Lowell, Green Acres, Burgundy Farms

[Anonymous]

One of the Lowell parents again (more than one of us has posted in this thread). I am very surprised to hear about the apparent raising of voices because it is absolutely contrary to the Lowell teaching I have seen over many years now. Obviously the previous poster who had issues there had a very different experience (I would be curious to know what two years she was in because she talked about K and 1st, but K is an usually not an entry year there).

Anyway, as to what my kids love, I think they love doing the projects and "hands on" learning activities, love the ability to take art, music, dance, swimming. They love to walk down into Rock Creek park to work on a nature project. They love that in kindergarten they get to go sledding when it snows. They adore their teachers. (how do I know? well when my daughter went back for third grade we ran into her second grade teacher in the hall and they exchanged big hugs; my kids still miss their kindergarten teacher and were thrilled to see her at an art opening last week; my daughter spent her own allowance to buy some flowers for her third grade teacher for valentines day). I love that my kids don't think of school as a chore, but as an adventure. They see it as a place to learn, not as a place to be judged.

Hope that helps you in thinking about what would work for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymity brings honesty...at times.

[Anonymous]

Just a guess here but if you have to rely on the anonymous posts written here for a sense of whether a progressive school or traditional school is right for you and your family, then you have not much to be concerned about because you will likely not be admitted anyway. The schools go out of their way to find families that "FIT". They are not going to offer you an acceptance so you can mull over whether the school is the right fit or not, especially the most competitive ones. It's one thing to ask what the minimum WPPSI for Sidwell is because there is no way anyone from that school is ever going to come out and tell anyone something so murky and treacherous as that, but some of these posts this past weekend is bordering on really uninformed. I just started reading these posts a few days ago and from what I can gather there is one current Lowell parent, one former Lowell parent, one or two current Beuvoir parents, and the rest of us have either been rejected once already and waiting to hear on K applications or just waiting to hear for the first time. You're not going to get the answers to some of these posts because the parents of children at these schools are not obsesseively monitoring these posts like a few of us are because they don't need to! Ask any parent at any school and they will tell you they love the school. Of course they do -- they are paying over $20k for the privilege! And of course there are problems. Every school, workplace, family, you name it has its own set of problems. But people don't piss on their own schools so you're not going to get negative feedback. If your child has a social, academic or behavioral problem of course the school will work with you and your family. Some might have more experience than other schools with a particular issue but no school is going to immediately turn your child away. Once you're in you're in. If the school or the teachers suggest another school might be a better fit, that's a good thing. Why would you want to keep paying for a school that is not a good fit?

You want to know how well the graduates do at the progressive schools? You don't even have to ask the Admissions Offices. Each school has a list of exit schools on their website. Green Acres even tells you where the kids go on to college! Green Acres definitely has a spread. So does Lowell. So does Sheridan. All of them do. If your child is very academic then he or she might do well at either Lowell or Beauvoir depending on the child's personality. Regardless of where that child spends his or her earlier grades, by the time high school comes around he or she will do just fine. Maybe the difference between the Progessive and the big 3 is that while the former will admit a child based on the play visit, parent interview (if any), and current teacher's observations the Big 3 and others requiring testing want some kind of assurance from the WPPSI that the child COULD function at a certain level. Any of these children could have behavioral, social, and academic problems that will not be apparent for a long time coming. Drugs anyone? The progressive schools are basically saying we are educating the child for the sake of educating the child, not what schools they go to after they graduate. I don't mean to be flip and say that is all that matters. I know that Beauvoir, Sidwell, GDS, and Maret are very serious about their kids and this obviously contributes to their popularity and selectivity. Maybe it comes down to the progressive schools will have more academic diversity because they are not about the end game as much as the others. They are about the process. The others are also about the process but they want to start with kids who have a predisposition to do very well if given the challenge.

