SSFS Will Stay Open

[Anonymous]

Leaders need to inspire confidence. Sue does not seem to do that. Not sure why new head of school was not there to inspire instead of an interim head who may have allowed more bleeding to continue.

[Anonymous]

The interim head has never inspired confidence. As far as I’m concerned she has always been another BOT fail

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did the big meeting this morning go with the adminstration?

Yes, can someone fill us in????

Unless you are a member of the community, no need to be asking. We have been through enough without the need for DCUM to say more.

Why so quiet about this particular meeting when our community already aired so much on this forum?

Bc it is a movement set to fail and even those who are in the thick of it, can see it.

[Anonymous]

Given the BOT track record of stellar hires, I wonder how good the new hos will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. The FAQ is so vague and non-committal. I don't think we can continue at SSFS. So sorry to the community.

We’re so torn. We’re trying really hard but everything the school posts just feels shallow. The FAQ is so vague and tells us nothing, just about things like birth rates and natural disasters. I realize that if we stay it’s going to be in spite of our fears not because the school is putting us at ease.

If we stay it will only be to buy us another year to go through a more thoughtful rather than rushed admission process. The school should absolutely be ashamed of how this was handled. They need to recognize how much hurt and mistrust they have caused. I appreciate what the coalition has done and have nothing but respect for their efforts but to encourage us to switch from shock and anger to gratitude and hope in just 2 weeks is completely unreasonable especially given the fact that not enough information has been forthcoming.

Someone up thread made a good point: schools are actively trying to accommodate SSFS kids right now. You may not get an opportunity like that again.

This 100%

I'm not worried about my kid getting admitted to another school. I'm much more concerned with picking the right school. This process was too rushed and too emotional. And I'm full of anger at the position SSFS has put us in. What they did and how they handled it was unconscionable. And while I appreciate what the coalition has pulled off, anyone thinking about staying would be so foolish to let the euphoria and relief that SSFS is now staying open overshadow your anger and mistrust. The school MUST feel the full weight of their betrayal to the current teachers and families and to the alumni and the SSFS legacy. Any softening of emotions will contribute to the likelihood that the coalition's efforts become merely a ban-daid. Any softening of emotions will ensure that the BOT will continue and the should NOT be allowed to continue.

I agree, the schools that are willing/able to make accommodations to accept SSFS students right now all have material flaws for our kid. They might be right for some, but we decided on SSFS because of the size, rigor, and location. None of our current options can replace SSFS in these categories. We've done all the tours, but nothing feels like it can match why we selected SSFS in the first place. I think we will be returning to public school given these choices.

[Anonymous]

SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

The lack of confidence is what makes the bleeding continue. School really needs to help allay concerns. I would re enroll DC who is in US in a heartbeat if I knew he could actually graduate from high school there. I don’t want to be stuck looking for a school next year. Most schools won’t even allow senior year transfers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

Does SSSS = SSFS? And is this information from the meeting? Some of us were unable to attend and there is no recording of it posted online, which SSFS usually (but not always) does...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

The lack of confidence is what makes the bleeding continue. School really needs to help allay concerns. I would re enroll DC who is in US in a heartbeat if I knew he could actually graduate from high school there. I don’t want to be stuck looking for a school next year. Most schools won’t even allow senior year transfers.

Oh come on, re-enrollment has been open for three business days. Before the closure notice there were around 500 students enrolled for next year. 275 is a very conservative and extremely doable number. The love that members of the community have for this school is pretty incredible. It’s a truly special place.

[Anonymous]

The number reported at the meeting yesterday was 110. The number they hope to get to is 275.

It was a talk to text error. SSFS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

The lack of confidence is what makes the bleeding continue. School really needs to help allay concerns. I would re enroll DC who is in US in a heartbeat if I knew he could actually graduate from high school there. I don’t want to be stuck looking for a school next year. Most schools won’t even allow senior year transfers.

Oh come on, re-enrollment has been open for three business days. Before the closure notice there were around 500 students enrolled for next year. 275 is a very conservative and extremely doable number. The love that members of the community have for this school is pretty incredible. It’s a truly special place.

Before the closure, only 34 students were enrolled for 9th grade which is a big entry year. I know of at least 4 rising 9th grade students who are not returning since the closure. Therefore, less than 30 students will be enrolled next year for 9th grade (again a point at which you expect and want enrollment to jump) and quite possibly significantly less. I'm not saying that 275 isn't doable but I beg to differ about it being conservative at this point. And yes, the love for this school is incredible even by those who feel compelled to leave. There comes a point where allowing hope to overshadow reality becomes dangerous. The significant drop in enrollment for next year means the student experience at SSFS will be much different. It can still be a great experience but it most certainly will be different. That reality is important to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The number reported at the meeting yesterday was 110. The number they hope to get to is 275.

It was a talk to text error. SSFS

Thank you! And to be clear -- that is for the US, or the whole school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number reported at the meeting yesterday was 110. The number they hope to get to is 275.

It was a talk to text error. SSFS

Thank you! And to be clear -- that is for the US, or the whole school?

Whole school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number reported at the meeting yesterday was 110. The number they hope to get to is 275.

It was a talk to text error. SSFS

Thank you! And to be clear -- that is for the US, or the whole school?

Whole school

Is there any news about how those kids are distributed across the grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSSS currently has 110 students enrolled for next year. They hope/expect 275 students. What a fall. Tell me where they are going to find those extra students? The bleeding continues and the writing is on the wall people. I do not see a way forward for the school to stay open past next year if they have really made the commitment to stay open.

The lack of confidence is what makes the bleeding continue. School really needs to help allay concerns. I would re enroll DC who is in US in a heartbeat if I knew he could actually graduate from high school there. I don’t want to be stuck looking for a school next year. Most schools won’t even allow senior year transfers.

Oh come on, re-enrollment has been open for three business days. Before the closure notice there were around 500 students enrolled for next year. 275 is a very conservative and extremely doable number. The love that members of the community have for this school is pretty incredible. It’s a truly special place.

Besides being a special place for some, I have to imagine geography and affordability coupled with hope and inertia are going to bring a bunch of families back.
But the events of the last few weeks will still be a dark cloud hanging over the school and effecting enrollment for a long time if it recovers enough to be viable beyond one to three years.