Happiness at Sidwell...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

[Anonymous]

[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

What does any of this, or the complaints about basketball, have to do with happiness at Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

Other Big 3 schools aren’t Sidwell. A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

Other Big 3 schools aren’t Sidwell. A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep.

A lion doesn’t need charity to survive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

Other Big 3 schools aren’t Sidwell. A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep.

A lion doesn’t need charity to survive.

Why not take resources made available. Seems silly for people associated with other schools to be angry at Sidwell for taking PPP money legally. Maybe the other schools should have taken the money too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different perspective here. All of my US kids are lifers, so maybe that's why I come from a different place. Daily life at US is, despite the advertised virtues, short on the Quaker values implied to be at the core of the school's identity. The virtue signaling is over the top.

It's all relative to what other schools may be like. I don't know any other school so cannot speak to that. But my view is that the school's policies around academics (teacher's interactions with students) are draconian. Definitely not warm.

Also, the school's recent turn of focus to sports has undermined the atmosphere of academic excellence. That, again, just in my opinion, has suffered.

Socially, based on what I have heard from my kids over the years and what some acquaintances have shared, there's as much of a mean-kid culture at Sidwell as at any other school. There are the popular kids, the ahtletes, the mean girls, the 'try hards', and the senior whose mom is on the Board and by all accounts should have been kicked out right now for a few nefarious acts, not to mention running the (against the school policy) poker enterprise in the senior center. And sure, the basketball playoffs are good-spirited. They're the playoffs and attendance at any sporting events at Sidwell do not draw the kids who are not part of the 'in' crowd, or even the generally happy kids.

Have my kids come out with a good education? They graduated (as recently as last year) seem to have. But do I think it is any different than elsewhere, no.

TL; DR - my kids can’t actually hack it and it’s good I paid the money to get them in early when it’s easier.

I’m the op who said this op was more accurate. Our dc entered in 9th was highly successful - they could 100% cut it. The place is not warm at all. Very draconian - Senior year the families that gushed at the senior year meeting for worship event were the uber wealthy long timers that Bryan courted - those people all had kids who got into Ivy League on their family connections while taking easiest classes possible. It was gross. They have no clue what the school is really like because they don’t face the same wall (or hand in the face) others do and (except a few) their kids aren’t taking the hardest classes with the teachers who compete with each other to get the label of hardest class in the school.

Again - my dc did great - so no sour grapes. Education is high level but it is not a good ‘school’ - teens need and deserve more out of school thanks grinding out work.

Your entire post reads like sour grapes. There are unhooked Sidwell students admitted to Ivy+ colleges every year who did not taken the hardest classes in every subject, every year. Sorry things didn’t work out that way for your kid. Btw, I don’t think your child did “great” by your standards. If they did, you would not have written this bitter post.

DP. Your unkindness and rejection of other perspectives is exactly what we hate about Sidwell. There are some serious pieces of work among the parent body.

We have children at other schools and agree that Sidwell’s balance between pressure and joy leans heavily toward pressure and less joy. My son teases his sister by calling Sidwell “Sadwell, No Friends.”

Our daughter thrives as much as it’s possible to do there and she would not want to leave. Knowing what we know now though we would have encouraged her to go elsewhere.

We have not been thrilled with Bryan’s leadership and the level of ruthlessness among some of the families is impressive in a not good way.

[Anonymous]

Can someone speak a bit more about the theater/performing arts community? We've been very impressed with what we've seen and DD likes the kids she's met from SFS through theater. A few posters have mentioned that this seems to be a bright spot at Sidwell so would like to know more...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a very happy place, specially after the 5 million dollars they got during Covid. At the time the board said that grabbing the government money allocated for small businesses was consistent with their Quaker values.

Would you prefer the non-academic staff had been totally laid off during COVID? Because that was the option. The fiduciary responsibility the Board has to the school provided the right response. The school was eligible for the money and as a result, they were able to make payroll during the months when there was no income from non-academic programs. The staff that was held over are to this day, very grateful.

Other big
3 and big 5 schools did NOT take the money and they made payroll. Please get your facts straight.

Other Big 3 schools aren’t Sidwell. A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep.

A lion doesn’t need charity to survive.

Lol—Sidwell is over 140 years old. It would have survived with or without the $5M. The government forgave the loan, and hasn’t asked for the money back. Who cares what you think, sheep.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a prob. with taking the loan. It was financially prudent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different perspective here. All of my US kids are lifers, so maybe that's why I come from a different place. Daily life at US is, despite the advertised virtues, short on the Quaker values implied to be at the core of the school's identity. The virtue signaling is over the top.

It's all relative to what other schools may be like. I don't know any other school so cannot speak to that. But my view is that the school's policies around academics (teacher's interactions with students) are draconian. Definitely not warm.

