Inquiries about Washington Episcopal School ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child goes to WES and loves it. No complaints here.

+1

[Anonymous]

Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

PP, would you please provide one or two specific examples of this? Type of event/activity/sport, students' grades, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

This is so off the mark I think it has to be intended to stir things up. How would you even try to coordinate some perception of being laid back? What competition can you possibly be in with other parents? The school draws from so wide an area it's not like it has some theme running through the parents - they're from all over. Great, warm, engaging and friendly has been our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

PP, would you please provide one or two specific examples of this? Type of event/activity/sport, students' grades, etc.

Sure. There's one mother who seems very competitive to me about money. She's always talking about which expensive restaurant she went to over the weekend, sometimes in NYC, or money that she's spending on her house. And it's not just that she's sharing this informatiom, but also the way in which she says it. She used to show up to soccer practice all decked out. I try not to engage her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

PP, would you please provide one or two specific examples of this? Type of event/activity/sport, students' grades, etc.

Another example was the Back to School Night for kindergarten. One mom stood and expressed that her child must be able to read well before the end of kindergarten, and asked the two teachers how they intend to ensure that it happens. I really hate that sort of atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

PP, would you please provide one or two specific examples of this? Type of event/activity/sport, students' grades, etc.

Another example was the Back to School Night for kindergarten. One mom stood and expressed that her child must be able to read well before the end of kindergarten, and asked the two teachers how they intend to ensure that it happens. I really hate that sort of atmosphere.

Ah, the mother focused on early achievement who wants her child to read at age 6. The only way that having one of those sets WES apart is that the mom in question wasn't talking about her child in nursery school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 2 children goes to WES and love everything about the place. I have visited many of the areas other private schools and WES is by far the LEAST cliquish school that I have seen.

From my experience at WES, the parents all say that everyone is so "down to earth" but the reality is that they're very competitive and cliquish. I think they try to create this laid back perception of themselves, but it's not true.

PP, would you please provide one or two specific examples of this? Type of event/activity/sport, students' grades, etc.

Another example was the Back to School Night for kindergarten. One mom stood and expressed that her child must be able to read well before the end of kindergarten, and asked the two teachers how they intend to ensure that it happens. I really hate that sort of atmosphere.

Ah, the mother focused on early achievement who wants her child to read at age 6. The only way that having one of those sets WES apart is that the mom in question wasn't talking about her child in nursery school.

Oh - there are more than one of those at WES.

[Anonymous]

I'll admit that the parents can indeed be very focused on high academic achievement. Maybe too much so. WES pushes academics earlier and harder than Sidwell, Beauvoir, and others which probably have a more gradual "learn to love learning first" approach during the early years. (Yes, I have a kid in another such school and have a basis for comparison.) The difference in the parents, in my opinion, is that there's less competitive materialism. And there's less mega-wealth, just your garden variety law partner kind.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

My DS just started transition this year. Everything has been great so far. Class size, teachers' engagement, weekly newsletters, etc. Morning rush hour stress is almost gone as soon as we approach the school premises. We love to greet the kids helping our son get out of the car. We are eagerly waiting for my DS's turn to help others during drop off when he is old enough. Occasionally we even get to see Mr. Duncan, head of the school, waving at us during the early morning drop off. It has been overall a very pleasant experience.

The parents we met so far are from all over. They are down to earth and friendly. So far our experience as been very positive. I will second one of the previous posts: "Great, warm, engaging and friendly has been our experience."

[Anonymous]

As far as I can tell, WES does not feed to St. Albans. You would think given the Episcopal connection WES would be a natural feeder. Also, there is an STA-WES muckety muck husband/wife connection, so yet another reason it should happen.

Any theories on why it doesn't happen more? I was actually surprised at the number of WES grads who end up going public after 8th. But maybe that is what many parents plan - get through elementary and the sticky middle school years, and then go to the well regarded Churchill/Whitman/BCC high schools? Or is STA too urban for the suburan WES parents? What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS just started transition this year. Everything has been great so far. Class size, teachers' engagement, weekly newsletters, etc. Morning rush hour stress is almost gone as soon as we approach the school premises. We love to greet the kids helping our son get out of the car. We are eagerly waiting for my DS's turn to help others during drop off when he is old enough. Occasionally we even get to see Mr. Duncan, head of the school, waving at us during the early morning drop off. It has been overall a very pleasant experience.

The parents we met so far are from all over. They are down to earth and friendly. So far our experience as been very positive. I will second one of the previous posts: "Great, warm, engaging and friendly has been our experience."

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as I can tell, WES does not feed to St. Albans. You would think given the Episcopal connection WES would be a natural feeder. Also, there is an STA-WES muckety muck husband/wife connection, so yet another reason it should happen.

Any theories on why it doesn't happen more? I was actually surprised at the number of WES grads who end up going public after 8th. But maybe that is what many parents plan - get through elementary and the sticky middle school years, and then go to the well regarded Churchill/Whitman/BCC high schools? Or is STA too urban for the suburan WES parents? What do you think?

PP I do not know the percentage of WES grads attending STA or other comparable "good" private high schools (or WES 4-8 students who transferred to them), the admissions office would have that information. I vaguely recall an interview with a former WES graduate who also attended STA and then went on to Harvard in one of the recent weekly neWES. I would assume it is not uncommon.