Norwood, Holton or WES?

[Anonymous]

Another WES family here and a huge fan of our teachers. They're well-educated, well-trained, experienced -- and they manage to make school both fun and inspiring for my children. I could never say enough good things in particular about the elementary and all science teachers.

We weren't looking for a school to instill good values in our children (that's our job), but it has also been wonderful to see how WES reinforces the idea of doing the right thing vs the easy thing. How the school makes intellectual curiosity and rigor the goal, not a perfect transcript and a status outplacement.

This is a school of kind and joyful children, guided by thoughtful and caring teachers.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Another WES family here and a [u]huge [/u]fan of our teachers. They're well-educated, well-trained, experienced -- and they manage to make school both fun and inspiring for my children. I could never say enough good things in particular about the elementary and all science teachers.

We weren't looking for a school to instill good values in our children (that's our job), but it has also been wonderful to see how WES reinforces the idea of doing the right thing vs the easy thing. How the school makes intellectual curiosity and rigor the goal, not a perfect transcript and a status outplacement.

This is a school of kind and joyful children, guided by thoughtful and caring teachers. [/quote]

AH, another PR-type posting for WES. This is simply not true. Parents buy the hype, look around, and get out quick. Ask the Admissions office for figures on class turnover (if they will tell you - the exiting 8th grade class barely resembles itself at Pre-K). Why? There's got to be a reason. And why are the upper years so small? That alone should be setting off warning bells for you. The school's endowment and finances finances are not as strong as the other two schools mentioned so they have to take almost anything that is warm that walks in the door, and, once in, they won't counsel the "warm-bodied" one out short of killing someone. (Yes, I did have to report a pistol that was brought to school). My children were definitely not "joyful". They were run down by excessive rote memorization, the bored teachers, cliques and general nastiness of the place. I was turned off by the macho mom gossip. I was turned off by the mean girls and the violent boys. My kids are now in public and pulling straight As and HAPPY! And they look back upon their WES days with sadness and NOW tell me how depressed they were at WES. We pulled some good teachers but mostly the lemons (still there) and it made for several bitter years until we abruptly decided one day that we had just had had enough from nasty faculty to administrators who worthless. Many, many of my friends left before third grade. I only wish we had left sooner.

[Anonymous]

pp, I have to say that things at Norwood seem to be going in the same direction...poor teachers who are scared of administrators. Everyone smiles though.

[Anonymous]

Things at Norwood are not going in the same direction (and I doubt things at WES are as bad as some posters make them). In fact, things at Norwood are going in a very positive direction, with the appointment of two highly regarded lower school and middle school heads. Unless you have knowledge of the school, please do not spread falsehoods.

[Anonymous]

I know several families at WES. One thing that stands out to me about these families is that they don't just like the school, they LOVE it. I'm sure WES isn't for everyone- no school is- but not every family has a miserable experience and leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several families at WES. One thing that stands out to me about these families is that they don't just like the school, they LOVE it. I'm sure WES isn't for everyone- no school is- but not every family has a miserable experience and leaves.

while that may be true, there is no getting around the fact that enrollment in the upper grades of WES is pretty small compared to the lower grades. This has been going on for a long time. You have to ask yourself why so many families don't feel compelled to stay at WES through 8th. Norwood seems to have a better retention rate of kids though 8th grade as does Sheridan so it can't all be attributed to the fact it is a k-8. It is one of the reasons we turned down admission at WES. When we looked, so many kids especially boys leave at 3rd or 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Here is what I don't understand. Why would somebody post at 2:50 in the morning to restart a thread that had been dormant since October of 2011?

Is someone hitting the bottle before the first day of school and is mad her/his child didn't get into WES? Or something else? I do not have a child at WES, but I find these revived threads at late hours questionable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I don't understand. Why would somebody post at 2:50 in the morning to restart a thread that had been dormant since October of 2011?

Is someone hitting the bottle before the first day of school and is mad her/his child didn't get into WES? Or something else? I do not have a child at WES, but I find these revived threads at late hours questionable.

+1

[Anonymous]

Most amusing is that the best school of the three - Holton- has been dropped out of the mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things at Norwood are not going in the same direction (and I doubt things at WES are as bad as some posters make them). In fact, things at Norwood are going in a very positive direction, with the appointment of two highly regarded lower school and middle school heads. Unless you have knowledge of the school, please do not spread falsehoods.

