Norwood v public (Seven Locks for Example)

[Anonymous]

Any views on this decision if you had to make it in the past? Can you help me with what was the tipping point for you (for either public or Norwood)? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

We are at Norwood, and absolutely love it. I can say that your public school is good. Check your class size this year, if it is big, then go with Norwood.

[Anonymous]

Different Norwood parent here. I would also look at the curriculum/schedule/extras. Norwood kindergarteners have music and PE four times a week, Spanish twice a week, and a fabulous art studio/program. The school offers instruction in piano and string instruments, which is increasingly rare. They have drop-in and regular aftercare and enrichment classes (cooking, chess, dance, martial arts, etc.). These factors all weighed quite heavily in our decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any views on this decision if you had to make it in the past? Can you help me with what was the tipping point for you (for either public or Norwood)? Thank you.

Norwood was not our first choice. But we wanted to get on the private school track, and firmly believe it is better on many different levels to get started earlier rather than later. We have an excellent public elementary school, and a very good middle school. I have no doubt DC would have done well at both. But for us, the goal is a top notch private school high school. Norwood may allow us to get into STA or Landon. Having gone public would have made this goal more elusive. So, as some have said in the past, we chose Norwood as a place holder for a future private high school, though with Norwood, it's much more risky than say choosing Maret or GDS or even Beauvoir early.

[Anonymous]

I chose Norwood because thay are about the only school in MC (IMO) that is so complete. Every aspect of a child's developmental, emotional, and academic development is covered. I would not necessarily get that in public school. I have said before, it is one stop shopping.

[Anonymous]

We live in MD. We got shut out of the Beauvoir/Sidwell/Maret sweepstakes. My DH is convinced it's because we live in MD and those schools tilt toward DC residents. It came down to WES and Norwood. Norwood has a much prettier campus, and it slightly closer to our home, so that sealed the deal for me. My DH is still smarting over not getting into the so-called elites, so he has not yet engaged himself in the life at Norwood, but that's bound to change sometime soon. As for public v. Norwood, I'm sure we would have been perfectly fine and happy on the public track. But my DH insisted on a private school track for DCs. He comes from a blue collar background (wealthy, but still decidedly blue collar), who must sound like an elitist jerk, but is really just convinced the private school world will provide a network of opportunities to DCs that were never available to him.

[Anonymous]

My child just started at an elite school that goes through 12th grade. At least half the class came from public school.

[Anonymous]

Norwood has academic diversity which was actually a plus for us. I did not want a school filled with 99% WPPSI kids. That said, I find the Norwood families are trying too hard to be elite. It comes off as a bit awkward.

[Anonymous]

There is definitely a chip on the shoulder - didn't get into Beauvoir/Sidwell, but we're as smart, powerful, and preppy as they are. It wears off after the first year, when everyone figures out that second choice or not, it's a wonderful place. It picks up again around 6th grade, when the in-fighting starts, and everyone starts eyeing one another as competition to get into STA/NCS or Landon/Holton.

If you haven't jumped on the private school train, don't. It's all about pain, suffering, and ulcers. I wish I had known that 7 years ago.