Auburn -- Herndon campus v. SS and Baltimore

[Anonymous]

Interested in Auburn for next year for my dc. SS is closest but I have heard from friends that the space is less than ideal (e.g., no gym). From the website it looks like Herndon does have a gym. Is anyone familiar with all 3 campuses and can comment as to the pros and cons of each. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I have a child at Herndon. I haven't visited the other campuses, but can confirm that Herndon does have a gym and an outdoor playground. It also adjoins a wetlands with a boardwalk that is used for outdoor activities.

[Anonymous]

Hi -- I have a child in her 2nd year at the Silver Spring campus, and to be honest it never occured to me to think that there's anything lacking with the space. They have a big outdoor playground, with a field & basketball courts. You're correct that there's no gym. but there's a large open room downstairs that they use for physical activities when they can't be outside. However, unlike Herndon, it doesn't have the immediate access to a natural area -- it's just off the Beltway -- so the kids' direct/ outdoor nature experiences are limited to planting a garden & their field trips. I know that's not ideal, but for us at least it's an acceptable trade-off given the location.

I haven't visited either the Herndon or Towson sites, though, so I really can't comment on either of those.

I hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

I don't know where you live, it may be that you're someplace where both SS and Herndon are a hike, but I wouldn't put my child through a couple of hours in the car each day in order to have access to a gym. If I thought my child did better with regular exercise, I'd take that time and money spent on gas, and find something to do afterschool in the winter that fufilled that need. If you're in Silver Spring (or even just picking up in SS after school) you could look at the special needs gymnastics classes at Silver Stars.

To be clear, I'd be willing to drive to Herndon if it was the only school that I felt suited my child, but if my child was offered a space or seemed a match for both SS and Herndon, I would choose based on commute and not the physical plant.