St Andelm's Abbey

[Anonymous]

One of my sons went to SAAS and my other son has many friends there. It is a great school for the right kid, but it is not for everyone. The academics are excellent. The student body is generally introverted and nerdy. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but just be aware that a very outgoing personality can find the atmosphere a bit stultifying because so many of the boys are introverts.

[Anonymous]

One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

Is this a school for smart and quirky boys mostly then? Hmm...

[Anonymous]

Would the school be too much for ADHD kids?

[Anonymous]

My son is in middle school there and definitely NOT introverted (or even quirky). He's very smart and curious but not at all a nerd (not overly interested in academics). He's doing GREAT at SAAS. The classes are rigorous and challenging but he keeps up with the work and is very successful. There is a lot of play and fun throughout the day- a wonderful approach to teaching boys. The school encourages kindness and respect among students and between teachers and students. I also appreciate their approach to discipline which is firm but very gentle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would the school be too much for ADHD kids?

Depends on how the ADHD manifests. I'm certain there are some ADHD kids there, but can't say whether they're 'successful' or not. Takes a good bit of self-organization, but there's lots of movement throughout the day, so that may keep the attention focused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

Is this a school for smart and quirky boys mostly then? Hmm...

It's already been stated, by the time you posted, that the entrance requirements allow for only smart students. So yes, it is a school for smart boys.

(PP talking about a kid who isn't her own has no idea how he tests, what his entrance score was, or what his written analysis looks like in class, so she's not really in a position to make pronouncements IMO).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

PP, you sound like a complete jerk. I feel bad for the person you call your best friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is in middle school there and definitely NOT introverted (or even quirky). He's very smart and curious but not at all a nerd (not overly interested in academics). He's doing GREAT at SAAS. The classes are rigorous and challenging but he keeps up with the work and is very successful. There is a lot of play and fun throughout the day- a wonderful approach to teaching boys. The school encourages kindness and respect among students and between teachers and students. I also appreciate their approach to discipline which is firm but very gentle.

This is heartening. My son sounds very similar to yours. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

PP, you sound like a complete jerk. I feel bad for the person you call your best friend.

huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my best friend's kids goes there for middle school.
He's bright and a decent student but not brilliant by any means. He's not a self-motivator so he does well in a school that demands a lot because he's good at doing what's expected of him but isn't going to initiate beyond what is required.

He's a quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world. Quiet, introverted, needs a lot of down time at home.

PP, you sound like a complete jerk. I feel bad for the person you call your best friend.

huh?

Do I need to spell it out for you?

"not brilliant by any means"
"not a self motivator"
"quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world"
"quiet, introverted, needs a lot of downtime"

If you were my friend and described my son like this, I would smack you.

[Anonymous]

Not op, but we, too, are looking ahead to schools to visit this fall for our rising 5th grader (so we'd be applying for 6th grade entry). We are jewish and while I appreciate the inclusive nature of SAAS, I don't think we'd feel comfortable sending our son to a catholic high school (I went on the website and was not even sure what benedictine meant ). But otherwise, this school sounds fantastic and a great fit for our son. Are there any non-religious schools that have a number of similarities? Our son loves debating and discussing, is a voracious reader of history, ancient and more recent, and recently asked me if he could take latin! (I checked, and it is not offered in our mcps middle school) He also loves sports but is not very athletic and so plays everything at a "rec" level (but with passion). As someone else described another child in this thread, my son needs structure and high expectations, because he otherwise coasts unless he is personally interested in the subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do I need to spell it out for you?

"not brilliant by any means"
"not a self motivator"
"quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world"
"quiet, introverted, needs a lot of downtime"

If you were my friend and described my son like this, I would smack you.

I think that says more about you than about the poster who described her friend's kid. Those aren't insults. They may not be what you aspire to for your son (in which case I hope for his sake he measures up, because you don't seem to appreciate all personality types), but bright, nonmacho introverts are delightful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Do I need to spell it out for you?

"not brilliant by any means"
"not a self motivator"
"quirky kid and an athlete but never quite fit in the macho athletic world"
"quiet, introverted, needs a lot of downtime"

If you were my friend and described my son like this, I would smack you.

I think that says more about you than about the poster who described her friend's kid. Those aren't insults. They may not be what you aspire to for your son (in which case I hope for his sake he measures up, because you don't seem to appreciate all personality types), but bright, nonmacho introverts are delightful.

+1

And I had really hoped we could get through this thread without seeing the word "quirky." Which means nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not op, but we, too, are looking ahead to schools to visit this fall for our rising 5th grader (so we'd be applying for 6th grade entry). We are jewish and while I appreciate the inclusive nature of SAAS, I don't think we'd feel comfortable sending our son to a catholic high school (I went on the website and was not even sure what benedictine meant ). But otherwise, this school sounds fantastic and a great fit for our son. Are there any non-religious schools that have a number of similarities? Our son loves debating and discussing, is a voracious reader of history, ancient and more recent, and recently asked me if he could take latin! (I checked, and it is not offered in our mcps middle school) He also loves sports but is not very athletic and so plays everything at a "rec" level (but with passion). As someone else described another child in this thread, my son needs structure and high expectations, because he otherwise coasts unless he is personally interested in the subject.

My friends Buddhist son loves SAAS fwiw.

Maybe Burke?