What schools would you look at for this kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scattered and disorganized piece makes me wonder if St. Anselm's Abbey would be a good choice. The boys who have gone there from our coed K-8 have tended to be bright and friendly, but with some organizational challenges that are partially just...being a teen boy.

I know you are getting him evaluated for ADHD so don't want to put this all down to sex/gender but from what I've heard, their single sex model focused on how boys in particular learn is a good fit for the kind of kid you describe.

I thought St Anselms was for incredibly smart boys?

St. Anselm’s is for incredibly diligent, dedicated, and focused kids. However, it is imported to understand that isn’t the same as “smart kids.”

Chose another school but would point out the class work is much more analytical than other schools. And 53% of the 2020 class scored In the 700-800 range both Math and Verbal for their SATs. Seriously who bad mouths St Anselm’s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scattered and disorganized piece makes me wonder if St. Anselm's Abbey would be a good choice. The boys who have gone there from our coed K-8 have tended to be bright and friendly, but with some organizational challenges that are partially just...being a teen boy.

I know you are getting him evaluated for ADHD so don't want to put this all down to sex/gender but from what I've heard, their single sex model focused on how boys in particular learn is a good fit for the kind of kid you describe.

I thought St Anselms was for incredibly smart boys?

St. Anselm’s is for incredibly diligent, dedicated, and focused kids. However, it is imported to understand that isn’t the same as “smart kids.”

Chose another school but would point out the class work is much more analytical than other schools. And 53% of the 2020 class scored In the 700-800 range both Math and Verbal for their SATs. Seriously who bad mouths St Anselm’s?

OP here,

None of the above comments are from me, but I am really curious what you have read on this thread that you would consider to be "bad mouthing" St. Anselm's?

How is saying that another kid might be better served at a school that's got a different workload, or pointing out that there are smart kids who don't have the academic talent, or diligence needed to succeed at St. Anselm's bad mouthing St. Anselm's?

[Anonymous]

He hasn't needed a lot of academic support in the past, beyond some parent help. But he's been in a small school that's got a lot of structure. i could see him needing more support in high school.

His favorite sport is baseball. He also really likes to run, and play basketball. So ideally it would be cross country, basketball, baseball. Those seem like pretty common options.

Right now, I feel like our list (in ABC order) is

Burke
Einstein
Good Counsel
Northwood
Sandy Spring
St. Andrew's
St. John's

I would be wary of SJC if your son is a baseball player but not headed to play in college, as I think I saw you say. Baseball is a TOTAL year time and $ commitment (see the recent WAPO expose), with slim odds for playing unless you're now being recruited/in conversation with the coach (yes in 7th grade...) You definitely can't just play HS sports at SJC unless you're a recruited athlete type, especially baseball and basketball. I don't know if Sandy Spring has a baseball team, but I thought it had a nice vibe that could meet lots of kinds of students where they were. It felt it would be better for a self-directed kid (just my take when we visited a few years ago.) Of this list, St. Andrews seem like the best option from your description, and I would also add Bullis to the list. It has a jock-y vibe but baseball there isn't like it is a SJC. I think the culture at Bullis is a bit materialistic, and Kardashian-like and may not feel similar to your Silver Spring community if you're in Einstein/Northwood proximity. As someone living in the same geographic area with a baseball kid in a DC private--I don't think your public options are bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scattered and disorganized piece makes me wonder if St. Anselm's Abbey would be a good choice. The boys who have gone there from our coed K-8 have tended to be bright and friendly, but with some organizational challenges that are partially just...being a teen boy.

I know you are getting him evaluated for ADHD so don't want to put this all down to sex/gender but from what I've heard, their single sex model focused on how boys in particular learn is a good fit for the kind of kid you describe.

I thought St Anselms was for incredibly smart boys?

St. Anselm’s is for incredibly diligent, dedicated, and focused kids. However, it is imported to understand that isn’t the same as “smart kids.”

Chose another school but would point out the class work is much more analytical than other schools. And 53% of the 2020 class scored In the 700-800 range both Math and Verbal for their SATs. Seriously who bad mouths St Anselm’s?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Potomac? Yes, its very rigorous academically but your son sonds like a great fit in every other way.

OP here,

I don't know a lot about Potomac. My impression of the school is that it's academically similar to some schools I do know kids at, such as Sidwell and GDS. If that's accurate, then I don't think it would be a fit for my kid. I think that his self esteem is going to be dependent on being able to keep up academically, and also to do the things he does well, like sports and music. I can't imagine that working with that level of workload.

How different is the workload and rigor of the schools on my list?

