Kids and Stress top school’s rates

[Anonymous]

NCS kids have plenty of fun if Instagram and VSCO are any judge. Yes, I monitor who my child is following on SM and you should too.

[Anonymous]

(Just venting)

My private HS is top-1 in a different metro. Its HS school day started (and still starts) at 8:20 ended (and still ends) at 4pm. This includes time before 4pm available for some clubs, such as debate, international relations, robotics, etc. Athletics were purely optional in my HS, and were the only thing extending past 4pm. Athletic practices ended by 5:30pm.

I do not understand why so many schools in metro DC require a HS school day that doesn’t end until 5:30 or 6pm (except possibly spring of senior year) for all students. Some schools seem to offer non-athletic options, such as robotics or debate, for the after school period which ends around 5:30 or 6pm. They all seem to more or less require that students start between 8-8:30 but not end until 5:30-6pm. It seems odd to me, and totally unnecessary. Not all kids have athletic aptitude. Not all kids have interest in athletics. There should be some time available during the main school day for some clubs.

Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Just venting)

My private HS is top-1 in a different metro. Its HS school day started (and still starts) at 8:20 ended (and still ends) at 4pm. This includes time before 4pm available for some clubs, such as debate, international relations, robotics, etc. Athletics were purely optional in my HS, and were the only thing extending past 4pm. Athletic practices ended by 5:30pm.

I do not understand why so many schools in metro DC require a HS school day that doesn’t end until 5:30 or 6pm (except possibly spring of senior year) for all students. Some schools seem to offer non-athletic options, such as robotics or debate, for the after school period which ends around 5:30 or 6pm. They all seem to more or less require that students start between 8-8:30 but not end until 5:30-6pm. It seems odd to me, and totally unnecessary. Not all kids have athletic aptitude. Not all kids have interest in athletics. There should be some time available during the main school day for some clubs.

Sigh.

Some of these schools allow students to fulfill the athletic requirement by taking yoga or dance classes.

[Anonymous]

Does NCS or Sidwell give some explanation for why they assign so much homework? Just seems like overkill.

You then go over to the college threads and you read about kids wanting to go to "relaxed" colleges because HS was so painful...which seems like a bad outcome from all of this.

Or worse...they go through all of this and then the parents are pulling their hair out when their NCS/Sidwell kid is rejected EA at Auburn...which I doubt is the outcome anyone expected when they chose these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I say this sincerely. The thought of a teenage *liking* three hours of homework every night makes me sad. You are only a teen once for a few years. Teens should be doing activities after school and have time with friends and family. They don't need to be stressed out all the time.

It's not stressful for some kids. They actually enjoy studying. I'm sorry yours doesn't.
My kid goes to school until 3; plays sports until 6pm; does 3 hours of homework between 6pm and 12 midnight. That still leaves plenty of time (3 hours) for dinner with family, Tiktok, Snapchat and silliness.
She goes out every Friday night with friends, also sees friends on Saturdays. Sundays are church, homework from 12pm to 6pm and then youth group.
How much more down time or social time does a kid need?

Sounds over scheduled to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does NCS or Sidwell give some explanation for why they assign so much homework? Just seems like overkill.

You then go over to the college threads and you read about kids wanting to go to "relaxed" colleges because HS was so painful...which seems like a bad outcome from all of this.

Or worse...they go through all of this and then the parents are pulling their hair out when their NCS/Sidwell kid is rejected EA at Auburn...which I doubt is the outcome anyone expected when they chose these schools.

This exactly. Or you hear NCS parents saying college was a breeze for their kids. That is all fine but why front load all the intensity into HS.
College should be challenging and not super easy.
You are only in high school once and then those days are gone forever.
It is an important developmental time.

[Anonymous]

My child is feeling stress from all the DEI programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most DCUM parents want a challenging school with a rigorous curriculum but also want their kids to be well-rounded and happy.

Reasonable minds can different significantly about what "challenging," "rigorous curriculum," and "well-rounded" actually mean in practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does NCS or Sidwell give some explanation for why they assign so much homework? Just seems like overkill.

You then go over to the college threads and you read about kids wanting to go to "relaxed" colleges because HS was so painful...which seems like a bad outcome from all of this.

