St. Pat's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is simply a wonderful school. Newly accepted parent here friends who are current families. The last thing that St. Pats is is homogenous with a bunch of cookie cutter families. We don't need people like you inquiring. Go away!

Yikes! My DD was accepted for pre-k and now I'm worried about running into this nut...Reason #1 gazillion I should avoid this website!

12:06 here... I am not a nut. My sentence should have read, "Newly accepted parent here WITH friends who are current families. The OP said "certain types of families". WTH does that mean? That statement inandof itself is ignorant. The second poster was correct in her assumption about OP (which is why she felt the need to clarify her comment in a subsequent post). OP should have simply said, "What makes St. Pat's so special?" Well this "nut" (as you describe me) is very honored to have to choose between St. Pat's and Beauvoir.

You may not be a "nut" but you are coming across like one. Please go away. You're giving St. Pat's parents a bad name.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the nut will go to Beauvoir and St Pats will be safe for the rest of the normals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the nut will go to Beauvoir and St Pats will be safe for the rest of the normals

12:06 here... I'm so sorry my post came across that way. I am not a nut and wish all of you well.

[Anonymous]

12:06 Just because this board is anonymous doesn't mean to you should talk to people in a way that truly does make you sound like a nut. Would you say that to someone in person? Then don't say it here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:May I ask what the "newly revamped math program" is?
Lovely posting 12:42 - wish there were more people like you on this site.

I wish I had my notes but I left them in my office. There was a very detailed presentation by the lower school head and several of the math teachers in the beginning of the year. Math is my "thing" and I was thrilled with what they had to impart. I will try and relay the basics from memory but they may not be perfectly accurate. If you have further questions, it would be best to ask the school or to go online and pull up the lower scholl curriculum. I am sure the school would love going over it with you as they have obviously taken a great deal of time and effort to craft a unique approach by combining several existing methods.

St. Pats, like most area privates, had been using Every Day Math. The math teachers and school officials, like many parents, recognized the weakness and frustrations of EDM. A few years ago, St Patricks started phasing out EDM, beginning with 3rd grade, I believe, and then moving down each year all the way to K. The core program they are now using is Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space but they are heavily supplementing with Cathy Fosnot's work, with First in Math, and with Math Facts practice books to reinforce fact efficiency, as well as manipulatives and real-life examples. I have seen a much greater interest and ability in my child as the new program has been implemented.

Hope that helps and do please call the school if you want more info as I am clearly not the expert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:06 Just because this board is anonymous doesn't mean to you should talk to people in a way that truly does make you sound like a nut. Would you say that to someone in person? Then don't say it here.

I bet you wouldn't call her a nut to her face. You're just as guilty. The veil of anonymity gives everyone fake courage. Go fly a kite and leave her alone.

[Anonymous]

Would you all PLEASE just stop the sniping. Its pointless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is simply a wonderful school. Newly accepted parent here friends who are current families. The last thing that St. Pats is is homogenous with a bunch of cookie cutter families. We don't need people like you inquiring. Go away!

Yikes! My DD was accepted for pre-k and now I'm worried about running into this nut...Reason #1 gazillion I should avoid this website!

12:06 here. I am not a nut. My sentence should have said, "newly accepted family WITH friends who are current families." OP started her post with "attracting certain families". Making that statement is narrow minded. She could have simply asked, "what makes the school so special". So... You will be seeing this nut in the fall. Can't wait to meet you!

[Anonymous]

New poster here... Back to the original question - we have had a child at St Pats for a couple of years. I am sort of cynical about the DC private school scene, but you know, St Pats really and truly practices what it preaches. The families at the school are warm and welcoming, and we feel immediately at home although we have no social standing in this town to speak of. The teachers we've had have been uniformly excellent, working hard to tease out the best from our child, communicating regularly with us, making sure we feel part of the classroom. Peter Barret sets the tone for the whole place - transparency in decision making, owning up to (rare) mistakes, out directing carpool traffic everyday. I don't know how to explain better than to say that the school has a feel of genuineness, inclusiveness and sincerity that I find comforting in a town as shallow as this one.
There are a couple of things I am not thrilled with, but I consider them to be minor in the larger picture of the school's ethics/values. 1. The absence of foreign language instruction; 2. the math curriculum (I know it was revamped, but it is still - like all the DC private schools' math programs - too "lala" and insufficiently challenging for talented students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here... Back to the original question - we have had a child at St Pats for a couple of years. I am sort of cynical about the DC private school scene, but you know, St Pats really and truly practices what it preaches. The families at the school are warm and welcoming, and we feel immediately at home although we have no social standing in this town to speak of. The teachers we've had have been uniformly excellent, working hard to tease out the best from our child, communicating regularly with us, making sure we feel part of the classroom. Peter Barret sets the tone for the whole place - transparency in decision making, owning up to (rare) mistakes, out directing carpool traffic everyday. I don't know how to explain better than to say that the school has a feel of genuineness, inclusiveness and sincerity that I find comforting in a town as shallow as this one.
There are a couple of things I am not thrilled with, but I consider them to be minor in the larger picture of the school's ethics/values. 1. The absence of foreign language instruction; 2. the math curriculum (I know it was revamped, but it is still - like all the DC private schools' math programs - too "lala" and insufficiently challenging for talented students.

Peter Barrett did mention that they reevaluate offering languages before 3rd grade every year. He also said that is something that they aren't ruling out. Just wanted to add that info.

[Anonymous]

St. Pat's uses "Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space" through 4th grade as their math curriculum which sadly is not any better than the much maligned Everyday Math. That is my beef with their supposed math revamp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Pat's uses "Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space" through 4th grade as their math curriculum which sadly is not any better than the much maligned Everyday Math. That is my beef with their supposed math revamp.

I strongly disagree on two points:

1.) Investigation does not share the same flaws as EDM and is, infact, designed to avoid the two biggest weakness of EDM: it focuses on one "investigation" for a lengthy period of time allowing students to become very familiar and comfortable with each concept and it is designed to have students repeatedly practice major mathematical concepts and skills. Further, Investigations also requires that students explain and justify how they solve a problem using their mathematical tools.

2.) St Pats has designed their math program to not be depoendent on only one curriculum by intertwining and supporting Investigations with math practice skills (old fashioned repeatative practice), with the work of Mathmatician Cathy Fosnot and, with an on-line program called First in Math. This intertwining of several curriculums is unique and allows StPats students to become intimately familar with how numbers related to each other, the very key to thinking like a natural mathmatician.