Compare GDS to the Lowell School

[Anonymous]

Hello,

How does the Lowell School compare to the Georgetown Day School? I would like to apply to both schools for my son next year. I have heard that the Lowell School's program wasn't as rigorous. I really need to know how the teacher is able to offer instuction based on each childs individual needs( progressive education). How does she lecture /offer instruction to the group as a whole?


Curious

[Anonymous]

Re rigor, we have friends that left Lowell for GDS over that issue, especially wrt math (although I think I read that Lowell has improved its math curriculum since then -- this was about 5 years ago).

RE individual instruction. Probably an exaggeration -- what you really have (at least at GDS -- I don't know about Lowell) is small group work in a context where selective admissions has already narrowed the range of abilities substantially. Class sizes are small and you generally have two teachers per classroom in PreK-2nd, sometimes more (e.g. a reading or math specialist assisting the two).

There's really very little lecturing before about 5th grade. In the latter part of elementary school, it's actually not that hard to differentiate instruction in humanities -- open-ended assignments in an environment where there's narrative evaluation rather than grading means that the teacher responds to what the student produced (and what students produce can vary widely) and does so in a way that helps the student take their work to the next level. Some teachers are better at this than others, but most are pretty good IME.

There isn't as much differentiation in math instruction as many parents would like. But there's some enrichment in class and even more (both for kids who need help and for kids who want more challenge) after school.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response. I am really trying to decide if it's worth while to send my child to Lowell. I was waitlisted at GDS. If I send my child to Lowell, will I regret it?. Do most parents transfer their children out after finding a more challenging program?. I just want to make the right decision for my child in the beginning. I want him to learn alot in a stimulating environment. I am so confused.

Please help

[Anonymous]

OP, what are your alternatives to Lowell? Is there anything wrong with your local school? Try not to overthink this; even a school is not the right fit for your child, you can always move the next year. It's not a life or death decision.

[Anonymous]

I wish that I could speak to an actual Lowell School parent. I have heard many mixed reviews. My child will be entering the fourth grade, so I feel that it's getting late. I want to consider a private school option, but the choices are so overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

I just completed Lowell 4th grade last year, so maybe I can help. (I also have a younger sibling entering Lowell 3rd grade this year). I agree with what the previous poster said about math that it used to be more of an issue, but in recent years they have changed the way they do math and that seems to have alleviated the problems. Although the style of teaching is different from more traditional schools, I fully believe that the program at Lowell is rigorous, as evidenced by the many kids I know who have moved seamlessly from Lowell to later schools that are viewed here as being the more rigorous ones with no problems.

On the specific issues you raise, no most kids do not transfer out to "more challenging" programs and I think your child will love the learning environment at Lowell. I do see a lot of both individualized instruction and small group work at Lowell. As the earlier poster pointed out, there is very little lecture time and lots of the teaching is geared toward pushing a child past where he or she is currently performing. So for example on writing assignments, the teacher will focus on mechanics for a child who is still working on those issues, whereas for children who have already mastered those issues, the focus may be on improving word choices to make writing more convincing or on smoother transitions, etc. The fourth grade teachers are good on this.

Last year in fourth grade, they focused in math on making sure that all the kids had nailed down their basics of calculations, such as multiplication and division and could quickly do them. For the kids who were underchallenged by the regular curriculum there is additional work both in small groups and with more advanced workbooks such as pre-algebra work. If you have any other questions, feel free to post again.

[Anonymous]

As a former Lowell parent I think you will be happy there if you give yourself completely over to their way of doing things. If you question the "Lowell Way" or are at all questioning of their philosophy you will be unhappy. That said...their 6th grade class last year had very impressive placements IMHO. Beware the carpool line, however, it is HEINOUS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just completed Lowell 4th grade last year, so maybe I can help. (I also have a younger sibling entering Lowell 3rd grade this year). I agree with what the previous poster said about math that it used to be more of an issue, but in recent years they have changed the way they do math and that seems to have alleviated the problems. Although the style of teaching is different from more traditional schools, I fully believe that the program at Lowell is rigorous, as evidenced by the many kids I know who have moved seamlessly from Lowell to later schools that are viewed here as being the more rigorous ones with no problems.

