If you could choose to send you DS to any private school in the DC Metro area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prior to seeing how my 5 yo is developing as a student, I wanted the Sidwells, Marets, Beauvoirs---
In really seeing his strengths and educational needs, I want St. Patrick's or Green Acres for him...
REALLY depends on the child.

I dont know anything about Green Acres but St Pats is not for a child who has "educational needs" that are any different from a child who would apply to or attend Sidwell, Beauvoir or Maret. You may want to research the school a bit more. Its academics in the elementary grades are the equal of the first 3 as evidenced by how many of their students end up at those schools (or STA/NCS in the case of B) later.

[Anonymous]

PP is absolutely correct. St Pat's is a fabulous school but very academically challenging with a fairly traditional learning environment.
Green Acres is on the other side of the spectrum and works beautifully with kids who are differentiated learners (not necessarily special learning needs though)

[Anonymous]

Potomac School - not for the social status but for the amazing teachers and well rounded program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior to seeing how my 5 yo is developing as a student, I wanted the Sidwells, Marets, Beauvoirs---
In really seeing his strengths and educational needs, I want St. Patrick's or Green Acres for him...
REALLY depends on the child.

I dont know anything about Green Acres but St Pats is not for a child who has "educational needs" that are any different from a child who would apply to or attend Sidwell, Beauvoir or Maret. You may want to research the school a bit more. Its academics in the elementary grades are the equal of the first 3 as evidenced by how many of their students end up at those schools (or STA/NCS in the case of B) later.

I agree. I heard St Pats is for kids who applied but could not get into Sidwell, Maret or Beauvoir at Pre-K/K. They instead go to St Pats for a few years and then try to get into the Big 3 later on, and some of them do get in.

[Anonymous]

"educational needs" can mean anything.
Don't know what the earlier poster meant, but it could mean creative challenges, meaningful contexts for learning, or any number of things. Not necessarily negatives.

[Anonymous]

mater dei for boys, not sure for girls

[Anonymous]

I heard St Pats is for kids who applied but could not get into Sidwell, Maret or Beauvoir at Pre-K/K. They instead go to St Pats for a few years and then try to get into the Big 3 later on, and some of them do get in.


That's not true, that St. Pat's is for students who could not get into those schools. Just not true. In fact at least one of the mentioned schools is concerned that St. Pat's going to higher grades (through high school I believe) is going to mean a drop in applicants to this school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior to seeing how my 5 yo is developing as a student, I wanted the Sidwells, Marets, Beauvoirs---
In really seeing his strengths and educational needs, I want St. Patrick's or Green Acres for him...
REALLY depends on the child.

I dont know anything about Green Acres but St Pats is not for a child who has "educational needs" that are any different from a child who would apply to or attend Sidwell, Beauvoir or Maret. You may want to research the school a bit more. Its academics in the elementary grades are the equal of the first 3 as evidenced by how many of their students end up at those schools (or STA/NCS in the case of B) later.

I agree. I heard St Pats is for kids who applied but could not get into Sidwell, Maret or Beauvoir at Pre-K/K. They instead go to St Pats for a few years and then try to get into the Big 3 later on, and some of them do get in.

I know that this is a foreign concept to many of you, but some of us do not apply to the schools with the more competitive entry process because we do not want to hop on that hamster wheel. This area offers us many good schools and many of these do not have an entry process that requires that we and our children jump through hoops and jump up and down with glee that we have been deemed worthy of handing over our 35K a year to them.

I am not debating the fact that the schools that you mention are not good schools, they are. But nonetheless many of us have no interest in them. Life is stressful enough and I see no reason to add more drama to the mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I know that this is a foreign concept to many of you, but some of us do not apply to the schools with the more competitive entry process because we do not want to hop on that hamster wheel.

I hope this POV wins out. Other St Pat's posters seemed eager to reinvent that wheel. (No kids with learning differences need apply, we're a threat to Sidwell and/or Maret, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prior to seeing how my 5 yo is developing as a student, I wanted the Sidwells, Marets, Beauvoirs---
In really seeing his strengths and educational needs, I want St. Patrick's or Green Acres for him...
REALLY depends on the child.

I dont know anything about Green Acres but St Pats is not for a child who has "educational needs" that are any different from a child who would apply to or attend Sidwell, Beauvoir or Maret. You may want to research the school a bit more. Its academics in the elementary grades are the equal of the first 3 as evidenced by how many of their students end up at those schools (or STA/NCS in the case of B) later.

I agree. I heard St Pats is for kids who applied but could not get into Sidwell, Maret or Beauvoir at Pre-K/K. They instead go to St Pats for a few years and then try to get into the Big 3 later on, and some of them do get in.

This is pretty much true. Most of my friends that are at St. Pat's did apply to the Big 3 and didn't get into those schools. I know because we all applied at the same time. I didn't get into a Big 3 either.

[Anonymous]

Sheridan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No offense meant, but St. Anselm's Abbey is a private Catholic boys school. Where did the 'gifted' thing come from? Because some kids won't be accepted?

The curriculum is accelerated and very rigorous. Sixth graders read Shakespeare, seventh graders learn Latin, eighth graders continue Latin and add a modern language, etc. Math and science are also advanced. You can read about the curriculum and history of the school on its website.

A lot of us dislike the "gifted" label, because everyone is gifted somehow. Also, the term has been watered down in school districts where everyone who wants to take a challenging course has to be labeled as gifted. So the standard that Saint Anselm's seems to be using now is "demonstrated academic achievement." Whatever you call it, a boy will be accepted, and retained, only if he shows he can keep up with a very rigorous academic program, and not hold back the rest of the class. It's not a school that a family can just buy its way into.

You can't buy your way into the Abbey and each boy must be individually tested and, in most cases, interviewed with a goal of admitting boys who are "the entire or complete young man."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:mater dei for boys, not sure for girls

Does Mater Dei have a Kindergarten? It says grades 1 through one the website. What about K? Where do kids do just K?

[Anonymous]

Mater Dei starts in first grade. Boys come from a wide variety of schools

[Anonymous]

sidwell, gds, maret