Kindness at Burgundy Farm?
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Anonymous
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We love Burgundy Farm Country Day School, but have seen a few posts in various places about unchecked bullying taking place. Yes, I realize that some social conflict occurs at all schools, but I do see how it could be more of an issue at a school that gives children so much independence. How the school responds is very important to us. We really want to send our children to a school where kindness, respect, and compassion are preached, modeled, and expected from all staff and students.
I'd be grateful to hear from any Burgundy parents out there. Thanks! |
Anonymous
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As a current parent, I would say that they are not always the best about dealing with bullying situations. They administration seems to be very hesitant to admit that the school is not a good fit for some students and that some students clearly have real mental health issues that need to be addressed.
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Anonymous
This is about 99% the case at burgundy. Your typical child/family/teacher/administrator is kind and caring and open minded. The two issues IMHO are the strong liberal bent which can occasionally translate into close mindedness towards opposing opinions and the administration is not as aggressive with the class jerk as id like. On the liberal thing, I get the fit with the school type, but I think open mindedness needs to extend to even conservative views. I'm not saying to love it or embrace it, but I don't think you need to make crappy comments about a conservative parent's kid. On the Class Jerk front, there was always at least one kid in the class whose behavior made me think he/she shouldn't be invited back and yet nothing ever happens. |
Anonymous
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Parents of Burgundy students are no more liberal than you will find at any of the local independent schools in DC. I know people love to drag politics into every discussion of Burgundy simply because it emphasizes "progressive education," as if they don't understand the difference between an educational philosophy and a political ideology. An absolutely core value is kindness and consideration of others.
As to the bullying question, it is not a school full of Biff Tannens. There is no jock culture and parents typically don't reminisce about their frat house days. The students hear all the time about cooperation, not competition. Because Burgundy is very focused on the social development of children, it does not use any form of no tolerance discipline. Most of us realize that children go through phases and explore different personalities and everyone does things they aren't proud of. Burgundy, in our experience, went the extra mile to understand the specific circumstances of children who might act out at one time or another and helped them change their behavior. Since the "Class Jerk" is as likely to be your child as someone else, I think that's a pretty good approach. |
Anonymous
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As a former Burgundy parent with children at another school now I don't find the "no more liberal than other independent schools" bit to be true. I still loved the school and it was a wonderful experience for my children, but I stand by my post (16:00) that I felt a certain amount of intolerance for conservative views ( from the parents, not from the teachers). And there was at least one child in each of my children's classes that was disruptive to the point where I didn't think they should have been admitted.
That being said, there's no 'perfect' school and Burgundy was a wonderful experience for my children. |
Anonymous
| That school is a dump (facility wise) |
Anonymous
| Read back through some of the threads here and check out some of the parental responses. You get a flavor for the ugliness coming from some parents. Just imagine how kids respond with parental attitudes like theirs. |
Anonymous
Not our experience. They just demolished the old art building for a new art/theater/community building. But otherwise, the kids love the campus and facilities. In fact they're sorry to see the old loft go even though it's hard to argue it wasn't time for a new art/theater/music/meeting whatever space. I think they felt comfortable and happy in their various classrooms/ buildings. As to the OP's question, the ethos is one where kindness is valued and, based on what trickles through from kid reports, part of the ongoing conversation. |
Anonymous
Nonsense. We visited seven private schools while looking for my child, the Burgundy campus (on 23 wooded acres) was by far our favorite campus. Lower school: http://www.ritternorton.com/burgundy-farms Lower school, Middle school and gym: http://brennanarch.com/portfolio/community/burgundy-farms-country-day-school/ New Arts & Community Center currently being built: http://www.burgundyfarm.org/about-burgundy/campuses/new-arts-and-community-center/index.aspx Recently finished Outdoor Classroom & Discovery Playground which includes a tree house, a water play area, rain gardens, an outdoor classroom and a fruit orchard: http://www.burgundyfarm.org/about-burgundy/campuses/campus-renewal/index.aspx?utm_source=CC+040315&utm_campaign=CC040315&utm_medium=email And then there is the 500 acre campus in West Virginia which students go to twice a year (and yes that one is a bit more "rustic"): http://www.burgundycenter.org |
Anonymous
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Just our opinion, but we found it to be unbelievably nasty, invasive, and objectionable. We didn't have a single good week there - not one. Good luck, OP.
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Anonymous
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OP you stated "We really want to send our children to a school where kindness, respect, and compassion are preached, modeled, and expected from all staff and students."
This is exactly what we have seen. My child is in his 5th year at Burgundy. Throughout our time there I'm not aware of any unchecked bullying. For that matter I'm not aware of bullying occurring in my child's classes. In the earlier years there were definitely moments of students not communicating well, but they are just being to learn how to cooperate and I found the teachers and when rarely needed administration handled these situations well. But we're just one family with one child and reflect only one experience. Burgundy has been a wonderful school for my child. He's independent and confident and very happy. That makes us happy. If you are considering Burgundy I recommend you reach out to Lori in Admissions. She will gladly discuss any questions you have and also put you in contact with current families too. Best of luck. |
Anonymous
Wow. What grade(s) and how long ago were your children students? What do you mean exactly by invasive and objectionable? I have never heard invasive used to describe a school, so quite curious. |
Anonymous
| The school is not a dump. Every classroom is filled with light, with easy access to the outdoors. Some of the other (more elite) schools we visited had JK and K classes in the basements. Not for us. I'll admit that some of the buildings have a rustic quality (that is not for everybody) but our artsy children love it. |
Anonymous
This poster sounds unbalanced, perhaps even unhinged. The adjectives used are emotionally loaded, but tell the reader nothing, If anything is wrong with the Burgundy culture, I'd say the staff and administration are too gentlle, which is why the response to bullying is sometimes weak. There's a desire to make no one "wrong," or label children -- but sometimes egregious behavior has to be checked. |
Anonymous
So, hypothetically, if your kid punches my kid (or vice versa), and my instruction to my child is to hit your kid back and even harder, how would this be viewed? |