Small Classes Nurturing Atmosphere for Middle Schooler

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I just don't see your point. My son is in grade 2 at Sidwell Friends. Sidwell has 24 kids in every LS classroom and its never spoken of on this board as having "large" classes. There are two full time co-teachers per class. Nevertheless, if the OP wants a class of say 16 kids, then I'd suggest McLean School, or Field. Or one of the underperforming MoCo public schools.

Your diss of Moco public schools really does not help with the reputation of stuck up sidwell parents.

I'm not the PP you are attacking, but I think you misunderstand her point. It is the underperforming MoCo schools that have 16 per class. The MoCo schools that perform well (and there are many of them) have many more students in the classroom. If you have any friends in strong MoCo schools, just ask them. I have friends who are at underperforming MoCo schools, and the class size they describe is 12-16 students. Indeed, one of them specifically chose a particular MoCo school precisely because of the small class size, as compared to the other local MoCo schools with bigger classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and Sheridan is a small school but the classes are not small because they have one class per grade.

But they divide them up for actual instruction time, so you get 12 or 13 in the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I just don't see your point. My son is in grade 2 at Sidwell Friends. Sidwell has 24 kids in every LS classroom and its never spoken of on this board as having "large" classes. There are two full time co-teachers per class. Nevertheless, if the OP wants a class of say 16 kids, then I'd suggest McLean School, or Field. Or one of the underperforming MoCo public schools.

Your diss of Moco public schools really does not help with the reputation of stuck up sidwell parents.

I'm not the PP you are attacking, but I think you misunderstand her point. It is the underperforming MoCo schools that have 16 per class. The MoCo schools that perform well (and there are many of them) have many more students in the classroom. If you have any friends in strong MoCo schools, just ask them. I have friends who are at underperforming MoCo schools, and the class size they describe is 12-16 students. Indeed, one of them specifically chose a particular MoCo school precisely because of the small class size, as compared to the other local MoCo schools with bigger classes.

We are saying the same exact thing my dear. Which is why I suggested that the OP look at an underperforming MoCo school. Beacuse the class sizes are smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was the one who referred to Sheridan having large classes and I was only answering OP's question. Its a wonderful school, I've heard only good things about it, but if a child needs small classes, Sheridan won't do. Breakout groups won;t solve the problem because the problem isn't just with academics. I have one child who went to a school with 22 in a class and did just fine. My other DC would never be able to attend in a class that size. Since thats the specific issue OP was asking about, it doesn't help her to suggest Sheridan, even though it is wonderful in many other ways.

Also, they have been known to oversubscribe and have more than 24 kids in a class. Since they can't add a classroom, if more kids accept admission than they antivipate, they end up with unusually large classes.

"Been known to oversubscribe"?? Where are you getting your information? At the most, there are 25 kids in a class. My son is a K student right now at Sheridan and there are 25 kids in the class. I guess thats oversubscribing beyond the advertised number of 24. I have an older child at Sheridan as well. But regardless, the kids are split in 1/2 groups to do everything. They do an incredible job at classroom management and providing a wonderful experience for the kids. It is a small school that also provides instruction to kids in SMALL groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted the comment about underperforming MoCo schools and I did not mean it as a diss. Its commonly known that MoCo does an amazing job at turning underperfoming schools into high performing schools, by putting a lot of resources into those schools -- including ensuring much smaller class sizes. I personally know of people who have gone to the past superintendant to ask for smaller class sizes in their high peforming school and were told that the district would happily allow their child to enjoy smaller classes, but they would have to switch to one of the other schools. So I apologize if it came off as a diss, but it really is rooted in fact. An underperforming MoCo school, but MoCo standards, is still an outstanding school by real world standards any day of the week.

Are there really moco middle schools with only 16 in a class? I hear about that for elementary but not middle. I am a big fan of MCPS but I would not describe our MCPS, although it's one of the highest performing and overcrowded ones, to be nurturing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was the one who referred to Sheridan having large classes and I was only answering OP's question. Its a wonderful school, I've heard only good things about it, but if a child needs small classes, Sheridan won't do. Breakout groups won;t solve the problem because the problem isn't just with academics. I have one child who went to a school with 22 in a class and did just fine. My other DC would never be able to attend in a class that size. Since thats the specific issue OP was asking about, it doesn't help her to suggest Sheridan, even though it is wonderful in many other ways.

