Did anyone find primary day too "academic" or structured?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think PP's ridiculous accusation of "PDS boosters" is based on this thread from over a year ago, and not anything recent.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/628273.page

OK, yes, no one goes to PDS with an eye towards thinking they'll get a leg up for private later on.

[Anonymous]

It's highly structured but some grades or teachers are pure chaos. Parent general feeling right now: Prek great, one kindergarten great, one first great great, neither second grade great. We are still current Parents and also had older children graduate. The school has changed alot in the past two years unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Nice strawman. Most folks at PDS don't. I mean, its reputation on DCUM for the longest time was as a feeder to Landon and Holton. PDS also gets knocked by some here as a school where allegedly anyone can get in. Not exactly the kind of place that would attract the kind of Machiavellian parents that you seem to think infest the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice strawman. Most folks at PDS don't. I mean, its reputation on DCUM for the longest time was as a feeder to Landon and Holton. PDS also gets knocked by some here as a school where allegedly anyone can get in. Not exactly the kind of place that would attract the kind of Machiavellian parents that you seem to think infest the school.

They don't got to Holton or Landon so much any more thank god. There is actually a lot of diversity in families and interests. Many go to Sidwell or gds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO trying to wrangle a way into private school any way they can to keep up with the Joneses.

What the hell does this even mean? Apart from a select handful, it's really not that hard to get in private schools around here.

Well, the PDS boosters seem to talk extensively about how many go to Sidwell etc. Can't have it both ways..

When I toured Sidwell for Pre-K, the staff told me that the school switches to a much more academic focus in 3rd grade. There is nothing wrong with Sidwell from Pre-K to Second Grade but they admit that they are much more focused on emotional and social development in the early years. This is not a criticism. It is actually very positive and it is part of what makes Sidwell different from other schools. Obviously, the kids selected for admission in Pre-K and Kindergarten are kids who will do well regardless when the focus shifts to more academics so it does not matter that the early years were more focused on social and emotional learning. Some people don't want to spent $40K+ a year for those early years and would rather transfer in at later grades (3rd, 6th, 9th) when the difference in academics at Sidwell might (to some) be considered worth the extra cost.

We struggled with this notion at SFS, GDS and Beauvoir when we got in.

We also wanted to vet our children for ADHD Inattentive given family lineage and didn't feel any of the progressive, play-based non-academic schools would help do that until many years later than a parochial, public or more traditional private. In the meantime that is 3-5 years of not learning subject-matter so well. Fine with the soft stuff but so little of the hard stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's highly structured but some grades or teachers are pure chaos. Parent general feeling right now: Prek great, one kindergarten great, one first great great, neither second grade great. We are still current Parents and also had older children graduate. The school has changed alot in the past two years unfortunately.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a family that had one kid at PDS and one at Sidwell. The older kid only went to Sidwell. The second kid went to PDS before also going to Sidwell. They were shocked by how much more the kid at PDS learned in the early grades compared to the sibling at Sidwell for the early years. He really thrived and the parents were thrilled with the schools curriculum. The PDS sibling was a much more advanced reader.

I am concerned to with the non-traditional privates. They seem to allow kids to only practice to their strengths and interests and not overcome their weaknesses. And I'm talking about things like reading, handwriting, math, etc. Not dance versus 3D art or computer work. Basic foundational skills that need to be mastered and then instinct before age 7 or 8. Why does this only begin in 3rd or 4th grade at many of the privates? Too much social civics time for ages 5-8?

My third grader is at Sidwell and attended PDS. I think the particular teachers students have—there are 2 classes for each grade- makes a big difference. My daughter was lucky to get a first grade teacher (and previously K) who set the bar high and stimulated her love of learning (and had her own child at Sidwell too). My daughter learned so much that year- not only in reading, writing, and math, but also in general- exposing her to great literature, important ideas, and simply “getting” her needs and interests as a stude. If it weren’t for her I’m not sure that Sidwell would have been an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are friends with a family that had one kid at PDS and one at Sidwell. The older kid only went to Sidwell. The second kid went to PDS before also going to Sidwell. They were shocked by how much more the kid at PDS learned in the early grades compared to the sibling at Sidwell for the early years. He really thrived and the parents were thrilled with the schools curriculum. The PDS sibling was a much more advanced reader.

I am concerned to with the non-traditional privates. They seem to allow kids to only practice to their strengths and interests and not overcome their weaknesses. And I'm talking about things like reading, handwriting, math, etc. Not dance versus 3D art or computer work. Basic foundational skills that need to be mastered and then instinct before age 7 or 8. Why does this only begin in 3rd or 4th grade at many of the privates? Too much social civics time for ages 5-8?

My third grader is at Sidwell and attended PDS. I think the particular teachers students have—there are 2 classes for each grade- makes a big difference. My daughter was lucky to get a first grade teacher (and previously K) who set the bar high and stimulated her love of learning (and had her own child at Sidwell too). My daughter learned so much that year- not only in reading, writing, and math, but also in general- exposing her to great literature, important ideas, and simply “getting” her needs and interests as a student. If it weren’t for her I’m not sure that Sidwell would have been an option.

[Anonymous]

My DD "graduated" from PDS. She was happy and well prepared for her next school but it was extremely rigid. I would not do it again with another child of mine.

[Anonymous]

Agree. Both preks great, kindergarten terrible, one first grade great (Former PreK Teacher now First is fabulous, other class total chaos), neither second great. Had two go through, current family. School feels sterile now. DH finds HOS creepy and at the wrong school. All female teachers and male head. ?

[Anonymous]

It’s very structured but that’s not bad. It’s not one of those schools where the kids run around and call teachers by their first name and do whatever they want because their parents let them do whatever they want at home. It’s structured and civil. Both kids went through and we were lucky. We had terrific Pre Kindergarten teachers, kindergarten (differentvteachers at the time), first grade, and second grade was the perfect ending (different teachers at the time). The school has changed and I hear that kindergarten and second grade are disappointing from friends that are parents in second grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Both preks great, kindergarten terrible, one first grade great (Former PreK Teacher now First is fabulous, other class total chaos), neither second great. Had two go through, current family. School feels sterile now. DH finds HOS creepy and at the wrong school. All female teachers and male head. ?

People pay for this school? With 8 classes, only 5 good? Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Both preks great, kindergarten terrible, one first grade great (Former PreK Teacher now First is fabulous, other class total chaos), neither second great. Had two go through, current family. School feels sterile now. DH finds HOS creepy and at the wrong school. All female teachers and male head. ?

People pay for this school? With 8 classes, only 5 good? Yikes.

That should say only 3 of 8 good!?!? Do other parents agree with this?

[Anonymous]

Hard to say that these characterizations are accurate without specifics. I tend to agree that the PK teachers seem great (warm, kind, and nurturing but firm when necessary) but haven't seen anything from the K teachers to suggest that they're terrible in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Both preks great, kindergarten terrible, one first grade great (Former PreK Teacher now First is fabulous, other class total chaos), neither second great. Had two go through, current family. School feels sterile now. DH finds HOS creepy and at the wrong school. All female teachers and male head. ?

People pay for this school? With 8 classes, only 5 good? Yikes.

That should say only 3 of 8 good!?!? Do other parents agree with this?

Current parent of a 2nd grader. Teachers and curriculum have been fabulous throughout all grades. We have been very impressed with the school thus far.