Madeira: too stressful for an ADHD kid?

[Anonymous]

I've read a lost of posts describing Madeira as a fine school academically and not a pressure cooker. I am interested in the school for my rising ninth-grade DD, who has ADHD. DD is very bright, and has excellent grades, but her processing speed is slow. She often needs extra time on tests. When she feels like she can't her work done in time, she gets stressed out.

DD's therapist told us that Burke, Field, McLean, and The New School would be good options, but the rigor of Madeira might be too overwhelming. Does anyone have a DD with a similar profile at Madeira, and how is it working out for her? Alternatively, if you don't think DD could keep up, that's helpful, too. (PS: Commonwealth is pretty much out. Too many boys.)

Public school is not an option. DD could not make the transition from a small, independent school to a 2,000+ student public high school.

Also, spare us all the snarky comments about horses. They're tired.

[Anonymous]

Madeira is not a cakewalk. It is very rigorous and demanding. The Mod schedule is not for everyone, and can be extremely stressful.

There are a range of classes, so not everyone is on an accelerated path, but these girls are very impressive and driven.

There is not much judgement and the girls support each other.

[Anonymous]

My DD has the same profile as yours and we are also looking for 9th now. Have not decided whether to apply to Madeira yet but worry about the mid schedule for my daughter.

[Anonymous]

My teen with ADHD really likes Madeira. She likes that there are three academic classes a module (5 weeks long) and this works for her as opposed to balancing the executive functioning demands of 5 classes. It is also nice to switch every five weeks to new classes. The school says to expect about 10-15 hours of homework a week for freshman and sophomores and we have found this to be true. So I would look closely at the amount of homework your DD is doing and see if it is preparing her for the demands of high school. Also, I recommend you ask to speak to the learning specialist at Madeira to talk about your DD’s individual situation and learn about how Madeira supports kids with ADHD. Actually, you should do this with all the schools you are looking at.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it would be too stressful but the mod system is great for some kids and a real turn off for others, so you have to know what works best for your daughter. Would fewer classes at a time, but changing classes every 5 weeks or so be good? Or overwhelming? It could go either way.

Definitely talk to the learning specialist there like pp said.

[Anonymous]

Mine has this same profile and is doing very well at Madeira. The mod schedule, which means only 3 academic classes (max) at a time is a huge help - definitely not overwhelming and haven't seen any retention issues when returning to a subject a mod or two later. I'd encourage you to visit and talk to the academic office and learning specialists.

[Anonymous]

Maderia is underrated. Good school even if it isn't competitive to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maderia is underrated. Good school even if it isn't competitive to get into.

It is competitive to get into since COVID, particularly as a day student.

[Anonymous]

Mine has that profile and had a very good experience at Madeira but it was before the new mod schedule. She did require a lot of support, and her grades weren't perfect by any stretch, but the school really worked with her. That said, there really weren't any shortcuts. She had to do all the work and sometimes that was a lot. Looking back she would not have made a different choice. She loved Madeira and the girls school environment was much better for her in terms of learning than her co-ed middle school was.

[Anonymous]

The mod system is great for ADHD kids. I wish we could find a co-ed/boys school that offered it.

I've heard they are VERY supportive for various challenges that kids may have (LDs, emotional issues, etc.) and will work hard to find a way to support girls via extra help, summer programs, etc.

I've only heard of one girl counseled out so far for academic reasons.

[Anonymous]

The mod system means a lot of material is covered quickly. It’s important to keep up with everything day to day and to get extra help at the very first sign of trouble. We were slow to adjust to the mod system. Challenging, but Madeira is not a pressure cooker. My dd went to sleep at 11:30 every night and graduated with an A average, in spite of having a couple of learning differences. That said, she required outside tutoring, accommodations, and parental support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it would be too stressful but the mod system is great for some kids and a real turn off for others, so you have to know what works best for your daughter. Would fewer classes at a time, but changing classes every 5 weeks or so be good? Or overwhelming? It could go either way.

Definitely talk to the learning specialist there like pp said.

This. It really depends on whether the mod system works with or against your kid’s strengths. For some, having fewer classes at a time is a net positive. For others, the very short timelines move too quickly, and they can’t keep up, or the structure is too choppy.

[Anonymous]

The school is accommodating. Contrary to DCUM belief, they do not admit everyone. They look to let in girls who can keep up with the work. If your daughter is capable, she can be successful at there. Even though its reputation is not as “rigorous” as NCS or Holton, it still is an academic school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is accommodating. Contrary to DCUM belief, they do not admit everyone. They look to let in girls who can keep up with the work. If your daughter is capable, she can be successful at there. Even though its reputation is not as “rigorous” as NCS or Holton, it still is an academic school.

This. As an example, Mod 1 for my kid includes AP Physics and Linear Algebra. The admit rate among my kid's K-8 friends was comparable to NCS/Holton. The kids are much nicer, though.

[Anonymous]

I have heard great things about Madeira but don’t know how ADHD accommodations there work.

Just wanted to share my family’s experience with ADHD in high school. DD was diagnosed with severe (inattentive) ADHD, and the psychologist was adamant that DD would not be able to handle Holton’s rigor and workload. With standard accommodations, DD graduated top 10 percent in her class, taking the most rigorous courses.