tell me about middle school at GDS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longtime GDS parent here. Multiple kids at the school. The MS is the worst part of the GDS experience. why?

The MS just runs more poorly than LS and HS. Less organized. The MS administration (which is changing at the end of the school year) is frankly not as good as the HS or LS. Kids (not just mine but many) seem to think MS is the low point of the GDS experience

Surely some of that is endemic to MS everywhere - it's a hard and awkward age. But my kids - none of whom were introverts - were surprised at how little control teachers exerted in classrooms to tell disruptive kids to STFU. There are often 2-3 kids in a classroom (esp 7th and 8th grade) who are chatting, having side conversations, using their laptops to game - and 2/3rds of MS teachers seem to entirely ignore this and zero consequences are faced. Like none

The issue is that for the extroverted kids - no problem, but for an introvert, that setting can perhaps be intimidating or at least distracting.

The new building is viewed as being sterile and cramped by many of the kids who saw the old building.

There are some wonderful teachers and that is not the issue itself. I think the administration in MS is very lax on any form of discipline lest it be viewed as being unjust in some way. So lots of stuff slides in the classrooms and I know from some teachers in 1:1s that it frustrates them too

Now all of that said, the HS is wonderful. Like super duper. So you enter at MS if and only if you are confident you want to be there through HS. Else it's not worth it IMHO

Are 7th and 8th grades better than 5th and 6th, or still "chaotic"? We're considering 7th entry and would stay for high school.

We are happy in 7th grade. I don't know much about classroom dynamics and my child doesn't complain about chaos. He has rigorous, interesting assignments, including essays, tests, and projects. He talks about what he's learning. At the same time, there isn't so much work that he can't participate in extracurriculars and he goes to sleep at a reasonable time every night. Between my two children, we've attended a lot of schools, public and private, and gds is the best so far.

Thanks for sharing. I share the PP's question about when your DC started at GDS. Also, how would you describe their personality? It seems like one of the main themes of this thread is that this environment can be a very good fit for more outspoken kids and not for the more reserved kids. My kid is reserved and thrives in a supportive environment, but is far more inclined to hold back and sort out his thinking / actions before jumping in. Wondering how he'd do here .We are applying to GDS and have been excited about it but this thread is giving me pause.

He started in late lower school, but because of covid, in many ways last year was his first real year at GDS. He is outgoing when he feels comfortable and accepted. More inclined to participate in small group discussions than whole class. Tries his hardest when he finds the material interesting, but happy to coast if he doesn't see the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longtime GDS parent here. Multiple kids at the school. The MS is the worst part of the GDS experience. why?

The MS just runs more poorly than LS and HS. Less organized. The MS administration (which is changing at the end of the school year) is frankly not as good as the HS or LS. Kids (not just mine but many) seem to think MS is the low point of the GDS experience

Surely some of that is endemic to MS everywhere - it's a hard and awkward age. But my kids - none of whom were introverts - were surprised at how little control teachers exerted in classrooms to tell disruptive kids to STFU. There are often 2-3 kids in a classroom (esp 7th and 8th grade) who are chatting, having side conversations, using their laptops to game - and 2/3rds of MS teachers seem to entirely ignore this and zero consequences are faced. Like none

The issue is that for the extroverted kids - no problem, but for an introvert, that setting can perhaps be intimidating or at least distracting.

The new building is viewed as being sterile and cramped by many of the kids who saw the old building.

There are some wonderful teachers and that is not the issue itself. I think the administration in MS is very lax on any form of discipline lest it be viewed as being unjust in some way. So lots of stuff slides in the classrooms and I know from some teachers in 1:1s that it frustrates them too

Now all of that said, the HS is wonderful. Like super duper. So you enter at MS if and only if you are confident you want to be there through HS. Else it's not worth it IMHO

Are 7th and 8th grades better than 5th and 6th, or still "chaotic"? We're considering 7th entry and would stay for high school.

We are happy in 7th grade. I don't know much about classroom dynamics and my child doesn't complain about chaos. He has rigorous, interesting assignments, including essays, tests, and projects. He talks about what he's learning. At the same time, there isn't so much work that he can't participate in extracurriculars and he goes to sleep at a reasonable time every night. Between my two children, we've attended a lot of schools, public and private, and gds is the best so far.

Thanks for sharing. I share the PP's question about when your DC started at GDS. Also, how would you describe their personality? It seems like one of the main themes of this thread is that this environment can be a very good fit for more outspoken kids and not for the more reserved kids. My kid is reserved and thrives in a supportive environment, but is far more inclined to hold back and sort out his thinking / actions before jumping in. Wondering how he'd do here .We are applying to GDS and have been excited about it but this thread is giving me pause.

