NCS Parents - "I wish I had known x" type advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why, but it still surprises me when people make blanket statements about educators to the extent of "they don't care about the students. I know it is hard to see your child hurting, but as someone who had her share of tough days in middle school in particular, I don't know what teachers/administrators could have done.

It's scarcely original to say that from about 12 - 17 is a hard age to be a girl -- girls are hard on themselves and each other. Maybe the all-girls' milieu makes some things worse but other things are worse in co-ed situations. I'd be interested if people have concrete examples of things that other all-girls' schools have put in place to make them kindler and gentler -- not to prove anyone wrong or pick fights, but because I'm genuinely curious about what kind of adult interventions can make a difference.

I'm not that PP but I have had children at several different DC privates, including NCS, and I can tell you that NCS is different and that the reason they are different is because they don't care about the students. I didn't write that but its accurate.

The homework limit is meaningless in the upper school, completely meaningless. And tinkering with schedules is precisely the kind of cosmetic thing they do to convince themselves that they really, really care. Easy stuff. But never the hard stuff because ultimately, they don;t care.

You sound sort of unhinged.

+1. And I have no connection whatsoever to the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that sounds unhinged. Holton has some good models for making social life work, starting with zero tolerance for cliques and bullying from lower school on up. The one thing you can get in the most trouble for there is being a mean girl. Parent grade reps, teachers, and administrators monitor things to try to live up to that ideal. Nothing is perfect but they certainly care and try, and they are constantly looking for ways to expand wellness and a more holistic approach to educating and nurturing the whole student.

What does this mean in terms of actual policies? Do they have group bonding activities? How do they deal with seating at lunch, is it open or assigned in any way? How about policies in the younger grades about birthday parties or other events -- do they try to deal with this? It sounds like maybe the school works closely with the "parent grade reps" -- do they have a regular series of meetings? (No need to answer all of these but I really am curious if there are some concrete things that some girls' schools have implemented that could be replicated structurally elsewhere. Thanks.)

[Anonymous]

I have very high regard for the head of the Upper school at NCS. I find her to be very caring and concerned for the girls, as well as down to earth and professional. She is easy to approach (for the girls as well as the parents) and the
girls all seem to like her.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please explain MORP. I know what it is generally. My MS DD seems anxious about it (asking a boy). Is it really something people take seriously?

[Anonymous]

Most girls do not ask boys to MORP... both 8th grades are invited and welcome to attend. Few kids actually bring dates.

[Anonymous]

Do NCS girls use STA sports fields? I understand that they are renovating the STA sports fields and that will take about a year. Will the NCS girls be affected?

[Anonymous]

Last year at least three Beavoir students ended up at Sidwell, so it cannot be for academic reasons. I think some leave because they prefer a coed environment as their daughters mature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do NCS girls use STA sports fields? I understand that they are renovating the STA sports fields and that will take about a year. Will the NCS girls be affected?

There will not be a major affect on NCS, but there will be some impact. For fall tennis (the varsity season for girls), I believe NCS generally has used the courts at STA so there may need to be some arrangements (although there are a couple courts over by NCS still, I think). For track, NCS trains with St. Albans on what was a non-regulation track, so the joint track team I'm sure will be training at a nearby track next spring. Overall, NCS is in great shape for facilities (two new turf fields) so they are in good shape. They are trying to help out STA as much as they can consistent with their zoning usage rules, I believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year at least three Beavoir students ended up at Sidwell, so it cannot be for academic reasons. I think some leave because they prefer a coed environment as their daughters mature.

Ha. From all those ST Albans boys hovering around NCS, you'd think it as coed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why, but it still surprises me when people make blanket statements about educators to the extent of "they don't care about the students. I know it is hard to see your child hurting, but as someone who had her share of tough days in middle school in particular, I don't know what teachers/administrators could have done.

It's scarcely original to say that from about 12 - 17 is a hard age to be a girl -- girls are hard on themselves and each other. Maybe the all-girls' milieu makes some things worse but other things are worse in co-ed situations. I'd be interested if people have concrete examples of things that other all-girls' schools have put in place to make them kindler and gentler -- not to prove anyone wrong or pick fights, but because I'm genuinely curious about what kind of adult interventions can make a difference.

