Landon School - the good, the bad? Advice please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You get what you get when you sign upfront Landon. It is primarily made up of the country club/clubby set. Not all, but definitely the dominant feeling at the school.

I have mixed feelings about this statement as a Landon parent. One, are you one? I think there is a perception, and if you go to the Azalea Festival and that's your main association with the school, it is certainly filled with pink and green and critter shorts. But when you are at the school, I don't think it feels that way at all. I also wonder what specifically you mean by this short- hand. We belong to a country club, primarily for golf as my husband is a big golfer. It's a nice place, but doesn't define us. We don't really spend a lot of time there and most of our friends are from other parts of our lives. I think this is true of many people who belong to country clubs in 2016. It is a preppy school, I will give you that. It's hardly all white and Protestant though, sounds like it may have been 20 years ago, but that has changed a lot. Anyway, just a few further thoughts on the topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boys will be boys...

I think it's more accurate to say kids will be kids.

[Anonymous]

I think there is a pretty big divide in our relative demographic between parents who think, for example, sports should be completely "fair", no cut, everyone gets a trophy, mentality and others (I will admit my bias) who think it's ok to learn that not everyone is a star, everyone has different talents, and there are winners and losers in a game. I had a parent tell me the other day that it's important to equally cheer for the opposing team. I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. I am the first to note a great play by an opposing team, or such, but cheer EQUALLY? That's really outside of my understanding. I say this as a parent of a middling, could be good athlete. He is going to learn the hard way that if you are not disciplined and have a great attitude, innate talent will only take you so far. While I am sad for him that this will be a hard lesson to learn, I also recognize it is part of why I encouraged sports in the first place. I do want him to learn this lesson, and unfortunately for him, it looks like he is going to learn it the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a pretty big divide in our relative demographic between parents who think, for example, sports should be completely "fair", no cut, everyone gets a trophy, mentality and others (I will admit my bias) who think it's ok to learn that not everyone is a star, everyone has different talents, and there are winners and losers in a game. I had a parent tell me the other day that it's important to equally cheer for the opposing team. I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. I am the first to note a great play by an opposing team, or such, but cheer EQUALLY? That's really outside of my understanding. I say this as a parent of a middling, could be good athlete. He is going to learn the hard way that if you are not disciplined and have a great attitude, innate talent will only take you so far. While I am sad for him that this will be a hard lesson to learn, I also recognize it is part of why I encouraged sports in the first place. I do want him to learn this lesson, and unfortunately for him, it looks like he is going to learn it the hard way.

I would also say sports is one of the only areas I see this. We don't complain that there is 1st and 2nd chair in band or orchestra, nor do we complain that there are lead parts in plays and other productions. We don't think every student should be showcased in the art or writing show, right? We also don't expect everyone to make the debate team. Just a few examples. I have never understood why sports is the arena so many people want "equal treatment".

[Anonymous]

Equal treatment and not awarding top performers whether it be in the academics, athletics or the arts is not how the real world operates.

Not everyone wins on Wall Street or in the board room - what kind of liberal PC message are some of these schools trying to send to the next generation of kids.

I hope the GDS mentality stays as far away from Landon for as long as my boys are there. School should be competitive just like the real world is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Equal treatment and not awarding top performers whether it be in the academics, athletics or the arts is not how the real world operates.

Not everyone wins on Wall Street or in the board room - what kind of liberal PC message are some of these schools trying to send to the next generation of kids.

I hope the GDS mentality stays as far away from Landon for as long as my boys are there. School should be competitive just like the real world is.

Hallelujah! Couldn't agree more.

[Anonymous]

There is a reason why schools have an honor roll I or honor roll II. There are reasons why athletic teams in HS have cuts and have JV programs. There is a reason why the best kids in the performing arts tend to get the lead role in the play or why the student with the best voice will perform a solo more so than others.

Why parents get upset when their little johnny gets cut from a team or doesn't make the honor roll I or somehow blames it on the school, I will never truly understand.

I have worked on K Street for 15 years and prior to that 6 years on Wall Street.

This mentality "every student deserves a trophy" is needs to come to an end. This generation of kids is sure in for a wake up call at the next level - and I mean post college.

Wait till your boys and girls get to college and see how competitive it is inside and outside the classroom - mommy and daddy can no longer email a professor and bitch about a grade or complain to a coach.

[Anonymous]

I went there for 9 years and graduated almost 15 years ago.

I thought it was a great school, and you couldn't find a more dedicated group of teachers. The place does get a little high on itself, however, I really like that the new headmaster is an outsider.

Its reputation didn't exactly mesh with reality when I was a student, and I gather that's even more so the case now.

When I attended it felt like at least half the students did not fit the school's reputation. I gather this is even more the case since the school has been trying hard ever since the 2010 Huguely disgrace at UVA to counter its existing reputation.

I think it says a lot that the head of the middle school is a) a woman and b) a lesbian.

Landon isn't the most "21st century compatible" of DC's private schools. That said, Landon in 2016 has distanced itself greatly from the Landon of 1986, 1996, or even 2006.

Nothing reinforces my last comment more than Landon's sports, which are getting worse and worse with each passing year.

It's definitely not the place it used to be, but reputations do take time to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get what you get when you sign upfront Landon. It is primarily made up of the country club/clubby set. Not all, but definitely the dominant feeling at the school.

