Tell me about the Sheridan School

[Anonymous]

*yawn*. this thread is going no where fast. Started off so strong....

[Anonymous]

Why is one K class of 24 students a turn off? 24 students in the class seems to be standard at independent schools, but most other schools are not as small as Sheridan, so there are TWO separate classes of 24 (as opposed to only one classroom at Sheridan). But if Sheridan puts three full time teachers in a class of 24 kids, that sounds pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

Parent here The kids are divided up frequently so a lot of instruction takes place in smaller groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is one K class of 24 students a turn off? 24 students in the class seems to be standard at independent schools, but most other schools are not as small as Sheridan, so there are TWO separate classes of 24 (as opposed to only one classroom at Sheridan). But if Sheridan puts three full time teachers in a class of 24 kids, that sounds pretty amazing.

The other K-8/K-6 in the area have smaller classes in K- all under 20. I don't doubt that this environment works well for many children, but some kids (children who are really shy or easily distractible) do better in smaller classes. If I'm not mistaken, at Sheridan after K, there are fewer teachers per class and larger classes than pretty much all the other independent schools in the area. Again, for many kids, this wouldn't be a problem but could be for some.

[Anonymous]

We toured Sheridan a few times and found the faculty and school philosophy great. Wasn't impressed by the facility or the lack of outdoor spaces. Seemed very claustrophobic. Particularly for the older students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our children are several years into the school. It has been an excellent experience academically and socially for the kids. You will be very hard pressed to find a **lower** school with a better-executed curriculum. (ie, it's not appropriate or fair to pine for GDS's high school offerings at this point, IMO).

Randy's spiel about supporting the whole child in all areas is not bullshit. I was a skeptic going in but not after a few years -- the school's philosophy is carried out top to bottom, and it has had measurable impact on our DCs, the more tentative one in particular.

Our children are white, European-Americans born in the United States. I'm not going to apologize for this immutable trait, PPs. But, in their respective classes, each has several students of color (note: ALL the colors. Sometimes on DCUM, certain anonymous people really mean just AA). There are also lots of kids at Sheridan from all over the world who speak multiple languages and probably appear to have white skin. I personally treasure these kids from Estonia and Portugal as much as I do the kids who are ethnic Chinese, but of course YMMV.

We have, so far, especially valued the music programs and the language arts instruction. Also, the way that "social studies" is taught. To be candid, I wish the math instruction in the lower grades was something other than straight-up Everyday Math. This really has its drawbacks and I believe that Sheridan and several other lower schools in DC-Md. are revisiting their reliance on this curriculum for K-4.

Could you elaborate on music and language arts? How would you compare it to other schools or enrichment classes? What has stood out for you? Just looking for examples that might not be mentioned on tour. Thanks! We are looking for grades 2-3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is one K class of 24 students a turn off? 24 students in the class seems to be standard at independent schools, but most other schools are not as small as Sheridan, so there are TWO separate classes of 24 (as opposed to only one classroom at Sheridan). But if Sheridan puts three full time teachers in a class of 24 kids, that sounds pretty amazing.

The other K-8/K-6 in the area have smaller classes in K- all under 20. I don't doubt that this environment works well for many children, but some kids (children who are really shy or easily distractible) do better in smaller classes. If I'm not mistaken, at Sheridan after K, there are fewer teachers per class and larger classes than pretty much all the other independent schools in the area. Again, for many kids, this wouldn't be a problem but could be for some.

Sheridan has two teachers at every grade level, all the way through 8th grade, and 24 kids in a class. Again, a general standard ratio at independent schools. Some independent schools have part-time teachers or other creative combinations of faculty to make it appear as though they have 2 full time teachers, but be sure to ask questions to ensure that thats the case. I distinctly recall touring the LS at Maret and GDS and seeing the same numbers of students (about 24) in classrooms. Independent schools often boast 1:12 ratios, so you do the math. Also, ALL independent schools split kids up from time to time to go to specials like art/music/languages. So there are a lot of opportunities for smaller interactions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We toured Sheridan a few times and found the faculty and school philosophy great. Wasn't impressed by the facility or the lack of outdoor spaces. Seemed very claustrophobic. Particularly for the older students.

Did you hear at all about the Mountain Campus? Funny enough, other independent schools boast of going to a "mountain campus" for outdoor adventures, and they are in fact, paying to go to Sheridan's mountain campus. I agree, the school is small. Its not for everyone. But the classrooms are spacious and well lit and there are some truly happy children and caring educators there. If you want sprawling and spacious, I guess you look elsewhere. That said, they make good use of what they've got. And though they are small, they have a full cafeteria and kids get a hot lunch everyday (not so at GDS, hello. Enjoy packing those daily lunches while paying $30K a year) And the ingress and egress for carpool are a breeze compared to whats happening in some other congested locations (not to pick on GDS again, but *ahem*).....

[Anonymous]

Calm down 12:24. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

And yes, we did hear all about the "Mountain Campus". Considering the children aren't going to it every week, sorry it didn't sway our decision. And yes again, other private schools may utilize the "Mountain Campus" but they already have much better outdoor space used on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

We visited 7 schools for K admissions last fall, including Sheridan. Out of all of them, GDS and Sheridan stuck us as having the strongest sense of self and unified philosophy. And also the most joyful and genuine adults. The kids were well spoken and seemed connected and happy. We got WL for Sheridan and ended up at a different school. Called back in May to see if any K spots had opened up and they said nope, we are fully enrolled. They must be doing something right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a part of the Sheridan family and have been for several years. We joke about "drinking the kool aid" but the truth is that the spiel they give the open house is the truth. They really do believe in creating a safe environment where children feel safe to take risks and they also take children seriously. It plays itself out in real action every day, and in every classroom at the school. That said, the kids do not run the show. The adults are definitely in charge, and every decision the teachers and administration makes is deliberate and well thought out for the best interest of the children.

