St. Andrews: Don't Buy The "Happy Kids" Marketing

[Anonymous]

We sent our DC to another school, but felt the kids were very happy. Get a life, people! Hate is soooo unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

When parents write how happy their kids are, it's not really helpful information. I think parents are looking for concrete information about the school.

Regarding the CTTL at St. Andrew's, I'm sure that I could find out more information about it if I took the time, but my child is currently at St. Andrew's, and I will share 2 examples that I have noticed re: how CTTL directly involves students:

1) Research showed that students perform better when they arrive at school later. Therefore, high school students were given a later arrival time. Last year, St. Andrew's informed the Middle School students that they too could benefit from this, so they were told that their new arrival time would be 20 minutes later than the year prior.

2) Last year, St. Andrew's made the decision to give final exams (in the Middle School) one week earlier than usual. Students took their final exams and then spent the week afterward reviewing the finals. This gave them an opportunity to have an understanding of what they knew and learn from the mistakes they made. This made final exams "a learning experience, rather than a "stress experience." I'm not sure if they will do this again this year, but I sure hope so!

So many schools just use impressive words, but don't translate it into action.

St. Andrew's has problems just like any other school, but in my experience, they go above and beyond to be supportive to both students and parents to help solve those problems. They don't turn a blind eye.

A lot depends on what your child's class makeup is. Like any school, some grades have a bunch of kids that your child might hit it off with and some grades have a bunch of kids that your child may not care for.

The teachers and staff have all been wonderful, and they always go out of their way to be helpful.

[Anonymous]

St. Andrew's didn't change the start time to accommodate student learning, they changed their start time after Hoover announced it would start 20 minutes later for 2016/2017 school year. It was to avoid traffic congestion.

[Anonymous]

Every school has a vibe and a culture. Having sent a child there, my take on St Andrew's is that its a great school for outgoing, extroverted kids; not so great for quieter kids.

[Anonymous]

I had occasion to be at St. Andrew's two days ago. As I walked across campus, it was terrific to hear students cheering on the turf fields, see parents hanging out in the new quad, and see kids sprawled out and studying or talking in the student center. It did feel happy, spirited -- and different from the quiet campus that we transferred from. I can't imagine everyone is happy all the time in any school. But there's a great "vibe" to use another poster's word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had occasion to be at St. Andrew's two days ago. As I walked across campus, it was terrific to hear students cheering on the turf fields, see parents hanging out in the new quad, and see kids sprawled out and studying or talking in the student center. It did feel happy, spirited -- and different from the quiet campus that we transferred from. I can't imagine everyone is happy all the time in any school. But there's a great "vibe" to use another poster's word.

Are you serious? Are you a SAES parent? I am, and I love what the school has provided my US and MS kids, but this sounds like a tall tale. We've been there for years, and it's a great school. I love the direction SAES is taking, but the kids definitely don't "sprawl out" or "study and talk in the student center". The locker hallways, yes. The student center? Nope. And the seniors definitely prefer their lounge. Most parents don't have time time hang out in the quad on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Happy? Sure, the kids are happy enough, but they are working incredibly hard, as are the teachers and staff. Utopia it isn't.

[Anonymous]

How are SAES's sports programs? Are they competitive in the MAC in most sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me what is transformative about transformative learning at St. Andrews?

I agree! Decent school, but for the time we attended, we saw no evidence of this concept of 'Transformative Learning'. I think it gets back to OPs post, it is a marketing technique rather than an actual approach or product.

Caveat Emptor. Just look very very carefully at what is actually practiced in the classrooms vs. the marketing language. This includes the CTTL hype. Current St. Andrew's parent here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had occasion to be at St. Andrew's two days ago. As I walked across campus, it was terrific to hear students cheering on the turf fields, see parents hanging out in the new quad, and see kids sprawled out and studying or talking in the student center. It did feel happy, spirited -- and different from the quiet campus that we transferred from. I can't imagine everyone is happy all the time in any school. But there's a great "vibe" to use another poster's word.

