SSSAS, ACDS, BF etc.

[Anonymous]

So we are private school parents, but not religious and do not want a religious affiliated school for our child. Reading the previous posts makes me feel that as a nova private school family we are somehow doomed. But knowing how hard all private schools work to educate their students I just can't believe that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So we are private school parents, but not religious and do not want a religious affiliated school for our child. Reading the previous posts makes me feel that as a nova private school family we are somehow doomed. But knowing how hard all private schools work to educate their students I just can't believe that.

We are Alexandria residents who are not thrilled with our private school choices. I have two preschoolers and need to apply for kindergarten next year. We are in a similar boat where we are not religious. From the information I have gathered, the stronger privates in NOVA are Congressional, Potomac and SSSA. We were not impressed with the other Alexandria privates that we toured last year. I am dissatisfied with both our public and private school options in Alexandria. It is no wonder so many families move.

[Anonymous]

ACDS -- good school, but has had a rough couple years without a permanent headmaster and is in transition with the new one. My feeling is that you have almost two separate schools -- lower school is becoming less discriminating in admissions and it shows. Plus, it is getting more of a Burgundy Farm vibe with some of the families it's accepted in the last couple years. You are losing your typical private school family and replacing it with a different family that is dependent on FA or barely paying the bills.

[Anonymous]

VA parent hère - I researched these 3 VA schools at length and talked with experts at the schools as well as Educational experts outside the schools. Personally, Burgundy seemed too lax in terms of structure and with the "no grades" for the elementary years that raised some red flags for me - your child has to be able to gauge if they are getting things right and getting good scores.

ACDS only had 12 kids in the whole of the 1st grade - enrollment is down substantially there - met the teachers and they seemed ok but not particularly warm and a bit cold and demanding.

SSSA - liked it initially but the more I investigated and visited the more I noticed a certain superficiality as well as a certain affected manner with the teachers and unenthusiastic students.

I ended up going for a school outside of VA as we wanted a school that was great for academics and had no religious classes.

[Anonymous]

I have toured all three schools and am looking for a school for my DC to start Kindergarten next fall. So I have no direct experience with any of the schools, but will share my experience and perspective on the tours and admissions process.

Burgandy seems great for the independent child and the families that want to encourage independence. They walk from class to class alone ( but the teachers keep tabs on them). I think they get more outdoor and nature exposure which is nice. It's less structured which doesn't suit my personality, but would be great for some. It seems like a happy place, but definitely not the right place for every kid/family. The families there seem to be more liberal. THe families there seem to be close. ( in a good way, not an exclusive way) The school seems to have a strong emphasis on art. (from what i could tell). They don't have a lot of emphasis on sports, but it seems their physical education and activities are strong and unique.

SSSA is the biggest of the three and the only k-12 of the three. I think there is a lot of emphasis on sports but probably not until the upper years. I did not see strong music or art programs at this school and I was surprised by this since it is a big school. It seems to have a nice parent community. I did not like the admissions presentation or tour at the school and felt they talked very little about academics. Everyone in admissions and teachers were warm and friendly. The campus is fairly large and I think some perks come with that factor. The science classes/teachers seemed great.

ACDS seems like a warm, friendly school. It does seem quite small and I was surprised that the lower grades were not filled. The new head of school is awesome from my perspective. He is very articulate and I like his vision and goals for the school ( of course he is new so you never know how things will go). The school seems to emphasize public speaking and being comfortable in your own skin. THe music teacher blew me away. I was surprised how strong the music program is for such a small school. I would say I went into this school with the lowest expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the school is changing for the better. THe parent community seemed great and involved.

The parent community at all schools seemed great to me. And all the schools seemed to place some emphasis on helping the world around you which i thought was great. There were no red flags at any of the schools for me. I do think that Burgandy is a completely different kind of school that is going to be right for some and not for others. The other two are more mainstream schools from what I could tell.

That is my opinion!

[Anonymous]

ACDS Parent here - my kids are in 6th and 8th. Been there since Kindergarten. I have to disagree with the assessment of ACDS. The lower school was an absolutely wonderful experience for my kids - warm teachers, challenging, engaging curriculum. They loved it. But I will say that the lower school, if anything, has become stronger since my kids went through. The first and sixth grades are incorporating STEM components and the math program has been revamped; service learning was significantly ramped up this year; technology has been incorporated throughout the curriculum. This middle school has made similar advancements. So I think what was good has just become better.

Admissions, under the new administration, has actually become quite a bit more discriminating. In a "town hall" type meeting with parents this past week, the headmaster explained that the acceptance rate has been deliberately lowered to maintain the kind of learning environment we expect from a small, private school. This is not a come one, come all school. That said, the school has a very generous financial aid program and maintaining a diverse student body is a priority.