Also, they have been known to oversubscribe and have more than 24 kids in a class. Since they can't add a classroom, if more kids accept admission than they antivipate, they end up with unusually large classes.

"Been known to oversubscribe"?? Where are you getting your information? At the most, there are 25 kids in a class. My son is a K student right now at Sheridan and there are 25 kids in the class. I guess thats oversubscribing beyond the advertised number of 24. I have an older child at Sheridan as well. But regardless, the kids are split in 1/2 groups to do everything. They do an incredible job at classroom management and providing a wonderful experience for the kids. It is a small school that also provides instruction to kids in SMALL groups.

I have a friend whose child was in a class with 30 students. Yes, that was an anomaly. But it is not so unusual, as you write, to go over 24.

I think you are being way too defensive about Sheridan. As I said, its a wonderful school. But no school can be everything to everyone. One of my children went to Beauvoir and we LOVED it but I would never suggest it to OP because even though they had break out groups as well, there were 20 to 22 kids in a class. Thats not small, even including breakout groups. My other child NEEDS small classes and attends a school mentioned here as having small classes. I know the difference because I have a child in OP's DC's position. It really, really isn't the same thing to have a larger class that breaks into smaller groups. It is still a larger class. If your child needs small classes, there are schools in this area that have smaller classes. Sheridan is the answer for many families, but that doesn't mean its the answer for this family.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry if you feel that I am being defensive about Sheridan, but it irritates me that the school takes so many hits on this board around having "large classes" when that is simply not true. As another poster said on this thread, their child is at Sidwell and all of those classes have 24 students, with two teachers. Why continue to highlight Sheridan as being problematic for having 24 kids when that seems to be the standard -- even at the all-wonderful Sidwell, for goodness sake?

We can agree to disagree. All of these independent schools have wonderful things to offer. And there is something for everyone. Beauvoir worked for your family and we did not feel it was a fit at all for ous.

Bottom line, I just feel like sometimes people make inaccurate comments about Sheridan and the parent population there is not so vocal on this DCUM as some of the other school's parents. I felt it was necessary to correct any misinformation that is being circulated about our school.

[Anonymous]

To sheridan parent
I just want to say i understand where you are coming from. Every one needs to take a deep breath

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and Sheridan is a small school but the classes are not small because they have one class per grade.

NP here - You may understand the numbers of kids in a class at Sheridan, but you don't understand how the school is run nor do you understand the instructional model.

As a different Sheridan parent, Ive come to know and appreciate how things are run there. It is an extraordinarily nurturing place. They do not oversubscribe. There are very strict caps imposed by the district They do not exceed those numbers A class of 30 would be an anomoly.

Two full time teachers for 24 students. Taught in half classes. There is no way my son could be in a class with 23 other kids and thrive. Yet he has. For the past 7 years.

Don't dismiss Sheridan unless you understand it.

[Anonymous]

Maret

[Anonymous]

We are happy with the environment at Friends Community School. The new head of middle school just came over from Green Acres but things are going smoothly so far.

[Anonymous]

My problem with Sheridan is the one class per grade. If you have a bad dynamic with a kid there is no way to break it up. OUr school has 3 classes per grade (20 kids per class) and each year they break up the cliques when they form the new classes or address bullying issues by seperating the bullier and bullees.

[Anonymous]

Norwood!!! I have a fourth grader there and I just posted about the upcoming open house Thursday night: http://www.norwoodschool.org/admissions/parent_tours_and_open_houses/index.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My problem with Sheridan is the one class per grade. If you have a bad dynamic with a kid there is no way to break it up. OUr school has 3 classes per grade (20 kids per class) and each year they break up the cliques when they form the new classes or address bullying issues by seperating the bullier and bullees.

Sheridan parent here. This is true. My son has been fortunate to be in a class where everyone gets along. There have been classes in other grades with bad dynamics. I will say the bullying is absolutely not tolerated there. As long as your kid tells you what is going on and you let the teachers and admin know, it is taken care of very quickly and very well.

Sheridan has students write covenants each year about how the class is operated. The teachers make the students include something about getting along with all students and students are really held to the covenants and the school policies.

There was a boy in my son's 4th grade class who was counseled out because he would not stop bullying another boy. As it turned out, he had some serious issues. He has since thrived in MoCo public school.

In another instance, there was bullying. The teachers, the students involved, the parents and the HOS met and the issue was resolved almost immediately. I was very impressed.

The classes overall do tend to get along. The classes with bad dynamics are definitely the exception.