The Langley School vs. Green Hedges

[Anonymous]

I'm the 13:41 Langley parent. We are very happy here. The teachers are wonderful - my kids are happy. The arts center, playground and library castle room are my kid's favorite places. My kids are proud of showing me their rooms. Parents go on field trips and help at parties, come in to read books or do a craft. Everyone knows my kids' names. We go to a lot of events there, from the Fall Fair to lectures to the Middle School Play. There are coffee hours with the lower school heads and with the Head of School. Its very parent-centric, and parents are involved regularly, which means quite a bit of a time committment occassionally, but the kids love that you are a part of their community. Negatives are the expense, a few parents who annoy me, and the further distance of some kids for playdates, especially as compared with the public school kids who live a couple blocks away.

On the distance note, one of my kid's friends lives in DC. Very few do. However, parents are willing to drive for birthday parties and playdates, and there is always the option of meeting at the school to trade kids. And there are kids who live in Ashburn, Burke, Alexandria. People live there and make it work, and seem to have friends and participate in activities, so if you think you can handle the driving, then you won't be alone. I like that its not as high-pressure of a place as, say, Sidwell. If the President's kids were in my child's class, I might freak out. There are a couple semi-famous people, but they seem to blend in, with no secret service required to the best of my knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much PP (Langley owes you!) As a Vienna resident, I am especially interested in your comments about distance. A friend whose children attend a private school outside of her community warns that it is much more challenging to build and maintain close friendships. She makes the effort to drive for playdates and birthday parties, but it is just natural for children who live in close-together neighborhoods to get-together, bond, etc. Also, even though there is not a huge difference in tuition and I'm sure that the Langley families are very welcoming, I also wonder if our "old cars, no vacations," middle-class family might feel like we fit in a bit more at Green Hedges?

[Anonymous]

General Langley comments from a dad with three kids there:
1. Academics are very solid. Our litmus test is how well our two older kids have done on SSAT testing and the favorable independent school acceptances our 8th grader has secured
2. Teachers are caring, interested, and engaged. The school is of the right size that they would be unable to hide if they weren't. I have found the teachers and administration quite approachable and responsive.
3. Parents are highly involved. You must participate and be active in school events, social events to a lesser degree (there are an abundance of these). If you don't plan to be highly active with the school, this is not the right place for you.
4. Very high marks on the use of technology throughout the curriculum. They are recognized among peer schools as a leader in this regard, with many schools coming in to learn what Langley does in this regard.
5. Continuing investment in facilities and programs. The school is gaining momentum in this regard, with increased popularity. Examples are investment in the school gymnasium and turf athletic fields and the new arts center.
6. It is a nurturing environment. Very caring and developmental. On the other hand, if you have boys, it is very much a girls/orientation curriculum. Not being able to play tag, and other similar restrictions, doesn't sit well with me for boys.
7. Parents are generally friendly and approachable. There is a set of people that take themselves very seriously, but I don't believe this is any different than any other independent school, and probably less so.
8. If athletics are of interest to you, they have very active program and success against the schools of their own conference. However, this is all relative. Compared to more athletically focused schools like a Landon, it is a joke. If athletics aren't at the top of your list, you will find the school's offerings and success quite good.

Like any school Langley has its issues. But overall balance, we have found it outstanding. The proof is in the final production and the kind of schools our oldest son is getting into.

[Anonymous]

thanks 11:31....not trying to pin you down on where your boys went after Langley but can you say in general how many out of the graduating class get into St. Albans, Landon, Georgetown Prep, Maret, or GDS? Is it just a few? If a few is it b/c that is sort the limit for Langley to get kids in those schools or is it b/c so many go on public high school? Since you went the private route did you feel you were well supported and aided in exmissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thanks 11:31....not trying to pin you down on where your boys went after Langley but can you say in general how many out of the graduating class get into St. Albans, Landon, Georgetown Prep, Maret, or GDS? Is it just a few? If a few is it b/c that is sort the limit for Langley to get kids in those schools or is it b/c so many go on public high school? Since you went the private route did you feel you were well supported and aided in exmissions?

I've got one boy coming out of 8th grade this year. Two other kids still there. This class (around 36 I believe) is the last graduating class of that size. Due to previous expansion, starting next year the class size goes up to 54 or so.

I can speak mostly of the boys this year. A small handful are going on to public school (Langley and McLean). The vast majority are going on to private school. There have been multiple acceptances in a number of cases with final decsions still being made. I know that acceptances have included St. Albans, Maret, Georgetown Prep, Landon, GDS, Sidwell, Potomac, Gonzaga, Flint Hill. There are others I'm sure but this representation on based on boys in my son's circle. I'm just starting to hear about the girls and I know there have been mutiple accetpances at Madeira and NCS.

There is is no real limit on how many can go somewhere. I don't view Langley is considered to be a feeder school anywhere in particular. However, I know that the guidance folks work to get the kids to prioritze their choices. This allows them to be credible with the admissions folks (they proactively go out and meet with each school to further the cause of the kids). They do a very good job of this.

[Anonymous]

Can someone speak about Langley's discipline style? A friend told me that she knew of a young girl in JK that was asked to leave the school because the school could not handle her disability. This took place about two years ago. She apparently had something similar to autism. How does Langley handle children with special needs?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I live in Vienna and just started sending our son to Langley this year. We picked Langley over Green Hedges because we wanted a more structured learning environment for him in the higher grades than could be provide by Montessori. We thought Langley would be a better fit. If your child would do better with Montessori than Green Hedges would be better.

Langley is a fantastic school. They have high standards but work with the students to make sure they can achieve those standards. My son loves going to school there and thinks his teachers are great. It is not about bell and whistles but it is about having a nurturing environment that motivates your child to learn. If my son continues to have the great teachers and friends he has made this year I would not care if he was learning in hut, though it is nicer to have sunny spacious buildings.

The commute is usually 15-20 minutes one way. There are different routes you can take. Idylwood to Great Fall street works well in going in the morning then 123 back. Afternoons is a combination of 123/beltway/ or Idylwood depending on traffic. Sometime traffic does make the commute into 30 minutes in the afternoon but that is rare.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that Green Hedges has a montessori curriculum through K only, but I can see how Langley might be a more structured learning environment. Thanks so much -- to all the Langley posters -- for the generous and helpful information.