Also, the school's recent turn of focus to sports has undermined the atmosphere of academic excellence. That, again, just in my opinion, has suffered.

Socially, based on what I have heard from my kids over the years and what some acquaintances have shared, there's as much of a mean-kid culture at Sidwell as at any other school. There are the popular kids, the ahtletes, the mean girls, the 'try hards', and the senior whose mom is on the Board and by all accounts should have been kicked out right now for a few nefarious acts, not to mention running the (against the school policy) poker enterprise in the senior center. And sure, the basketball playoffs are good-spirited. They're the playoffs and attendance at any sporting events at Sidwell do not draw the kids who are not part of the 'in' crowd, or even the generally happy kids.

Have my kids come out with a good education? They graduated (as recently as last year) seem to have. But do I think it is any different than elsewhere, no.

TL; DR - my kids can’t actually hack it and it’s good I paid the money to get them in early when it’s easier.

I’m the op who said this op was more accurate. Our dc entered in 9th was highly successful - they could 100% cut it. The place is not warm at all. Very draconian - Senior year the families that gushed at the senior year meeting for worship event were the uber wealthy long timers that Bryan courted - those people all had kids who got into Ivy League on their family connections while taking easiest classes possible. It was gross. They have no clue what the school is really like because they don’t face the same wall (or hand in the face) others do and (except a few) their kids aren’t taking the hardest classes with the teachers who compete with each other to get the label of hardest class in the school.

Again - my dc did great - so no sour grapes. Education is high level but it is not a good ‘school’ - teens need and deserve more out of school thanks grinding out work.

Your entire post reads like sour grapes. There are unhooked Sidwell students admitted to Ivy+ colleges every year who did not taken the hardest classes in every subject, every year. Sorry things didn’t work out that way for your kid. Btw, I don’t think your child did “great” by your standards. If they did, you would not have written this bitter post.

DP. Your unkindness and rejection of other perspectives is exactly what we hate about Sidwell. There are some serious pieces of work among the parent body.

We have children at other schools and agree that Sidwell’s balance between pressure and joy leans heavily toward pressure and less joy. My son teases his sister by calling Sidwell “Sadwell, No Friends.”

Our daughter thrives as much as it’s possible to do there and she would not want to leave. Knowing what we know now though we would have encouraged her to go elsewhere.

We have not been thrilled with Bryan’s leadership and the level of ruthlessness among some of the families is impressive in a not good way.

Too bad, so sad(well). 🤣

Hopefully, your family chooses “best fit” over prestige when selecting a college for your daughter. I’m positive the writing was on the wall before she enrolled that Sidwell wouldn’t be a great fit for her. You guys chose to ignore the signs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, I’m a current HS parent who joined in 9th. Our child was fortunate to have a few options, and I’ve lived in DC long enough to know some/many of the arguments against SFS (“Sadwell,” anyone?). So, we didn’t take the decision lightly. The cost is material to us, an important consideration. After shadow days and multiple events in 8th, our child decided, and was able to articulate, why they wanted to go to SFS. They love it, as do we now. We don’t regret the decision.

No high school experience is easy and neverending fun. They’re not part of the “in” crowd, or a great athlete etc. They’re enjoying their time there, have nice friends and particularly like some of their teachers. There are lots of great options out there, but SFS has been good for them. We’re pleased at how much they’re learning and their growing ability to express themselves and be independent.

Part of the decision is expectations: we don’t expect SFS, or any school, to be a golden ticket to any particular college or path in life. Nor are we an “Ivy League/T20 or Bust” family. We believe they’re being developed to do well wherever they end up next. As expected, junior year is a tough one, and the college expectations and stresses grow substantially. But having friends at lots of the other schools in the area, that’s not at all unique to SFS; it’s a D.C. thing.

This is not to dismiss others’ experiences or pit one school against another; it’s simply to share our very positive experience at Sidwell. I hope this helps.

We’ve had children at multiple Big 3. Sidwell is the lesser by far in happiness factor. Does it mean no one is unhappy at other schools - no. Unhappiness can occur anywhere and it’s always hard to be in many hard classes. Does it mean everyone is unhappy at Sidwell no. But on average - kids at my other kids schools have a much happier journey through HS and are equally prepared for college and get into the same schools (and the unconnected kids face the same hurdles in college admissions) . It’s really noticeably different in cultures. And less happiness at Sidwell is a large factor in that difference.

To clarify, do you have a child at Sidwell? From your note, it's a little unclear.

I have multiple children - one attended Sidwell - others have attended other Big 3 schools .