Here's another news flash--none of this will matter until you either apply or don't and really until you get accepted or not. Even your precious child and my dear child may not and likely will not have much of a choice. Stop fretting, talk to real people with real kids at the schools now, and go and observe. Observe the school functions if you're just starting to look. Go to one of the community events sponsored by the school and check out the parents and kids. If you get admitted to more than one go to the Accepted Families reception. Do you fit and feel comfortable or not?

Yes the process is maddening and while we can comfort each other anonymously you will not get much real information. I feel for you. I really do, but many of you are barking up the wrong tree.

One last thing, Sidwell's Admissions Office is great. I've been calling them for years now and from the woman who answers the phone to the top, they are nothing but courteous and straight forward. When your child gets rejected call them in the late spring when things die down a bit and ask them why. They will tell you.

Yes this post is all over the place.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with many points the last poster raised. The first sentence, "....if you have to rely on the anonymous posts written here for a sense of whether a progressive school or traditional school is right for you and your family, then you have not much to be concerned about because you will likely not be admitted anyway" is absurd. I SERIOUSLY doubt anyone is relying solely on information gleaned from these posts. People are trying to construct a accurate snapshot of each school based on a variety of information (including going to the school, observing, etc. that you mention later in your post). Info. parents are trying to get from here is just another data point.

Second, just because a school sends you an acceptance letter doesn't mean it is the best fit for your child. They have indicators that they rely on to try to determine if a child would do well at their school, but there are many other variables that they factor into their decisions. And there are some factors that they don't, that you would know only as the parent of your child. If the OPs child was accepted to all three schools applied to, why isn't it valid for her to "mull over" which one may be the best match for her child?

Third, you seem pretty certain that parents whose kids have already gotten accepted have "moved on" and wouldn't read or post to these threads. When I see a thread about fertility clinics I'll read and respond regarding our experiences even though it was several years ago, it was successful, and we've "moved on." I don't see why a school thread would be any different. In terms of getting "negative" comments from people ("But people don't piss on their own schools so you're not going to get negative feedback."), who is looking for that? Seems to me the OP was looking for balanced feedback about these places -- obviously no place is perfect. I've read through this and the other related posts, and people seem to be willing to say, "XYZ school is great for these reasons, but there are some things that they could improve." Or even like one poster here who said, "look we did try Lowell but it didn't work for us and this is why..."

Fourth, who asked about Sidwell? I am really interested in the OP's questions and would like to get back to that.

Does anyone have any information or experiences to share specifically about Lowell, Green Acres or Burgundy Farms? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP 10:06, if you don't mind elaborating, what did your child dislike about Lowell? You mentioned that he said that the teachers raised their voices (unacceptable as far as I am concerned), but what else about it seemed not to work for your son?

Of course he didn't quite articulate it in this manner but, he felt that the school was chaotic and lacked enough routine/order to make him feel safe/comfortable. He didn't know what to expect from one minute to the next. (BTW, I had heard the comment about the children "not knowing what to expect from one moment to the next" from several other families who decided that Lowell wasn't a good fit for their children). Of course our son didn't like that the teachers yelling/raising their voices to keep the children in line. Interestingly enough, we didn't hear from him about the yelling until after he started the new school. I don't know why he didn't mention it before.

Bottom line is, whatever the environment was like at Lowell didn't mesh well with our son's personality and learning style. Whether there is something inherently deficient at Lowell, I don't know. All I can say is that it was not a fit for our son. Perhaps if we had known our child a bit better at the time, we wouldn't have enrolled him at Lowell. But I think as the kids get older, if you're tuned in, you can get a good sense of who they are, what makes them tick, and what type of environment would be best. We're very fortunate (for our son's sake) to have gotten it right the second time around. Now we just have to figure out the other sibling who, as luck would have it, appears to be quite different than the oldest

[Anonymous]

I am not the OP but am one of the PPs who is interested in learning more about these schools. Today I spoke to three families - two currently with children from Burgundy Farms and one from Lowell.