Hi OP. I m the poster who suggested Potomac based on your son's personality and other parts of your decsription. You are correct however and I am worng. Academically its a heavy life - my Potomac student and my Cathedral school student have similar workloads. Potomac is better with supporting kids with challneges but the kid still has to be able to handle the workload and rigor. Too often kids are unhappy because their parents want them at a particular school and its just not the right one for them (which is why I have kids at differet schools ). Kudos to you for searching out the best situation for your son. (PS - I too have kids who "need" team sports and you are correct, its just as important as the academic portion).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

He hasn't needed a lot of academic support in the past, beyond some parent help. But he's been in a small school that's got a lot of structure. i could see him needing more support in high school.

His favorite sport is baseball. He also really likes to run, and play basketball. So ideally it would be cross country, basketball, baseball. Those seem like pretty common options.

Right now, I feel like our list (in ABC order) is

Burke
Einstein
Good Counsel
Northwood
Sandy Spring
St. Andrew's
St. John's

I would be wary of SJC if your son is a baseball player but not headed to play in college, as I think I saw you say. Baseball is a TOTAL year time and $ commitment (see the recent WAPO expose), with slim odds for playing unless you're now being recruited/in conversation with the coach (yes in 7th grade...) You definitely can't just play HS sports at SJC unless you're a recruited athlete type, especially baseball and basketball. I don't know if Sandy Spring has a baseball team, but I thought it had a nice vibe that could meet lots of kinds of students where they were. It felt it would be better for a self-directed kid (just my take when we visited a few years ago.) Of this list, St. Andrews seem like the best option from your description, and I would also add Bullis to the list. It has a jock-y vibe but baseball there isn't like it is a SJC. I think the culture at Bullis is a bit materialistic, and Kardashian-like and may not feel similar to your Silver Spring community if you're in Einstein/Northwood proximity. As someone living in the same geographic area with a baseball kid in a DC private--I don't think your public options are bad.

OP here,

Thanks I have that concern about SJC too.

[Anonymous]

OP -- I'll just say that you sound like a really good parent. As a SAES parent, I would be very happy to see you SAES because you seem like someone I'd like to know. Regardless, good luck to you and your son in finding the right school for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- I'll just say that you sound like a really good parent. As a SAES parent, I would be very happy to see you SAES because you seem like someone I'd like to know. Regardless, good luck to you and your son in finding the right school for him.

Aww, thank you. Who knows, maybe we'll meet there one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring is big. Where are you? Close to downtown? Wheaton? This will help narrow based on commute.

We're close to Holy Cross Hospital.

According to Google Maps, Burke, Sandy Springs, and St. Andrew's are almost exactly the same distance from us.

SAES has excellent bus service. Other schools may as well. You should visit them all and get the details about transportation options.

Whats SAES?

[Anonymous]

St. John's

[Anonymous]

Way after the fact here, but I just want to give another shoutout to Good Counsel - has a program for students with mild learning differences (Ryken), great sports teams, strong academics, as well as great theater and choral music program. It is big though (about 1200 or 1300 students).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring is big. Where are you? Close to downtown? Wheaton? This will help narrow based on commute.

We're close to Holy Cross Hospital.

According to Google Maps, Burke, Sandy Springs, and St. Andrew's are almost exactly the same distance from us.

SAES has excellent bus service. Other schools may as well. You should visit them all and get the details about transportation options.

Whats SAES?

St. Andrews

[Anonymous]

I have a kid in Ryken at Good Counsel and I couldn't be happier. The changes are astonishing. They teach the kids to advocate for themselves from day one. Most kids are out of Ryken by 11th grade and some start in Ryken for just one class (normally math) then move on.

Good Counsel is a strong sports school, but they do not cut freshmen from teams. They will make a second jv team or add a freshman team before turning someone away. They just reworked the baseball field and practice facility. The baseball teams train year round at the school now.

They do offer about 20 AP classes and place kids in the Ivyies as well. The top 25% avg SAT score is 1436 and 100% go to college. 71% of the students received a college scholarship, totaling 35 million last year (about 290 grads). It is also a very diverse and inclusive school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade boy at a Catholic school that goes through 8th, looking for options for 9th.

Well behaved, well liked by his teachers, eager to please

Makes friends easily, often described as the class peacemaker, very good at reading people

Strong multisport athlete

Loves music, sings in the choir, acts in school plays, plays a brass instrument

Average academically

Scattered and disorganized

Daydreamy

Some specific anxieties that seem to be due to stressors at home.

In the process of being evaluated for ADHD - I, but that process is being slowed down by COVID

Got to get the ADHD squared away first. We applied to two of the all boys school in DC and a few in MD. He’d be fine at any although he really needs the ADHD under control for Prep or St A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

I should add that we're in Silver Spring, and he's a kid who does well with a fair amount of family time. So, I'd rather not have a super long commute.

SJC has an excellent program for kids with ADHD.