Primary Day, Norwood, Green Acres

[Anonymous]

I'm also a Green Acres parent, and I couldn't be happier. I've had kids at the school for more than a decade. They love school and they're really excited about what they're learning. The academics are a great mix of theory and practice. For example, my child's social studies class is studying the Cold War era and today they made the lesson concrete through a simulation that was similar to what I encountered in my international relations class in college - very sophisticated material made accessible to middle school students. Also, my kids' classes are very diverse. Nearly half of the girls in my daughter's class are bilingual. And, since pre-K, appreciating and respecting differences has been a central theme and major part of the school culture.

[Anonymous]

I'm a GAS parent, and I couldn't be less satisfied. After you get your acceptance letter, ask a parent the following questions---
What has the lower school head accomplished or communicated during her tenure?
What is the gender ratio of the existing pK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classrooms?

GL

[Anonymous]

Please proceed with caution prospective Green Acres parents.

This school shirks responsibility -- the teachers are loathe to identify and address struggling kids, as well as to offer enrichment for those ready for more. Classroom management is terribly inconsistent, a result of poor administrative management of staff. Net is that this school serves average students with minimal ambition -- sadly the school attracts many students with LDs who's issues are left to the parents to remediate. And the really bright? They are bored to tears in the Middle School. The head is only interested in complements and minimizes honest feedback to one off complaints so change is hard to enact.

And that Cold War simulation mentioned by the happy parent -- note that the text book for the class mentioned was written by a GAS teacher who skews so far left as to make even the most liberal parents uncomfortable. Not to mention the students are too young to be asked to filter through his opinion piece for the minimal facts in evidence. And the text has never been peer reviewed.

Make sure this is what you want before spending so much, for so little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please proceed with caution prospective Green Acres parents.

This school shirks responsibility -- the teachers are loathe to identify and address struggling kids, as well as to offer enrichment for those ready for more. Classroom management is terribly inconsistent, a result of poor administrative management of staff. Net is that this school serves average students with minimal ambition -- sadly the school attracts many students with LDs who's issues are left to the parents to remediate. And the really bright? They are bored to tears in the Middle School. The head is only interested in complements and minimizes honest feedback to one off complaints so change is hard to enact.

And that Cold War simulation mentioned by the happy parent -- note that the text book for the class mentioned was written by a GAS teacher who skews so far left as to make even the most liberal parents uncomfortable. Not to mention the students are too young to be asked to filter through his opinion piece for the minimal facts in evidence. And the text has never been peer reviewed.

Make sure this is what you want before spending so much, for so little.

For some reason this post stands out the most. It is sad. I know the head of school (outside of GA), and yes, he can be arrogant and self righteous. I never thought about what he was like on a professional level.
Hmm.

[Anonymous]

Something I don't understand in this and many other private school posts....If you are so unhappy why continue to send DC(s) to a particular school? No one makes you write that tuition check....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something I don't understand in this and many other private school posts....If you are so unhappy why continue to send DC(s) to a particular school? No one makes you write that tuition check....

Ultimately our DD's happiness outweighed our profound unhappiness with the school. I'm much readier to pull the plug than my spouse.

[Anonymous]

For some reason this post stands out the most. It is sad. I know the head of school (outside of GA), and yes, he can be arrogant and self righteous. I never thought about what he was like on a professional level.
Hmm.

Probably your personality has something to do with that perception and you might be projecting. I wouldn't say the school doesn't have its negative side, it does but it is such a wonderful community of teachers, parents and administrators that they work very hard to improve and get the school to where it needs to be. It could be better, yes. I trust it will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something I don't understand in this and many other private school posts....If you are so unhappy why continue to send DC(s) to a particular school? No one makes you write that tuition check....

Ultimately our DD's happiness outweighed our profound unhappiness with the school. I'm much readier to pull the plug than my spouse.

This happens and the switching can be tricky, I mean finding another school.
They get the kids to love the school so the parents feel the guilt.

