Tell me why you chose Sidwell over any other area independent schools....

[Anonymous]

*value for the tuition dollar. of course subjective, but I feel like I am getting great value for the tuition I am paying.
*outstanding rigorous education
*know that my child will be well prepared for college.
*peer group highly motivated, bright, hard working, interesting, nice kids
*very hard working teachers who challenge kids, quality of assignments is high
*welcoming, supportive parent community
*diversity of kids, families
*exposure to learning opportunities outside the classroom
*co-ed
*size just right --not too small, not too large, feels right for my kid
*great leadership middle school, they seem to understand and support early adolescents right where they are in development.
*well-organized>schedule is well thought out in advance, respectful of competing demands on families
*athletic facilities and program are solid. I like the way they are organized in the middle school, with a nice progression toward high school sports.


not a reason for choosing, but other good things--
*outstanding nutritious hot lunch included in tuition
*nice vibe after care (middle school)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains why so many DID NOT choose Sidwell. . .

Yes, if you want things to be simple, do not choose Sidwell. If you prefer an environment that is not introspective and constantly questioning its purpose, values and perceptions, then Sidwell is not the place for you. For others, it is exactly why we chose it. To each his / her own.

Simple? Oh please. Every "why I did" response is simple minded. The name? The name of all things??? Yeah, that's real deep and introspective. My DC goes to a Big 3 that is NOT Sidwell and no one says it's because of the name. How ridiculous. But carry on with your so called introspection.

We also learn to read completely at Sidwell. Try starting at the beginning and see the long list of reasons stated by the many posters. Once the thread is highjacked by the usual haters it deteriorates into the usual blah blah blah about the Obamas and brand. You can't even believe what you are saying when you suggest that the only reason is the name. But, if it makes it easier for you to believe that the only reason people make a choice other than your own is because they are brand conscious, please keep basking in this rationalization.

Sidwell teaches the parents to read too? Oh my, that is definitely a reason to choose it! $40K a year and they educate the child and parent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*value for the tuition dollar. of course subjective, but I feel like I am getting great value for the tuition I am paying.
*outstanding rigorous education
*know that my child will be well prepared for college.
*peer group highly motivated, bright, hard working, interesting, nice kids
*very hard working teachers who challenge kids, quality of assignments is high
*welcoming, supportive parent community
*diversity of kids, families
*exposure to learning opportunities outside the classroom
*co-ed
*size just right --not too small, not too large, feels right for my kid
*great leadership middle school, they seem to understand and support early adolescents right where they are in development.
*well-organized>schedule is well thought out in advance, respectful of competing demands on families
*athletic facilities and program are solid. I like the way they are organized in the middle school, with a nice progression toward high school sports.


not a reason for choosing, but other good things--
*outstanding nutritious hot lunch included in tuition
*nice vibe after care (middle school)

This sums up our thinking as well. Plus, we have children of different genders and wanted them to be at the same school if possible, so NCS, STA, Holton, etc. were out of the question. We have been very pleased with the school, and our kids love it. There are fortunate to have many great schools in the area, though, and I know of many families very happy with a wide range of schools. It's a very personal choice, and is working well for our family. And we love the new middle school head. Sally Selby was terrific and is a hard act to follow, but Rachel is doing a wonderful job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains why so many DID NOT choose Sidwell. . .

Yes, if you want things to be simple, do not choose Sidwell. If you prefer an environment that is not introspective and constantly questioning its purpose, values and perceptions, then Sidwell is not the place for you. For others, it is exactly why we chose it. To each his / her own.

Simple? Oh please. Every "why I did" response is simple minded. The name? The name of all things??? Yeah, that's real deep and introspective. My DC goes to a Big 3 that is NOT Sidwell and no one says it's because of the name. How ridiculous. But carry on with your so called introspection.

We also learn to read completely at Sidwell. Try starting at the beginning and see the long list of reasons stated by the many posters. Once the thread is highjacked by the usual haters it deteriorates into the usual blah blah blah about the Obamas and brand. You can't even believe what you are saying when you suggest that the only reason is the name. But, if it makes it easier for you to believe that the only reason people make a choice other than your own is because they are brand conscious, please keep basking in this rationalization.

Sidwell teaches the parents to read too? Oh my, that is definitely a reason to choose it! $40K a year and they educate the child and parent!

Nice try. I am an alumni, or wasn't that a possibility you considered in your statement?. We also learn not to assume.

[Anonymous]

I wrote this before. But the name only matters if that's all you know. But I also disagree about what is built the Sidwell brand. Yes the school is known in part because of the presidential children who have attended. But I think that is secondary for families seriously looking at schools. It's the academic rigor, Quaker background, facilities, etc that are the foundation of the school's reputation. While the identities of other parents might attract interest, it's unthinkable that someone would send their kids to a particular school for up to 13 years on the hopes of a chance encounter. Parents and kids come and go, but the reputation of Sidwell has pretty much been the same for the past 40 or more years. I wish I wasn't able to write that previous sentence but ...I am getting old.

[Anonymous]

But I also disagree about what built the Sidwell brand.