Bullis vs. Holton vs. Stone Ridge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All VERY different schools. All girls vs co-ed. Religious vs secular. Bullis has a new Lower School building that looks amazing for little ones. From what I've heard (my kids are older now), parents and kids alike are very happy with the Bullis LS program. I'd say get a tour!

I am very curious about this. Do some parents send their kids to have a fancy social experience and sports while others focus on education? I understand both are important. But it seems so mixed up it is hard to tell when some school is "good", in what aspect is it good? The education? The entertainment? The social network?

Are you new to the area or private school in general? There isn’t a one fit answer. Why are you concerned with other parents? There is plenty of information on these school all in the forum. Go tour, go to open houses, speak to current families at these schools.

I am not new to DMV. But i am not from US. I am not sure how to pick a school that truly good at offering a solid education to be worth nearly $60K. I have been to some tours. Some are impressive, some are literally not at all about academics (e.g. all big 3/5). So I am very lost when people are drying to get admitted to some schools, what are they really looking for? College Admission? A country club where kids play sports with other rich kids? not dying of mass shooting?

OP
1. Public is better than private in the DMV there is no question about that.

2. Religious instruction is indoctrination is important to the Holton / Stone Ridge crowd. That is why they choose those schools. They are not academics superior it isn’t possible given religion is taught which contradicts reality. Are they bad schools no. Do they send kids to good colleges yes. Are they the best for $60 grand no.
3. Bullis is a solid education. Is is heads and takes better than the other two depends on your family. They only thing you are getting from the other two is religion which to me is one sided . Not an education I would want but whatever you want.

Americans think saying their kid goes to private school makes them elite or better it doesn’t

Education is about the individual child. Find the best fit for them with the best academics and you have done your job as a parent,

?? Did I misunderstand something? Holton Arms is not religious at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All VERY different schools. All girls vs co-ed. Religious vs secular. Bullis has a new Lower School building that looks amazing for little ones. From what I've heard (my kids are older now), parents and kids alike are very happy with the Bullis LS program. I'd say get a tour!

I am very curious about this. Do some parents send their kids to have a fancy social experience and sports while others focus on education? I understand both are important. But it seems so mixed up it is hard to tell when some school is "good", in what aspect is it good? The education? The entertainment? The social network?

Are you new to the area or private school in general? There isn’t a one fit answer. Why are you concerned with other parents? There is plenty of information on these school all in the forum. Go tour, go to open houses, speak to current families at these schools.

I am not new to DMV. But i am not from US. I am not sure how to pick a school that truly good at offering a solid education to be worth nearly $60K. I have been to some tours. Some are impressive, some are literally not at all about academics (e.g. all big 3/5). So I am very lost when people are drying to get admitted to some schools, what are they really looking for? College Admission? A country club where kids play sports with other rich kids? not dying of mass shooting?

OP
1. Public is better than private in the DMV there is no question about that.

2. Religious instruction is indoctrination is important to the Holton / Stone Ridge crowd. That is why they choose those schools. They are not academics superior it isn’t possible given religion is taught which contradicts reality. Are they bad schools no. Do they send kids to good colleges yes. Are they the best for $60 grand no.
3. Bullis is a solid education. Is is heads and takes better than the other two depends on your family. They only thing you are getting from the other two is religion which to me is one sided . Not an education I would want but whatever you want.

Americans think saying their kid goes to private school makes them elite or better it doesn’t

Education is about the individual child. Find the best fit for them with the best academics and you have done your job as a parent,

Wow so much wrong and outdated information.

Maybe in the 90s public school was better than the finishing school style privates. But public schools now cater to high need to maintain accreditation, high performing kids are left to be taught by the tutors their parent hire.

Holton is not a religiously affiliated school, so that’s just random. It is single sex, which is beneficial if you have a daughter in this age of bros and the manosphere influence at schools.

Billie really emphasizes sports over academics; it’s not a bad strategy but makes it a different kind of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's so much more to a private school education than basic math and a lacrosse team. I really encourage you to go to some more schools on your list and speak to current families about their experiences and reasons for sending their children to private school. Smaller class sizes, teachers who know your child well, focus on writing and research, skilled college counseling, well-rounded curriculum with opportunities in arts and athletics, sense of community, friends for life, etc.

