Academic Rigor vs. Having a Life

[Anonymous]

Are there any area privates that allow kids to have both? Can your DC really have a challenging curriculum and do multiple sports and have a social life outside school?

Children in this area, particularly in private, seem to be so over scheduled and stressed out.

[Anonymous]

I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

[Anonymous]

I really think it depends on your kid. My daughter played multiple sports at NCS. She had a great social life with kids from all over the DMV, obviously including STA.

She chose not to compete with the "smartest" kids at school. She has a 3.87 uw gpa and 35 ACT score first try.

I really think kids need to decide what is important to them and as a parent, be supportive of their choices.

[Anonymous]

The focus should be on how YOUR child can handle the rigor of whatever school you choose.

Every school has kids who have outside activities and social lives, no matter the reputation of the school's rigor (either because they aren't seeking perfect grades or they really are that quick and smart); and at that same school there will be kids who cannot pass the classes without foresaking all but academics, and some who do more than is necessary because they are wired that way.

What is your kid like? Where will they thrive?

[Anonymous]

Some schools have a strict sports requirement (NCS, Potomac, STA). Playing a sport every season in high school (I think some schools let you drop 2 - one season junior and senior year ) is a lot of time out of your day. I would consider schools without a strict multi-season sports requirement if you want more balance (GDS, Sidwell, Catholic schools). I think you can meet Sidwell’s more modest sports requirement with a PE class during the school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

[Anonymous]

I am hoping that Bullis is like this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am hoping that Bullis is like this

It sounds like it is (word of mouth). Holy Child, Burke, Landon, Field are the others that come to mind in the DMV as purposefully balancing rigor and " a life". It's funny to imagine all those kids hanging out in their free time, since they are such different schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

SR is very different in high school, when students have to make choices about taking honors and AP courses. It is very competitive for students who are looking for that. You could also take the less rigorous route and not take any AP courses, but that would hamper college admissions choices.

[Anonymous]

You can have a balanced life at GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

SR is very different in high school, when students have to make choices about taking honors and AP courses. It is very competitive for students who are looking for that. You could also take the less rigorous route and not take any AP courses, but that would hamper college admissions choices.

+1 my daughter studies all the time. I see kids from other private high schools who seem to not be as stressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

SR is very different in high school, when students have to make choices about taking honors and AP courses. It is very competitive for students who are looking for that. You could also take the less rigorous route and not take any AP courses, but that would hamper college admissions choices.

+1 my daughter studies all the time. I see kids from other private high schools who seem to not be as stressed.

A perfect example of trying to balance rigor and school spirit is when the girls at SR attend games with their laptops open. We saw this during a visit to the school and decided this was the place for my academically motivated daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

SR is very different in high school, when students have to make choices about taking honors and AP courses. It is very competitive for students who are looking for that. You could also take the less rigorous route and not take any AP courses, but that would hamper college admissions choices.

Can you explain what you mean by "it is very competitive for students who are looking for that"? ... like the girls are competing against each other, themselves? Or did you mean competitive in the sense of challenging?
Does the block schedule help? My child has been taking advantage of it in Middle School and I am hoping the time management carries over so if she does choose the rigorous route, she can get some work done at school and also "have a life" ...given that some of that life will be spent on studying and homework outside of school. Thanks for shedding more light!

[Anonymous]

I personally worry about girls schools being too academically focused because girls often have a tendency to be perfectionists. Girls already outnumber boys in college. I imagine any competitive girls school will have an academically intense environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that Stone Ridge is very supportive of their students having outside sports and activities. Our DD have never had an issue leaving school early or missing a day of school for a club sport competition, as long as we notified the school ahead of time. Teachers have always been supportive allowing the students to make up work or tests thay were missed on those days. SR has a “whole child” approach to their education: growing mind, body, and spirit.

I can second this ... Our child is in SR MS. We haven't done much missing school besides medical appointments, but the block schedule/workload has felt balanced and our child says school is "fun" (the school day itself). I like looking forward to where I spend my day, and I'm glad she does as well .

SR is very different in high school, when students have to make choices about taking honors and AP courses. It is very competitive for students who are looking for that. You could also take the less rigorous route and not take any AP courses, but that would hamper college admissions choices.

+1 my daughter studies all the time. I see kids from other private high schools who seem to not be as stressed.

A perfect example of trying to balance rigor and school spirit is when the girls at SR attend games with their laptops open. We saw this during a visit to the school and decided this was the place for my academically motivated daughter.

if a girl feels like she needs to open her laptop and get work done while she is at a game, that sounds awful to me. to each her own I guess.