Kid needs lots of structure..which school for middle school

[Anonymous]

I have a dc in 6th grade at a local private and I think more structure is needed. Which school provide the most structure?

[Anonymous]

I would consider one of the single-sex schools like St. Albans, Landon, NCS, Holton. They seem more structured.

[Anonymous]

McLean.

[Anonymous]

I think there are two kinds of "needs structure" kids.

There are kids who do well in environments which are quiet, and orderly and predictable, and offer a traditional curriculum, perhaps with kids sitting in rows, and learning by reading and writing and taking notes. For that kind of kid, I think of Catholic schools, K-8's or someplace like Stone Ridge or St. Anselm's. For a boy, I think St. Alban's falls into this category.

I think there are other kids who are disorganized and distractible, and need structure to reign them in, but also need instruction that's more multisensory and hands on and engaging. For those kids, Bullis, McLean, and sometimes Field can be good options.

Which kind of kid do you have?

[Anonymous]

PP put it well but put another way, STA, St A, catholic schools for kids who need structure

And

McLean, etc for those who need structure due to ADHD and other issues.

[Anonymous]

With regard to The McLean School, we had a great run there for middle school, but they are picky about who they take and they do cater to helping kids with minor cases of ADHD, hearing problems, dyslexia, but not kids with behavior problems. In fact, the one time my son was bullied, the bully was out of the school the next day. About 50% of the student body were kids who had minor attention issues - the remaining 50% were siblings who had no issues whatsoever - the parents were just so impressed with the teaching that they had all their kids attend. And in all my years there, I rarely knew which kids had "issues" and which did not. But it is expensive. Also McLean's head is retiring AND they are searching for a new middle school head. But definitely worth a look. Very small classes. XLNT computer lab. Great teachers. And a very affirming environment (almost too much- some parents complain that just showing up shouldn't get you an attendance award - but you can't please everyone)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are two kinds of "needs structure" kids.

There are kids who do well in environments which are quiet, and orderly and predictable, and offer a traditional curriculum, perhaps with kids sitting in rows, and learning by reading and writing and taking notes. For that kind of kid, I think of Catholic schools, K-8's or someplace like Stone Ridge or St. Anselm's. For a boy, I think St. Alban's falls into this category.

I think there are other kids who are disorganized and distractible, and need structure to reign them in, but also need instruction that's more multisensory and hands on and engaging. For those kids, Bullis, McLean, and sometimes Field can be good options.

Which kind of kid do you have?

OP here, ouch I think he is both. Hence my dilemma. But thanks for your response. We are really trying to evaluate what the problem is we are trying to fix. If some of the issue is immaturity then time will fix that.

[Anonymous]

I'd also look at Landon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With regard to The McLean School, we had a great run there for middle school, but they are picky about who they take and they do cater to helping kids with minor cases of ADHD, hearing problems, dyslexia, but not kids with behavior problems. In fact, the one time my son was bullied, the bully was out of the school the next day. About 50% of the student body were kids who had minor attention issues - the remaining 50% were siblings who had no issues whatsoever - the parents were just so impressed with the teaching that they had all their kids attend. And in all my years there, I rarely knew which kids had "issues" and which did not. But it is expensive. Also McLean's head is retiring AND they are searching for a new middle school head. But definitely worth a look. Very small classes. XLNT computer lab. Great teachers. And a very affirming environment (almost too much- some parents complain that just showing up shouldn't get you an attendance award - but you can't please everyone)

Not sure when you were last there but we were so not impressed with the teachers or the academics at Mclean. Not at all challenging and when we switched back to public, DC was at a distinct disadvantage. Lots of families have left Mclean in recent years due to poor teaching, bullying, and too small a social scene. Many schools now have programs in place to help kids with learning issues. These include:

Bullis (3-12)
Landon (3-12)
Field (6th)
Sandy Spring (k-12)
Good Counsel (hs ONLY)
St. John's (HS only)

Bullis just started a learning center in their library where kids can go and get one on one help. Landon has also instituted a learning center for kids with learning issues and ADHD. Accommodations such as extra test time and using a computer for class are also available. We found that the social piece is as important as the learning piece. If the social piece is not working, the academic piece will be difficult.

You need to look at each environment and see where your child will do best. So many schools recognize that many kids have learning issues and will work with families to accommodate those needs.

If your needs are more severe, then you need to look at:

Lab
Auburn
Kingsbury

You might want to contact an educational consultant that works with families such as yours. Stixrud is a one place a lot of people in your situation use.

http://stixrud.com/services/educational-consulting-group/


Good Luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there are two kinds of "needs structure" kids.

There are kids who do well in environments which are quiet, and orderly and predictable, and offer a traditional curriculum, perhaps with kids sitting in rows, and learning by reading and writing and taking notes. For that kind of kid, I think of Catholic schools, K-8's or someplace like Stone Ridge or St. Anselm's. For a boy, I think St. Alban's falls into this category.

I think there are other kids who are disorganized and distractible, and need structure to reign them in, but also need instruction that's more multisensory and hands on and engaging. For those kids, Bullis, McLean, and sometimes Field can be good options.

Which kind of kid do you have?

OP here, ouch I think he is both. Hence my dilemma. But thanks for your response. We are really trying to evaluate what the problem is we are trying to fix. If some of the issue is immaturity then time will fix that.

