SSSAS, Burgundy Farm or Browne?

[Anonymous]

PP is right - multicultural weeks are antiquated and should go by the wayside. The ideals of multiculturalism should be wound into the curriculum and the community of the school and should be reinforced every day of the school year.

signed,
a white mom who is not a troll

[Anonymous]

Untrue, pp. Most schools now are hiring a full-time Director of Diversity if they do not have one already. Most schools have this info already built-in to the curriculum and add events like dinners into it. Diversity is usually in charge of it.

[Anonymous]

All the Burgundy kids I know of (and there have been quite a few) end up at TC Williams.

This is misleading. Kids from my DC's class were accepted to Sidwell, Andover, GDS, Maret, Potomac, and SSSAS, to name a few. Last year's class had acceptances from Episcopal, St. Alban's, Sidwell and others. Kids from this year have been accepted to Episcopal, Potomac, SSSAS, Sidwell. Yes, there are kids who go to TC. Two who are seniors this year have been accepted to Duke and Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

And I should add -- the Duke and Wesleyan acceptances were not athletics-related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All the Burgundy kids I know of (and there have been quite a few) end up at TC Williams.

This is misleading. Kids from my DC's class were accepted to Sidwell, Andover, GDS, Maret, Potomac, and SSSAS, to name a few. Last year's class had acceptances from Episcopal, St. Alban's, Sidwell and others. Kids from this year have been accepted to Episcopal, Potomac, SSSAS, Sidwell. Yes, there are kids who go to TC. Two who are seniors this year have been accepted to Duke and Wesleyan.

It's not misleading. Usually, TC is the place that the many end up. Its only 2, maybe 3, who end up at each of the other schools each year. But keep in mind the 8th grade class is not that large so when saying that the majority go to TC Willimams means it still a relatively small number.

TC is ok as long as your child is upper middle class and is on an honors track and being white also likely helps. TC do offer almost every AP course and lots of upper middle class, smart kids who had the advanatage of a good elementary and middle school education thanks to private school actually do well and go on to good colleges.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is very misleading. Every year only a small minority of kids go to TC. From this year's class of almost 30, only about 4 or 5 are going to TC.

[Anonymous]

Often, it is a percentage of the stronger students who go on to TC because they are the ones parents know will be successful without the extra supports of private school.

(Not at all intending to discount the academic prowess of those who continue onto Sidwell, GDS, St. Alban's, Loomis-Chaffee, etc.)

[Anonymous]

True. Our year kids turned down GDS, Sidwell, Potomac and Maret to go to TC Williams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most schools offer a multiple-cultural night. I wonder what dishes trolls might bring?

billygoats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True. Our year kids turned down GDS, Sidwell, Potomac and Maret to go to TC Williams.

Exmissions data is available from the school (i think it may even be on their website). There are only 28 or 30 graduating 8th graders each year. Last year, about 2/3 went to private high schools and about 1.3 went to public high schools. There was a wide range, from major Catholic private schools to Sidwell, from TJ to TC, all over the DC metro area.

My one complaint as a Burgundy parent: the school is small, and things can feel a little disorganized. Teaching quality varies. We've adored most of the teachers our children had, but felt like the 2/3 classes were a weak spot (and the 4/5 uneven). I didn't feel the mixed age classrooms worked well: just made them too big, too noisy. Also, if you get a pair of duds as teachers, you're stuck with them for two whole years! Blech. That said, the school has been pretty responsive when we've expressed concerns. Didn't make things perfect, but i felt like we were taken seriously and genuine efforts were made to make things better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True. Our year kids turned down GDS, Sidwell, Potomac and Maret to go to TC Williams.

Exmissions data is available from the school (i think it may even be on their website). There are only 28 or 30 graduating 8th graders each year. Last year, about 2/3 went to private high schools and about 1.3 went to public high schools. There was a wide range, from major Catholic private schools to Sidwell, from TJ to TC, all over the DC metro area.

My one complaint as a Burgundy parent: the school is small, and things can feel a little disorganized. Teaching quality varies. We've adored most of the teachers our children had, but felt like the 2/3 classes were a weak spot (and the 4/5 uneven). I didn't feel the mixed age classrooms worked well: just made them too big, too noisy. Also, if you get a pair of duds as teachers, you're stuck with them for two whole years! Blech. That said, the school has been pretty responsive when we've expressed concerns. Didn't make things perfect, but i felt like we were taken seriously and genuine efforts were made to make things better.

It's a K-8 school and your saying that the majority of the elementary school years are not very good????

[Anonymous]

If I interpret that correctly, the PP means the combined second and third grade class experience was not the best for her child, not that two thirds of the elementray experience was poor.

[Anonymous]

And the combined classrooms work very well for many children. It may depend on whether you feel your child does better in a more structured or a more free-form environment.

[Anonymous]

If your child starts in JK and goes all the way through, it's 10 years. Yes, was saying that the combined 2/3 class seemed weak, and the 4/5 combined classes uneven. (Some teacher turnover). GREAT early childhood. GREAT middle school. But yeah, I feel like 2-5 is less even.

[Anonymous]

15:22 does state that there is potential to get a "dud" teacher for 2 years in a row. I would read that as potential for having 4 not-so-great years in LS. That could potentially be 4 out of 7 years of Lower School. JK or K, I wouldn't mind but these are really formative years.