Any thoughts on Sheridan?

[Anonymous]

Especially with the new Head?

[Anonymous]

We love the school and have sent multiple children. The new head seems great.

[Anonymous]

It really is a mixed bag. There is zero supervision, very junior teachers who don't know how to handle large classes and so if your child has no issues, then no attention is paid to the kid. if you are looking for a rigorous school that is well run, then is not not the school for you. Any concerns or issues raised with the school is basically disregarded with no f/up action. The head of lower school just left after being there for just 2 years.

[Anonymous]

Sorry if that is your experience. Our family’s experience has been very different. No school is perfect. We have, however, found the school to be very nurturing and responsive.

[Anonymous]

IMO, Sheridan is a lovely little school with a really close- knit community. The next HOS spent the first year really learning the culture and making sure the the physical improvement plan for the school is on track. I find the teachers and admin very responsive to our family's concerns. The head of the lower school came from MCPS and returned to MCPS and maybe independent school in general was not a good fit for him.

[Anonymous]

We had two children go from K through 8th grade at Sheridan over a 15-year span. Two very different kids. We’ve had a great experience. Both (very different) girls loved it. One was more aporty. The other more academic. It’s a very supportive community. In our experience the best part is the school gets to really know your kid: how they learn, what motivates them, what makes them excited. And that personal connection makes all the difference.

They also do. Great job with the high school placement process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really is a mixed bag. There is zero supervision, very junior teachers who don't know how to handle large classes and so if your child has no issues, then no attention is paid to the kid. if you are looking for a rigorous school that is well run, then is not not the school for you. Any concerns or issues raised with the school is basically disregarded with no f/up action. The head of lower school just left after being there for just 2 years.

We recently left Sheridan. We didn't have junior teachers and the teachers were good, but not great. In particular, we struggled with large class sizes. Our kid seemed to be getting lost in the fray. We moved to an independent school with smaller classes and we're hoping its a better fit.

[Anonymous]

How big are the classes that you are considering large?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How big are the classes that you are considering large?

Sheridan's model is 1 class per grade with two teachers and up to 26 kids.

[Anonymous]

That's very big

[Anonymous]

The school breaks the classes into half-groups, at least in middle school. Thirteen kids in a half-group doesn't seem very large to me. To the contrary, the complaint I most often hear is that Sheridan is too small.

[Anonymous]

It is. It’s waaay too small. By sixth grade, it’s stifling. Literally not enough space on that one small block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big are the classes that you are considering large?

Sheridan's model is 1 class per grade with two teachers and up to 26 kids.

But they break up into half groups for most subjects.

[Anonymous]

Wonderful! My child has thrived there. I have personally seen the progressive pedagogy / teaching model they use come to life in my child. She has always been curious but a bit unsure of herself and hated anything that came close to performing in front of a group. This past year she was thrilled to have a major role in her play that was performed in front of the whole school. And she evolved not because she was pressured to do something she didn’t want to do - on the contrary, she was embraced for who she is, made comfortable to try something new, and found that she really enjoyed it. It’s such a special thing to witness in your child and I 100% credit Sheridan.

Before joining, I had some concerns that there wouldn’t be sufficient structure or curriculum but that’s not the case at all. Upon reflection, I recognize that it can feel a little unsettling to center students as active learners who have a role in shaping their experience when you were raised in a more traditional educational setting, as I was. But I have not found my child’s experience at Sheridan to be the least bit unstructured. It is exactly the education my husband and I wish we’d had as kids. And we are grateful we can provide it to our kids, now!

[Anonymous]

It’s not perfect, but no school is. It’s a place where your child will be known and not slip through the cracks. Sheridan class of 2020 just had fantastic college placement this year and the cool thing was that they did so from a number of schools. That’s the great thing about Sheridan. Your kid gets a lot of attention in k-8 and then can attend a high school that’s a good fit instead of one you hope will be a good fit as is the case when you apply to a k-12.