NCS vs Stone Ridge for 9th grade

[BlueJ]

Can anyone give an objective opinion on these two schools. I realize they are two very different schools. What I've heard so far about NCS is how competitive the girls and parents are. I don't mind competitiveness but it should be healthy. I would love to hear from 9th grade and up parents or students from both of these schools. Comments on commuting to NCS if you do not live in DC. Comments on whether the administrations of these two schools are supportive of the girls. Other schools including Stone Ridge have thriving Stem programs but NCS seems behind, thoughts?

[Anonymous]

BlueJ wrote:Can anyone give an objective opinion on these two schools. I realize they are two very different schools. What I've heard so far about NCS is how competitive the girls and parents are. I don't mind competitiveness but it should be healthy. I would love to hear from 9th grade and up parents or students from both of these schools. Comments on commuting to NCS if you do not live in DC. Comments on whether the administrations of these two schools are supportive of the girls. Other schools including Stone Ridge have thriving Stem programs but NCS seems behind, thoughts?

There have been several threads on this so maybe just go back and do some research. I have a DD at NCS and honestly, I don't have the energy anymore to go through point by point with examples debunking the same old myths over and over again. Clearly they are both good schools and no "Top 3" school would survive without a strong STEM program and staff that was not supportive. The school has a reputation for being competitive (so I hear) but I just don't see it with my DD day to day. I think there's a double standard, if there was a school full of bright, high-achieving boys it wouldn't be called "competitive" in a negative way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

BlueJ wrote:Can anyone give an objective opinion on these two schools. I realize they are two very different schools. What I've heard so far about NCS is how competitive the girls and parents are. I don't mind competitiveness but it should be healthy. I would love to hear from 9th grade and up parents or students from both of these schools. Comments on commuting to NCS if you do not live in DC. Comments on whether the administrations of these two schools are supportive of the girls. Other schools including Stone Ridge have thriving Stem programs but NCS seems behind, thoughts?

There have been several threads on this so maybe just go back and do some research. I have a DD at NCS and honestly, I don't have the energy anymore to go through point by point with examples debunking the same old myths over and over again. Clearly they are both good schools and no "Top 3" school would survive without a strong STEM program and staff that was not supportive. The school has a reputation for being competitive (so I hear) but I just don't see it with my DD day to day. I think there's a double standard, if there was a school full of bright, high-achieving boys it wouldn't be called "competitive" in a negative way.

+1

[Anonymous]

We had a similar discussion with our DD last night, but the choice is between Stone Ridge and another Catholic girls high school. After much conversation, we are going with Stone Ridge for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it does not appear to be as clawing as one or two of the others. We've gotten this impression from people we know whose own DDs go there. But equally important, we felt that the academics, the learning environment and the service component are pretty exceptional. I know this only answers half your question, but I can relate. It's a hard decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar discussion with our DD last night, but the choice is between Stone Ridge and another Catholic girls high school. After much conversation, we are going with Stone Ridge for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it does not appear to be as clawing as one or two of the others. We've gotten this impression from people we know whose own DDs go there. But equally important, we felt that the academics, the learning environment and the service component are pretty exceptional. I know this only answers half your question, but I can relate. It's a hard decision.

Girls are already hard enough on themselves.

And if you are not in DC, it is a terrible drive in, in the morning. If you are closer to Stone Ridge and don't have to have all A's but more of an overall child, I would go there.

If your daughter is a fighting student and works her ass off, gives up everything for A's, and wants a top 20 college at all costs, go to NCS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar discussion with our DD last night, but the choice is between Stone Ridge and another Catholic girls high school. After much conversation, we are going with Stone Ridge for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it does not appear to be as clawing as one or two of the others. We've gotten this impression from people we know whose own DDs go there. But equally important, we felt that the academics, the learning environment and the service component are pretty exceptional. I know this only answers half your question, but I can relate. It's a hard decision.

Girls are already hard enough on themselves.

And if you are not in DC, it is a terrible drive in, in the morning. If you are closer to Stone Ridge and don't have to have all A's but more of an overall child, I would go there.

If your daughter is a fighting student and works her ass off, gives up everything for A's, and wants a top 20 college at all costs, go to NCS.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar discussion with our DD last night, but the choice is between Stone Ridge and another Catholic girls high school. After much conversation, we are going with Stone Ridge for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it does not appear to be as clawing as one or two of the others. We've gotten this impression from people we know whose own DDs go there. But equally important, we felt that the academics, the learning environment and the service component are pretty exceptional. I know this only answers half your question, but I can relate. It's a hard decision.

Girls are already hard enough on themselves.

And if you are not in DC, it is a terrible drive in, in the morning. If you are closer to Stone Ridge and don't have to have all A's but more of an overall child, I would go there.

If your daughter is a fighting student and works her ass off, gives up everything for A's, and wants a top 20 college at all costs, go to NCS.

wow! so glad I didn't know this important information when my DD started at NCS a few years ago. I would have never let her step foot in a horrible place like you describe. Ends up you are totally wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

BlueJ wrote:Can anyone give an objective opinion on these two schools. I realize they are two very different schools. What I've heard so far about NCS is how competitive the girls and parents are. I don't mind competitiveness but it should be healthy. I would love to hear from 9th grade and up parents or students from both of these schools. Comments on commuting to NCS if you do not live in DC. Comments on whether the administrations of these two schools are supportive of the girls. Other schools including Stone Ridge have thriving Stem programs but NCS seems behind, thoughts?