And don't take all of the "touchy feely" stuff to mean that the academics are not rigorous. The children are well challenged and there is excellent differentiation to meet children where they are. I also like that the school is open minded enough to know that they need to stay abreast of research and continue to make improvements. There is talk of adding STEM and robotics in upper grades and opening up electives beyond just the arts (i.e. current strong emphasis on music).

Many of our grads do on to "prestigious" schools like NCS, GDS, Maret, and yes even holy Sidwell (lol). The Head of School works hard to prepare each individual student for the high school application process.

I personally loved when my son had three teachers for K.
24 kids in a class, yes, but have you seen the K schedule? These kids are in transition regularly throughout the day, moving from class to class (often in half group sizes). Our son has come home every day since day one, excited about the environment, the other kids, the teachers and what he's learning.

The school, to us, is a hidden gem. Other cool things include a free morning program (drop your kids as early as 7:45 for no additional charge), an awesome after school program called Ex-Club, enrichment programs and free after school music lessons. They also serve a hot lunch everyday, the younger kids have older "buddies" in higher grades, the twice a year trips to mountain campus push kids to stretch themselves and the student run conferences encourage kids to take an active role in their own education.

Yes, the one drawback is that its small. Only 225 kids spread over K-8. So thats one class per grade. But the Head knows every single kid's name, and everyone, including administrators in the school, seems to know every kid's name. So if a friendly environment like that is important to you, then that could be a strength.

Re: diversity, we don't think it differs much from other independent schools. That said, this year's new K class appears to be one of the most diverse the school has every recruited. Thats just from me seeing the kids pictures posted and all the new faces in the mix. There is diversity at the teaching ranks as well in terms of age/gender/experience, and they certainly have some room to grow in the area of faulty of color (again, take a look at other independent schools, many have few teachers of color. Its a process people). The school has just hired a new Multicultural Affairs Director to work with the curriculum and teachers to ensure that the content is inclusive and representative of all peoples' experiences. Its really exciting.

To me, a dad of a son at this school, we could not be happier. And it also feels like the school is hitting its stride and is now in its best years ever. We're proud to be a part of the Sheridan family.

Now these are all the right reasons to choose a school. You sound very happy there!

[Anonymous]

I am a mother of color who could talk first-hand about the experience of the Sheridan School. My son is black, and he started there in kindergarten. He is now an eighth grader. In a nutshell Sheridan is the best nurturing K-8 in that area. Yes it is small, and has one class of each, but that is so much of a blessing because everyone knows everyone, and all the teachers know your child. In elementary and middle school that is crucial. It feels safe and secure. They genuinely care about your child. We love it so much that it is becoming difficult to think about the end of 8th grade. We have a daughter in GDS who started there in PK and would have loved her to go to Sheridan, but she needed to start school and Sheridan did not begin at PK. This is the main reason why both of them go to two separate schools.

When my son started at Sheridan, there were not as many kids and teachers of color. We as parents instilled in him that aspect of his culture which gave him the confidence to feel important in anything or be anywhere even if he was the only minority. This ground work allowed us to focus on what mattered most in choosing a school for him. What mattered most was him being in a place that loved and appreciated him for who he was and still is as an individual, and finding a place that did not try to place him in their box. Yes it is wonderful to have the diversity and the perfect percentage but we knew we could not control that, but what we knew we could do is make the difference. We went with our gut feeling when we walked into that school, and the continuous smile we saw on our kid’s face in the afternoon validated our decision. Sheridan does not see color, or bring attention to it. What they instill and embrace is that in this world we are all different inside and out. Sheridan wants kids that don't fit a particular box. They love kids who color inside and outside the lines. Their academic program is rich and concept based. A child learns to connect the dots to what he/she learns in the classroom to the real world. He/she is able to speak in his own words about it this way they remember it for a life time. No ‘rote’ system!! One other important aspect is that they realize that boys and girls are different and understand them that way as well. The teachers are so connected, current and interested in each and every student. They are always available to parents and communicate on a constant basis. You feel part of the team for your child. There is a mix of tradition and progression. The value of life is taught and instilled in this school. Bullying of any form is not tolerated. The head of school, magnificent!! He knows every child by their name and knows how to connect with every age and is so sincere about it. You could write and talk to him personally anytime. He is the real deal!! We have no regrets whatsoever. I really really mean this. We will do it the same all over again. The only criticism we have is that we wish we did not have to leave and wish they went to 12th grade because of the rich experience. Visit the school it is worth it. This rich foundation of k - 8 from this school will open the doors for your child will be able to get into any of the good high schools and most importantly, be grounded in who he/ she is.

Sheridan has doubled in the diversity since we joined, and there are more teachers of color. We were confident that one by one we would make the difference. Hope this was helpful.

[Anonymous]

That was lovely. Especially the part about "not seeing color..." Thank you so much for your posting.

[Anonymous]

That was an amazing endorsement. Wow. I will definitely add Sheridan to my list!

[Anonymous]

DC went to Sheridan K-8. The small classes are wonderful. Every adult knows every single child. DC left 8th grade with about 2/3 of the original K class.

I'd say 7th and 8th were difficult years. During middle school years, DC and others needed to be around different kids and it was the same kids as before. The one class per grade can be great if it is a class that has good dynamics. if the class doesn't work well as a unit, it can leave kids feeling very left out.

They hired a diversity coordinator for this year. They are dedicated to creating diversity among the students, faculty and staff.

I will say this about the head of school. Our experience was the exact opposite from the previous poster. Given, he knows the kids and interacts with them well. But his interaction with parents can (but doesn't always) leave something to be desired.