9th grade parents what do you like and not like about the school you selected

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at GDS

Likes:
Kids seem friendly. It's not instantaneous, but making friends with new and returning students
He really likes 5 of 6 teachers
The classes are so much more engaging than in middle school. He's liking English and math for the first time. He says the English discussions are lively and interesting

Dislikes
Parents are not part of the conversation. No grades posted (but I see the benefit of that too!)

Homework: The block schedule helps a lot. So far, it's not as overwhelming as we feared.

Did your kid go to GDS for middle school?

[Anonymous]

Paul VI. Hates everything about it. We are equally unimpressed so far. Theatre department is a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paul VI. Hates everything about it. We are equally unimpressed so far. Theatre department is a mess.

Do you plan on transferring?

[Anonymous]

Maret 9th grade. Enjoying it so far. New to the community and have been welcomed by families. Child enjoying the classes and teachers seem to care--great first meeting with advisor. Wish transportation or buses was an option and that there were more fields in campus. Outside of those issues, my child is liking. Came from a k-8 indep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good Counsel:

Pros:
Kid likes it
Kid is having fun
Broad amount of extracurricular activities
Sports

Cons:
School is too big
Seems like they admit in a broad range of people/academics
Not as personalized as I would like

These "cons" are mostly what GC is known for. The broad range is so that families with multiple kids all have a place at GC. Did you not know this going in?

GC is like a public school you pay for.

It’s a money-making machine overly focused on sports.

It’s always been less academic than all other area catholic schools.

People are opting to bite the bullet and pay more for better options. After all, why pay all that tuition when so many students wind up at Salisbury, Towson, or SEC schools?

Is DJO the virginia equivalent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t people name the school? Do they think they will be identified if they do?

If you don’t say what school you are referring to, please don’t participate in this thread!

Because they stretch the truth and don’t want to be called out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paul VI. Hates everything about it. We are equally unimpressed so far. Theatre department is a mess.

Really? They used to have a strong theater department.

[Anonymous]

9th grade at O'Connell:

1) small class sizes
2) sense of community
3) great communication with parents, the weekly newsletter is incredibly helpful
4) amazing school spirit
5) academic expectations compared to public middle school (daily quizzes in many subjects, hard grading expectations on writing, at least 1hr of homework per night)
6) away for the day with Yondr pouches is working well.

Don't like:

1) coming from public school kids are friendly but DC is finding it hard to break into pre-existing friend groups. (this will improve but it's tough with homecoming coming up that plans are being made by groups of kids from various parish K-8s so the truly new kids are struggling to find a place)
2) lunch prices are ridiculously expensive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good Counsel:

Pros:
Kid likes it
Kid is having fun
Broad amount of extracurricular activities
Sports

Cons:
School is too big
Seems like they admit in a broad range of people/academics
Not as personalized as I would like

These "cons" are mostly what GC is known for. The broad range is so that families with multiple kids all have a place at GC. Did you not know this going in?

GC is like a public school you pay for.

It’s a money-making machine overly focused on sports.

It’s always been less academic than all other area catholic schools.

People are opting to bite the bullet and pay more for better options. After all, why pay all that tuition when so many students wind up at Salisbury, Towson, or SEC schools?

Is DJO the virginia equivalent?

No. DJO is about $10k less than GC. It’s a good school and a good value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at O'Connell:

1) small class sizes
2) sense of community
3) great communication with parents, the weekly newsletter is incredibly helpful
4) amazing school spirit
5) academic expectations compared to public middle school (daily quizzes in many subjects, hard grading expectations on writing, at least 1hr of homework per night)
6) away for the day with Yondr pouches is working well.

