Social climate at Georgetown Day School

[Anonymous]

Do teenagers really read DCUM? Why?

[Anonymous]

To confirm their worst fears about their mothers and their friends' mothers?

[Anonymous]

Lol, no I hadn't heard of this website. I accidently came across this thread while googling some info about school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been at GDS since 7th grade, and am going into the high school in a few weeks. I won't deny that at GDS there are kids that are unpopular, and there's rumors that get spread and occasionally cases of bullying (though coming from public school, there is much less than many schools) but this is true of every school in the D.C. area. Having friends at Alice Deal, Sidwell, School Without Walls, Burke, Maret, Wilson and most other schools in the area, there isn't a single school that is void of this. It's a social architecture that's bound to man, whether we like it or not. However, the policies at GDS help to break down this structure into a level playing field for all of its students and faculty. Calling teachers by their first name humanizes them so that they're not some superior being with divine and holy knowledge gifted upon them. Instead it makes them feel like your friend, and makes it much easier to come up to them after class. The discussion oriented classes emulate many of the values of the Harkness table. The students are practically teaching each other through the brilliant discussion that ensues from the curiosity and desire to learn that everyone brings to class, while the teachers moderate the conversation and push it in new directions every now and then to keep the debate interesting and to cover the necessary topics. The teachers are often more like moderators. This all melds together to make the students and teachers partners in education. So to re-iterate, yes there are kids who are "unpopular" and there are kids that don't work hard, but you will find these people at every school, and it's unfair to hold it against GDS. I have received a fantastic education at GDS, and I the friendships that I have formed their will last me the rest of my life. I'm not trying to glorify the school, because it has many problems (it does have somewhat of a reputation involving underaged drinking) but I look forward to the next four years there, as does everyone. I hope I was able to provide some enlightenment.

If this post was really written by a rising 9th grader, then Kudos to GDS (or to the public school that s/he previously attended) for teaching this student to write remarkably well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a troll or a coincidence?

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/96787.page

Definitely a troll.

[Anonymous]

B'Nai Rastafari.

[Anonymous]

What is it like there for Muslim children. I heard that many feel uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Speaking as yet another current GDS student, I would love to hear the context of these rumors--never in my six years at the school have I heard of a classmate being made to feel uncomfortable because of his religious background. The school works very hard to foster an inclusive environment; believe me when I say that any such instance would be turned into a teaching opportunity in about two seconds flat. The high school curriculum even offers a mandatory freshman seminar course designed to get students talking about the "Big 8" social identifiers and how to deal with conflicts revolving around personal identity. This dialogue continues past ninth grade--when, for instance, a news story breaks about hate crime or any sort of discrimination based on any identifier, students discuss it at great length on the school's current events forum on the school email server. Students talk about the "GDS bubble" for good reason; while we are all aware that the world will not always be a tolerant place, we all take pride in keeping ourselves educated on these issues in the hope of helping to spread awareness outside of the school itself.

On a more personal level, I am well acquainted with many Muslim students and faculty at the school. While they do not number as many as do Jewish students and faculty, they definitely have a presence on campus. Readings from the Qur'an are always included in the school's annual holiday assembly, and everyone in the school at large takes equal pride in his or her own background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as yet another current GDS student, I would love to hear the context of these rumors--never in my six years at the school have I heard of a classmate being made to feel uncomfortable because of his religious background. The school works very hard to foster an inclusive environment; believe me when I say that any such instance would be turned into a teaching opportunity in about two seconds flat. The high school curriculum even offers a mandatory freshman seminar course designed to get students talking about the "Big 8" social identifiers and how to deal with conflicts revolving around personal identity. This dialogue continues past ninth grade--when, for instance, a news story breaks about hate crime or any sort of discrimination based on any identifier, students discuss it at great length on the school's current events forum on the school email server. Students talk about the "GDS bubble" for good reason; while we are all aware that the world will not always be a tolerant place, we all take pride in keeping ourselves educated on these issues in the hope of helping to spread awareness outside of the school itself.

On a more personal level, I am well acquainted with many Muslim students and faculty at the school. While they do not number as many as do Jewish students and faculty, they definitely have a presence on campus. Readings from the Qur'an are always included in the school's annual holiday assembly, and everyone in the school at large takes equal pride in his or her own background.

