SSSAS - what is the culture like currently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Club Med banned them from coming back after what happened a few years ago.

No they did not. They have been going every year for at least 5 years at this point.

Well the incident I’m referring to happened 2 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's often cheaper to fly to DR than it is to go to FL.

They go because the drinking age is 18 there. Ask anyone.

I’ll take that over drinking illegally in Corolla with access to vehicles any day of the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted about the arts program and Cappies. In response to the person who asked why we wouldn’t have selected BI, the answer is because we aren’t Catholic and that is a large Catholic. And we don’t live in Alexandria. So we were looking at FH, Potomac, some in DC and in Maryland. No Catholic and mostly coed. Regarding the AP question, those are not formally taught at Potomac, Sidwell or the Cathedral schools. Yes, students attending those schools can and do take the tests. But they aren’t offered and based on my experience talking with parents of students at those schools, they take the major academic APs because those are easier to prepare for via a tutor. APs offered in the arts or higher level languages aren’t done as much at the schools that don’t offer the classes. SSSAS has many AP options. Children have to be approved to take the classes based on their grades. Regarding arts, we looked at many schools. Some had a less than robust arts program. For example FH offers theater but very little in terms of theater classes and they don’t have strings or an orchestra at all. Unexpectedly Bullis has a great program but it wasn’t a fit logistically. St Albans and NCS require sports and theater is done AFTER sports (starting at 6pm) and does not count as an activity credit. Potomac allows some theater to be swapped for some sports but not completely. In other words, those schools place a higher priority on sports and theater suffers as a result. For families that don’t do theater, it is a non-issue. I hope that helped answer some questions. In the end we are spread across several schools and I am an alum of a local school. They are mostly all great but fit does matter. And my general point is that there are some amazing people at every school and some really rotten people at every school. There is not a single school filled with amazing perfect people that everyone likes. Doesn’t exist. But there seems to be a lot of hate on here about SSSAS and I think it is a few people with an ax to grind. Stop grinding the ax and move on.

We are now a Potomac family, and that is just not true at all about sports and theater. You can do all performing arts instead of any sports if you'd like. You do need at least one per year to be something where you get some movement in, but the musicals count as movement/"sweaty". The Potomac theater and arts program and facilities are light years ahead of SSSAS (we are a former SSSAS family). Potomac also offers a VPAC (visual performing arts) concentration in US. You apply to that but can do it for theater, music, visual arts, singing, etc. Alums who come back often comment that the classes were better and more rigorous than those they are taking in college. The music and arts program is truly phenomenal and has been a highlight for my children. The weak program at SSSAS was one (of many) reasons that we left. I don't mean to be grinding the ax but don't spread mis-information about other schools.

Several of the top privates (Sidwell, potomac, etc) all decided to drop official AP classes at the same time. Honors classes at Potomac are essentially the same, and the school will arrange for you to sit for any AP test at school that you want.

We discussed theater and sports credits specifically with the Potomac admissions team and with the Theater program lead and that is not accurate for the coming year. Things do change but it was not very feasible to do play and musical because of the sports requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious about red flags too.

I really liked SSASS admissions for US. DC did not choose it, but it seemed like a really nice place to go to school.

I do wonder about it socially etc for non-athletes. They definitely have other programs and there’s definitely kids that don’t play sports, but the fields/facilities alone speak to the emphasis on the importance of sports at that school.

I don't know about the LS and MS, but my DC started in 9th grade and has had a wonderful experience so far. When I ask about bullying the response is, "it might happen within friend groups, but I don't see it all" We are several years in FWIW...... We have found it a warm, challenging and supportive environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regarding BI vs SSSAS, if 35K extra a year is going to mean the difference between taking out loans for college or not, and you don’t qualify for aid, I’d say yeah consider BI. But that really doesn’t make BI “better” and in fact
I think it’s not hard to argue that SSSAS is obviously “better” in terms of facilities and opportunities.

I know BI is a natural comparison to SSSAS because they’re both in Alexandria, but many of the families at the lower school didn’t necessarily start in Alexandria (and for obvious reasons didn’t look at BI, which starts in 9th). They looked at least casually at lots of schools in the DC area (in the 50K range that independent schools here cost) because they were willing to move to be near a school community. There are also a number of families who came from (to name a few I know personally) Beauvoir and NCS/STA, Potomac, St Pats, and Langley. So despite those who would argue otherwise, the natural comparison for most families is other independent schools in DC, not Alexandria Catholic or public schools.