You write like the Norwood flunkies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are SAES's sports programs? Are they competitive in the MAC in most sports?

St. Andrew's had a great cross-country season. At Saturday's championship meet, the top finisher was a St. Andrew's junior and the team came in third. I'm a Sidwell parent, but wanted to congratulate St. Andrew's, which is always a great rival team to ours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had occasion to be at St. Andrew's two days ago. As I walked across campus, it was terrific to hear students cheering on the turf fields, see parents hanging out in the new quad, and see kids sprawled out and studying or talking in the student center. It did feel happy, spirited -- and different from the quiet campus that we transferred from. I can't imagine everyone is happy all the time in any school. But there's a great "vibe" to use another poster's word.

Are you serious? Are you a SAES parent? I am, and I love what the school has provided my US and MS kids, but this sounds like a tall tale. We've been there for years, and it's a great school. I love the direction SAES is taking, but the kids definitely don't "sprawl out" or "study and talk in the student center". The locker hallways, yes. The student center? Nope. And the seniors definitely prefer their lounge. Most parents don't have time time hang out in the quad on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Happy? Sure, the kids are happy enough, but they are working incredibly hard, as are the teachers and staff. Utopia it isn't.

Yes, I'm a newish SAES parent and I didn't make up a "tall tale." I went to the student center when there were games going on Hope and Brambaugh fields and in one of the gyms. There were maybe 20 students in the new commons area. They had their books and papers spread out on tables, and two of them were lounging on one of the little sofas reading. I liked the vibe. You may have been at the school a long time, but the new building has only been open for a few weeks. Is it possible that you're the one who is out of touch with what's happening on campus? Maybe the seniors do prefer their lounge. I didn't ask the ages of the kids in the commons.

[Anonymous]

I think the school has lots of positives. If your DC has a hard transition or doesn't find his/her group right away, it can feel very, very small socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are SAES's sports programs? Are they competitive in the MAC in most sports?

Just saw this on their Facebook page:

http://www.saes.org/page/News-Detail?pk=887335&fromId=203983

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had occasion to be at St. Andrew's two days ago. As I walked across campus, it was terrific to hear students cheering on the turf fields, see parents hanging out in the new quad, and see kids sprawled out and studying or talking in the student center. It did feel happy, spirited -- and different from the quiet campus that we transferred from. I can't imagine everyone is happy all the time in any school. But there's a great "vibe" to use another poster's word.

Are you serious? Are you a SAES parent? I am, and I love what the school has provided my US and MS kids, but this sounds like a tall tale. We've been there for years, and it's a great school. I love the direction SAES is taking, but the kids definitely don't "sprawl out" or "study and talk in the student center". The locker hallways, yes. The student center? Nope. And the seniors definitely prefer their lounge. Most parents don't have time time hang out in the quad on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Happy? Sure, the kids are happy enough, but they are working incredibly hard, as are the teachers and staff. Utopia it isn't.

Yes, I'm a newish SAES parent and I didn't make up a "tall tale." I went to the student center when there were games going on Hope and Brambaugh fields and in one of the gyms. There were maybe 20 students in the new commons area. They had their books and papers spread out on tables, and two of them were lounging on one of the little sofas reading. I liked the vibe. You may have been at the school a long time, but the new building has only been open for a few weeks. Is it possible that you're the one who is out of touch with what's happening on campus? Maybe the seniors do prefer their lounge. I didn't ask the ages of the kids in the commons.

Only US students are allowed unchaperoned in the new student center. Nice snark BTW - is that your value add to the parent community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are SAES's sports programs? Are they competitive in the MAC in most sports?

Just saw this on their Facebook page:

http://www.saes.org/page/News-Detail?pk=887335&fromId=203983

SAES parents with DC playing varsity sports: what would be the benefit of attending SAES (MAC) vs Bullis (IAC)?