But maybe that kid is just a less happy person? I don’t mean that unkindly - I also have multiple kids and they are at the same school and they are not equally happy people. And I don’t think that would be different for them at different schools, it’s more about the way they experience the world

Seriously? You don't think a parent can assess the climate of a school and compare experiences without suggesting the problem is their child's personality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different perspective here. All of my US kids are lifers, so maybe that's why I come from a different place. Daily life at US is, despite the advertised virtues, short on the Quaker values implied to be at the core of the school's identity. The virtue signaling is over the top.

It's all relative to what other schools may be like. I don't know any other school so cannot speak to that. But my view is that the school's policies around academics (teacher's interactions with students) are draconian. Definitely not warm.

Also, the school's recent turn of focus to sports has undermined the atmosphere of academic excellence. That, again, just in my opinion, has suffered.

Socially, based on what I have heard from my kids over the years and what some acquaintances have shared, there's as much of a mean-kid culture at Sidwell as at any other school. There are the popular kids, the ahtletes, the mean girls, the 'try hards', and the senior whose mom is on the Board and by all accounts should have been kicked out right now for a few nefarious acts, not to mention running the (against the school policy) poker enterprise in the senior center. And sure, the basketball playoffs are good-spirited. They're the playoffs and attendance at any sporting events at Sidwell do not draw the kids who are not part of the 'in' crowd, or even the generally happy kids.

Have my kids come out with a good education? They graduated (as recently as last year) seem to have. But do I think it is any different than elsewhere, no.

TL; DR - my kids can’t actually hack it and it’s good I paid the money to get them in early when it’s easier.

I’m the op who said this op was more accurate. Our dc entered in 9th was highly successful - they could 100% cut it. The place is not warm at all. Very draconian - Senior year the families that gushed at the senior year meeting for worship event were the uber wealthy long timers that Bryan courted - those people all had kids who got into Ivy League on their family connections while taking easiest classes possible. It was gross. They have no clue what the school is really like because they don’t face the same wall (or hand in the face) others do and (except a few) their kids aren’t taking the hardest classes with the teachers who compete with each other to get the label of hardest class in the school.

Again - my dc did great - so no sour grapes. Education is high level but it is not a good ‘school’ - teens need and deserve more out of school thanks grinding out work.

Your entire post reads like sour grapes. There are unhooked Sidwell students admitted to Ivy+ colleges every year who did not taken the hardest classes in every subject, every year. Sorry things didn’t work out that way for your kid. Btw, I don’t think your child did “great” by your standards. If they did, you would not have written this bitter post.

DP. Your unkindness and rejection of other perspectives is exactly what we hate about Sidwell. There are some serious pieces of work among the parent body.

We have children at other schools and agree that Sidwell’s balance between pressure and joy leans heavily toward pressure and less joy. My son teases his sister by calling Sidwell “Sadwell, No Friends.”

Our daughter thrives as much as it’s possible to do there and she would not want to leave. Knowing what we know now though we would have encouraged her to go elsewhere.

We have not been thrilled with Bryan’s leadership and the level of ruthlessness among some of the families is impressive in a not good way.

Too bad, so sad(well). 🤣

Hopefully, your family chooses “best fit” over prestige when selecting a college for your daughter. I’m positive the writing was on the wall before she enrolled that Sidwell wouldn’t be a great fit for her. You guys chose to ignore the signs.

I guess maybe the premise of the whole question is a weird one, and so the responses are correspondingly weird. It’s an academically rigorous high school with 500 students in it, and some will be happier than others, as will some parents. I have kids at both schools and they have enjoyed both and also at times found them challenging, but I don’t know that I would describe either as “happy” places. They are just schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different perspective here. All of my US kids are lifers, so maybe that's why I come from a different place. Daily life at US is, despite the advertised virtues, short on the Quaker values implied to be at the core of the school's identity. The virtue signaling is over the top.

It's all relative to what other schools may be like. I don't know any other school so cannot speak to that. But my view is that the school's policies around academics (teacher's interactions with students) are draconian. Definitely not warm.

Also, the school's recent turn of focus to sports has undermined the atmosphere of academic excellence. That, again, just in my opinion, has suffered.

Socially, based on what I have heard from my kids over the years and what some acquaintances have shared, there's as much of a mean-kid culture at Sidwell as at any other school. There are the popular kids, the ahtletes, the mean girls, the 'try hards', and the senior whose mom is on the Board and by all accounts should have been kicked out right now for a few nefarious acts, not to mention running the (against the school policy) poker enterprise in the senior center. And sure, the basketball playoffs are good-spirited. They're the playoffs and attendance at any sporting events at Sidwell do not draw the kids who are not part of the 'in' crowd, or even the generally happy kids.

Have my kids come out with a good education? They graduated (as recently as last year) seem to have. But do I think it is any different than elsewhere, no.