It goes without saying that the independent schools I listed above (along with others like Sidwell) are fabulous schools. Some are probably more challenging than St Stephen’s because they primarily have highly intelligent and hard working kids whereas St Stephen’s has a real variety of students with different interests and abilities. Some have better facilities (like Potomac!) because they have more families happy to donate millions. Some (like the Cathedral schools) might be better for those who want to live in the district.

But what St Stephen’s has, I think, is a unique blend of rigor (not the most rigorous for all kids all the time but certainly enough for top notch performers), support (why it’s often identified as not being a pressure cooker), community (the size and scale of Alexandria City contributes to this I think), athletics (all kids participate and the school is small enough that all kids CAN participate, even if that means they aren’t the “best” at every sport), and tradition and history (an extremely active alumni community, lots of enduring traditions that builds bonds etc).

So if rigor were my sole criterion perhaps we would have sent our kids to Sidwell or a Cathedral school; if sports were all I cared about maybe Gonzaga or Visi would be a top pick; if community were the only thing I needed I’d probably be happy with a solid Montessori school for the lower grades and a Falls Church City or Bethesda public high school. If prestige were all I cared about frankly I should have moved to NYC, because no one outside DC cares about DC schools (yes, even Sidwell).

But St Stephen’s is like the Goldilocks of DC schools. Enough rigor if my kid is ready for it; enough support if she needs it. Athletics for when my kid is in a sporty stage but a solid arts scene for when he suddenly wants to do musical theater. Community for me and my partner; tradition for when the kids are grown.

Plus, Alexandria is an awesome place to live. And perhaps the parent community at St Stephen’s is not as down to earth as public school parents (or so I hear) but they are SO much more down to earth than many of the aforementioned independent schools in DC (and I speak from experience).

Anyway we all just want the right fit for our kid and our family, and that means we’ll all want different things. But my family, and those of many of my friends, are extremely happy with the mix of rigor, support, community etc that St Stephen’s provides.

+1000. BI is not comparable on any level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a few loud voices. We are very happy and frankly so is everyone we know. We have experience at other DC privates and the existence of bullies, annoying behaviors and snobby parents is at every single school. And completely disagree that it isn’t worth it. If you spend the time to really explore the schools SSSAS “competes” against, it has certain things those schools do not. Whether those matter to you or your child is what will determine if those are valuable to you. They have the most comprehensive music and performing arts program of ANY DC private. Full stop. The graduation certificate adds another element to it. It is one very few privates that is nominated or wins Cappies with any regularity. It also has a very robust study abroad and a foreign language certificate that makes the program have more depth. No other DC private that we considered came close for those two. It also has the most AP options, including in music and art, of any mainstream Private we looked at and for us, that is a positive. Now, is the boys soccer amazing? I doubt it but that doesn’t matter to me.
I think there are some loud cranky parents on here and maybe they should go to another school that fits their needs better.

+2. We are at the US and agree with all of this. Our experience does not resemble what the loud, very critical voices, are sharing.

[Anonymous]

I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

The other most active thread in this forum right now is exactly the same length and about NCS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

Do a search on NCS (not even just the current thread) or Flint Hill. There are many love/hate schools discussed at GREAT length on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's often cheaper to fly to DR than it is to go to FL.

“Cheaper” and “affordable to families that are on financial aid” are two very different concepts.

Fair enough. I was just mentioning that a DR trip is usually cheaper than a FL trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

The other most active thread in this forum right now is exactly the same length and about NCS.

For the same price and vastly superior college admissions results I’ll take NCS. I think that is the point many people are making directly and indirectly on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regarding BI vs SSSAS, if 35K extra a year is going to mean the difference between taking out loans for college or not, and you don’t qualify for aid, I’d say yeah consider BI. But that really doesn’t make BI “better” and in fact
I think it’s not hard to argue that SSSAS is obviously “better” in terms of facilities and opportunities.

I know BI is a natural comparison to SSSAS because they’re both in Alexandria, but many of the families at the lower school didn’t necessarily start in Alexandria (and for obvious reasons didn’t look at BI, which starts in 9th). They looked at least casually at lots of schools in the DC area (in the 50K range that independent schools here cost) because they were willing to move to be near a school community. There are also a number of families who came from (to name a few I know personally) Beauvoir and NCS/STA, Potomac, St Pats, and Langley. So despite those who would argue otherwise, the natural comparison for most families is other independent schools in DC, not Alexandria Catholic or public schools.

It goes without saying that the independent schools I listed above (along with others like Sidwell) are fabulous schools. Some are probably more challenging than St Stephen’s because they primarily have highly intelligent and hard working kids whereas St Stephen’s has a real variety of students with different interests and abilities. Some have better facilities (like Potomac!) because they have more families happy to donate millions. Some (like the Cathedral schools) might be better for those who want to live in the district.

