Did anyone find primary day too "academic" or structured?

[Anonymous]

And not good for their child. Play is so important at those ages so am wondering

[Anonymous]

It was years ago. We didn't apply for that reason. I didn't think my son could sit for the drills.

[Anonymous]

Depends on classroom. Every time I visit the school there's classes where teachers are calm and the kids are calm or there's classrooms where kids run wild sbdcteacher is out of control trying to get kids under control. Some teachers have no idea what they are doing and some are confident and some are too controlling. Neighbors went for a tour and weren't happy with what they saw in preK and first. They said one preK had a valley girl who seemed overwhelmed in one and the first grade teacher overwhelmed. Classroom was chaotic. But other classroom seemed calm. So I guess it depends on who you get.

[Anonymous]

when I toured there, none of the children looked happy...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:when I toured there, none of the children looked happy...

And by contrast many families I personally know have kids who are very happy there.

[Anonymous]

Both my children graduated from Primary Day. It is a fabulous school with an incredible head of school, Scott Lawrence. It is academic and the staff is first rate, with so many wonderful traditions.

[Anonymous]

We chose another (religious) school, so I don't have kids there. But my friends who do love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my children graduated from Primary Day. It is a fabulous school with an incredible head of school, Scott Lawrence. It is academic and the staff is first rate, with so many wonderful traditions.

Sounds like you had children that are happy and graduated when Mary Lisa Geppert was head, who was incredible but pushed out by a few bitter parents who were being egged on by a few bitter faculty and staff members. Everyone knows who they are and that they resisted change. If you had a child there now (and I had one with the former head and one with the new) you would know that people are unhappy. Except of course the people who wanted the old head to leave. The school seems miserable now. The kids look unhappy and the teachers look unhappy. They should encourage the bullies who got rid of the old head to move on. You wouldn't even believe the things that I hear directly from the source. It's really sad to think that a few teachers and staff members basically make all the decisions for the school and are proud of how easily they can manipulate the new head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my children graduated from Primary Day. It is a fabulous school with an incredible head of school, Scott Lawrence. It is academic and the staff is first rate, with so many wonderful traditions.

The school is a great school with some excellent teachers. My daughter loves her teacher and looks forward to going to school. However the new head is cold and doesn't seem to connect with the teachers and children at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my children graduated from Primary Day. It is a fabulous school with an incredible head of school, Scott Lawrence. It is academic and the staff is first rate, with so many wonderful traditions.

Sounds like you had children that are happy and graduated when Mary Lisa Geppert was head, who was incredible but pushed out by a few bitter parents who were being egged on by a few bitter faculty and staff members. Everyone knows who they are and that they resisted change. If you had a child there now (and I had one with the former head and one with the new) you would know that people are unhappy. Except of course the people who wanted the old head to leave. The school seems miserable now. The kids look unhappy and the teachers look unhappy. They should encourage the bullies who got rid of the old head to move on. You wouldn't even believe the things that I hear directly from the source. It's really sad to think that a few teachers and staff members basically make all the decisions for the school and are proud of how easily they can manipulate the new head.

Btw that's a rumor that she was pushed out. She chose to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my children graduated from Primary Day. It is a fabulous school with an incredible head of school, Scott Lawrence. It is academic and the staff is first rate, with so many wonderful traditions.

Wonderful traditions that are getting out of control. There are way too many performances and they take way too long. If I have to sit through another endless poem and song I'll go crazy.

[Anonymous]

Why are children and teachers so unhappy now? What fundamentally changed? Why is outplacement so good

[Anonymous]

Outplacement is good because the second gradecteachers reakky know the students well, the families well and schools want pds kids. They are well prepared for their next schools. We are very happy with DD's placement.

[Anonymous]

Why is everyone so unhappy

[Anonymous]

First I should say that I don't have a child at Primary Day but I looked at the thread because I have never seen the school mentioned on DCUM. DD is friends with a teachers child and she has nothing but good things to say about the last head and this one. So maybe you are talking to or listening to the wrong people?