tell me about middle school at GDS?

[Anonymous]

My kid went for a shadow day and said it was the most chaotic school day she'd ever experienced. Kids ignoring teachers, etc. But she's a quiet, reserved kid and perhaps just felt out of her element. Overall, she just really didn't like the vibe as much as other schools she's visited for shadow days. We are still going through with the application, but I'd love to learn more from current parents.

Thoughts on what GDS is like for the quieter kids? Is bullying an issue? Does anyone have a kid that describes it as "chaos"?

[Anonymous]

Her observation was correct, and all that it implies.

[Anonymous]

My kid didn’t like how everyone blurted out answers but when girls did, the teacher would reiterate the rules or do a calling system. How biased.
It seemed that if you didn’t get impulsive with responding you’d never get talking time or your grade would suffer.

[Anonymous]

It can be pretty chaotic. It works for some kids, not for others. I had a quiet, introverted kid who really did not like it. Other kids love it. I have a DS there now who is very happy there and even he comes home some time annoyed by some of the behavior. The HS is very different in the classroom. What grade are you applying into? If its 5th or 6th, that’s a long time to be somewhere that does not feel right for you.

[Anonymous]

If you think you as a parent like GDS better than your child, I'd hold off on applying for now and wait for HS. If your child gets in for MS and declines, chances are, they won't get in for HS. Its definitely a different type of school, but by HS, your child might be more receptive to the vibe.

[Anonymous]

😬

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can be pretty chaotic. It works for some kids, not for others. I had a quiet, introverted kid who really did not like it. Other kids love it. I have a DS there now who is very happy there and even he comes home some time annoyed by some of the behavior. The HS is very different in the classroom. What grade are you applying into? If its 5th or 6th, that’s a long time to be somewhere that does not feel right for you.

Can you elaborate on the behavior in middle school? How is the high school different? I'm curious why the middle school is set up so differently than the hs. My kid also attended a shadow day and was unimpressed.

[Anonymous]

Yikes - we are considering GDS elementary for a more reserved kid.

What makes it so chaotic?

[Anonymous]

We have a kid who was new to MS, and who we would describe as on the quieter side. Can only speak to MS and can't compare it to any other local private. I wouldn't call it chaotic, but it is a place where they do expect MS kids, certainly by 7th & 8th, to take the lead on their learning and advocate for themselves ("agency" is the buzzword they use). Whether that goes hand-in-hand with a more freewheeling or "chaotic" atmosphere I really don't know. It's a great place to learn if your kid is disciplined and wants to do well, and we sent our kid there so that they would be pushed to take charge of their education and interests, and be more independent and an advocate for themselves. It's worked out well for our kid, but if your kid is more on the passive/reserved side and won't be willing to try to change, it's probably not the ideal place for them. FWIW, even at the old campus a few years ago, the one impression that sticks with me compared to the other tours we took was that it was a happy hive of activity, which I guess others could view as chaos. It exuded more energy than the other schools we visited. Others could have viewed it very differently.

[Anonymous]

I did a trial teaching day there years ago, applying for a job, and I was blown away by the freewheeling-ness. Kids in the hall on the floor, kids sprawled all over, kids openly doing other things during the lesson. Really minimal behavior expectations, IMO, compared to other environments I’d taught in. I loved the teaching staff I met and see how some kids would thrive there but it would not have been a good fit for me as a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a trial teaching day there years ago, applying for a job, and I was blown away by the freewheeling-ness. Kids in the hall on the floor, kids sprawled all over, kids openly doing other things during the lesson. Really minimal behavior expectations, IMO, compared to other environments I’d taught in. I loved the teaching staff I met and see how some kids would thrive there but it would not have been a good fit for me as a kid.

I am not sure my description gets it across but at the time a lot of the behavior struck me as rude / verbally-aggressive, especially from some of the boys. Not just self-advocacy, but something beyond that. It wasn’t just non-traditional seating arrangements that bothered me.

[Anonymous]

I'm really surprised by these comments. My child thought their shadow day experience was incredible and that the teachers ran the classes really well. They never mentioned any of this. But my child has an extroverted personality and is coming from public so the baseline is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really surprised by these comments. My child thought their shadow day experience was incredible and that the teachers ran the classes really well. They never mentioned any of this. But my child has an extroverted personality and is coming from public so the baseline is different.

My child is a current GDS middle school student and went to four schools to visit and GDS was by far their favorite. I was on the fence about private school in general but found that GDS' middle school was the most like my experience in big public schools growing up. I think if a quiet school that's highly structured would be best for your family then GDS isn't the right choice. I would steer you towards the Cathedral schools or other schools with a religious aspect to them. They tend to have more of a focus on discipline whereas GDS gives the kids more independence and less rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be pretty chaotic. It works for some kids, not for others. I had a quiet, introverted kid who really did not like it. Other kids love it. I have a DS there now who is very happy there and even he comes home some time annoyed by some of the behavior. The HS is very different in the classroom. What grade are you applying into? If its 5th or 6th, that’s a long time to be somewhere that does not feel right for you.

Can you elaborate on the behavior in middle school? How is the high school different? I'm curious why the middle school is set up so differently than the hs. My kid also attended a shadow day and was unimpressed.

I did not mean “Chaotic” as a negative, necessarily. It’s a great place, and as another poster noted there is a lot of talk of kids having agency and advocating for themselves. That has a lot of positives, but since you are dealing with middle schoolers, the freedom to advocate for themselves creates an environment where kids are not necessarily raising their hands before they speak so there can be a lot of calling out, and a strong personality can send a discussion sideways. Some teachers harness that better than others while still offering kids that freedom to speak up. By the time you get to the HS, kids are better at moderating their impulses to speak out and take over, and the teachers are better at signaling the behavior that is appropriate in their classroom. So, the HS its not set up differently; its just that in the MS they are letting kids find their way, and by HS, they have largely found their way, at least in this one behavioral aspect. If you DC loved the shadow day then they are probably very well suited to the school. But a child who felt out of place may want to go with their instincts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be pretty chaotic. It works for some kids, not for others. I had a quiet, introverted kid who really did not like it. Other kids love it. I have a DS there now who is very happy there and even he comes home some time annoyed by some of the behavior. The HS is very different in the classroom. What grade are you applying into? If its 5th or 6th, that’s a long time to be somewhere that does not feel right for you.

Can you elaborate on the behavior in middle school? How is the high school different? I'm curious why the middle school is set up so differently than the hs. My kid also attended a shadow day and was unimpressed.

I did not mean “Chaotic” as a negative, necessarily. It’s a great place, and as another poster noted there is a lot of talk of kids having agency and advocating for themselves. That has a lot of positives, but since you are dealing with middle schoolers, the freedom to advocate for themselves creates an environment where kids are not necessarily raising their hands before they speak so there can be a lot of calling out, and a strong personality can send a discussion sideways. Some teachers harness that better than others while still offering kids that freedom to speak up. By the time you get to the HS, kids are better at moderating their impulses to speak out and take over, and the teachers are better at signaling the behavior that is appropriate in their classroom. So, the HS its not set up differently; its just that in the MS they are letting kids find their way, and by HS, they have largely found their way, at least in this one behavioral aspect. If you DC loved the shadow day then they are probably very well suited to the school. But a child who felt out of place may want to go with their instincts.

Is admin aware that the environment favors a certain personality type? Is there room for the more reflective student or do they spend MS being drowned out? Is there a balance of personalities?