I don't agree that the environment is only a good fit for outspoken kids. Others have commented on the MS' approach, but that doesn't mean it's only good for one type of kid, and our child would be a good example of that. If you/your kid does not like or can't get comfortable the approach or the atmosphere it goes along with it, that's perfectly fine and great that one can choose from many private schools in the area. But if what the MS is trying to get students to develop is something you value, our experience is that teachers in MS do work to get students comfortable advocating for themselves, being more active in class, and taking charge (as much as a kid can) of their learning. All that won't change our child's personality, but it is helping them develop those skills (and they really enjoy being at the school). We had a good sense of what they were good at/comfortable with when we were looking at private schools for MS, and wanted to find a place that would help them develop new skills and be comfortable in different environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longtime GDS parent here. Multiple kids at the school. The MS is the worst part of the GDS experience. why?

The MS just runs more poorly than LS and HS. Less organized. The MS administration (which is changing at the end of the school year) is frankly not as good as the HS or LS. Kids (not just mine but many) seem to think MS is the low point of the GDS experience

Surely some of that is endemic to MS everywhere - it's a hard and awkward age. But my kids - none of whom were introverts - were surprised at how little control teachers exerted in classrooms to tell disruptive kids to STFU. There are often 2-3 kids in a classroom (esp 7th and 8th grade) who are chatting, having side conversations, using their laptops to game - and 2/3rds of MS teachers seem to entirely ignore this and zero consequences are faced. Like none

The issue is that for the extroverted kids - no problem, but for an introvert, that setting can perhaps be intimidating or at least distracting.

The new building is viewed as being sterile and cramped by many of the kids who saw the old building.

There are some wonderful teachers and that is not the issue itself. I think the administration in MS is very lax on any form of discipline lest it be viewed as being unjust in some way. So lots of stuff slides in the classrooms and I know from some teachers in 1:1s that it frustrates them too

Now all of that said, the HS is wonderful. Like super duper. So you enter at MS if and only if you are confident you want to be there through HS. Else it's not worth it IMHO

Are 7th and 8th grades better than 5th and 6th, or still "chaotic"? We're considering 7th entry and would stay for high school.

We are happy in 7th grade. I don't know much about classroom dynamics and my child doesn't complain about chaos. He has rigorous, interesting assignments, including essays, tests, and projects. He talks about what he's learning. At the same time, there isn't so much work that he can't participate in extracurriculars and he goes to sleep at a reasonable time every night. Between my two children, we've attended a lot of schools, public and private, and gds is the best so far.

Thanks for sharing. I share the PP's question about when your DC started at GDS. Also, how would you describe their personality? It seems like one of the main themes of this thread is that this environment can be a very good fit for more outspoken kids and not for the more reserved kids. My kid is reserved and thrives in a supportive environment, but is far more inclined to hold back and sort out his thinking / actions before jumping in. Wondering how he'd do here .We are applying to GDS and have been excited about it but this thread is giving me pause.

What do you mean by needs a “supportive environment.”

If the class and loud and distracting, he has to be able to snap back by himself and finish his work. Not stay distracted. Hopefully that comes with maturity but for some kids all the jibber jabbering, calling out responses, side convos really set them back. Either they want to be social too so tune out or they just don’t have the self discipline to stay on task given all the action.

[Anonymous]

We are interested in the GDS middle school. My kid isn't reserved and doesn't need a lot of support, but also isn't one to be the first to shout out answers. My kid has expressed frustration in the past about disruptive kids in classrooms. The "disruptions" are distractions that hold the class back. Is it fair to say the "disruptions/chaos" spoken of in this thread are confident kids speaking up/out loud first and not kids who are disengaged/bored and making scenes that hold the class back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are interested in the GDS middle school. My kid isn't reserved and doesn't need a lot of support, but also isn't one to be the first to shout out answers. My kid has expressed frustration in the past about disruptive kids in classrooms. The "disruptions" are distractions that hold the class back. Is it fair to say the "disruptions/chaos" spoken of in this thread are confident kids speaking up/out loud first and not kids who are disengaged/bored and making scenes that hold the class back?

I posted upthread about my MSer being happy. He has never mentioned the kind of off task disruptions that you mention and I think he would if they are happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are interested in the GDS middle school. My kid isn't reserved and doesn't need a lot of support, but also isn't one to be the first to shout out answers. My kid has expressed frustration in the past about disruptive kids in classrooms. The "disruptions" are distractions that hold the class back. Is it fair to say the "disruptions/chaos" spoken of in this thread are confident kids speaking up/out loud first and not kids who are disengaged/bored and making scenes that hold the class back?