Or worse...they go through all of this and then the parents are pulling their hair out when their NCS/Sidwell kid is rejected EA at Auburn...which I doubt is the outcome anyone expected when they chose these schools.

This exactly. Or you hear NCS parents saying college was a breeze for their kids. That is all fine but why front load all the intensity into HS.
College should be challenging and not super easy.
You are only in high school once and then those days are gone forever.
It is an important developmental time.

Sounds like neither of these posters should send their kids to these schools, which it sounds like they don’t. I’m sure that’s fine with all concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCS 100

NCS is stressful for some girls and not stressful at all for others.

Fit is very important for this school.

Can you elaborate on this? What makes it stressful for some?

The level of academics is a great fit for some and a very poor fit for others. If your daughter enjoys learning and working very hard--3 hours of homework a night---GREAT fit. I'm not being sarcastic.
This is a dream school for this type of girls.
For others, it's a poor fit. There are easier schools.

It's not about intelligence--it's about diligence and being the kind of kid who just likes to study, study, study. They exist and they thrive at NCS.

I have two daughters. One is absolutely thriving at NCS (high school). She gets straight As. She enjoys learning for learning's sake.
We are sending our second daughter to a different school. She needs more down time.

Is it the same at sta? Sidwell? My kid loves school but these are big law hours

Does it remind anyone else of the 'cram school' culture in some Asian nations? It's kind of a 3-way buy in of institutions, parents and kids to offer and partake of a LOT more work...

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cram_school

"Cram schools (also known as crammers) are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. The English name is derived from the slang term "cramming," meaning to study hard or to study a large amount of material in a short period of time. Cram schools are most popular in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India.

Cram schools offer year-round after-school and weekend programs for students of all ages, including even college students in India; these schools cover most subjects at various levels depending on the students' needs. While public education institutions can be influenced by bureaucracy, cram schools often operate according to different principles. For example, teachers in public education institutions can be restricted to the prescribed curriculum of the school district. At cram schools, however, teachers have relatively more freedom to share their values and adopt new innovative teaching methods. Furthermore, in cram schools students assess the school and its instructors and can choose switch to another cram school at any time. As a result, competition and other free market principles can improve the quality of instruction at a cram school. Some critics, however, point out that cram schools have intensified competition to the point where it causes undue stress for students. Furthermore, the popularity of cram schools in Asian countries can also be seen as an indicator of the deficiency of those public school systems."

[Anonymous]

Lot of girls at NCS see therapists for their anxiety.
I’m sure it is common at other private schools as well

[Anonymous]

SR - about a 5.

She plays three sports and on a travel team, hangs out with her friends and family and seems to have enough downtime. The homework ebbs and flows. Block schedule at schools helps get some of the HW done during the day. Most likely will change in junior/senior year when she starts taking more AP classes.

[Anonymous]

What's the boys or coed equivalent of that? Sounds like a great environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it remind anyone else of the 'cram school' culture in some Asian nations? It's kind of a 3-way buy in of institutions, parents and kids to offer and partake of a LOT more work...

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cram_school

"Cram schools (also known as crammers) are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. The English name is derived from the slang term "cramming," meaning to study hard or to study a large amount of material in a short period of time. Cram schools are most popular in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India.

Cram schools offer year-round after-school and weekend programs for students of all ages, including even college students in India; these schools cover most subjects at various levels depending on the students' needs. While public education institutions can be influenced by bureaucracy, cram schools often operate according to different principles. For example, teachers in public education institutions can be restricted to the prescribed curriculum of the school district. At cram schools, however, teachers have relatively more freedom to share their values and adopt new innovative teaching methods. Furthermore, in cram schools students assess the school and its instructors and can choose switch to another cram school at any time. As a result, competition and other free market principles can improve the quality of instruction at a cram school. Some critics, however, point out that cram schools have intensified competition to the point where it causes undue stress for students. Furthermore, the popularity of cram schools in Asian countries can also be seen as an indicator of the deficiency of those public school systems."

Be careful, there are many on DCUM who claim that places like these are the true test of merit and anything less lacks rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the boys or coed equivalent of that? Sounds like a great environment.

You'll know it when you find it if you are looking with that lens.