Forum Index
»
Private & Independent Schools
Visited Beauvoir - was completely underwhelmed
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
So we visited Beauvoir and I was left wondering what all the fuss about the school was really all about. Yes, yes they have a beautiful building, loved the playgrounds, art room etc. but the classrooms looked a bit small for the number of kids in the room. And there did not seem to be much going on..... other schools we visited the kids were more busy with their 'work' - singing or writing, playing music, etc.
The displays on the wall looked just to contrived to me - the art work was just too good - is that really possible? But in the other schools, in the 4 year old classroom the art work was, well, more like scribbles, because that is what most 4 year olds draw! Can someone fill me in on that. And then there was that chart on the wall with the curriculum for the year mapped out - how does that fit in with we respond to the needs to the children when it is clear that 'owls' or whatever is on the plan for the month regardless of whether it piques the interest of the kids or not? And where did they find all those blonde moms - we saw at least a dozen volunteering there that morning. If we were to go there, would I be the only non-blonde and non-'diverse' mom!!! Please tell me there are other moms who work there. And also is there any sort of security check on the parent volunteers? Maybe it was the parent who showed us around but I never got any sense that there was any depth to the curriculum, it all seemed so superficial, maybe she was just not very good - she didn't seem to know why making potatoes had anything to do with 'studying' South America! and there were a few other times where I wondered if she had any education at all herself. Did anyone else have a similar assessement? Maybe I should try to visit again or go to an open house. Could I be that wrong about a school that everyone else is going gaga over? |
Anonymous
| what got me was the use of the pointers! on the tour, as we passed several classrooms, teachers were standing at the front of the room using pointers at the board. it was so old school, it made me nostalgic for growing up in the late 60s early 70s with all those pointers! the children were sitting perfectly still in perfect alignment. and the school really is beautiful. it made me think it was a school i would have loved as a little girl who loved order, but for my high high energy son, no way. great school, but just not a good fit for us. |
Anonymous
I don't know what is on the walls this year, but I can tell you that the art program at Beauvoir is fabulous. And for us the curriculum mapping was a major attraction. This enables the school to reinforce concepts across activities --- so for example, when the children learn about planets and the solar system in class they also do a "planet dance" in music/dance. Some kids pick up the concept of planetary motion when it is explained by the teacher, others learn better by being a planet in a dance. And we aren't blonde or 'diverse' but we just loved the school. Take another look and see if you get a different impression next time |
Anonymous
|
Yes, of course the art is real. My kid is one of the few left scribbling at 4yo - most are doing representational drawing by this age. And yes, there are many non-blondes and many parents who work and many who are educated. Our child's pre-k classroom is huge, light-filled, and beautiful. Never thought anyone would think it small. The curriculum is very thoughtful; something we didn't fully appreciate until the year began and we realized just how integrated everything really is. They examine each concept through so many different avenues that every type of learner will find something exciting and absorbing.
The school may not be for you. I remember being underwhelmed by Sidwell and we know many parents who are thrilled with it - just not the right school for our kid. But it's probably worth a second look. |
Anonymous
| I was "underwhelmed" by Maret....... |
Anonymous
|
This thread makes me sad for two reasons:
1. Someone is wondering why they didn't like a particular school, and others are posting about schools they didn't like, and 2. People who go to that school are telling the OP to go back and look again. To me, school is about the right fit. I mean, if you went on a date with somebody you hated, would you feel like you should go out with that person again? or that you should like that person because other people like her/him? To me, it sounds like Beauvoir is not the right school for the OP, but it is the right school for the people who chose to go there. Same thing for the poster who didn't like Maret. It's not for you. Your "true love" is still out there! I really wish we could get away from the idea that there are a couple of schools everybody must love and be dying to get into. I don't think it does anybody any favors and takes people's focus off what it should be on: finding the right school for your kid. But here I go wishing the world were perfect again... |
Anonymous
| I wasn't trying to say anything bad about Sidwell- just using my impression as an example of exactly what you were trying to point out - no one school is the right fit for everyone. |
Anonymous
| Pointers? My DD has been at Beauvoir for four years and I have never seen a teacher use a pointer. Nor do the kids sit in alignment. They sit at tables or pods of desks, or in a circle or an amorphous group on the floor. Yes, Beauvoir is structured, but that PP was just making things up. |
Anonymous
|
In the pre-k and k classroom there are containers of pointers next to the morning message board to help the little ones follow the words to read the morning message. It is also quite useful when children are learning to read to use the pointer to show them how to decode the words. The art is very real. When it comes off of the wall at school, it goes into a frame in my house.
Sounds like Beauvoir is not a school for the OP. I am a current parent that loves it and advises OP to move on to a school that she likes. Beauvoir is not hurting for applicants. And it is ok to be underwhelmed. Just not the right fit for your child. |
Anonymous
I think it's great and I respect these people for taking a discerning look at schools to find the best fit for their child. There are too many people obsessed with the major brands and make themselves sick over the process rather than focusing on what's right for their kids. |
Anonymous
| OP, I think that when you read the big deal that many on DCUM make about these schools, it is easy to be underwhelmed when you visit. Keep looking, your child is likely to enjoy a school that you like. |
Anonymous
The reason I suggested that she should take another look was that OP's perceptions of the school appeared to me to be inaccurate and that she herself wanted to check them out (" The displays on the wall looked just to contrived to me - the art work was just too good - is that really possible? But in the other schools, in the 4 year old classroom the art work was, well, more like scribbles, because that is what most 4 year olds draw! Can someone fill me in on that.") If she still has concerns after she has all the facts, of course she shouldn't apply to the school, whatever anyone else says about it. That would only set her up for years of (expensive) frustration and also deprive someone else who likes the school of a place. |
Anonymous
| My child is 4, does not go to Beauvoir (St Patrick's), and her drawings/art work are definitely not scribbles. In fact, at a recent back-to school night I was utterly amazed by many of the children's self-portraits in her PK class (mostly 4 yr olds, some just turned 5s). I would never assume that a school, any school, would hang art that was not the children's and say it was. |
Anonymous
| I worked as a nanny for a family whose son went to a preschool in VA. The artwork that hung in the hallways outside the classrooms all looked the same. It was funny how some parents remarked how "good" the artwork was while I was thinking "What is good about it?" Artwork is a personal thing and I would be disappointed if my child's looked the same as everyone else's. Either the teachers wanted it that way or they did it (or finished it) for the kids. As a parent, I now know what to look for in terms of the art schools choose to display in the hallways and classrooms. It says something about the school if they all look the same. Maybe some parents like that but not me. |
Anonymous
| I think this thread is about how these schools get built up into some kind of paradise when, in actuality, they are run by people who are human and teach kids, who are human. I am always like "wow, this is JUST another lovely school." I think it is going to rock my world, but eh. Just another school. |