Feynman school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, can you say how many children are in each grade there? How many teachers per grade?

Right now, there are about 8 in the 3/4 class with 1 teacher (I believe this class is growing next year when it becomes the 4/5 class), and there are about 10-12 in the 1/2 class with 2 teachers (I can't remember the exact number), and there are 14 in the K class with 2 teachers, and I think 8 in each of the pre-k and preschool classes with 1 teacher per class. Next year, there will be about 8 in the preschool, I believe the pre-k will be slightly larger (and they would have a 2nd teacher if it is larger), there will be a K class with 2 teachers and around 12-15 kids, and a 1st grade class with 2 teachers and about 14 kids, a 2/3 class which will have 2 teachers and maybe 12-15 kids or so, and then the 4/5 class (probably about 8 kids or so in this class and 1 teacher).

Each year the classes have been growing, and the school size is growing. They have all the classes do recess together so they have a chance to become friends across the grades, and the classes often have projects together. They plan to keep the student:teacher ratio at 8:1 (at least for the younger elementary years), I believe. The school is small - but it hasn't felt too small for us at all.

[Anonymous]

What about Spanish? Are they producing bilingual kids? That seemed to be a focus when they started.

[Anonymous]

There still is a focus on Spanish. I can say that in pre-K and K, it is a Spanish class 3 times a week, taught immersion-style, and the children learn a lot, using song and exploration of culture as well. One of the K teachers is bilingual, as are several other teachers at the school. I am not sure about the competency levels of the older children in the school (I've seen them in Spanish class and they seem to be engaging in simple conversational Spanish), but the school is currently only to 4th grade - and I do not believe there are any bilingual children who are products of the school program exclusively at this point. Each class year, they expand the Spanish curriculum, but it is not an immersion school. If your goal is to have a child who is bilingual, I'm guessing there are better programs for that. But I think the children will develop a solid foundation to really delve into Spanish on a more complex level in middle and high school. And for now, I'm happy to see my Kindergartener using basic Spanish phrases, words, and sentences (especially since my child had no Spanish experience prior to this school year). In K, they have reviewed basic feelings and emotions in Spanish, weather words, seasons, days of the week, months of the year, some animals and body parts, and they know the alphabet and the different sounds that the letters make in Spanish. I am sure they have covered other units...but they escape me right now .

[Anonymous]

My kid is bright but has anxiety and difficulty writing (poor self esteem in regards to art/writing too). He needs a small class size. Would this be a good fit for someone like him? He would be entering 1st next year.

[Anonymous]

It could be. The teacher student ratio is great, a lot of the learning is hands on, & they will work with children with handwriting issues. The first grade class might be full next year - but it is possible there is still a spot left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most children can do well there, but children who are a little bit more precocious/inquisitive/interested in learning will really thrive. I was worried before we started if it would be the right "fit" or not...and we have been really happy there. My child is right in the mix, and really has a peer group.

Many of the children there are the kids who will express boredom when not fully engaged. At the school - they seem to get engrossed in the learning - their questions of "why?" and "what if?" are encouraged, not treated as a disruption. The teachers are great at following their lead and letting the class explore some of those questions.

They spend a fair amount of time doing STEM - conducting experiments, engaging in critical thinking and asking questions. They also have opportunities for creative outlets in Music, Drama/Movement and Art, and they spend a significant amount of time in the Fall participating in Destination Imagination.

Even during play times, you'll find the kids creating a bit more complexity (on their own - no prompting). This morning during free play time, there was one group playing chess, someone making puppets, a few kids coloring, someone working on a math sheet, and a few building with magna tiles. In addition to recess, they have "brain breaks" every day, as well, so it breaks up the day nicely. Children are not expected to sit at a table all day - they seem to move a fair amount, and spend time working in groups either standing or on the floor, and moving around the classroom.

Socially, it really isn't different from other schools...but somehow they seem to click better with each other than they might with children at other schools. My child often had trouble finding other children who liked doing the same things during recess at another school - but here, the other students find the same things fun and interesting and ask to join in to play. Some of the kids are climbing on the playground equipment or playing soccer, but other times, there are elaborate games they create.

Because the classes are small, teachers have the ability to truly individualize education, so if a student is further behind others in a particular topic (my child had never done any formal math education and fine motor skills like writing are a challenge), so the curriculum will be paced to them. The teachers find ways to encourage them to learn without being held back (like scribing for the kids who really can't sustain the fine motor skills later in the day, using manipulatives to learn/demonstrate math skills).

Most of the kids learn fairly quickly, so will pick up on new skills and master them with relative ease. They differentiate in all the subjects, so there is a group that is moving through the material a bit quicker and with a bit more depth, and a group that usually needs a little extra attention. They change the groups for every unit covered, and readjust based on the child's needs. I would say the school is not high-pressured at all or focused on pushing the kids to do/learn more than they are able, so if the goal is to send your child there and expect them to be solving complex math problems and pushed hard to do that - it won't happen. It just isn't a place that caters to parents wanting children to perform or show off or impress others. They don't give much in the way of homework (my child in K had no homework this year).

