HGC: Pine Crest/Oak View vs. Drew?

[Anonymous]

Pine Crest is excellent - the homework load was fine in 4th and has been quite large in 5th. Having said that the 5th grade teachers (and the 4th for that matter) are great. The 4th grade teachers are rigid, but good. They are not mean.

I agree that Pine Crest is great overall. The perspective about homework is interesting. I have a 5th grader this year at PC. I felt that the adjustment in 4th grade was a little tougher in terms of homework, especially with the Native American project. I thought the project was really terrific and DC loved it but it was a lot of work for a 9 year old to research a tribe and come up with a creative fiction story about it.
This year, I've felt that the homework load wasn't too bad. The big poetry project was comparable in the time investment to the Native American project but DC was better equipped to handle it this year. Otherwise, I felt the math and other homework was about the same as DC would get in the home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Pine Crest is excellent - the homework load was fine in 4th and has been quite large in 5th. Having said that the 5th grade teachers (and the 4th for that matter) are great. The 4th grade teachers are rigid, but good. They are not mean.

I agree that Pine Crest is great overall. The perspective about homework is interesting. I have a 5th grader this year at PC. I felt that the adjustment in 4th grade was a little tougher in terms of homework, especially with the Native American project. I thought the project was really terrific and DC loved it but it was a lot of work for a 9 year old to research a tribe and come up with a creative fiction story about it.
This year, I've felt that the homework load wasn't too bad. The big poetry project was comparable in the time investment to the Native American project but DC was better equipped to handle it this year. Otherwise, I felt the math and other homework was about the same as DC would get in the home school.

I have a 5th grade at Oak View and they did not do a poetry project. Last quarter they wrote an adventure story.

[Anonymous]

Pine Crest parent... Interesting that they have different assignments, or at least different timeframes. PC kids just turned in the adventure story today.

[Anonymous]

I think 5th grade is more work because in 5th grade at Pine Crest kids have the adventure story, poetry project, wordly wise, literature questions and a group project based on the same book, all running at the same time. If your child was also applying to magnet middle schools if was a busy fall.

Last fall year they just had the NA story and a bit of math homework and one word of the week.

Oakview does wordly wise in 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pine Crest is excellent - the homework load was fine in 4th and has been quite large in 5th. Having said that the 5th grade teachers (and the 4th for that matter) are great. The 4th grade teachers are rigid, but good. They are not mean.

I agree that Pine Crest is great overall. The perspective about homework is interesting. I have a 5th grader this year at PC. I felt that the adjustment in 4th grade was a little tougher in terms of homework, especially with the Native American project. I thought the project was really terrific and DC loved it but it was a lot of work for a 9 year old to research a tribe and come up with a creative fiction story about it.
This year, I've felt that the homework load wasn't too bad. The big poetry project was comparable in the time investment to the Native American project but DC was better equipped to handle it this year. Otherwise, I felt the math and other homework was about the same as DC would get in the home school.

I have a 5th grade at Oak View and they did not do a poetry project. Last quarter they wrote an adventure story.

I am nervous at the prospect of the roll of the dice btw Oak View and Pine Crest - if a child is assigned to Oak View, then there is only one teacher for each grade, and the class stays together for two years. Is that right?

Does that pose problems?

And are the teachers there good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think 5th grade is more work because in 5th grade at Pine Crest kids have the adventure story, poetry project, wordly wise, literature questions and a group project based on the same book, all running at the same time. If your child was also applying to magnet middle schools if was a busy fall.

Last fall year they just had the NA story and a bit of math homework and one word of the week.

Oakview does wordly wise in 4th grade.

Oak View also does Classical Roots in 5th which is more time consuming than Wordly Wise.

[Anonymous]

The 5th grade teacher at Oak View is excellent. Taught for 15 years at Sidwell then at Barnsley HGC before Oak View.

[Anonymous]

I really dislike Wordly Wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really dislike Wordly Wise.

I don't know why they do wordly wise. It's awful. I am the pp with the Oak View 5th grader and I am so glad that my child doesn't have that this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 5th grade teacher at Oak View is excellent. Taught for 15 years at Sidwell then at Barnsley HGC before Oak View.

Thanks. Good to know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pine Crest is excellent - the homework load was fine in 4th and has been quite large in 5th. Having said that the 5th grade teachers (and the 4th for that matter) are great. The 4th grade teachers are rigid, but good. They are not mean.

I agree that Pine Crest is great overall. The perspective about homework is interesting. I have a 5th grader this year at PC. I felt that the adjustment in 4th grade was a little tougher in terms of homework, especially with the Native American project. I thought the project was really terrific and DC loved it but it was a lot of work for a 9 year old to research a tribe and come up with a creative fiction story about it.
This year, I've felt that the homework load wasn't too bad. The big poetry project was comparable in the time investment to the Native American project but DC was better equipped to handle it this year. Otherwise, I felt the math and other homework was about the same as DC would get in the home school.

I have a 5th grade at Oak View and they did not do a poetry project. Last quarter they wrote an adventure story.

I am nervous at the prospect of the roll of the dice btw Oak View and Pine Crest - if a child is assigned to Oak View, then there is only one teacher for each grade, and the class stays together for two years. Is that right?

Does that pose problems?

And are the teachers there good?

Another 5th grade parent at Oak View. YES, the teachers at Oak View are good. And so glad they are doing Classical Roots over Wordly Wise. It focuses on the latin roots of words and, in general, makes more sense for the long haul.

My child has had a GREAT experience at Oak View. Can't wait for Shakespeare at the end of the year!