressive and amazingly helpful fact. She has devoted her life to making St. Mary's girls special. The standards set for us are high and we are guided in reaching for them throughout our time at the school and after. Not only when we are at school, but also when we are in other situations, we strive to uphold the character of a ""St. Mary's girl"" because that standard is the model that many of us dream to be able to reach one day. Ms. Mac is a perfect demonstration of what it is to uphold the Loretto values of faith, community, justice, and respect as an adult, and she is a true ""St. Mary's girl"". She is our role model and we respect her immensely. \r \r -Current St. Mary's juniors Afton Montgomery and Holly Pretsky more

You have lain three offenses against Ms. Mac: first, that she is gay; second, that she invades the privacy of her students; and third, that she bullied/verbally abused your ""pretty, popular"" daughter. Whether Ms. Mac is gay or not is irrelevant. A person's sexual orientation does not have any effect on how they run a school. If, Nancy, your primary concern about your child's education is the sexual orientation of her educators, I suggest you rearrange your priorities. As to invading the privacy of her students, I have attended SMA for quite a long time and not once have I heard about Ms. Mac hacking in to her students' social networking accounts. I'm a little confused about what there would be to gain from doing that anyway. Ms. Mac is not a nosey, smothering principle. On the contrary, she is the one encouraging our teachers and parents to allow us to make our own decisions. On more than one occasion, my mom has mentioned the assurance with which Ms. Mac makes sure the students at St. Mary's high school control their own lives. Finally, I have never heard of Ms. Mac singling out certain students and ""bullying"" them. Ms. Mac is nothing but encouraging and empowering. more

I'm guessing the other reviews are about the High School, as they seem to all address Ms. Mac... (Kathryn McNamee) As a parent of a student who has been in the Lower School and is now on her 3rd year there, I have nothing but glowing reviews to give the school. Mary Jane Frederick (Head of the LS) is beyond incredible and takes the time to get to know all of the students and parents. She and the faculty & staff of the Lower School are the sort of caring, supportive, incredible leaders that I wish I had had for my own grade school experience. Deirdre Cryor is a great Academy President and cares deeply about everything that happens at the school. The academics are amazing. Social issues are addressed rapidly and successfully. The community of parents is incredible. We'd sacrifice a lot to keep our child at St. Mary's Academy. more

Ms. Mac MUST be the daughter of Katie McNamee, who was a teacher in the Middle School when I attended. If she is anything like her Mom, she is kind, fair and NO NONSENSE. I can't believe these two Moms are complaining about her. Anyone who remembers Sister Dominica knows they have nothing to complain about. What is this gay nonsense? 1. Who Cares? and 2. Why is that your business? I hate homophobia. For goodness sake, you shouldn't have your kids in a Catholic school if you don't like gay people! Some of these legacy students think they own the school and it sounds like maybe Ms Mac is not giving preferential treatment. Good for her. I could name the last names of the pious cliques who's entire female families have gone to St. Mary's... LOL indeed I am sure any graduate of SMA could. The bottom line is that SMA provides a top-notch education and if you can live with the prep school snotty girls, you will find within the rest of the student body friendships that will last a lifetime. Case in point - the girls' week, three of us meet for, once a year to hang out, reminisce and just be SMA girls again! MG - Class of '82 Pros: All girl learning environment Cons: Rich girls can get cliquey more

I don't know what you are talking about. SMA is a fabulous school and, as a present student myself, i wouldn't want to attend anywhere else. Ms. Mac is one of the nicest people i know, and i do not think she is gay. Even if she is, she does not flaunt it. I think your daughters were probably mad about something and chose Ms. Mac as their scapegoat. I have been so pleased with my experience and am proud to call myself a Wildcat! I have been so impressed with Ms. Mac- she has such a love for the school and gives 110% every day. Don't hate, appreciate! Pros: great school Cons: people like you who complain about it more

I am so pleased to have read the previous review! Let me tell you it does no justice to how horrible Ms Mac is to certain girls. I, as a parent, was sick of listening to my daughter's horror stories about Ms Mac and I always brushed them aside but now I believe her and I am FURIOUS to have paid for my daughter to be mistreated. And I had no idea she was gay... that makes my stomach turn... I would have pulled her out of that school immediatley! Thank god most of those girls wear loose fitting clothing. All in all I give the same advice as the last parent to anyone considering sending their daughter here...RECONSIDER. Pros: Beautiful Campus Cons: Ms Mac more

'Ms Mac' has been the worst principal that school has seen, and as an alumni, and a parent of a duaghter who attends Saint Mary's, I am sickened by the actions this lady has taken to 'better' her school. In short, if your daughter attends this school, and if she is confident, pretty and popular, then she will be targeted. She will have no privacy (her myspace and facebook as well as her personal life will be looked into, knowingly or not by Ms Mac) and she will constantly be bulied by this woman. Sorry to write such a horrible headline but it is all true. She is biased with the gay students, she is angry, and she is verbally abusive. Keep your girls away from her. Academics are great here, but you can send them to Kent (my younger daughter attends there and LOVES it) or Regis. Please, I do not want them to go through what my daughter and many others have gone through! Pros: Academics are AWESOME Cons: Gay principal at an all girls school more