I'm not that PP but I have had children at several different DC privates, including NCS, and I can tell you that NCS is different and that the reason they are different is because they don't care about the students. I didn't write that but its accurate.

The homework limit is meaningless in the upper school, completely meaningless. And tinkering with schedules is precisely the kind of cosmetic thing they do to convince themselves that they really, really care. Easy stuff. But never the hard stuff because ultimately, they don;t care.

This is spot on. Teachers and administrators nod and agree and do nothing. I really think NCS misses the boat with there newly minted Alums. The last experiences are so stressful that the girls leave the school with quite a few negative associations.

And for the people who think the poster sounds unhinged...well then you are not very familiar with NCS.

[Anonymous]

The final year at NCS really does make for a bad experience. I don't understand why the school allows for this. The girls are close to academic and social burnout and this seems to remain with them for quite awhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why, but it still surprises me when people make blanket statements about educators to the extent of "they don't care about the students. I know it is hard to see your child hurting, but as someone who had her share of tough days in middle school in particular, I don't know what teachers/administrators could have done.

It's scarcely original to say that from about 12 - 17 is a hard age to be a girl -- girls are hard on themselves and each other. Maybe the all-girls' milieu makes some things worse but other things are worse in co-ed situations. I'd be interested if people have concrete examples of things that other all-girls' schools have put in place to make them kindler and gentler -- not to prove anyone wrong or pick fights, but because I'm genuinely curious about what kind of adult interventions can make a difference.

I'm not that PP but I have had children at several different DC privates, including NCS, and I can tell you that NCS is different and that the reason they are different is because they don't care about the students. I didn't write that but its accurate.

The homework limit is meaningless in the upper school, completely meaningless. And tinkering with schedules is precisely the kind of cosmetic thing they do to convince themselves that they really, really care. Easy stuff. But never the hard stuff because ultimately, they don;t care.

This is spot on. Teachers and administrators nod and agree and do nothing. I really think NCS misses the boat with there newly minted Alums. The last experiences are so stressful that the girls leave the school with quite a few negative associations.

And for the people who think the poster sounds unhinged...well then you are not very familiar with NCS.

Unhinged is unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why, but it still surprises me when people make blanket statements about educators to the extent of "they don't care about the students. I know it is hard to see your child hurting, but as someone who had her share of tough days in middle school in particular, I don't know what teachers/administrators could have done.

It's scarcely original to say that from about 12 - 17 is a hard age to be a girl -- girls are hard on themselves and each other. Maybe the all-girls' milieu makes some things worse but other things are worse in co-ed situations. I'd be interested if people have concrete examples of things that other all-girls' schools have put in place to make them kindler and gentler -- not to prove anyone wrong or pick fights, but because I'm genuinely curious about what kind of adult interventions can make a difference.

I'm not that PP but I have had children at several different DC privates, including NCS, and I can tell you that NCS is different and that the reason they are different is because they don't care about the students. I didn't write that but its accurate.

The homework limit is meaningless in the upper school, completely meaningless. And tinkering with schedules is precisely the kind of cosmetic thing they do to convince themselves that they really, really care. Easy stuff. But never the hard stuff because ultimately, they don;t care.

This is spot on. Teachers and administrators nod and agree and do nothing. I really think NCS misses the boat with there newly minted Alums. The last experiences are so stressful that the girls leave the school with quite a few negative associations.

And for the people who think the poster sounds unhinged...well then you are not very familiar with NCS.

Unhinged is unhinged.

+1. I think done of us look at the 2-3 posters who repeatedly trash this school, and we wonder if the problem isn't with the posters themselves.

[Anonymous]

Some of us, not done of us....

[Anonymous]

You are so silly with your "two or three posters" line. This is a 70 page thread and none believes it is two or three posters bashing the school. The truth is the truth and I started hearing murmurings when my daughter was in middle school from the upper school parents. I naively and arrogantly thought " oh well that kid can't cut it. It won't be my kid. " my kid was a superstar and still deeply dislike the experience especially at the end. And I had heard this from many parents for several years before my daughter became a senior. These were also the kids who graduated at the ltop of the class and won awards.

So you see silly poster of "there are only one or two of you" your dismissiveness makes me want to prove others points even more. I think the posters have been very balanced and fair.