Oooooh, I didn't mean for that to be "ouch"! I think both kinds of kids are wonderful, and I say that as someone with a kid who straddles the gap. My kid does best when he knows exactly what's expected of him, which the more traditional schools tend to do. He's eager to please and happy to aim for high grades, but not intrinsically motivated to learn algebraic equations or write book reviews, so when the teacher says "3 pages, double spaced, I'm checking for grammar, use this graphic organizer" he does great but when his "progressive" elementary school asked him to design his own project he designed one that involved the least possible work, learning or rigor. In that sense, I think he'd be well served by some place like St. Alban's or St. Anselm's.

On the other hand, he's definitely a hands on learner. This year his English teacher likes to lecture with a powerpoint, and I think he gets about 1/2 of what is covered in class. On the other hand, his science teacher had them use the comuter to research the climate of a region, as well as environmental technologies that work well in that climate, and then design a "green" home and a brochure selling the home. He came home able to tell me in detail why there's heat deep underground in Fairbanks, Alaska and how he was going to use that heat to heat his home.

Finally, as a kid who may never love school, he needs someplace that offers something "else" to get him engaged, such as sports or arts or ideally both. It's easier to get excited at school if you know you'll get something you love along the way.

If money weren't part of the picture I think I'd choose Bullis or Sandy Springs Friends for him. Possibly also St. Andrew's although we never managed to tour. For High School I'd add St. John's to that list. Money is a factor so we went with MCPS for middle and it turned out to be a pretty good fit, although I think he'd have gotten more individualized attention at Bullis, and I wish MCPS had more middle school sports.

[Anonymous]

I'm the first poster who brought up McLean and i urge you to look at it. It is highly individualized. We've been very happy there and from what I've heard about the search for a new head, it will only be good for the school.

There is an anti-McLean poster who comes on board anytime the school is mentioned to bad mouth it. I agree with the PP who pointed out that a child who bullied was kicked out immediately. My DS is an unusual kid and has never been bullied there. He is also extremely bright -- was reading fluently even before kindergarten -- and he has been challenged. It is true that it is a very small school, I think thats the biggest issue. But you can't beat it for structure and attention and we've found a lovely, nurturing attitude.

Families do come and go, mostly because they feel their child no longer needs the extra structure. It has more "public school" families than most privates -- families who wold prefer to send their child to public if it would work, and switch over when it does. My DS will probably be a lifer because its working so well for him. I also know of two families who left and returned because it was so much better for their kids than public school.

Take a look and decide for yourself. Like all schools, it isn't for every child but if its the right place for yours, it can really be magic.

[Anonymous]

This article may be of interest to you



St ANdrews praised for innovative educational approach

(article in potomac almanac)

By Marilyn Campbell
The Almanac
A
national education expert recently recognized a Potomac school
for its innovative approach to teaching students.
Author, researcher and education blogger Grant Lichtman visited St. Andrew’s Episcopal
School’s Center for
Transformative
Teaching and
Learning (CTTL)
earlier this month
as part of a national tour of
schools in search of
cutting-edge approaches to education.
Glenn Whitman,
dean of studies and
CTTL’s director,
said CTTL, which is partnered with
Johns Hopkins University’s
neuroeducation program, is the
research and development arm of
St. Andrews: “The center’s focus
is on bringing the most current
research on educational neuroscience — which is cognitive science, developmental psychology
and education — to each of our
teachers.
“Our teachers are thinking about
the brain and the mind of each student as they design their classes
and develop their lessons for the
whole class,” he added.
Teachers at St. Andrew’s also
have on-going dialogues with students about who they are as learners: “We ask students all the time
‘How are you going to approach
this test or this research paper?’”
he said. “Some of our best examples come around helping kids
develop appropriate study strategies for the various types of assessments we give.” Teachers say the
approach is making a difference.
“It sounds really obvious, but
students aren’t learning if I am not
teaching the way
their brains work,”
said history teacher
Amanda Freeman.
“We learn more about
how they learn,
what’s successful and
what study strategies
they put in place.
One of the things I’ve
… started doing is
taking walks with my
students. We’ll go on
a short walk and it’s
amazing how they come back refreshed and ready to learn.”
Susheela Robinson, head of English at St. Andrew’s, added:
“Wherever I look, I see innovative
teaching. … Just this week … I
witnessed teenage boys wearing
suits because they were running a
‘town hall’ meeting, and they took
it very seriously. In another room,
students are Skyping grandparents
in Lebanon for a health project.
“[I]n 7th grade English, we reexamine the structure and purpose
of a well-written paragraph: Many
of my students are gifted with expressive language, and they inherently know how sentences need to
flow together, but purposeful atSt. Andrew’s Praised for Innovative Educational Approach
National education writer and researcher highlights
Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.
“We very deliberately think about
the social and emotional aspects of
learning. We talk to the students a
lot about who they are as learners.”
— Glenn Whitman, director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning at St. Andrew’s
Episcopal School in Potomac.
tention to each part of a paragraph
— from the topic sentence, to examples for support, to a closing
line or clincher, is important to
all.” According to Whitman, CTTL
continues to re-evaluate itself and
regularly updates teachers on the
most current research and ideas
about educational neuroscience.
“Our work targets enhancing the
instructional practice of great
teachers to make them exceptional
teachers using brain research,” he
said, “but the true beneficiaries of
the work are our students.inn

[Anonymous]

wIS

[Anonymous]

homeschool

[Anonymous]

We like Flint Hill School, but you sound like you are in MD. Green Acres, Rockville; Evergreen (? not sure exact name, but have friends who loved it) in Kensington, MD