Elementary Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best private schools in the DMV for academics:

1) Sidwell: K-12 Coed
2) Cathedral schools: (Beauvoir for elementary coed, NCS 4th-12th girls only, St Albans 4th-12th boys only)
3) GDS: K-12 Coed (most liberal/alternative with strong academics)

Probably in this order.

These 3 if you are looking for the strongest academics… otherwise there are many other good schools that are less intense.

GDS starts PreK but does expand in K

Intense?! Do not conflate an academic upper school perceived reputation with how that same place may run its lower school.

GdS and Beauvoir are quite play based in Pk-3. No graded word, no grades, no testing. GdS doesn’t even having reading groups in K, they wait until 1st, and even then nothing level appropriate comes home from class or library. It also has massively changed its student/teacher ratio with the new building change. It went from 2 teachers and 20-22 students to 1 teacher and 15-19 students per homeroom. They say specialists come in to help but that never happened unless you kid has a Dx and pullout.

Ok, you are right. My kids are at BVR and it’s not super academic either. I guess I meant that those schools become very academic in middle school. So if OP Is planning to stay in DC, I would choose one of those schools for academics.

Is it true that there are no grades and/or tests at BVR from K through 3?

No grades, but kids take the ERB at least twice

What testing does GDS do in lower school and how are those results in the Fall and Spring? Everybody happy with the learning and teaching?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best private schools in the DMV for academics:

1) Sidwell: K-12 Coed
2) Cathedral schools: (Beauvoir for elementary coed, NCS 4th-12th girls only, St Albans 4th-12th boys only)
3) GDS: K-12 Coed (most liberal/alternative with strong academics)

Probably in this order.

These 3 if you are looking for the strongest academics… otherwise there are many other good schools that are less intense.

OP: Can someone provide a similar list but with only lower school/elementary schools? No K-12s?

Beauvoir is Pk-3rd
NPS
Sheridan
WES

Is NPS more “academic” than BVR or GDS for the early years (pre k to 3)? How well prepared are the NPS kids typically?

[Anonymous]

Probably. Any k-2/3/6/8 school that needs to outplace competitive grads to more private or public schools likely has better and more focused parent/teacher feedback, IDs struggling students better and help, stronger foundational curriculum, and more accountability - for teaching, learning, behavior, etc. Their grads also create and instant feedback loop to the new school and alum school.

why? Because they need results.

Lifers in k-12 don’t need results. Only junior and senior year.

[Anonymous]

Doesn BVR insta-place early admission 80%++ of its 3rd grade to NCS or STA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn BVR insta-place early admission 80%++ of its 3rd grade to NCS or STA?

I think it’s 70/80% of the kids that apply. Some kids that are not into academics do not apply. This current year, St Albans acceptance rate was lower than usual, but not sure how much lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best private schools in the DMV for academics:

1) Sidwell: K-12 Coed
2) Cathedral schools: (Beauvoir for elementary coed, NCS 4th-12th girls only, St Albans 4th-12th boys only)
3) GDS: K-12 Coed (most liberal/alternative with strong academics)

Probably in this order.

These 3 if you are looking for the strongest academics… otherwise there are many other good schools that are less intense.

OP: Can someone provide a similar list but with only lower school/elementary schools? No K-12s?

Beauvoir is Pk-3rd
NPS
Sheridan
WES

Is NPS more “academic” than BVR or GDS for the early years (pre k to 3)? How well prepared are the NPS kids typically?

NPS is not rigorous in early grades but by the time they graduate, they’re well prepared and go on to great schools. We left at 4th but only because we had a sibling at a school that ended at 12th and I was tired of jumping from school to school.

[Anonymous]

What are the teacher/student ratios of an actual full class at some of these schools?
Am not talking about a split class where half go to stem and half go to art.

[Anonymous]

I can recommend Green Acres School, since my LO is there in Pre-k and is thriving. Academics and social/emotional learning are excellent… huge outdoor spaces are an added plus!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Bethesda I’d recommend Chevy Chase- Bethesda Community (CCBC) for Pre-K, Oneness Family School (Pre-K and Higher), Concord Hill (Pre-k & Up) and maybe Washington Episcopal or Stone Ridge (which is co-Ed in the early years).

None of this is a top school though… as long as OP knows, that’s great! We heard great things about WES

OP asked for a 'quality education" and likely is well aware that there is no such thing as a "top school."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the teacher/student ratios of an actual full class at some of these schools?
Am not talking about a split class where half go to stem and half go to art.

BVR 9:1 or 10:1
Classes are 18-20 kids with 2 full time teachers

[Anonymous]

Norwood is pre-k through 8th and a great place. Academic and also strong in the arts. Very loving community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best private schools in the DMV for academics:

1) Sidwell: K-12 Coed
2) Cathedral schools: (Beauvoir for elementary coed, NCS 4th-12th girls only, St Albans 4th-12th boys only)
3) GDS: K-12 Coed (most liberal/alternative with strong academics)

Probably in this order.

These 3 if you are looking for the strongest academics… otherwise there are many other good schools that are less intense.

GDS starts PreK but does expand in K

Intense?! Do not conflate an academic upper school perceived reputation with how that same place may run its lower school.

GdS and Beauvoir are quite play based in Pk-3. No graded word, no grades, no testing. GdS doesn’t even having reading groups in K, they wait until 1st, and even then nothing level appropriate comes home from class or library. It also has massively changed its student/teacher ratio with the new building change. It went from 2 teachers and 20-22 students to 1 teacher and 15-19 students per homeroom. They say specialists come in to help but that never happened unless you kid has a Dx and pullout.

Ok, you are right. My kids are at BVR and it’s not super academic either. I guess I meant that those schools become very academic in middle school. So if OP Is planning to stay in DC, I would choose one of those schools for academics.

Is it true that there are no grades and/or tests at BVR from K through 3?

That is correct

Interesting…how is the transition to STA and NCS for 4th grade. Everything I hear on here about those schools is that they are really focused on academics. Do the BVR kids start a bit behind others coming from schools with more traditional testing and grading systems or are there so many BVR kids in the 4th grade classes that it doesn’t matter much? Clearly BVR must do a good job getting kids ready for STA and NCS given the close connection but I’m surprised to hear how different the approaches are.

Most independent schools don't grade in the lower schools. They write narratives and observe. They might give assessments and give the kids practice with tests, but in a less pressure way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I’m new coming to the area, what are some recommendations for a quality education? Private schools only….
Moving to Bethesda so close by or easily accessible. This would be for PreK and Kindergarten.

MCPS elementary schools (k-5) in Bethesda are quite academic and can be intense. The reading groups definitely accelerate or at least teach many kid groups to be above grade level readers. Tracking starts in math and reading and a couple other subjects in 4th grade onward. There can be a lot of work if in the higher group.
This is of course great for a high achiever that has decent executive functioning skills and is self-motivated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I’m new coming to the area, what are some recommendations for a quality education? Private schools only….
Moving to Bethesda so close by or easily accessible. This would be for PreK and Kindergarten.

Go public and don't waste all your money

[Anonymous]

Go public and don’t waste some or any of your money.