I have mixed feelings about this statement as a Landon parent. One, are you one? I think there is a perception, and if you go to the Azalea Festival and that's your main association with the school, it is certainly filled with pink and green and critter shorts. But when you are at the school, I don't think it feels that way at all. I also wonder what specifically you mean by this short- hand. We belong to a country club, primarily for golf as my husband is a big golfer. It's a nice place, but doesn't define us. We don't really spend a lot of time there and most of our friends are from other parts of our lives. I think this is true of many people who belong to country clubs in 2016. It is a preppy school, I will give you that. It's hardly all white and Protestant though, sounds like it may have been 20 years ago, but that has changed a lot. Anyway, just a few further thoughts on the topic.

I'm not pp, but we did look at Landon and I think I know what she means short-hand by country club. It means there is a wealthy, elite air to Landon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After snowzilla, Jim Neill visited my son's lower school class room and asked for a show of hands how many boys sholved snow and followed up with how many did it for no pay. I thought this was a great way to follow-up on his email message. Jim Neill is a wonderful Headmaster and we are lucky to have him.

I can't speak about MS or US (though I have only heard good things so far) but the LS head has also been great about focusing on helping the boys understand the importance of doing the right thing, even if the right thing is hard or not popular.

Our son is extremely happy at Landon and we have been impressed by the academics as well as the focus on strong character building. Good luck on your decision.

This is another example of country club atmosphere. What about the FA kids who need that money? Yes, shovel for an elderly person for free but I wouldn't want my son to be made to feel "less than" because he shovels for money too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After snowzilla, Jim Neill visited my son's lower school class room and asked for a show of hands how many boys sholved snow and followed up with how many did it for no pay. I thought this was a great way to follow-up on his email message. Jim Neill is a wonderful Headmaster and we are lucky to have him.

I can't speak about MS or US (though I have only heard good things so far) but the LS head has also been great about focusing on helping the boys understand the importance of doing the right thing, even if the right thing is hard or not popular.

Our son is extremely happy at Landon and we have been impressed by the academics as well as the focus on strong character building. Good luck on your decision.

This is another example of country club atmosphere. What about the FA kids who need that money? Yes, shovel for an elderly person for free but I wouldn't want my son to be made to feel "less than" because he shovels for money too.

And this is another example of the chip-on-the-shoulder, put-upon, woe-is-me attitude of too many FA parents. Your son is receiving a fantastic education, courtesy of the generosity of others. I'm sorry that he can't take one hour out of his busy snow shoveling enterprise to actually give back a little himself to someone in far greater need than he is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get what you get when you sign upfront Landon. It is primarily made up of the country club/clubby set. Not all, but definitely the dominant feeling at the school.

I have mixed feelings about this statement as a Landon parent. One, are you one? I think there is a perception, and if you go to the Azalea Festival and that's your main association with the school, it is certainly filled with pink and green and critter shorts. But when you are at the school, I don't think it feels that way at all. I also wonder what specifically you mean by this short- hand. We belong to a country club, primarily for golf as my husband is a big golfer. It's a nice place, but doesn't define us. We don't really spend a lot of time there and most of our friends are from other parts of our lives. I think this is true of many people who belong to country clubs in 2016. It is a preppy school, I will give you that. It's hardly all white and Protestant though, sounds like it may have been 20 years ago, but that has changed a lot. Anyway, just a few further thoughts on the topic.

Yes, I was a Landon parent up until 2 years ago, so I have first-hand, relevant experience. it is very preppy, and very homogenous. Yes, there are liberal-leaning families there (we were one of them), but they are VERY much in the minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After snowzilla, Jim Neill visited my son's lower school class room and asked for a show of hands how many boys sholved snow and followed up with how many did it for no pay. I thought this was a great way to follow-up on his email message. Jim Neill is a wonderful Headmaster and we are lucky to have him.

I can't speak about MS or US (though I have only heard good things so far) but the LS head has also been great about focusing on helping the boys understand the importance of doing the right thing, even if the right thing is hard or not popular.

Our son is extremely happy at Landon and we have been impressed by the academics as well as the focus on strong character building. Good luck on your decision.

This is another example of country club atmosphere. What about the FA kids who need that money? Yes, shovel for an elderly person for free but I wouldn't want my son to be made to feel "less than" because he shovels for money too.

Oh dear, resentful much? Accept and be grateful that you have a smart kid and the future looks bright. No one but you is making your son feel less than...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went there for 9 years and graduated almost 15 years ago.

I thought it was a great school, and you couldn't find a more dedicated group of teachers. The place does get a little high on itself, however, I really like that the new headmaster is an outsider.

Its reputation didn't exactly mesh with reality when I was a student, and I gather that's even more so the case now.

When I attended it felt like at least half the students did not fit the school's reputation. I gather this is even more the case since the school has been trying hard ever since the 2010 Huguely disgrace at UVA to counter its existing reputation.

I think it says a lot that the head of the middle school is a) a woman and b) a lesbian.

Landon isn't the most "21st century compatible" of DC's private schools. That said, Landon in 2016 has distanced itself greatly from the Landon of 1986, 1996, or even 2006.

Nothing reinforces my last comment more than Landon's sports, which are getting worse and worse with each passing year.

It's definitely not the place it used to be, but reputations do take time to change.

TMI. I don't want to hear who she sleeps with, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Question to a PP. Does Landon have two honor rolls.? My kids go to Sidwell where they don't celebrate grades so even one honor roll seems odd, but what is the point of 2?