All were happy with the current functioning of the schools and did not get the sense that the teachers had to spend more time with high needs kids. The Burgundy parents in particular raved about the strength of the program and how their children never wanted to miss school and were excited about learning. They said parents of kids who have gone on to other schools have said the kids seemed very well prepared, whether the kids went on to a more traditional school or continued down the more progressive pathway. The Lowell parent echoed much of what PP 22:42 said. They thought it was a very warm environment and that the their kids also loved going to school (they would say things like, "I wish Monday were here already!")

Now, having said that, I did get some of the cons/challenges of the schools. Both Burgundy families lived in DC and not VA, and so they said organizing play dates with the other kids and families required more effort than if their children had gone to a local school (but that could be said about any school, it is not specific to the progressives obviously). One said she had concerns in the very beginning about whether the structure was enough but said when her child started coming home with great projects, asking really insightful questions, and insisting that she didn't WANT to be told the answer but wanted to figure it out that her concerns vanished into thin air...

And then of course there are all of the things that it seems every parent is concerned about: Is my child spending enough time with a diverse-enough set of children; is the school too small/too big; etc. But nothing that sounded specific to the progressive program.

Finally, not unexpectedly, each family stressed as others have here that it is really the fit that is important, for both the families and children. They agreed that a progressive approach may not be right for everyone, and that children who need a lot of direction with a great deal of traditional structure and guidance may not be as good a match for the programs.

Anyway, thought I would share my conversations on the thread in the event that it helps.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, Burgundy was our first choice school--not a safety school. And unfortunately, it is difficult to get into. It does not get as much discussion on this web site (I'm guessing) because it is a more difficult commute for DC residents. But for families living in Arlington and Alexandria, it is a real gem and highly sought after for those who believe in progressive education.

[Anonymous]

10:41. Did you get in? Green Acres was our first choice school but we did not get in.

[Anonymous]

10:41 are you the OP? Am also wondering where everyone got in who was interested in the progressive schools.

[Anonymous]

10:41 here. We were waitlisted last year and three weeks later got in. I believe we were the only waitlist to get in and it was a harrowing wait. Clumps of my hair actually started falling out towards late summer ... apparently there is time lag between stress damage to follicles and end result. I was already feeling ridiculous for caring so much ... my doctor made me feel even more pathetic!! The only reason I posted here was because I was being a little sensitive about the idea that maybe the progressive schools were merely safety schools and full of "special needs" kids!

[Anonymous]

10:41: In the final analysis, was it worth the hair loss? Is it as great as it seems? The progressives were also our first choice schools, not in any way a safety school application.

PS I hope your hair grew back in, haha.

[Anonymous]

Right, these schools as I can attest to are not just taking warm bodies. They really want families who believe in progressive education and kids who they feel will do well. It seems that these schools can feel out when families are applying to them as a safety. Little to the parents surprise they are not a safety after all. Note to all future applicants: These schools are much more competitive and selective than you think!

[Anonymous]

10:41 again. I'm beginning to like that moniker--I have been called worse! Yes, it was worth it. We LOVE the school and are firm believers in progressive education. I've read Alfie Kohn's "The Schools Our Children Deserve" several times. The school has you write a parent essay as part of the admission package -- it is supposed to be about your child, but views on your education goals and priorities come shining through.

And yes, the hair is coming back, but slowly! Thanks for asking!!

[Anonymous]

We were rejected from GA. We think that it was b/c we were not buying into the whole progressive thing. But we don't buy into all of anything!

[Anonymous]

I think 10:41 is right, the admissions staff must have some sense of who really is seeking out a progressive education AND which kids might do well there. It's pretty clear on our end, plus we aren't at all into the 'name' of the school. In the end, Sidwell, for instance may be a fabulous place ....but it is a fabulous place for kids who would thrive in a more traditional setting. It simply would not be a good match for either of my kids, who seem to naturally gravitate toward a hands-on, experiential approach and are really self-directed. Not a knock on other schools or approaches, just that I think (or hope) that we have a good handle on what might be a good fit (with a strong emphasis on HOPE -- we could be completely wrong, of course!).

I hope that the 16:08 poster's child was accepted elsewhere.