Lafayette Academy, Lake St Louis MO

We love CAL! We did a deep dive on private schools in the area when we moved back here from Texas in 2020 and I was deeply disappointed by the outcome of that review. We had many wonderful options in Texas but the Saint Louis region had a very limited offering for a quality education with a price tag. The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum was a huge draw for me when I vetted CAL as an option. If you are not familiar with it I highly recommend looking it up! My 2nd grader is reading at almost a 5th grade level and both of my students are exceling in Math. In fact, my daughter struggled at the beginning of the year with Math and her teacher went above and beyond to get her back on track and she has had tremendous growth in that area. In addition to the phenomenal curriculum is the emphasis on character. The children are encouraged to be the best version of themselves and to rise to the challenges presented to them not only at school but in all areas of their lives. My children feel welcome and loved at this school. The teachers are wonderful and the curriculum is EXCELLENT! We would highly recommend the school and we plan on sending all 5 of our children there.

We are in our second year at CAL and we still reflect on our gratitude to have found such an outstanding school.

It has been our experience that the staff and teachers genuinely care about the students, their education and their future. There is an atmosphere of unity with staff, students and family.

It has been my observation that the children are inclusive of each other and there is a camaraderie that spans throughout the grade levels.

The core virtues of fortitude, justice, prudence and temperance are fostered in the children on a daily basis. Children are learning what this looks like in real life to uphold these values and why it is important. I believe this is what creates not only an exceptional school environment but exceptional human beings.

Their approach to teaching and education is superior. We love the way that they incorporate the learning topics in all areas (art, math, science, history, literature). This creates a rich immersion experience that makes the students passionate about what they are learning. For example, when my daughter's class was studying Ancient China the students all dressed up and gave presentations about the character they represented. They sampled food. They were exposed to calligraphy, how to write and sound out a few Chinese characters. They learned poems, read books and sung songs relating to this topic.

We did have an issue at the beginning of this school year where my daughter was having a hard time with the transition of grade levels. When we voiced these concerns, they were taken seriously. Staff initiated an in person meeting. Before the meeting they took time to observe my daughter over the course of the week and came to the meeting with a few solutions. Since implementing those solutions at school, she has been able to continue excelling, she loves learning and enjoys attending school.

I honestly could go on and on about all the experiences we have had that have impressed us but I’ll keep this short…. We highly recommend this school!

Remarkable school with outstanding teachers who go above and beyond to teach these students. The care and dedication to welcome these children into learning and teaching with a purpose is amazing. The community and attention to bringing everyone together as a family is above and beyond! Thank you!