Who are YOU talking out of both sides of your mouth? You don't want the PP discussing Norwood but, you may comment on their comments on WES? Norwood has its own critical issues so, I will vouch for the chastised PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several families at WES. One thing that stands out to me about these families is that they don't just like the school, they LOVE it. I'm sure WES isn't for everyone- no school is- but not every family has a miserable experience and leaves.

while that may be true, there is no getting around the fact that enrollment in the upper grades of WES is pretty small compared to the lower grades. This has been going on for a long time. You have to ask yourself why so many families don't feel compelled to stay at WES through 8th. Norwood seems to have a better retention rate of kids though 8th grade as does Sheridan so it can't all be attributed to the fact it is a k-8. It is one of the reasons we turned down admission at WES. When we looked, so many kids especially boys leave at 3rd or 4th grade.

I do not understand this post. There are 13-14 kids enrolled in transition (Pre-K) at WES this year. What is meant by "so many kids especially boys" leaving at 3rd or 4th grade? Compared to what grades is the enrollment in the upper grades of WES "pretty small"? TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things at Norwood are not going in the same direction (and I doubt things at WES are as bad as some posters make them). In fact, things at Norwood are going in a very positive direction, with the appointment of two highly regarded lower school and middle school heads. Unless you have knowledge of the school, please do not spread falsehoods.

The same level of enthusiasm was there when that former lower head took over...she did smile a lot and not much else.
There has been a reshuffling and some of those who departed are talking. They seem to have the same thing to say. It seems that there is strict control over everyone. Teachers are asked to consult with higher ups on everything. Keeping parents happy is most important, even if that means telling them whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things at Norwood are not going in the same direction (and I doubt things at WES are as bad as some posters make them). In fact, things at Norwood are going in a very positive direction, with the appointment of two highly regarded lower school and middle school heads. Unless you have knowledge of the school, please do not spread falsehoods.

The same level of enthusiasm was there when that former lower head took over...she did smile a lot and not much else.
There has been a reshuffling and some of those who departed are talking. They seem to have the same thing to say. It seems that there is strict control over everyone. Teachers are asked to consult with higher ups on everything. Keeping parents happy is most important, even if that means telling them whatever.

That's true. I am hopeful that the new division heads will do more than smile. I don't mind if they keep parents happy by ensuring a high standard of academic achievement, keeping teachers motivated and committed to quality instruction, and providing enriching extracurricular activities to the students. Happy to pay the tuition for that. I would not be pleased, however, if keeping parents happy is to tell them what they want to hear as opposed to what they need to hear. My sense is that Norwood is doing more of the former and less of the latter, but let's see what the new year brings. We have been at the school for several years now and what does impress me is the school's active solicitation of parental and teacher input in many of their key decisions, including the hiring of the two division heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things at Norwood are not going in the same direction (and I doubt things at WES are as bad as some posters make them). In fact, things at Norwood are going in a very positive direction, with the appointment of two highly regarded lower school and middle school heads. Unless you have knowledge of the school, please do not spread falsehoods.

The same level of enthusiasm was there when that former lower head took over...she did smile a lot and not much else.
There has been a reshuffling and some of those who departed are talking. They seem to have the same thing to say. It seems that there is strict control over everyone. Teachers are asked to consult with higher ups on everything. Keeping parents happy is most important, even if that means telling them whatever.

That's true. I am hopeful that the new division heads will do more than smile. I don't mind if they keep parents happy by ensuring a high standard of academic achievement, keeping teachers motivated and committed to quality instruction, and providing enriching extracurricular activities to the students. Happy to pay the tuition for that. I would not be pleased, however, if keeping parents happy is to tell them what they want to hear as opposed to what they need to hear. My sense is that Norwood is doing more of the former and less of the latter, but let's see what the new year brings. We have been at the school for several years now and what does impress me is the school's active solicitation of parental and teacher input in many of their key decisions, including the hiring of the two division heads.

I am not sure that this is true for all private schools, but Norwood does not take criticism well. Not even from lower staff members to higher ups. I know two teachers who don't even want to be the messenger in cases where admin. needs to know. Sort of feeling that the messenger will get shot. Yes, they involve the parents, but you have to be very careful about saying anything about standards there. If they do things a certain way, that is that.

[Anonymous]

Holton is a fantastic school. Nurturing while at the same time providing opportunities for the girls to push themselves. Academically strong. Wide range of specials, athletics, etc. All around great shool.