This headmaster really hit the ground running last year. He has made some significant changes. For those who have been frustrated with the NOVA private school choices, I'd really suggest taking another look at ACDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have toured all three schools and am looking for a school for my DC to start Kindergarten next fall. So I have no direct experience with any of the schools, but will share my experience and perspective on the tours and admissions process.

Burgandy seems great for the independent child and the families that want to encourage independence. They walk from class to class alone ( but the teachers keep tabs on them). I think they get more outdoor and nature exposure which is nice. It's less structured which doesn't suit my personality, but would be great for some. It seems like a happy place, but definitely not the right place for every kid/family. The families there seem to be more liberal. THe families there seem to be close. ( in a good way, not an exclusive way) The school seems to have a strong emphasis on art. (from what i could tell). They don't have a lot of emphasis on sports, but it seems their physical education and activities are strong and unique.

SSSA is the biggest of the three and the only k-12 of the three. I think there is a lot of emphasis on sports but probably not until the upper years. I did not see strong music or art programs at this school and I was surprised by this since it is a big school. It seems to have a nice parent community. I did not like the admissions presentation or tour at the school and felt they talked very little about academics. Everyone in admissions and teachers were warm and friendly. The campus is fairly large and I think some perks come with that factor. The science classes/teachers seemed great.

ACDS seems like a warm, friendly school. It does seem quite small and I was surprised that the lower grades were not filled. The new head of school is awesome from my perspective. He is very articulate and I like his vision and goals for the school ( of course he is new so you never know how things will go). The school seems to emphasize public speaking and being comfortable in your own skin. THe music teacher blew me away. I was surprised how strong the music program is for such a small school. I would say I went into this school with the lowest expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the school is changing for the better. THe parent community seemed great and involved.

The parent community at all schools seemed great to me. And all the schools seemed to place some emphasis on helping the world around you which i thought was great. There were no red flags at any of the schools for me. I do think that Burgandy is a completely different kind of school that is going to be right for some and not for others. The other two are more mainstream schools from what I could tell.

That is my opinion!

Burgundy parent here. OP, the one think I would say is that these school are very different from one another in "feel." As ever, it's not really a "one is better than the others" issue, it's a "which one is better for your child and your family" issue. These school all have a lot of self-selection: the people who apply to Burgundy are often people with no interest in applying to SSSAS and vice versa; they're looking for different things. Overall we are very happy with Burgundy: the informality, lack of grades, nurturance, focus on independence, outdoor time and so on suited what we wanted and thought would be good for our kids. For the most part I feel that it has worked out well: certainly, both kids love it and love their teachers and friends, and find it a happy, warm environment. In hindsight I wonder if it has been the best place for our older child, who might have been better off in a more structured environment where expectations were clearer and less squishy. But it's been fabulous for our younger child, and both are happy so odds are we will stick with it through the end of middle school.

I'd definitely spend time, as the PP did, at each school. DCUM can be helpful but there is really no substitute for just seeing how a place "feels."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have toured all three schools and am looking for a school for my DC to start Kindergarten next fall. So I have no direct experience with any of the schools, but will share my experience and perspective on the tours and admissions process.

Burgandy seems great for the independent child and the families that want to encourage independence. They walk from class to class alone ( but the teachers keep tabs on them). I think they get more outdoor and nature exposure which is nice. It's less structured which doesn't suit my personality, but would be great for some. It seems like a happy place, but definitely not the right place for every kid/family. The families there seem to be more liberal. THe families there seem to be close. ( in a good way, not an exclusive way) The school seems to have a strong emphasis on art. (from what i could tell). They don't have a lot of emphasis on sports, but it seems their physical education and activities are strong and unique.

SSSA is the biggest of the three and the only k-12 of the three. I think there is a lot of emphasis on sports but probably not until the upper years. I did not see strong music or art programs at this school and I was surprised by this since it is a big school. It seems to have a nice parent community. I did not like the admissions presentation or tour at the school and felt they talked very little about academics. Everyone in admissions and teachers were warm and friendly. The campus is fairly large and I think some perks come with that factor. The science classes/teachers seemed great.

ACDS seems like a warm, friendly school. It does seem quite small and I was surprised that the lower grades were not filled. The new head of school is awesome from my perspective. He is very articulate and I like his vision and goals for the school ( of course he is new so you never know how things will go). The school seems to emphasize public speaking and being comfortable in your own skin. THe music teacher blew me away. I was surprised how strong the music program is for such a small school. I would say I went into this school with the lowest expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the school is changing for the better. THe parent community seemed great and involved.

The parent community at all schools seemed great to me. And all the schools seemed to place some emphasis on helping the world around you which i thought was great. There were no red flags at any of the schools for me. I do think that Burgandy is a completely different kind of school that is going to be right for some and not for others. The other two are more mainstream schools from what I could tell.

That is my opinion!

And, OP, for many, many opposing views concerning Burgundy, please conduct word-searches for Burgundy on this board. You'll see numerous critical comments from prior and current Burgundy families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have toured all three schools and am looking for a school for my DC to start Kindergarten next fall. So I have no direct experience with any of the schools, but will share my experience and perspective on the tours and admissions process.