On the specific issues you raise, no most kids do not transfer out to "more challenging" programs and I think your child will love the learning environment at Lowell. I do see a lot of both individualized instruction and small group work at Lowell. As the earlier poster pointed out, there is very little lecture time and lots of the teaching is geared toward pushing a child past where he or she is currently performing. So for example on writing assignments, the teacher will focus on mechanics for a child who is still working on those issues, whereas for children who have already mastered those issues, the focus may be on improving word choices to make writing more convincing or on smoother transitions, etc. The fourth grade teachers are good on this.

Last year in fourth grade, they focused in math on making sure that all the kids had nailed down their basics of calculations, such as multiplication and division and could quickly do them. For the kids who were underchallenged by the regular curriculum there is additional work both in small groups and with more advanced workbooks such as pre-algebra work. If you have any other questions, feel free to post again.

For real? This is a fifth grader on a DCUM blog?

OP - you said you were WL at GDS. Many posts on separate threads strongly suggest that GDS uses the WL as a soft rejection.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Oops, when I read what I wrote I realized it sounded like I was writing as the 5th grader when I meant to say my DD completed 4th grade there last year. Sorry to be unclear in writing too quick and not really reading what I wrote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former Lowell parent I think you will be happy there if you give yourself completely over to their way of doing things. If you question the "Lowell Way" or are at all questioning of their philosophy you will be unhappy. That said...their 6th grade class last year had very impressive placements IMHO. Beware the carpool line, however, it is HEINOUS!

Agreed on the carpool line, but with regard to questioning "the Lowell Way" and philosophy, I believe that this poster is referring to the fact that the previous head was quite rigid about these facets of Lowell. The new head (now in her 3rd year so not so new) is very welcoming of feedback and has been responsive to parents who felt some changes were needed.

[Anonymous]

I toured Lowell and spoke with many parents who were tour guides (at a Sunday open house). Have you done that? If you have follow-up questions, you could likely ask a tour guide parent if they would mind a follow-up phone call.

One parent in particular was quite willing to share her story, one of her kids at Lowell, another with a different set of learning needs at a different school. That conversation revealed a lot to me from an actual parent.

[Anonymous]

Could you please reveal your conversation details? It would be quite helpful in my decision making process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish that I could speak to an actual Lowell School parent. I have heard many mixed reviews. My child will be entering the fourth grade, so I feel that it's getting late. I want to consider a private school option, but the choices are so overwhelming.

Call the admission office and ask if there are one or two current parents you can speak with. Ask them what they make of the mixed reviews you've heard. Yeah, I know they'll only hook you up with people who like the school, but at least they will be REAL parents. Call me crazy, but I think that might be better than repeated responses from anonymous posters! 8^)

[Anonymous]

I want to consider a private school option, but the choices are so overwhelming.

The choices aren't that overwhelming when you consider that many applicants only get into one or two schools to which they've applied -- if that. Are you considering applying only to GDS and Lowell? We only applied to two for fourth grade and DC was waitlisted at one and rejected by the other.

[Anonymous]

22:29 reply, The parent I spoke with had K or 1st grader, who she felt needed a smaller class size, and more attention. As I recall, Lowell K had 12 kids and 2 teachers, but this was one tour years ago. This parent's other child was about to start K in MCPS because she felt her youngest could handle a larger class. I also think the younger might have been admitted to an immersion school via lottery. . ... . .

Overall, my experience has been, look at the school, imagine your child their, see if it fits. I looked at one school and left thinking my child would not like it, but then considered it for my youngest, and the same school would be a fit.

FWIW, I've always ended up in public school options.