Judging from the responses we heard over zoom for two years and once welcomed back into class, the shout outs are mere guesses as there was little instruction ever until the end. So students have to be smart enough not to remember the incorrect guesses, but how they eventually hopefully led to the correct answer in science or math. It really was led like a British college tutorial class, very student led, for better or worse. It was not efficient, that’s for sure. And easy to get confused. Then once confused, you’re done for for that lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

Yes, it skews to people who thrive in a particular environment (which has nothing to do with ways of thinking). Do more structured schools worry about catering to those who don't like structure?

That's the thing about private school: you can pick one that works for you.

Sure it has to do with ways of thinking. One person does better where they have fewer distractions while another thrives. One person prefers to take time to think through a question or needs some encouragement to speak up while another thinks on the fly and impulsively shouts out their answer. One type is favored over another in the environment described above. Yes, there are some choices but it is disappointing to think a place like GDS doesn’t make room for the more thoughtful, less impulsive student.

Not wanting/needing structure is not at all the same thing as not being thoughtful.

DCUM's dislike of GDS is odd.

No, this conversation is useful for knowing the MS approach there works for kids who already can make themselves heard but is less supportive of kids who are just finding their voices. The latter type of student can choose to go elsewhere, yes?

Yes, of course! That's why I don't understand the pp's criticism of gds for not being "accommodating" of students who need/want more structure and support.

I have one child at GDS and one child elsewhere because that child needs support and structure that gds doesn't provide. But that's not a knock on gds.

Where is your other kiddo? Genuinely asking for my own child. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are interested in the GDS middle school. My kid isn't reserved and doesn't need a lot of support, but also isn't one to be the first to shout out answers. My kid has expressed frustration in the past about disruptive kids in classrooms. The "disruptions" are distractions that hold the class back. Is it fair to say the "disruptions/chaos" spoken of in this thread are confident kids speaking up/out loud first and not kids who are disengaged/bored and making scenes that hold the class back?

Judging from the responses we heard over zoom for two years and once welcomed back into class, the shout outs are mere guesses as there was little instruction ever until the end. So students have to be smart enough not to remember the incorrect guesses, but how they eventually hopefully led to the correct answer in science or math. It really was led like a British college tutorial class, very student led, for better or worse. It was not efficient, that’s for sure. And easy to get confused. Then once confused, you’re done for for that lesson.

I don't think the goal of good education is efficiency. The goal (at least gds's) goal is to learn how to think, engage, and discuss, rather than memorize a teacher-provided answer.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like how kids are supposed to reverse engineer how to spell or read by themselves, but applied to every class subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like how kids are supposed to reverse engineer how to spell or read by themselves, but applied to every class subject.

We're talking about middle school, so presumably the kids all know how to read.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the responses and discussion. We decided not to move forward after a long family discussion. I think it just wouldn’t be a good fit. Maybe for high school, but not now.

[Anonymous]

It is a little frustrating that they are propagating a leadership model based on being the loudest voice in the room rather than encouraging kids to take the time to listen, reflect, engage and then respond.

[Anonymous]

Exactly! A silent reflection. Like at Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like how kids are supposed to reverse engineer how to spell or read by themselves, but applied to every class subject.

We're talking about middle school, so presumably the kids all know how to read.

Dig in a bit there Pp….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally was excited for my reserved child to attend GDS because I wanted him to be more outspoken. It worked for him. He's now in eight grade and just this morning was going on about how much he loves the school and begged me to stop asking if he wants to consider any other HS.

Agreed. I have a middle schooler with a similar experience. I also have a lower school child elsewhere. Here's the thing when deciding about where to send your school... there are different schools of thought on the ways you may want to approach structure. Some people think their child has EF skills and need structure so they aim for a Cathedral school/Holton where the schools really emphasize tools to develop executive functioning. Others see their child as lacking EF skills and opt for GDS/Sidwell where the kids can thrive a bit more in "chaos" although I do think that word has been thrown around pretty heavily in this thread. I chose to send my somewhat reserved child to GDS and they have blossomed there and do not hold back their thoughts, but are respectful about it. IMO, respect is taught and reinforced in the home and a kid who has been taught to respectfully use their voice will continue to do so in any environment. Almost all kids that I've encountered at GDS are that way, and frankly in the other schools my kids have gone to as well, so by no means an "only GDS" thing. My point being that sometimes you may want to slightly push your child outside of their comfort zones if you think they have skills that they haven't had the chance to use yet. I'm proud of my outspoken child and grateful that the school has cultivated a confidence in making their voice heard.