Burgandy seems great for the independent child and the families that want to encourage independence. They walk from class to class alone ( but the teachers keep tabs on them). I think they get more outdoor and nature exposure which is nice. It's less structured which doesn't suit my personality, but would be great for some. It seems like a happy place, but definitely not the right place for every kid/family. The families there seem to be more liberal. THe families there seem to be close. ( in a good way, not an exclusive way) The school seems to have a strong emphasis on art. (from what i could tell). They don't have a lot of emphasis on sports, but it seems their physical education and activities are strong and unique.

The parent community at all schools seemed great to me. And all the schools seemed to place some emphasis on helping the world around you which i thought was great. There were no red flags at any of the schools for me. I do think that Burgandy is a completely different kind of school that is going to be right for some and not for others. The other two are more mainstream schools from what I could tell.

That is my opinion!

And, OP, for many, many opposing views concerning Burgundy, please conduct word-searches for Burgundy on this board. You'll see numerous critical comments from prior and current Burgundy families.

You will of course also see numerous positive comments from current and prior Burgundy families, many querying the motivations and facts proffered by some of the critics. But hey, this is DCUM. YMMV. Visit the schools; talk to parents. Rely on the exmissions data the schools provide, not on what some random person says on this board.

[Anonymous]

ACDS parent here. I have child in the Middle School who has been there since Kindergarten and two children in the lower school. The school has gone through a lot administratively since we have been there and we have stayed through the changes because of the teachers - who are excellent, and the community - which is warm and involved.

The new head has given the school a clear direction that can be described as a good balance of traditional and progressive. The kids wear uniforms, there is an emphasis on public speaking, and the curriculum is focused on preparing students for high school (especially the middle school curriculum). The school has been deliberate and impressively nimble in the use of technology, specifically iPads in the upper classrooms, and are moving to incorporate them into lower grades with great care and specific intent. This is not technology for technology's sake but to underscore the curriculum.

The lower school has changed their math program from the ubiquitous Everyday Math to the American version of Singapore Math called Math in Focus, which has been met with great support from the teachers and parents. Like every school, we have some gifted math students and they are given extra instruction through Stanford University's online math program (with oversight from teachers). The new lower and middle school heads are both excellent and have energized the teaching staffs in those divisions.

Now is a great time to be looking at the school. It has retained its small and nurturing environment, but make no mistake, ACDS graduates are prepared for competitive high schools and have a love of learning and an academic curiosity. The vast majority of last year's graduates went to their first choice high school and another telling detail is the variety of schools our graduates attend after ACDS. Last year, 6 went to public high schools and of the remaining 18 students there were 16 different schools among them.

[Anonymous]

Are these schools just VA schools that happen to be in the DC area? In other words, are any of them of a high caliber that supports the tuition? Are they really better than public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are these schools just VA schools that happen to be in the DC area? In other words, are any of them of a high caliber that supports the tuition? Are they really better than public?

Washington, DC happens to be in the Virginia area.

Whether they are worth the money really depends on what you want for your child, and how much of your budget is available to do that. We were only interested in 1 school, and did not live in Virginia when we enrolled our first child there. That said, if you can find what you want close to home, less commute time s always better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are these schools just VA schools that happen to be in the DC area? In other words, are any of them of a high caliber that supports the tuition? Are they really better than public?

If your child is really advanced and you're very worried about finding The Best school, then no, some of these schools might not be worth paying for (to you). If you want a 1st grade class with 2 teachers for 16 kids instead of 1 for 28, or more outdoor time, more art, more extracurriculars, etc. then all of these schools are 'worth paying for.'

It really depends on your goals and your child's needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are these schools just VA schools that happen to be in the DC area? In other words, are any of them of a high caliber that supports the tuition? Are they really better than public?

If your child is really advanced and you're very worried about finding The Best school, then no, some of these schools might not be worth paying for (to you). If you want a 1st grade class with 2 teachers for 16 kids instead of 1 for 28, or more outdoor time, more art, more extracurriculars, etc. then all of these schools are 'worth paying for.'

It really depends on your goals and your child's needs.

I agree that they provide a very nice and supportive environment. And if you have an income where $28k per child is no biggie, then yes, they are worth paying for. But if your HHI is such that paying means real stress and struggle ... then no, they are not worth it. Think of all the extracurriculars and educational vacations your family could use that money for ... or the retirement and college savings you could fund. And you might want to consider what effect your child will have by growing up with children who while perfectly nice and warm hearted also live in a world where money is absolutely no consideration. It doesn't matter in the early years, but trust me, it does start to matter sooner than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are these schools just VA schools that happen to be in the DC area? In other words, are any of them of a high caliber that supports the tuition? Are they really better than public?

The public schools in Virginia are awfully proud of themselves, but they could use a lot of improvement.