Changing Classrooms at Beauvoir?

[Anonymous]

I would expect a school like Beauvoir to have zero tolerance for bullying and to nip it in the bud. Have you said something previously (like at the end of the school year) to express your concerns? Or did you take a wait-and-see approach with regard to class placements?

[Anonymous]

Current parent here: towards the end of the school year Mrs. V stated at the welcome to xxxx grade meetings that they encourage parent input on kids your child does and doesn't work well with. They do not appreciate teacher requests and that was clear. I made a request regarding children we preferred our child not to be placed with and they were honored. I recognize my child will have to deal with all kinds of personalities but some kids are just not a good mix. I had very specific reasons for the request and I found the admin to be very receptive. I think the issue is that they don't want to make changes now, after classes have been assigned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know that your kid will need to learn how to deal with difficult people in difficult circumstances when they grow up, right? Can't always run away, just saying.

But her kid isnt a grown up, hes a kid. And if you are paying for that education you shouldnt have to deal with your kid being bullied.
( Mom of a public school kid would would love to afford private)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current parent here: towards the end of the school year Mrs. V stated at the welcome to xxxx grade meetings that they encourage parent input on kids your child does and doesn't work well with. They do not appreciate teacher requests and that was clear. I made a request regarding children we preferred our child not to be placed with and they were honored. I recognize my child will have to deal with all kinds of personalities but some kids are just not a good mix. I had very specific reasons for the request and I found the admin to be very receptive. I think the issue is that they don't want to make changes now, after classes have been assigned.

This is good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current parent here: towards the end of the school year Mrs. V stated at the welcome to xxxx grade meetings that they encourage parent input on kids your child does and doesn't work well with. They do not appreciate teacher requests and that was clear. I made a request regarding children we preferred our child not to be placed with and they were honored. I recognize my child will have to deal with all kinds of personalities but some kids are just not a good mix. I had very specific reasons for the request and I found the admin to be very receptive. I think the issue is that they don't want to make changes now, after classes have been assigned.

OP here. I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. We made a similar request, and it was not honored. I'm wondering why, feeling that our concerns were brushed aside, and am worried. Last year was not as positive for DC, and we don't want to go through another year like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Current parent here: towards the end of the school year Mrs. V stated at the welcome to xxxx grade meetings that they encourage parent input on kids your child does and doesn't work well with. They do not appreciate teacher requests and that was clear. I made a request regarding children we preferred our child not to be placed with and they were honored. I recognize my child will have to deal with all kinds of personalities but some kids are just not a good mix. I had very specific reasons for the request and I found the admin to be very receptive. I think the issue is that they don't want to make changes now, after classes have been assigned.

OP here. I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. We made a similar request, and it was not honored. I'm wondering why, feeling that our concerns were brushed aside, and am worried. Last year was not as positive for DC, and we don't want to go through another year like it.

PP here: OP, I'm so sorry. I recommend talking to Jalene Spain-Thomas. A good starting point in any case. Hope this year is better for you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much, PP.

I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and the suggestion. I'm still hoping that things will work out, but I think it would help me to talk to Jalene, just to get a better sense of what happened to our request. She's wonderful and, at the very least, could probably give me a better sense of how/why the decision was made.

Hope your DC's year goes well, too!

[Anonymous]

Is this strictly a Beauvoir issue? Don't all schools generally discourage asking for classroom reassignments once your child has been assigned?

[Anonymous]

We are current parents at the school and are very concerned about Beauvoir. The board is out of touch with what most parents think and don't have a clue what most of the other parents really feel
We are very worried about the amount of qualified faculty who have chosen something else. Too much turnover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: We are current parents at the school and are very concerned about Beauvoir. The board is out of touch with what most parents think and don't have a clue what most of the other parents really feel
We are very worried about the amount of qualified faculty who have chosen something else. Too much turnover.

We are also current parents. However, Beauvoir's "turnover" has not been higher than is true for most other private schools. The only major turnover has been at the K grade, where a number of teachers for either family reasons or more professional advancement.

What specific decisions or policies make you feel the Board is out of touch? If parent happiness is to be gauged by fundraising, Beauvoir just had its biggest fundraising year ever.

Your statements seem very sweeping and negative, without much support.

[Anonymous]

Show me "all the griping," PP. Many sound like legitimate concerns that someone at BVR isn't addressing.

[Anonymous]

All of this gripping sounds like first class world problems. Beauvoir is an amazing school. It is perfect? No. Show me any school that is and I will show you a fantasy.

[Anonymous]

Look PP, when nyour kids school life and friends and , a lot of your money are tied up with directly to a school, talk to me. Its not as easy to kiss things goidbye. We love the teachers. Its the admin we could do eithout. FWIW, we,be been vocal with our un-happiness, and quite frankly, want the school to feel accountable.

IME great teachers can manage bullying situations much better than the admin can. If you requested not to have your child in a class with a kid who bullied him/her AND the teacher isn't one of the "good ones" then you should definitely ask why your request wasn't honored and how the school plans to support your child this year. Try not to let your friendships with other parents cloud your judgement. If the admin isn't responsive start the application process in the Fall so you have options. Get input from parents of kids who have graduated from Beauvoir about what the next school's administration is like - depending on whether you have a DD or DS you might want to leave anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Show me "all the griping," PP. Many sound like legitimate concerns that someone at BVR isn't addressing.

+1

[Anonymous]

$40,000 for your kid to get bullied at school. Amazing.