But what St Stephen’s has, I think, is a unique blend of rigor (not the most rigorous for all kids all the time but certainly enough for top notch performers), support (why it’s often identified as not being a pressure cooker), community (the size and scale of Alexandria City contributes to this I think), athletics (all kids participate and the school is small enough that all kids CAN participate, even if that means they aren’t the “best” at every sport), and tradition and history (an extremely active alumni community, lots of enduring traditions that builds bonds etc).

So if rigor were my sole criterion perhaps we would have sent our kids to Sidwell or a Cathedral school; if sports were all I cared about maybe Gonzaga or Visi would be a top pick; if community were the only thing I needed I’d probably be happy with a solid Montessori school for the lower grades and a Falls Church City or Bethesda public high school. If prestige were all I cared about frankly I should have moved to NYC, because no one outside DC cares about DC schools (yes, even Sidwell).

But St Stephen’s is like the Goldilocks of DC schools. Enough rigor if my kid is ready for it; enough support if she needs it. Athletics for when my kid is in a sporty stage but a solid arts scene for when he suddenly wants to do musical theater. Community for me and my partner; tradition for when the kids are grown.

Plus, Alexandria is an awesome place to live. And perhaps the parent community at St Stephen’s is not as down to earth as public school parents (or so I hear) but they are SO much more down to earth than many of the aforementioned independent schools in DC (and I speak from experience).

Anyway we all just want the right fit for our kid and our family, and that means we’ll all want different things. But my family, and those of many of my friends, are extremely happy with the mix of rigor, support, community etc that St Stephen’s provides.

+1000. BI is not comparable on any level.

Says the current SSSAS going on past reputation. SSSAS is currently in a lower tier and cannot even get alumni to donate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

The other most active thread in this forum right now is exactly the same length and about NCS.

For the same price and vastly superior college admissions results I’ll take NCS. I think that is the point many people are making directly and indirectly on this thread.

100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

Do a search on NCS (not even just the current thread) or Flint Hill. There are many love/hate schools discussed at GREAT length on DCUM.

The schools are not fungible. We visited both and have solid connections at the Close. My children were literally turned off by both NCS and St. Albans. I wanted them to like the schools. I like them. They have well known rigor and amazing alums etc. My son did his shadow day and came out and said he would prefer to never go back. First words out of his mouth. I asked if something happened and he said no but he didn’t like how stifling it felt and the campus felt claustrophobic to him and the boys “vibe” was not the kind he liked. It was visceral and he is a mild mannered kid so I have to respect it. And my daughter’s feeling about NCS was that it was bland and joyless. she was strongly opposed to a girls school as well so we just didn’t press the issues with either and they are happily at other schools. But to think that NCS or ST Albans could be swapped for SSSAS shows a total lack of familiarity with the culture at all of the schools. Our impression of SSSAS was positive. Happy kids, engaged staff, lots of traditions, and it felt like a bigger place. It felt more like Bullis, Sidwell, Potomac. Nothing like NCS or St. Albans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out why this is 300+ posts? Would other k-12s garner such wildly different and polarized opinions? What is it about this school?

The other most active thread in this forum right now is exactly the same length and about NCS.

For the same price and vastly superior college admissions results I’ll take NCS. I think that is the point many people are making directly and indirectly on this thread.

100%

NCS has superior college admissions results. As an SSSAS parent, I’m not going to try to dispute that and I don’t know anyone who would!

BUT - look at this thread and then look at the thread on NCS. The NCS parents are debating the minutiae of 3.9 vs 3.8 GPAs and the effect it has on admissions. Their values are quite clear: they want their kids to attend the BEST college possible - and by best they don’t mean best for their child, but most highly ranked. They bemoan girls who worked “really, really, really hard” in high school “just to end up at Syracuse.” They share a common goal - get your girl to work crazy hard and get her to earn the reward of a name-brand university. (God knows how those girls feel if luck has it that they don’t earn a spot at a top college.)

The St Stephen’s thread is focused on what makes their kid happy and balanced. It’s focused on support and community.

It’s just a vastly different vibe.

I’m VERY familiar with the NCS vibe, and it’s what I grew up with (didn’t go to NCS but a similar school…). I understand why parents want “the best” for their kids. But there are also lots of parents (of varying backgrounds and with kids of different abilities) who want a solid, rigorous education without a parent community that is so obsessed with college outcomes that they post about it on DCUM like the girls are race horses and not humans.

That’s what makes St Stephen’s unique in the DC area. It’s a strong school that can cater to kids with a wide range of abilities and get good (even if not amazing) college results while prioritizing the well-being of kids far above anything else.