Choosing GDS or Sidwell

[Anonymous]

Slight modification to 14:52, Sidwell is PK-4 in Bethesda, and then the Middle School (separate building on the Wisconsin Avenue Campsu) is 5-8, and Upper School is 9-12.

[Anonymous]

How/does the separate building matter? Aren't most facilities (gym, library, fields, art studios) other than classrooms shared? Or are the MS and HS kids really kept apart on the Wisconsin Ave campus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From a purely lower school perspective, I'd look at how much science and foreign language each school has to offer. I think that the math and humanities curricula are pretty similar in both schools.

You might also want to think about whether you want your (future) MS kid with the HS kids or with the LS kids. Sidwell as PreK-4 on one campus, 5-12 on another. GDS has PreK-8, then 9-12. We had a strong preference for the latter arrangement -- keeps the stress level down during MS (and puts MS'ers in an environment where little kids look up to them and where teachers have known them since they were little kids).

This is 23:41 again. Remember I am neutral but have friends with kids at both schools and a lot of my good friends growing up went to Sidwell (but someone accused me of being a Sidwell basher above - whatever). Not sure that I follow your point the strengths/weaknesses about whether the MS shares a campus with the LS (GDS) or MS (SFS) . While I'm not familiar of how GDS's MS interacts with their lower school - but from your post, it sounds like there is strong interaction between the MS and LS and opportunities for leadership which is great. So I could see how that is a plus. However, Sidwell MS is fairly autonomous (except for sharing playing fields) and the kids have their own identity. I don't think kids in the MS would be stressed out at all or intimidated by having US students in a nearby building - I would not consider this a negative. Honestly, my friends growing up were thrilled when they were old enough for the Wisc. avenue campus. They also get to share the great sports facilities of the US and this probably is helpful in the long term in terms of team sports. Bottomline, I would not consider the campus issue a detractor for Sidwell in fact I think there are some pluses.

Which brings me to another point, isn't there an issue with parking nearby at GDS LS and that parents now can't walk in to drop off/pick up their kids. Do Sidwell parents get to walki in & drop off & pick up their kids? And if so, is this a regular practice so that families really get to know one another? Maybe a Sidwell family can answer this.

[Anonymous]

Who made you the queen bee for this forum?

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP you quoted. I explained why we liked the L/MS configuration vs. M/HS configuration but I can certainly imagine that someone else might have a different preference. I think both HS's are pressure cookers and so I'm happy to delay my MS'ers entry into that kind of environment. And I think MS can be a rough time for kids, so I wanted an environment where long-term relationships with trusted adults were already in place.

FWIW, I think that the GDS LS kids get better facilities (arts and athletics) by virtue of sharing a campus with the MS than they would in a stand-alone LS campus. But, of course, that's just the flip side of the MS'ers get better facilities by virtue of sharing space w/a HS at Sidwell argument. If there are specific facilities OP cares about, it's easy (at the offers in hand, trying to decide stage) to do a direct comparison across schools at particular grades.

At any rate, I'm not pushing one school over another -- just pointing out some of the differences between them. Which should matter -- and how -- is up to the OP.

[Anonymous]

How are the schools socially in terms of the parents making friends. I think that either school would be great for dc. I'm wondering how the friendships/community would be for us. We are outgoing and friendly.

[Anonymous]

Paranoid much?

Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools and you *could* go wrong. You could end up with an anorexic daughter at Sidwell or a druggie son at GDS. It really depends on fit. Sidwell seems much more structured and to have a culture that pushes kids more. GDS is more open-ended and the kids who get the most out of it are probably kids who are self-motivated and passionate.

A kid who drifts unless someone keeps him/her on track but who performs well under pressure or in response to competition is probably better off at Sidwell. A kid who resists authority and who cares very deeply about some things and can't be bothered with others is probably better off at GDS.

Between these extremes are many more smart and ambitious kids who would do well in either environment.

So I agree with the "go with your gut" approach but look at the high schools (and middle schools) and think about your kid's personality and where s/he will fit in. That said, it's hard to tell this early, not much is at stake in the choice between these two LSs and if you decide you made the wrong choice, odds are you can switch at MS or HS.