Glenelg Country School

[Anonymous]

I understand the negative comments about GCS but I think they are about the Upper School. My DDs attended GCS Lower and Middle School and I felt both were excellent. The teachers and the coordination of the academics were outstanding. The teachers knew my children and taught accordingly. Yes, my kids were considered poor because their mother worked. HaHa. Yes, there was a different standard for huge donor kids or kids of people they hoped would be huge donors but, the education was great. We did not consider the Upper School though for reasons identified in the above posts. Too toxic and too athletic driven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of Glenelg Country until a bunch of kids from SSFS ended up going to the school. But I have since heard that a bunch are now leaving Glenelg and returning to SSFS. Does that say something good about SSFS or something bad about Glenelg or both? Interesting.

I'm an SSFS parent, and I think what it says is that schools aren't all interchangeable and a student that finds SSFS to be a good fit might not also find the same at Glenelg.

I agree. We are a GCS family and have only ever heard good things about SSFS but our kids are very happy at GCS and I suspect SSFS would not be a good fit for us. You find a school that fits.

I think you need to distinguish grades. GCS was great for our DDs in Lower and Middle School. They needed a more structured teaching approach than SSFS offered. However, their switch to SSFS for HS was a perfect fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of Glenelg Country until a bunch of kids from SSFS ended up going to the school. But I have since heard that a bunch are now leaving Glenelg and returning to SSFS. Does that say something good about SSFS or something bad about Glenelg or both? Interesting.

I'm an SSFS parent, and I think what it says is that schools aren't all interchangeable and a student that finds SSFS to be a good fit might not also find the same at Glenelg.

I agree. We are a GCS family and have only ever heard good things about SSFS but our kids are very happy at GCS and I suspect SSFS would not be a good fit for us. You find a school that fits.

I think you need to distinguish grades. GCS was great for our DDs in Lower and Middle School. They needed a more structured teaching approach than SSFS offered. However, their switch to SSFS for HS was a perfect fit.

So glad you had a positive experience with both schools. We have as well but in the opposite direction. SSFS was a perfect fit for our kid for middle school. We switched to GCS for upper school and that has been a perfect fit.

I think our posts just prove that school choice is personal and all about finding what works best for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of Glenelg Country until a bunch of kids from SSFS ended up going to the school. But I have since heard that a bunch are now leaving Glenelg and returning to SSFS. Does that say something good about SSFS or something bad about Glenelg or both? Interesting.

I'm an SSFS parent, and I think what it says is that schools aren't all interchangeable and a student that finds SSFS to be a good fit might not also find the same at Glenelg.

I agree. We are a GCS family and have only ever heard good things about SSFS but our kids are very happy at GCS and I suspect SSFS would not be a good fit for us. You find a school that fits.

I think you need to distinguish grades. GCS was great for our DDs in Lower and Middle School. They needed a more structured teaching approach than SSFS offered. However, their switch to SSFS for HS was a perfect fit.

So glad you had a positive experience with both schools. We have as well but in the opposite direction. SSFS was a perfect fit for our kid for middle school. We switched to GCS for upper school and that has been a perfect fit.

I think our posts just prove that school choice is personal and all about finding what works best for your kids.

Well said! I'm not a parent at either school (just like to thumb through all the threads), but I hate it when people minimize school choice into just class size, getting into the Ivies, and APs/IBs... there is so much more to it then that! There are so many different schools because there is such a range in what kids want and need from their school. A school that the thought of attending brings dread to one kid's eyes, could be exactly what another needs to thrive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the negative comments about GCS but I think they are about the Upper School. My DDs attended GCS Lower and Middle School and I felt both were excellent. The teachers and the coordination of the academics were outstanding. The teachers knew my children and taught accordingly. Yes, my kids were considered poor because their mother worked. HaHa. Yes, there was a different standard for huge donor kids or kids of people they hoped would be huge donors but, the education was great. We did not consider the Upper School though for reasons identified in the above posts. Too toxic and too athletic driven.

