Schools with Nice Kids

[Anonymous]

And I'd question whether Burgundy is second-rate. Many graduates this year were accepted to Maret, Sidwell, Potomac, and GDS, among others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I'd question whether Burgundy is second-rate. Many graduates this year were accepted to Maret, Sidwell, Potomac, and GDS, among others.

And my question is this: when those "nice" Burgundy kids go off to those "mean" top rate schools like Potomac, what happens? Those Burgundy parents must not be "nice" if they're then sending off their "nice" kids to those "mean" schools.

[Anonymous]

What's the point of this thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the point of this thread?

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy is a good example - parents rarely say we love it for the academics - it is not known as a type-A/pressure cooker school (thankfully), and they accept all sorts of kids (even some with special needs) that may not get accepted other places. Even so, it is first choice for many parents and they choose it for the community and yes, the nice kids.

[Anonymous]

Note: Burgundy Farm does not have a program to support special needs kids. Children receive individual attention, and a range in types of talent and ability are appreciated. There is no special education staff; if that is a child's need you will have to look elsewhere for that. Burgundy Farm has a program to support experiential learning and diverse talents, and yes, thinking about the effects of one's actions on others (which could be part of "nice").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience has been that schools most often described as having "nice kids" are the schools where the kids were rejected everywhere else - sorry. If parents start off saying that the kids are nice (and not the school is great -we LOVE IT) consider 'nice" to be the codeword for second rate (but not public....).

My thought, too.

My daughter's at NCS. Rarely am I met with that's great she's at NCS. I always get "she must be a type A personality" or they pause and say, "oh."

Not sure I get what you're saying. That the girls aren't particularly nice, but you don't care because the academics are great? Or something else.
I'm not being snarky...I'm truly curious whether the "mean girls" rap has some truth to it, or if it's just a place where smart girls work really hard. What's your experience?

[Anonymous]

OP, even the nicest kids can act mean if they are in a social situation that allows or encourages bullying. (If there's anything we learned from Nazi Germany, it's that good people can go along with a lot of evil if it's built into the social structure around them.) What you need to do is look at the school policy for dealing with bullies. The institutional response is more important than the kinds of kids who go there because the institution sets the norms for what will be tolerated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I actually understand and agree with the OP, despite the snark of the "well-educated" thread. OP probably, like me, wants to raise a good kid. If you send your child to school with a bunch of entitled and arrogant kids, your own child is going to find it hard not to pick those attitudes, no matter what you do at home. Some of that entitlement will rub off on your kid.

Indeed, if the school to which you send your kids has an overwhelming number of entitled and arrogant kids. But I have found (with children in schools apparently famous on DCUM for entitlement and arrogance) that a good number of kids are nice. Down to earth parents, respectful kids. Not all of course, but a lot. So I question whether my kids are doomed to pick up those attitudes. I certainly don't see them headed that way.

And the same entitled arrogant kids can populate some of the "nice kid"schools. Are they going to rub off on all the other students there too? Is it a majority that determines it? From my standpoint, the home is what determines what attitude a kid sports. As long as they get niceness at home (and have at least the choice of some friends who are nice), I have hopes that we're okay.

I'm the PP who mentioned this. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. However, I think just from what I've seen as a psychologist in this area, there's a pecking order in regard to schools. DC-area parents view certain schools as top tier, others as second tier, and others as still lower tier. Public schools fall into the latter group unless they're top-notch publics like Whitman or TJ. The parents communicate these attitudes to their kids, who in turn communicate it to those around them. I've seen it a lot. JMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience has been that schools most often described as having "nice kids" are the schools where the kids were rejected everywhere else - sorry. If parents start off saying that the kids are nice (and not the school is great -we LOVE IT) consider 'nice" to be the codeword for second rate (but not public....).

My thought, too.

My daughter's at NCS. Rarely am I met with that's great she's at NCS. I always get "she must be a type A personality" or they pause and say, "oh."

Not sure I get what you're saying. That the girls aren't particularly nice, but you don't care because the academics are great? Or something else.
I'm not being snarky...I'm truly curious whether the "mean girls" rap has some truth to it, or if it's just a place where smart girls work really hard. What's your experience?

I've met nothing but nice, hard-working girls. My daughter is a driven, sweetie, doubtful she would ever allow anyone to push her around. I suppose there are some girls at NCS who could be described as mean and backstabbing, but isn't this true at most schools?

NCS girls overall have a reputation for being mean, so far from the truth.

[Anonymous]

NCS will always have the reputation of having "mean girls" on this board but I can honestly say it couldn't be farther from the truth. Our former school had so many more clique/meanness/$ issues between the girls--we have seen absolutely zero at NCS. Really nice, down-to-earth kids and parents...

[Anonymous]

My children are at Bullis and the kids in all divisions (lower, middle and upper) are nice and well-rounded. The faculty sets a wonderful example and the school brings out the best in all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Note: Burgundy Farm does not have a program to support special needs kids. Children receive individual attention, and a range in types of talent and ability are appreciated. There is no special education staff; if that is a child's need you will have to look elsewhere for that. Burgundy Farm has a program to support experiential learning and diverse talents, and yes, thinking about the effects of one's actions on others (which could be part of "nice").

It depends on the 'need'. (in a sense, EVERY child has a special need) Burgundy supports kids with different learning styles and needs. Special needs kids is a very broad term. Don't be offended if your kid attends a school that welcomes kids who learn differently. Embrace that environment, because it is rare and a gem.

[Anonymous]

I'm the original poster about the "special need" acceptance at Burgundy and I apologize if I misused the term. What I was alluding to is exactly what the poster above said. Burgundy sees beyond a 4 year old that has not mastered using scissors or who may be curious and squirmy. They see a childs potential and are not afraid to embrace them. Some schools are so in the box that they cannot get beyond the little stuff that is absolutely normal developmentally. Hope that helps to clarify my post.

[Anonymous]

This is one of the weirdest posts I've ever seen on this forum.

like saying - "I'm planning to move. Where do all of the nice people live in Chevy Chase?"

just weird