Is Sidwell really Sadwell?

[Anonymous]

I know what you mean. Ever see the Obama girls? They always look so glum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 kids at Sidwell. I think the school is not the problem. Everywhere has college anxiety. That’s everywhere. But for my other Sidwell parents on the line, let’s be honest. The social culture (especially among girls) is toxic. There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups. This non-stop mean social culture amongst entitled high school kids is nasty. We stay because the school is academically really good. Some of the best teachers. The Upper School principal is legendary and a role model. I just wish the kids would be like him. We can’t wait to leave because the kids at this place are Spoiled, narcissistic brats. And yes let’s talk about the secret mental health audit and survey.

Sorry everywhere has pockets of college anxiety but at Sidwell it seems to be the majority of the school.

Seems to be the same at all privates in this town. Potomac is the exact same way. Stems from the horrific parenting, a lot of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have been hearing that high school culture at Sidwell can be toxic. That recent mental health study survey showed that majority of students felt depressed or were clinically diagnosed as such. That whole culture of school is entitled, arrogant and mean. By senior year, you want to just have the pain of this place end and move on to a better chapter of your life

Ah it's application season again. Guess you're applying and trying to scare off the competition. If this is what you're hearing why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 kids at Sidwell. I think the school is not the problem. Everywhere has college anxiety. That’s everywhere. But for my other Sidwell parents on the line, let’s be honest. The social culture (especially among girls) is toxic. There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups.

This non-stop mean social culture amongst entitled high school kids is nasty. We stay because the school is academically really good[b].

Some of the best teachers. The Upper School principal is legendary and a role model. I just wish the kids would be like him.

We can’t wait to leave because the kids at this place are Spoiled, narcissistic brats. [b]

And yes let’s talk about the secret mental health audit and survey.

This part also true at other privates.

[Anonymous]

We have friends whose daughter hated the culture there enough to ask to finish high school overseas at a boarding school. She's American of American parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 kids at Sidwell. I think the school is not the problem. Everywhere has college anxiety. That’s everywhere. But for my other Sidwell parents on the line, let’s be honest. The social culture (especially among girls) is toxic. There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups. This non-stop mean social culture amongst entitled high school kids is nasty. We stay because the school is academically really good. Some of the best teachers. The Upper School principal is legendary and a role model. I just wish the kids would be like him. We can’t wait to leave because the kids at this place are Spoiled, narcissistic brats. And yes let’s talk about the secret mental health audit and survey.

“There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups.”

1. How does this differ from any affluent school in the DMV, public or private?
2. What, exactly, should Sidwell do about cliques, mean boys/girls, and social exclusion? How can Sidwell crack the code on a tale as old as time?
3. Please explain how Sidwell can make students befriend students they otherwise wouldn’t want to befriend?
4. Finally, good on Sidwell for commissioning a mental health audit. How many other private schools have done that recently (especially places with multiple recent suicides. I’m looking at you, Landon and Harvard-Westlake).

[Anonymous]

^^^The parents of these students are the ones fostering the negative vibes in the class. They should be the ones encouraging their kids to foster a friendly environment in school and try to be at least civil to their classmates. There is a lot of social engineering that goes on that needs to stop before things can improve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups.”

1. How does this differ from any affluent school in the DMV, public or private?

All schools have it, but it's more prevalent at some and less at others. Why is that so hard to grasp for you?

[Anonymous]

It seems like it is pretty universal in DMV privates, esp the “pressure cookers”. In publics also there but more kids to choose from so gets more diluted.

[Anonymous]

It's Sidwail, actually. If you come on DCUM in January or February and wail on about how bad a school is, people are more likely to decline or withdraw their child's application, thereby increasing the chances of your child getting in or getting in off the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“There are cliques. Mean girls. Bullying. Mental cruelty. Kids who are excluded from friend groups.”

1. How does this differ from any affluent school in the DMV, public or private?

All schools have it, but it's more prevalent at some and less at others. Why is that so hard to grasp for you?

Why is it so hard for you to grasp that others may have a different experience and perspective than you. Based on the conversations I’ve had with parents, whose children attend various local schools, I don’t think these issues are more prevalent at Sidwell.

Perspective is based on where you sit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like it is pretty universal in DMV privates, esp the “pressure cookers”. In publics also there but more kids to choose from so gets more diluted.

Kids were getting physically assaulted at the public we left for Sidwell. Racial slurs were also heard (in the classroom and hallways) on a regular basis at this WotP public. My children prefer Sidwell’s social environment by a mile.

[Anonymous]

The same toxic social issues existed in my large public school in an affluent area (not DMV) and I graduated in the 90s. Kids are jerks and living in an affluent area with parents that put a lot of emphasis on wealth, possessions, power, etc., is going to make this even worse. I don’t think it’s unique to SFS either. I have found that this is also very grade dependent. Some grades are just full of mean kids. My DC is lucky to have a great class (not SFS but just down the road) but one above and the one below…yikes! DC says often that they are glad to not be in one of those years. And the college pressure is everywhere. Adults ask my 9th grader all the time where they want to go to college. They reply, I am 15, I have no idea yet!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so hard for you to grasp that others may have a different experience and perspective than you.

Where did I suggest otherwise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so hard for you to grasp that others may have a different experience and perspective than you.

Where did I suggest otherwise?

Quoting you: “All schools have it, but it's more prevalent at some and less at others. Why is that so hard to grasp for you?”

My perspective: These issues are not more prevalent at Sidwell. I understand that others may have a different experience. However, my opinion and lived experience clearly differs from theirs/yours.