Inquiries about Washington Episcopal School ?

[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?

What do you mean? Name them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

By the way the list of schools (also including public) 2012 graduates entered are available here http://www.w-e-s.org/uploaded/Homepage_Images_Documents/highschools-medium_copy.mp4 with also slides from 8th year school trips to Spain and France.

[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?

I know some of those "cathedral" alums who are WES parents. They all seem to have the same line: "WES is a high quality education, with a less stressful environment for both the children and us. Maybe STA (or NCS) for high school, but not early." Maybe they have reason to think they can get their kids admitted for 9th grade, and don't need to get in early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing about Sheridan is this - it was the second choice for almost every family enrolled. When GDS/Beauvoir acceptances did not come through, Sheridan was the safety. I think this is a great humbling experience for many. Maybe as a result, the families here seem nicer than many others I meet from other DC private schools. They also come in, I think, with the attitude that we're here, let's make the best of it, The other thing about Sheridan is this - all said families end up loving the place and years down the road believe being rejected/waitlisted at the likes of GDS/Beauvoir/Sidwell was a true blessing in disguise.

This also applies for WES. (for many families living close to Bethesda/Rockville)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing about Sheridan is this - it was the second choice for almost every family enrolled. When GDS/Beauvoir acceptances did not come through, Sheridan was the safety. I think this is a great humbling experience for many. Maybe as a result, the families here seem nicer than many others I meet from other DC private schools. They also come in, I think, with the attitude that we're here, let's make the best of it, The other thing about Sheridan is this - all said families end up loving the place and years down the road believe being rejected/waitlisted at the likes of GDS/Beauvoir/Sidwell was a true blessing in disguise.

This also applies for WES. (for many families living close to Bethesda/Rockville)

I agree, but I wouldn't say these were every family's second choice. I know severally families that didn't apply to gds/Beauvoir/sidwell because of the hype and feelings from the tour of those schools. In many cases these other schools are the deliberate choice.

[Anonymous]

In fact, most people I know - anecdotal - applied to Sheridan and Lowell, or WES, NPS, Grace, and the like, not even considering these supposed big three. Not that they are bad, but thought it was a waste of time.

[Anonymous]

What is happening in math? Last I knew, the school was behind the other privates and publics. Still true?

[Anonymous]

Yes, still true.

[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.

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.

What is wrong with talking about what restaurant you went too? Seriously..I routinely say if I went out..sometimes it happens to be an expensive restaurant and fyi I went to expensive restaurants when I wasn't even making a lot of money. You have no idea what she ordered? I used to or just a main dinner and no alcohol..I have spend more partying with my friends at chilis!! What is wrong with showing up at soccer practice decked out? I don't get that. I wish I was that together..I am not, I am just holding on but I don't get mad or jealous if someone looks cute. I am hoping I look cute again...need to lose 15 but that is another story. FYI I don't have kids at this school but was just lolling around today..beautiful weather..I need to get out!! Anyway..I heard WES is a great school..let's leave them alone and focus on hating Sidwell!! lol and I am not serious about that either

[Anonymous]

Regarding previous posters on Math: what is the evidence that WES kids are behind in Math compared to others?

The success of WES graduates in high school admissions and beyond does not support the claim.

Finally, anonymity in this forum does not necessarily serve parents who seek unbiased opinion about a school they are interested in.

[Anonymous]

Hi I am a current WES parent (since 2006). The Nursery(3-4yo), Transition (4-5yo), K, and 1 grade are extremely well done. We have first hand experience at 4 other school/preschools and have gone through application process at 6 others. While doing so I compared the curriculum at other places (including the big three) to WES and there were really no differences that justified splitting my kids between more than one school except that WES has smaller class sizes which I view as a positive. Having said that the school/program is not as good in 3,4,5 grade. It is not just disgruntled families with a bias who feel this way. WES traditionally loses a lot of students in theseyears. It is probably a combination. Of the so-so curriculum in these middle years and the fact that some families are wanting to get a jump on the hs admissions process. Sixth grade is amazing and middle school is like the early years, extremely well done. I can't say how the middle years (345) math is compared to other schools because I was never extremly impressed or extremely unhappy with it, but middle school math and science are truly excellent and "rigorous" in our experience. We love WES and I will enthusiastically recommend d it foreay childhood and middle school(678).

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Regarding previous posters on Math: what is the evidence that WES kids are behind in Math compared to others?

The success of WES graduates in high school admissions and beyond does not support the claim.

Finally, anonymity in this forum does not necessarily serve parents who seek unbiased opinion about a school they are interested in.


Former WES parent here. Regarding math. I did not follow what was going on with Math at WES during the years I and my three children were there. I should have. Other parents, especially dad's (i'm a dad) started complaining about the lack of rigor in math. The complaints started @ 2d grade. Later, when we moved kids to the public school system, we found they were way behind their contemporaries in math. One child had to be tutored ($$) off-site to catch up. Another is off to college but has not had Pre-Calc or Calc. That was the first question the college interviewer asked: Have you had calculus? Answer: "No" because child was behind from years at WES so had to play catch-up.. For example, two of our children had to take
Algebra I (frosh), Geometry (soph.), Algebra II (Jr.) and then Computer Math (Sr.). Had they been better prepared, they could have taken pre-cal, cal, statistics, linear equations, etc. etc. etc. that our high school offers, but our kids could not benefit from those courses or Math AP courses because they were so far behind the kids from the public school pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:09, is WES good for really active boys? Not abnormally active, but high energy?

NOPE.

[Anonymous]

Hi 19:47. There is a new math teacher in the middle school who is excellent. I can't speak to what has taken place in the past in the middle school, but the current math teacher pushes each kid to their own fullest potential. Even if their grades are decent, if she sees they are not performing to their individual fullest potential, or are making careless errors she immediately addresses the situation. This is what I seek in a private school, immediate responsiveness to potential problems.
Also, I have heard that they are restructuring math in 6-8 grade to add more advanced levels for kids who need the challenge. I think they are adding Precalculus/Geometry (not sure) (?) to 8th grade. Maybe this will begin next year (?)

[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?

If you look at the lists of schools WES graduates attend --they're posted on the website-- you'll see that every year there is very little doubling up on high school enrollment. Almost each WES graduate ends up going to different schools, so I dont understand how there can be this feeling of being a feeder school. Several years ago there were rumors of WES trying to hook up to St Andrews, but nothing ever came of that.

Re bullying, I suppose it happens as it does everywhere, but I have never heard of it at WES. Like every school WES has issues, but truly we have never encountered bullying at WES.

Responding to the parent behavior that has been discussed. I would never describe WES parents as being exclusive or cliquey. WES is a private school and there are people with money there (as there are at EVERY private school) but WES has a lot of FA families and those kids and families are woven into the community just like everyone else is. Sure there are parents at WES that I choose not to have long conversations with, or who I feel like I dont exactly relate to, but its no different than being put in a social situation at work where there are many different kinds of people who may not under other circumstances socialize. WES brings an eclectic group of people together into a common community.