Why is a teenager spending time reading/posting a "Mommy" website. Stop wasting your youth! Embrace the world! Chase girls or boys! Rebel against authority! Good God, it is really depressing to think of teenagers wasting their time on this site. It is sad enough that I do so.

[Anonymous]

To say nothing of the roving packs of GDS students wearing fancy skinny jeans and buying Monster™ sodas and Giant bags o'chips careening through the Safeway next door. I've known several families with kids that have gone there; the school culture is really not for us, but the academic standards are great and the confidence of the students is undeniable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been at GDS since 7th grade, and am going into the high school in a few weeks. I won't deny that at GDS there are kids that are unpopular, and there's rumors that get spread and occasionally cases of bullying (though coming from public school, there is much less than many schools) but this is true of every school in the D.C. area. Having friends at Alice Deal, Sidwell, School Without Walls, Burke, Maret, Wilson and most other schools in the area, there isn't a single school that is void of this. It's a social architecture that's bound to man, whether we like it or not. However, the policies at GDS help to break down this structure into a level playing field for all of its students and faculty. Calling teachers by their first name humanizes them so that they're not some superior being with divine and holy knowledge gifted upon them. Instead it makes them feel like your friend, and makes it much easier to come up to them after class. The discussion oriented classes emulate many of the values of the Harkness table. The students are practically teaching each other through the brilliant discussion that ensues from the curiosity and desire to learn that everyone brings to class, while the teachers moderate the conversation and push it in new directions every now and then to keep the debate interesting and to cover the necessary topics. The teachers are often more like moderators. This all melds together to make the students and teachers partners in education. So to re-iterate, yes there are kids who are "unpopular" and there are kids that don't work hard, but you will find these people at every school, and it's unfair to hold it against GDS. I have received a fantastic education at GDS, and I the friendships that I have formed their will last me the rest of my life. I'm not trying to glorify the school, because it has many problems (it does have somewhat of a reputation involving underaged drinking) but I look forward to the next four years there, as does everyone. I hope I was able to provide some enlightenment.

If this post was really written by a rising 9th grader, then Kudos to GDS (or to the public school that s/he previously attended) for teaching this student to write remarkably well.

Seriously? I thought the writing was particularly bad (and the reasoning even worse). Not great advertising for GDS.

[Anonymous]

I have been going to GDS for 7 years. Not once has a person been drinking a soda and eating popcorn in my class. Nor has anyone, especially in the lower school, drank coffee. The first name thing doesnt go home with me. I dont assume that when ever I meet someone I will call them by there first name, only when I'm told to call someone by their first name. I respect my teachers as much as any kid from any other school, and 3 of my siblings have graduated from ncs/sta. Im graduating this year and to listen to you insult gds and say its ok for kids to listen to music and smoke at gds is extremely disrespectful. You are basing this off rumors that you heard which are not true. Many kids from other schools assume that I go to gds that I'am gay, which I'm not nor is 99% of the school. All my friends who left gds came back, unless they were asked to leave because they werent smart enough (went to schools like Bullis, Burke, Field, Landon), the reason they came back was because at other schools when they ask to meet with a teacher that teacher would laugh, and another reason is because the teachers are so great at what they do and care about the child learning and encourages the students to ask for help. GDS doesnt make a child disrespectful, that would come from the parents and the child

[Anonymous]

Seriously? I thought the writing was particularly bad (and the reasoning even worse). Not great advertising for GDS.

It's all subjective, what did you dislike about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've known several kids who left GDS around the upper elementary/middle school level because they were being bullied and excluded. These kids had started in 3rd or 4th grade. Perhaps that's the exception, but it's worth mentioning. These kids moved on to Sidwell, Field School, and Aidan Montessori.

If your child has problems with being bullied at gds then your child will be bullied everywhere. I spent several years at the cathedral schools and gds makes that look like a parents nightmare. 7 years at gds and only a handfull of incidents, all were dealt with immediately by the administration.

[Anonymous]

Another student speaking. Fuck everything else that was said. If your kid isn't comfortable saying the word "fa*," they probably won't fit in.