Too toxic is correct description for upper school. And this extends to many of the upper school teachers as well, particularly some who also coach. Also, upper school administration is ineffective and don't get me started on the HOS.

[Anonymous]

Surprising number of kids commute to Gilman/Bryn Mawr - I think the numbers really picked up since Covid. That said, some of those kids (and parents) seeking “the most rigorous environment ever” have injected some unwelcome competitiveness into the culture of some classes (hello BMS juniors). (But that may be unfair and it’s just an unfortunate mix of kids and has nothing to do with HC.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the negative comments about GCS but I think they are about the Upper School. My DDs attended GCS Lower and Middle School and I felt both were excellent. The teachers and the coordination of the academics were outstanding. The teachers knew my children and taught accordingly. Yes, my kids were considered poor because their mother worked. HaHa. Yes, there was a different standard for huge donor kids or kids of people they hoped would be huge donors but, the education was great. We did not consider the Upper School though for reasons identified in the above posts. Too toxic and too athletic driven.

Too toxic is correct description for upper school. And this extends to many of the upper school teachers as well, particularly some who also coach. Also, upper school administration is ineffective and don't get me started on the HOS.

+1 Too late for us to leave Glenelg but will be so glad when DS is finished. Yes of course there are some nice families and teachers as there are in any school but the overall atmosphere is very uncaring and I agree with above post about many of the upper school teachers and administration. Have yet to figure out what this current HOS or Upper School Head do other than walk around looking like deer in headlights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of two boys at GCS, HoCo resident. Would say completely the opposite of conservative and snobby, especially compared to Baltimore schools. Being in HoCo GCS is weirdly situated between the DC and Baltimore worlds, and very much reflects Columbia's/HoCo's diversity. Over half of students identify as non-white. The school is still small enough that kids get really individualized attention...my sons are both middle-of-the-pack so they'd kind of be invisible in HoCo publics.
I see them as a college prep school but they manage to do things a little differently. It has seemed like they are working on branding/developing more of an identity post-pandemic with a slogan "independent thought, shared purpose." We've been very happy. Plus the campus is absolutely beautiful!

Hmm, I don’t know why you think Baltimore private schools are conservative and not diverse. My kid goes to Bryn Mawr and it’s extremely liberal and over 1/2 of the students are not white.

Right?! I think the only one that could mildly be accused of being snobby is NDP and even that is a stretch/dependent on the year. Most Baltimore private schools are super laid back and down to earth.

Also my first job was working in the school uniform store and I was always tempted to buy Bryn Mar's summer uniform! It was just sooooo pretty!![/quote

I can't speak about Bryn Mar specifically but there's so many Baltimore area private schools to.love. All are diverse and without snobbery. Calvert Hall and Loyola are both wonderful. The Park School is fantastic. St.Pauls is another great school and so many more. ]

My brothers went to Loyola and my HS boyfriend went to Calvert Hall and lived in Howard County. Both were a great group of guys who were not at all snobby or playing elitism games (more likely to be wearing a crumpled up blazer they pulled off the floor of their bedroom). Commuting from Howard county was super common.

Being in the uniform store, I saw a lot of the personality of the schools that wore uniforms. Surprisingly, the most snobby/elitist/entitled ones were actually the public charter schools 🤣. NDP was the only one with a reputation akin to The Cathedral School where some years have a snobby group, but some don't and uh yea I did see where that reputation came from... BUT it definitely was not every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprising number of kids commute to Gilman/Bryn Mawr - I think the numbers really picked up since Covid. That said, some of those kids (and parents) seeking “the most rigorous environment ever” have injected some unwelcome competitiveness into the culture of some classes (hello BMS juniors). (But that may be unfair and it’s just an unfortunate mix of kids and has nothing to do with HC.)

Hmm, can you elaborate a bit more on how they have made the class more competitive?