Don't like:

1) coming from public school kids are friendly but DC is finding it hard to break into pre-existing friend groups. (this will improve but it's tough with homecoming coming up that plans are being made by groups of kids from various parish K-8s so the truly new kids are struggling to find a place)
2) lunch prices are ridiculously expensive

A clique of around 10 girls from my 9th grader's former K-8 followed each other to DJO on purpose so they could stay together as a group. They've subsequently ghosted all of the other girls from that graduating class who chose or were forced to go elsewhere. Hopefully they'll break out of their middle school group soon and let new kids in but I can tell you that there are parochial school kids who weren't accepted by those types of big cliques in middle school who are also trying to find friends, so I have hope it'll just take some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at O'Connell:

1) small class sizes
2) sense of community
3) great communication with parents, the weekly newsletter is incredibly helpful
4) amazing school spirit
5) academic expectations compared to public middle school (daily quizzes in many subjects, hard grading expectations on writing, at least 1hr of homework per night)
6) away for the day with Yondr pouches is working well.

Don't like:

1) coming from public school kids are friendly but DC is finding it hard to break into pre-existing friend groups. (this will improve but it's tough with homecoming coming up that plans are being made by groups of kids from various parish K-8s so the truly new kids are struggling to find a place)
2) lunch prices are ridiculously expensive

A clique of around 10 girls from my 9th grader's former K-8 followed each other to DJO on purpose so they could stay together as a group. They've subsequently ghosted all of the other girls from that graduating class who chose or were forced to go elsewhere. Hopefully they'll break out of their middle school group soon and let new kids in but I can tell you that there are parochial school kids who weren't accepted by those types of big cliques in middle school who are also trying to find friends, so I have hope it'll just take some time.

That sounds awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at GDS

Likes:
Kids seem friendly. It's not instantaneous, but making friends with new and returning students
He really likes 5 of 6 teachers
The classes are so much more engaging than in middle school. He's liking English and math for the first time. He says the English discussions are lively and interesting

Dislikes
Parents are not part of the conversation. No grades posted (but I see the benefit of that too!)

Homework: The block schedule helps a lot. So far, it's not as overwhelming as we feared.

Did your kid go to GDS for middle school?

Yes, but we weren't particularly happy with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at O'Connell:

1) small class sizes
2) sense of community
3) great communication with parents, the weekly newsletter is incredibly helpful
4) amazing school spirit
5) academic expectations compared to public middle school (daily quizzes in many subjects, hard grading expectations on writing, at least 1hr of homework per night)
6) away for the day with Yondr pouches is working well.

Don't like:

1) coming from public school kids are friendly but DC is finding it hard to break into pre-existing friend groups. (this will improve but it's tough with homecoming coming up that plans are being made by groups of kids from various parish K-8s so the truly new kids are struggling to find a place)
2) lunch prices are ridiculously expensive

My daughter is in the same place social-wise at DJO. She needs to figure out how to bridge the gap between lunch table friends and friends outside of school. But no progress so far.

[Anonymous]

This is very helpful. Would you mind sharing if your family is Catholic? Trying to get a sense of how difficult it would be for a non-catholic student coming from public school to adjust/adapt to the community. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:9th grade at O'Connell:

1) small class sizes
2) sense of community
3) great communication with parents, the weekly newsletter is incredibly helpful
4) amazing school spirit
5) academic expectations compared to public middle school (daily quizzes in many subjects, hard grading expectations on writing, at least 1hr of homework per night)
6) away for the day with Yondr pouches is working well.

Don't like:

1) coming from public school kids are friendly but DC is finding it hard to break into pre-existing friend groups. (this will improve but it's tough with homecoming coming up that plans are being made by groups of kids from various parish K-8s so the truly new kids are struggling to find a place)
2) lunch prices are ridiculously expensive

[Anonymous]

Siblings usually have similar academic abilities.

This is an idiotic take. Out of my sibling group 1/3 qualified for MENSA and 2/3 couldn’t swing community college.

Comparing my own children: 1 works hard to be a high average student. While other barely has to blink at their work to be the top student and test in the 99th percentile.

Sibling groups are different and shouldn’t be lumped together based on 1 person’s strengths.