Where to look at privates for this kid?

[Anonymous]

Burgundy Farm seems like a good fit, it only goes through 8th. We had two kids do middle school years only there and were pleased, but then you do have to figure out high school again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Burgundy Farm seems like a good fit, it only goes through 8th. We had two kids do middle school years only there and were pleased, but then you do have to figure out high school again.

I came here to say Burgundy Farm as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never not think the way you people use “privates” in headlines is funny.

Ditto. My first thought upon reading the headline was "Depends who's looking; it better be a doctor."

[Anonymous]

Burgundy Farm
They will help you find a high school.
The rising fifth grade class is full, I think, but they add a few for middle school and some go overseas creating openings. Nice class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from the huge Catholics. As is seemingly the answer to many, look at Field, Burke, SAES might be a bit far but could be good, New School of Northern Virginia might be a bit extreme on the quirky scale but worth a look.

OP here. Which schools are considered huge Catholics? I'm assuming you're not talking about the K-8s affiliated with the local parishes in the DC and Arlington Dioceses? Or are you? And if so, can you explain why you think they wouldn't be a good fit?

[Anonymous]

Try Bullis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Anselm’s

This is definitely on our radar. An all-boys environment would be good for him, and I think the more traditional education style would be a good fit. How much active time do they have baked into the middle school day? Is it an hour daily of PE or athletics? Do they also practice their sports after school, or does the main practice take place during the school day? Do they have any sort of outdoor break during the day? How long is the lunch period? It looks like middle school students can choose orchestra for their music period, is that right? But there's no instrumental band is there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Anselm’s

This is definitely on our radar. An all-boys environment would be good for him, and I think the more traditional education style would be a good fit. How much active time do they have baked into the middle school day? Is it an hour daily of PE or athletics? Do they also practice their sports after school, or does the main practice take place during the school day? Do they have any sort of outdoor break during the day? How long is the lunch period? It looks like middle school students can choose orchestra for their music period, is that right? But there's no instrumental band is there?

This was OP writing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Commonwealth Academy. It was a game-changer for my kid.

OP here. Interesting. I just read their website. The way they seem to be going about addressing attentional or similar issues seem counterintuitive to me though. My son, for example, hates project-based learning (which his elementary uses almost exclusively) and prefers traditional learning. Also all the technology in the classroom really is a distraction rather than a help to him. He can't screen it all out (access to email anytime, ads everywhere when his teacher sends them to youtube, the kid next to him playing video games when they're supposed to be clicking and dragging in google slides). It's awful, and I think I'd prefer to send him somewhere that sidelines all the devices rather than leaning into them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Burke, Field, Sheridan (only up to 8th though)

Thanks. These look like good possibilities to explore further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Green Hedges, but it only goes to 8th

Thank you. I'll read more about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like Field, Burke would be perfect and perhaps Bullis.

Thanks. These look like good suggestions at first glance and we're going to look into them more.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Those that wrote Burgundy Farm, can you tell me more? The outdoor integration looks amazing, but overall it looks too loose. For example, the website talks a lot about how things are student-led, and that doesn't work well for him. He needs individualized attention / more connection for sure, but I think on the academic focus he actually needs things to be more structured / traditional, not less. Also can you tell me more about the instrumental music that is offered? Is there an orchestra or band? Finally, is the overall culture very alternative? He's kind of a traditional kid. Very boy-ish and active and likes old fashioned boy-ish things (scouts, watching baseball, mowing the lawn, reads old fashioned books,) and not very artsy. Not making a political statement here; we're a liberal family, and definitely want him in school with kids of different backgrounds but also want to make sure there is a fit personality wise.

[Anonymous]

OP, you have a lot of really good questions, and the best way to get answers is to call admissions. They are happy to answer these kinds of specifics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Those that wrote Burgundy Farm, can you tell me more? The outdoor integration looks amazing, but overall it looks too loose. For example, the website talks a lot about how things are student-led, and that doesn't work well for him. He needs individualized attention / more connection for sure, but I think on the academic focus he actually needs things to be more structured / traditional, not less. Also can you tell me more about the instrumental music that is offered? Is there an orchestra or band? Finally, is the overall culture very alternative? He's kind of a traditional kid. Very boy-ish and active and likes old fashioned boy-ish things (scouts, watching baseball, mowing the lawn, reads old fashioned books,) and not very artsy. Not making a political statement here; we're a liberal family, and definitely want him in school with kids of different backgrounds but also want to make sure there is a fit personality wise.

I think it is “alternative” in some respects but still does a lot in a more traditional manner. They do try to incorporate a lot of outdoor time and some project-based learning while maintaining structure in the schedule and curriculum. In middle school kids can choose band, orchestra, or chorus. They also take a language, either Spanish or French. And all kids get some type of art class each trimester (one of which is theater—each middle school grade does an all-class production). I would say every class at Burgundy has its own personality. Middle school grades are just around 30-32 kids each so different grades have a different mix of students. I would say quirky students are welcome there but not every kid fits that description either. If your son likes sports, there are plenty of extracurricular opportunities open to all (no cuts).

Reach out to Admissions and take a tour, which will help you determine if it’s the right fit.