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Holton Arms
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Anonymous
| Alum with a 10-year girl. She enjoyed lower school. Middle school it started to be a difficult fit. I think that's when you really have to start matching the child's personality to the school. |
Anonymous
Would you be willing to explain some of the issues. |
Anonymous
| Lower school mom here. I've heard that middle school really ratchets up the academics and the pressure. One of the administrators said that most girls are really good on the verbal stuff but the girls that are good at math are the ones that really excel. Therefore, I'm a little worried about my DD. Lower school has been fabulous so far. |
Anonymous
| Future LS mom here. Why do you assume your daughter can't be good at math, PP? Have you tried tutoring if she isn't getting it through school? |
Anonymous
| Does anyone have any info on how Holton has handled (or hasn't coped with) a girl who is very advanced in math? Examples from any age would be useful; relatively recent info, please. |
Anonymous
| LS head at a presentation for admissions this year -- at least as DH described it -- suggested that the school does not engage in advanced math ath the LS level -- or at least not as traditionally thought of advanced -- because learning core math principles thoroughly is good for all students, including the really smart ones. Have read article (or was it in "Outliers" on the same concept) ... rocket scientist commenting that it really didn't matter whether you understood a complex math theorem at age 14 or age 20 ... the important part of learning was that you have the base of knowledge to grasp it by the time you need to in engineering grad school. To that end, Holton-Arms appears to have a very advanced programs starting in LS on applied math - engineering -- building go karts that have to be able to run, building structures, etc. So much to learn from that beyond what you could get in a JHU-CTY-online math course (which you could still do anyway, if you wanted). |
Anonymous
| I know one of the LS teachers socially and she's awesome. Smart, down-to-earth, funny, really the most amazing role model you could have for your girls. Not a Holton Arms parent myself (my kids in MoCo public). |
Anonymous
| Agree with PP regarding two Holton LS teachers I know. |
Anonymous
| Holton excels at writing, math and science. The girls all turn out really smart. Graduating from there is quite an accomplishment...the work load is pretty intense. |
Anonymous
|
11:50 here. The academics were fine in MS and US. DD's strengths are in math and science, and she was well challenged, and did well.
She probably would have been happier at a school that was a little less traditional. She went to a very challenging, funky liberal arts college, met other quirky smart kids, and was much happier. |
Anonymous
| Are you talking about Swarthmore pp? |
Anonymous
Not at all! There aren't cliques at all! Can't believe that someone would say that. |
Anonymous
Seriously?? I know two families who withdrew their girls in MS and HS because of the mean girl behavior. One actually left in the middle of the year. Neither of these girls had academic issues at all. |
Anonymous
| The clique issues apparently depend on the year and mix of girls. My DD started this year. She has never been happier in her whole life. Question from me the other day -- what was the best thing that happened at school today? Answer (with an exclamation point): "EVERYTHING!" Some people may think it is most important that NCS or Sidwell or wherever gets 28.6 points more on SATs, or places 16 more people into Stanford every year, or whatever .. but I can affirmatively say that EVERYTHING that Holton has done has been first-rate. From the first-day convocation, to the way you are greeted by the LS Head at carpool, to how workers in the front office introduce themselves, to how the cafeteria staff look out for you. It is just a classy place that develops beautiful, unique and smart young women who are clearly comfortable in their own skin, equally able to recite a poem in a foreign language, dance, sing, build a go-cart, play instruments, make a unique artwork, debate, give a speech to a crowd, ask a friend for help on a project, help a younger student, knock a tennis ball or softball or hockey puck in just the right place, and dress up nicely for a fancy date. Not much more a mom of a girl these days could wish for. |
Anonymous
| You know all this after just 3 weeks? You must be very perceptive. |