TL; DR - my kids can’t actually hack it and it’s good I paid the money to get them in early when it’s easier.

I’m the op who said this op was more accurate. Our dc entered in 9th was highly successful - they could 100% cut it. The place is not warm at all. Very draconian - Senior year the families that gushed at the senior year meeting for worship event were the uber wealthy long timers that Bryan courted - those people all had kids who got into Ivy League on their family connections while taking easiest classes possible. It was gross. They have no clue what the school is really like because they don’t face the same wall (or hand in the face) others do and (except a few) their kids aren’t taking the hardest classes with the teachers who compete with each other to get the label of hardest class in the school.

Again - my dc did great - so no sour grapes. Education is high level but it is not a good ‘school’ - teens need and deserve more out of school thanks grinding out work.

Your entire post reads like sour grapes. There are unhooked Sidwell students admitted to Ivy+ colleges every year who did not taken the hardest classes in every subject, every year. Sorry things didn’t work out that way for your kid. Btw, I don’t think your child did “great” by your standards. If they did, you would not have written this bitter post.

DP. Your unkindness and rejection of other perspectives is exactly what we hate about Sidwell. There are some serious pieces of work among the parent body.

We have children at other schools and agree that Sidwell’s balance between pressure and joy leans heavily toward pressure and less joy. My son teases his sister by calling Sidwell “Sadwell, No Friends.”

Our daughter thrives as much as it’s possible to do there and she would not want to leave. Knowing what we know now though we would have encouraged her to go elsewhere.

We have not been thrilled with Bryan’s leadership and the level of ruthlessness among some of the families is impressive in a not good way.

Which school is similarly rigorous but less pressure cooker and sad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different perspective here. All of my US kids are lifers, so maybe that's why I come from a different place. Daily life at US is, despite the advertised virtues, short on the Quaker values implied to be at the core of the school's identity. The virtue signaling is over the top.

It's all relative to what other schools may be like. I don't know any other school so cannot speak to that. But my view is that the school's policies around academics (teacher's interactions with students) are draconian. Definitely not warm.

Also, the school's recent turn of focus to sports has undermined the atmosphere of academic excellence. That, again, just in my opinion, has suffered.

Socially, based on what I have heard from my kids over the years and what some acquaintances have shared, there's as much of a mean-kid culture at Sidwell as at any other school. There are the popular kids, the ahtletes, the mean girls, the 'try hards', and the senior whose mom is on the Board and by all accounts should have been kicked out right now for a few nefarious acts, not to mention running the (against the school policy) poker enterprise in the senior center. And sure, the basketball playoffs are good-spirited. They're the playoffs and attendance at any sporting events at Sidwell do not draw the kids who are not part of the 'in' crowd, or even the generally happy kids.

Have my kids come out with a good education? They graduated (as recently as last year) seem to have. But do I think it is any different than elsewhere, no.

TL; DR - my kids can’t actually hack it and it’s good I paid the money to get them in early when it’s easier.

I’m the op who said this op was more accurate. Our dc entered in 9th was highly successful - they could 100% cut it. The place is not warm at all. Very draconian - Senior year the families that gushed at the senior year meeting for worship event were the uber wealthy long timers that Bryan courted - those people all had kids who got into Ivy League on their family connections while taking easiest classes possible. It was gross. They have no clue what the school is really like because they don’t face the same wall (or hand in the face) others do and (except a few) their kids aren’t taking the hardest classes with the teachers who compete with each other to get the label of hardest class in the school.

Again - my dc did great - so no sour grapes. Education is high level but it is not a good ‘school’ - teens need and deserve more out of school thanks grinding out work.

Your entire post reads like sour grapes. There are unhooked Sidwell students admitted to Ivy+ colleges every year who did not taken the hardest classes in every subject, every year. Sorry things didn’t work out that way for your kid. Btw, I don’t think your child did “great” by your standards. If they did, you would not have written this bitter post.

DP. Your unkindness and rejection of other perspectives is exactly what we hate about Sidwell. There are some serious pieces of work among the parent body.

We have children at other schools and agree that Sidwell’s balance between pressure and joy leans heavily toward pressure and less joy. My son teases his sister by calling Sidwell “Sadwell, No Friends.”

Our daughter thrives as much as it’s possible to do there and she would not want to leave. Knowing what we know now though we would have encouraged her to go elsewhere.

We have not been thrilled with Bryan’s leadership and the level of ruthlessness among some of the families is impressive in a not good way.

Which school is similarly rigorous but less pressure cooker and sad?

GDS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a prob. with taking the loan. It was financially prudent.

so it was a loan ? Has the school paid it back yet ? No they have not. Grifters will grift !