[Anonymous]

Hello all and best wishes to finding academic bliss wherever you land. I couldn't read these posts about GAS without adding my 2cents though. There certainly is
no perfect school for everyone and GAS is no different. You need to decide if their approach works for your family then do your best to support and collaborate with the school. It's a team effort (which was very different from the adversarial relationship we found in public school for three years before coming here). I am a current parent at GAS and also have an alumni in HS. This is my 8th year at the school and I LOVE it more today than when our family started here. We were looking for a place that would allow our children to love learning in a developmentally appropriate way, understand their strengths and weakness and be able to advocate for themselves in an academic setting and of course to be academically prepared to move forward into HS. We have realized all of that and then some for our children. I personally know both MS head and teacher in and out of school and know them to be genuine people who care deeply about their work. They have oth been support active and creative with problem solving with my family many times over. I can't imagine the MS without them and welcomed the opportunities for discussion that the classes allow us at home about respecting other peoples opinions. I have watched the school grow every year as it constantly challenges itself to grow and continue progressing. I could go on endlessly but I think you get the point. Again my most genuine wishes for your search of academic bliss. My search ended over eight years ago when I received our acceptance letters to GAS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello all and best wishes to finding academic bliss wherever you land. I couldn't read these posts about GAS without adding my 2cents though. There certainly is
no perfect school for everyone and GAS is no different. You need to decide if their approach works for your family then do your best to support and collaborate with the school. It's a team effort (which was very different from the adversarial relationship we found in public school for three years before coming here). I am a current parent at GAS and also have an alumni in HS. This is my 8th year at the school and I LOVE it more today than when our family started here. We were looking for a place that would allow our children to love learning in a developmentally appropriate way, understand their strengths and weakness and be able to advocate for themselves in an academic setting and of course to be academically prepared to move forward into HS. We have realized all of that and then some for our children. I personally know both MS head and teacher in and out of school and know them to be genuine people who care deeply about their work. They have oth been support active and creative with problem solving with my family many times over. I can't imagine the MS without them and welcomed the opportunities for discussion that the classes allow us at home about respecting other peoples opinions. I have watched the school grow every year as it constantly challenges itself to grow and continue progressing. I could go on endlessly but I think you get the point. Again my most genuine wishes for your search of academic bliss. My search ended over eight years ago when I received our acceptance letters to GAS.

Did you get the memo that the MS head is leaving?

[Anonymous]

I would withdraw my child from the school, but once a child is socially connected with peers it's very difficult to put them in a new school especially in a non-entry year. I am waiting for a natural transition year (i.e., 6th). My advice would be to think long and hard before you put your child in that situation. I hate to admit this, even anonymously, but GAS is not worth the tuition. The head of school is weak and he hired an even weaker person to lead the lower school. There is a general lack of leadership and direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would withdraw my child from the school, but once a child is socially connected with peers it's very difficult to put them in a new school especially in a non-entry year. I am waiting for a natural transition year (i.e., 6th). My advice would be to think long and hard before you put your child in that situation. I hate to admit this, even anonymously, but GAS is not worth the tuition. The head of school is weak and he hired an even weaker person to lead the lower school. There is a general lack of leadership and direction.

I don't know that the head is weak but the ls head is a disaster. I am also concerned about the ms head leaving. And the new Librarian just resigned.

[Anonymous]

I did get the memo and and saddened greatly by the news however I trust the school to continue to do its best because I have never seen anything else. I also know Peter is staying on to transition the new person into the role successfully. Best of luck to all of you as you continue your search for a school to call home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello all and best wishes to finding academic bliss wherever you land. I couldn't read these posts about GAS without adding my 2cents though. There certainly is
no perfect school for everyone and GAS is no different. You need to decide if their approach works for your family then do your best to support and collaborate with the school. It's a team effort (which was very different from the adversarial relationship we found in public school for three years before coming here). I am a current parent at GAS and also have an alumni in HS. This is my 8th year at the school and I LOVE it more today than when our family started here. We were looking for a place that would allow our children to love learning in a developmentally appropriate way, understand their strengths and weakness and be able to advocate for themselves in an academic setting and of course to be academically prepared to move forward into HS. We have realized all of that and then some for our children. I personally know both MS head and teacher in and out of school and know them to be genuine people who care deeply about their work. They have oth been support active and creative with problem solving with my family many times over. I can't imagine the MS without them and welcomed the opportunities for discussion that the classes allow us at home about respecting other peoples opinions. I have watched the school grow every year as it constantly challenges itself to grow and continue progressing. I could go on endlessly but I think you get the point. Again my most genuine wishes for your search of academic bliss. My search ended over eight years ago when I received our acceptance letters to GAS.

We get the point. Kool Aid is in the next room.

[Anonymous]

Green Acres is becomingly increasingly less progressive, despite the fact that they still claim very much to be a progressive school. The admin is out of touch with the daily happenings in the classroom. In my opinion, however, the new lower school head is an improvement from the previous crazy one.