I see your point. But I am still quite surprised to see lots of private school's major marketing is sports, facilities, theater programs, but not their education and curriculum. I could go to an either tour without learning a single thing about curriculum. It is all a little bit vague. And then I also don't know how the college admission statistics is really a result of good education or because the parents are all VIPs and are legacies of Ivies.

Good education so table stakes. You get into good colleges these days because of sports and theater and extracurricular. All you have to do is take the most rigorous courses at your high school and you make the academic cutoff for elite schools. And they are college prep courses without having to spend time on remediation or the latest state test so kids are prepared.

[Anonymous]

The teacher turnover at Bullis has been insane. While the new teachers coming in may be fine, I would choose a school with teachers who have been there for a while and who are loved by the student body. The teachers we loved when we started at Bullis have all left and unfortunately my child was left with some mediocre ones. My friends child had two teachers leave mid year in the upper school last year. The new building looks lovely, but a building doesn’t teach your students.

For any of the schools, speak with current families as well as ones who have left. For me, high teacher turnover (no matter what school) is a red flag saying there are bigger issues…in my opinion at least.

[Anonymous]

This thread was set up to troll from the first post. I am pleased that Bullis got rid of the mediocre teachers - and this thread is likely set up by one of them! The prioritizing of academics has had a real impact. Ask the schools about their college list. Only one of them will be forthcoming. (And by the way, the turnover at Holton far exceeds any other school in the areaa.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's so much more to a private school education than basic math and a lacrosse team. I really encourage you to go to some more schools on your list and speak to current families about their experiences and reasons for sending their children to private school. Smaller class sizes, teachers who know your child well, focus on writing and research, skilled college counseling, well-rounded curriculum with opportunities in arts and athletics, sense of community, friends for life, etc.

I see your point. But I am still quite surprised to see lots of private school's major marketing is sports, facilities, theater programs, but not their education and curriculum. I could go to an either tour without learning a single thing about curriculum. It is all a little bit vague. And then I also don't know how the college admission statistics is really a result of good education or because the parents are all VIPs and are legacies of Ivies.

Good education so table stakes. You get into good colleges these days because of sports and theater and extracurricular. All you have to do is take the most rigorous courses at your high school and you make the academic cutoff for elite schools. And they are college prep courses without having to spend time on remediation or the latest state test so kids are prepared.

Really? I am a college professor but i constantly see kids don't know very basic math and can't write. Is good education so obtainable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's so much more to a private school education than basic math and a lacrosse team. I really encourage you to go to some more schools on your list and speak to current families about their experiences and reasons for sending their children to private school. Smaller class sizes, teachers who know your child well, focus on writing and research, skilled college counseling, well-rounded curriculum with opportunities in arts and athletics, sense of community, friends for life, etc.

We have all that in public school. My kids are still close friends with their friends from pre k and they are no longer in elementary - play sports for their schools and do the musicals, sense of community because they all live in the same neighborhood and feeder pattern.. all their teachers know them well…not sure why that’s considered exclusive to private school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread was set up to troll from the first post. I am pleased that Bullis got rid of the mediocre teachers - and this thread is likely set up by one of them! The prioritizing of academics has had a real impact. Ask the schools about their college list. Only one of them will be forthcoming. (And by the way, the turnover at Holton far exceeds any other school in the areaa.)

Op here. This was 100% not a troll post. Appreciate the feedback here as we consider these schools and yes, will attend the school tours and admin events to get a sense of the school priorities and community.

[Anonymous]

The day to day experience is a huge reason we send our kids to private. They go to different schools because the mix of academic expectations and opportunities vs extracurriculars and sports was different and they need different things. But both schools have small classes and high standards—in terms of academics and behavior and service. On the balance they’ve had solid teachers who, at the risk of sounding cheesey, really have helped foster a joy of learning. They both have taken challenging courses but do not need to get tangled up in the AP arms race which is the only way to show “rigor” when you have 2000+ students at public school. They’ve both been able to play sports (one most certainly would not have made the cut trying out with 100 kids) and have done theater. I don’t love everyone I’ve met at their schools and the schools aren’t perfect, but the administrations have adjusted when there was an issue; they were nimble in defining policy in a way mcps could never be. College counseling is outstanding and personalized (of course we could save a lot of money by sending to public and hiring a college consultant) and that gave our oldest a very strong sense of agency as they navigated a stressful process. We are confident both will be well prepared for college.

