Catholic schools with academic rigor in NOVA

[Anonymous]

I've been impressed with the updated curriculm at St. Mary's. I'm not sure how it is for the older grades but this year the discussion around the curriculm has exceeded my expectations.

[Anonymous]

Not nearly enough differentiated learning at st Mary’s — at least in math in 4-6 grades. Huge classes of 27 — they teach to weakest links.

(This is where everyone chimes in to remind me that it’s the “mission” of the school to teach ALL children and that I shouldn’t be so selfish, blah blah blah).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not nearly enough differentiated learning at st Mary’s — at least in math in 4-6 grades. Huge classes of 27 — they teach to weakest links.

(This is where everyone chimes in to remind me that it’s the “mission” of the school to teach ALL children and that I shouldn’t be so selfish, blah blah blah).

You aren't wrong but asking any teacher to accommodate differentiated instruction is simply not realistic. Not in a class of 27 and not with all the accommodations some kids get on top of it. This can realistically only be managed in a school with significantly smaller class sizes (i.e. less than 20.) You have to decide what are your priorities for your kid's education. Differentiation will start in MS with significant, further opportunities in HS. Having college-aged kiddos I can tell you in hindsight.... it doesn't really matter all that much and we parents are oftentimes in a race to nowhere. You can dismiss me now, but dollars to donuts you are in a similar frame of mind in ten years and after you've ushered a couple kids across the high school graduation threshold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, the math acceleration parents of young kids are worried about is completely unnecessary. Students in the advanced math track get into the same colleges as the kids who take a slower road to a lower level of calculus senior year. Even in engineering and computer science. Truth.

For engineering, the HS student really needs to take some form of Calculus in HS. Taking Honors Calc or AP Calc (either AB or BC) is helpful if possible. AP Calc MV is a nice bonus, but not really necessary. Engineering programs usually pace their calculus classes faster on the belief that most students have had at least 1 full year of Calculus in HS.