I've seen amazing progress, and have really found the content fantastic. They really learn a lot about topics I would not expect them to master...they have learned about the water cycle in the past few weeks (and learned a song to help them understand). My child likes going to school - and school tends to run a little late every day because the kids like to stay and finish up what they are doing.

There are a few children in the class that seem to have an innate ability - others just learn rapidly and are good at the complexities of applying concepts across different disciplines. So they learn about charts in math, and then in STEM they conduct experiments and use charts. They work on skills like 1:1 correspondence for counting and addition/subtraction while counting how many paperclips the bridges they built can support, and then determine which structure is the strongest.

I think a child who struggles with processing or retaining information, or one who does not yet have any reading skills and is really struggling with those concepts (which is completely age-appropriate) might not thrive there. The teachers do not put any pressure on the children to read if they aren't ready, and they are patient working on the pre-reading skills and the pre-math skills, but the children may become acutely aware that the other children are mastering these tasks. We all know that you cannot MAKE a child read or do math before they are ready to learn those concepts...so if a parent is sending a child who isn't a quick learner there as a means of pressuring them to master the concepts (and riding the teachers to make their child learn/do more), they will find the school may not ideally be the right environment for the family. If your child loves to learn and be creative and asks questions or seems to really be quick on picking up things, or has a strong interest or skill in an area, then the school will likely be a great fit.

Is this written by a parent or by the school administration?

[Anonymous]

I've long suspected many of the pro-Feynman posts are from the school's founder.

[Anonymous]

Why the heck did someone revive this thread??

[Anonymous]

I too would appreciate a honest feedback on current parents of Feynman kids.

[Anonymous]

I am a current parent and am pretty happy about the education they offer at Feynman.

[Anonymous]

What kind of feedback? We have one child there who is enjoying school and seems to be learning some things. As with any school, there are things we like (small classes, no homework, appropriate curriculum, reasonable cost) and things we wish were different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of feedback? We have one child there who is enjoying school and seems to be learning some things. As with any school, there are things we like (small classes, no homework, appropriate curriculum, reasonable cost) and things we wish were different.

What things do you wish were different?

Also, how does the education compare to the most selective private schools? The so-called Big 3 select kids based on academic merit, so would end up with a pretty gifted class. How is Feynman different?

[Anonymous]

We wish there were more PE, it's only once a week. We wish there were more grades above our child so we could see into the future a bit more. We have occasionally been frustrated at the emphasis on math *testing* rather than instruction and practice, though we have seen an increase in our child'S ability to persevere on test questions. I can't compare curriculum to the Big 3 because I've never been at one or had my child at one. I can tell you that my child works above the math level of her public school peers that we know through extracurricular activities. It's hard to compare the other subjects, but reading and writing are so individual anywhere.

I can tell you one of the best things about Feynman is that all the kids really like each other and engage in discussions about interesting things. My child loves being in a place where it isn't odd to talk about math or coding at recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We wish there were more PE, it's only once a week. We wish there were more grades above our child so we could see into the future a bit more. We have occasionally been frustrated at the emphasis on math *testing* rather than instruction and practice, though we have seen an increase in our child'S ability to persevere on test questions. I can't compare curriculum to the Big 3 because I've never been at one or had my child at one. I can tell you that my child works above the math level of her public school peers that we know through extracurricular activities. It's hard to compare the other subjects, but reading and writing are so individual anywhere.

I can tell you one of the best things about Feynman is that all the kids really like each other and engage in discussions about interesting things. My child loves being in a place where it isn't odd to talk about math or coding at recess.

Thank you. Very nice feedback. So the skeptics will say this is like any other school but somehow billed as STeM focused. The evangelists will say that kids gets more exposed to math, science, discussion etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't care as much about STEM as I do about having my child in a culture where learning is fun and interesting. Feynman is that in spades. I'm always going to quibble with teachers and curriculum anywhere from time to time.

My child wanted me to add that the music and art are really good. They do each once a week. They sing and learn dances in music and use the Abracadoodle art curriculum. Less enamored of the Drama class even though my child loves the stage. I'm not sure what's going on there. Seems to be an emphasis on improv and creativity which aren't my child's things.

That's something I didn't mention. My child is not one of those imaginative, creative types. Feynman has helped foster those traits and helped my child have more confidence in coming up with ideas and building things. I'm grateful for that. Also, there is a lot of writing--huge step up from the last school in my child's skills there.

I do wish their PE had a more sports focus rather than random games, but I guess they are running around which is what matters. They are still too young for sports, I guess.