The three schools on OP’s list catch a lot of crap on DCUM for various reasons, but they are all very good schools IF they are a good fit for your kid (and what your family wants from a school). Tour, talk with actual families—preferably someone you know or you are connected with via a friend, have your kid visit. Go to games or theater productions to get a feel for the places. Good luck OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order: Holton and then Stone Ridge. Bullis is a lower tier school than the other two and is way over priced. Weird administration. Far more boys than girls at Bullis too and there are bullying problems—even in the lower school. The other two would be better investments in the long run, especially Holton. More resources are put into teaching and learning than admin’s pockets or shiney facades.

Ignore this OP is not correct

Strongly disagree with advice to ignore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The teacher turnover at Bullis has been insane. While the new teachers coming in may be fine, I would choose a school with teachers who have been there for a while and who are loved by the student body. The teachers we loved when we started at Bullis have all left and unfortunately my child was left with some mediocre ones. My friends child had two teachers leave mid year in the upper school last year. The new building looks lovely, but a building doesn’t teach your students.

For any of the schools, speak with current families as well as ones who have left. For me, high teacher turnover (no matter what school) is a red flag saying there are bigger issues…in my opinion at least.

Horrible that poster is saying that Bullis very high turnover is "mediocre" teachers. We know of many amzing teachers who have left over the last few years. It is not about the teachers being pushed out; it is about excellent educators choosing to go elsewhere. Obviously, there will always be some teachers who don't work out. But the super high turnover at Bullis is much more than that. Ask around.

[Anonymous]

For top private girls schools in MD, Holton is #3, SR is #5:

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-all-girls-high-schools/s/maryland/

You can't go wrong at either. We've had girls at both, in lower school. I like SR's campus better, and if you're Catholic, you may prefer SR since it's religious (but not as religious as a parochial school). Holton is a bit more academically oriented, and provides a little less opportunities for parents to get involved at school (for example, no Dads club with monthly morning drop-off events like SR), but if you get involved with other parents, you can still make it a great experience.

Comparing to public (our girls started there first), you'll get smaller class sizes in the 15-20 range, and easier access to teachers/admin. Also better facilities, for example your local public elementary is not going to have an olympic-sized swimming pool, and have swim lessons as part of PE, like a private school will. There is also some collaboration with students in the upper school, which our girls like as a way of seeing role models.

As for schools that focus more on sports, part of the reason is the school may be seen as a feeder to a top sports career. For example, some privates, especially at upper school intake level, will admit certain students who are top in certain sports, so you can end up with really good sports teams despite the smaller student body size compared to public = may have a really good winning record. This can be good for those who want to make college sports and beyond a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread was set up to troll from the first post. I am pleased that Bullis got rid of the mediocre teachers - and this thread is likely set up by one of them! The prioritizing of academics has had a real impact. Ask the schools about their college list. Only one of them will be forthcoming. (And by the way, the turnover at Holton far exceeds any other school in the areaa.)

100% accurate. OP is a troll. Probably a bitter former teacher.

[Anonymous]

We have a daughter in the LS at Holton and it has been wonderful. The teachers are fantastic and the wide range of curriculum has been really nice for her. There is a big bus system so there are girls from all over the region (we live in DC and she has a huge cohort of girls at her bus stop).

We picked it because we did not want any religion at all AND we wanted an all girls school that started in lower school. Holton is the only choice in the area for that combination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread was set up to troll from the first post. I am pleased that Bullis got rid of the mediocre teachers - and this thread is likely set up by one of them! The prioritizing of academics has had a real impact. Ask the schools about their college list. Only one of them will be forthcoming. (And by the way, the turnover at Holton far exceeds any other school in the areaa.)

100% accurate. OP is a troll. Probably a bitter former teacher.

Are you illiterate? OP literally just asked a neutral question. How does that mean a troll?

Anytime anyone critiques Bullis on this board, someone (Bullis communications team?) shouts “troll!” That should be enough of a red flag for anyone to avoid that school…