There have been several threads on this so maybe just go back and do some research. I have a DD at NCS and honestly, I don't have the energy anymore to go through point by point with examples debunking the same old myths over and over again. Clearly they are both good schools and no "Top 3" school would survive without a strong STEM program and staff that was not supportive. The school has a reputation for being competitive (so I hear) but I just don't see it with my DD day to day. I think there's a double standard, if there was a school full of bright, high-achieving boys it wouldn't be called "competitive" in a negative way.

The SR 'STEM' program could be a bit more 'thriving'
DD says many are in robotics club but they have completed few projects, if any.
It could use some more support apparently.

[Anonymous]

No mention of the fact that one of these schools is a Catholic school and that the great majority of students and teachers are Catholic?

I suspect that non-Catholics have a very sketchy understanding of just how different Catholic culture is from their own. It's not just the 45 minutes spent at Mass. It's history and ethnicity and culture and all sorts of things that permeate one's outlook.

[Anonymous]

I think it is not clear to some people on this board that SR is an INDEPENDENT school and that many non-Catholics attend. I would venture to say that maybe 35% of the students are non Catholic or come from non practicing families. The Sacred Heart goals which are the basis of the teachings are things that I am sure all parents strive to teach their children.

[Anonymous]

And Catholic is not an ethnicity... Do you know how many Latino and Black Catholics there are in this country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No mention of the fact that one of these schools is a Catholic school and that the great majority of students and teachers are Catholic?

I suspect that non-Catholics have a very sketchy understanding of just how different Catholic culture is from their own. It's not just the 45 minutes spent at Mass. It's history and ethnicity and culture and all sorts of things that permeate one's outlook.

They apparently have very spirited class discussions in theology class that include the opinions of atheists and liberal Catholics.
No opinions are not heard of spoken apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No mention of the fact that one of these schools is a Catholic school and that the great majority of students and teachers are Catholic?

I suspect that non-Catholics have a very sketchy understanding of just how different Catholic culture is from their own. It's not just the 45 minutes spent at Mass. It's history and ethnicity and culture and all sorts of things that permeate one's outlook.

NCS has cathedral, which is not much different than mass. And SR is inclusive to all girls just like NCS. 30% are not Catholic. And I think most kids today are growing up with laxed religious views anyway. Most girls today in this area support LGBT, abortion, woman's rights, sex before marriage, birth control, marriage outside of their own religion, masterbation, etc... All things Catholics are supposed to be against.

The only completely secular all-girls school that I know of is Holton. The rest have some form of religion attached to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mention of the fact that one of these schools is a Catholic school and that the great majority of students and teachers are Catholic?

I suspect that non-Catholics have a very sketchy understanding of just how different Catholic culture is from their own. It's not just the 45 minutes spent at Mass. It's history and ethnicity and culture and all sorts of things that permeate one's outlook.

NCS has cathedral, which is not much different than mass. And SR is inclusive to all girls just like NCS. 30% are not Catholic. And I think most kids today are growing up with laxed religious views anyway. Most girls today in this area support LGBT, abortion, woman's rights, sex before marriage, birth control, marriage outside of their own religion, masterbation, etc... All things Catholics are supposed to be against.

The only completely secular all-girls school that I know of is Holton. The rest have some form of religion attached to them.

I'm not religious myself, but I think there are plenty of aspects of religion that go beyond specific hot-button political issues like those listed above. I don't recall any church services I've been to (although they do probably exist) that have addressed the evils of masturbation or birth control. Those are church doctrinal issues that tend not to come up in the sermons one might encounter in a weekly service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mention of the fact that one of these schools is a Catholic school and that the great majority of students and teachers are Catholic?

I suspect that non-Catholics have a very sketchy understanding of just how different Catholic culture is from their own. It's not just the 45 minutes spent at Mass. It's history and ethnicity and culture and all sorts of things that permeate one's outlook.

NCS has cathedral, which is not much different than mass. And SR is inclusive to all girls just like NCS. 30% are not Catholic. And I think most kids today are growing up with laxed religious views anyway. Most girls today in this area support LGBT, abortion, woman's rights, sex before marriage, birth control, marriage outside of their own religion, masterbation, etc... All things Catholics are supposed to be against.

The only completely secular all-girls school that I know of is Holton. The rest have some form of religion attached to them.

I'm not religious myself, but I think there are plenty of aspects of religion that go beyond specific hot-button political issues like those listed above. I don't recall any church services I've been to (although they do probably exist) that have addressed the evils of masturbation or birth control. Those are church doctrinal issues that tend not to come up in the sermons one might encounter in a weekly service.

Only the most conservative schools (I can name a few around here) talk about the evils of birth control and masturbation. Even Holy Child in the 80's went over both those topics in a positive light (as in these are birth control methods you might use and yes the teacher does X, etc).
SR is not conservative that way. There's definitely a free exchange of many ideas as well.