Name your "Big 3"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:continued:

I'm 8:48 ... I think the OP is actually be several questions, including what the Big 3 mean to me, which could be literally, the top 3, by reputation or my personal top 3. I was trying to get the thread back in the direction of personal Top 3. Ironically, I only have a top 2, two schools that I think are great matches for my child. He's attending one of them.

Which are your top two? Why do you like where your DC is now attending? I find it helpful when posters break down why they like a school, or don't.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but I am not revealing my son's school because it is small and the reasons it's a good fit could make him abundantly identifiable. Also, the other school that would be a good fit is quite different from his current school, he got waitlisted there, we may re-apply in a two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but I am not revealing my son's school because it is small and the reasons it's a good fit could make him abundantly identifiable. Also, the other school that would be a good fit is quite different from his current school, he got waitlisted there, we may re-apply in a two years.

If your child is at a school which is such a great fit, then why would you re-apply to the other school. Makes no sense. You are blessed to be at a school where your child is thriving. Stay the course. I have a pretty good idea about which schools you are referencing and they are both terrific. Please for your child's sake don't turn this into a case of trying to get into a school which is very small, prestigious and hard to gain admission. I urge you to strongly consider keeping your child with his classmates even if this involves matriculation to a school which serves older students.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice. We would only switch schools after careful consideration! His current school may be the better fit of the two, but there's still a tug towards the other school, academic and athletic.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell, GDS, Beauvoir

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the advice. We would only switch schools after careful consideration! His current school may be the better fit of the two, but there's still a tug towards the other school, academic and athletic.

It does seem to be difficult to find a school that has all of the strengths that meet the needs of a child, doesn't it? For us it has always been trying to find both the academic challenging and nice emphasis on the arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the advice. We would only switch schools after careful consideration! His current school may be the better fit of the two, but there's still a tug towards the other school, academic and athletic.

It does seem to be difficult to find a school that has all of the strengths that meet the needs of a child, doesn't it? For us it has always been trying to find both the academic challenging and nice emphasis on the arts.

ugh - that should have read "challenging academics". <sigh> I have been flip flopping words all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but I am not revealing my son's school because it is small and the reasons it's a good fit could make him abundantly identifiable. Also, the other school that would be a good fit is quite different from his current school, he got waitlisted there, we may re-apply in a two years.

I totally get that. DC may be a city, but can often be a small town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we return to the original topic, & not turn this into another Beauvoir forum?

Turning every thread into a Beauvoir thread has turned into a sport around here . . .

[Anonymous]

GDS is both academically challenging and has an emphasis on the arts. (Not saying that it's the only example -- but it is one.)

[Anonymous]

The same is true of Norwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:32 First, two caveats. Linguist friend and her colleagues were all French (not Americans) and this was a few years' back, so YMMV.

But they were unsatisfied with the results of dual language instruction. The claim was that the kids didn't learn as much or as well, either with respect to the second language or in other subject areas (where two languages slowed down instruction). So you'd sacrifice math/science to get a foreign language but the foreign language acquisition wasn't that much greater than if it had been taken as a single subject.

Her take was either send the kid to full immersion in the non-native language (Rochambeau in our case) and work on English at home. Or send the kid to the school with the best academics (according to one's own standards/kid's needs and abilities) and pursue a foreign language on the side. We chose the latter option and looked for a school where relatively serious foreign language instruction began early.

WIS parent of 4 years - this is completely untrue. We don't speak target language at home, DC is completely fluent and academics in other areas are top notch, not to mention the art and music program which are also outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Well, this may look like an unusual set of choices, but they're nonetheless my big three:

Maret
Washington Yu Ying
WIS

[Anonymous]

WES
St Pats
NPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:11:32 First, two caveats. Linguist friend and her colleagues were all French (not Americans) and this was a few years' back, so YMMV.

But they were unsatisfied with the results of dual language instruction. The claim was that the kids didn't learn as much or as well, either with respect to the second language or in other subject areas (where two languages slowed down instruction). So you'd sacrifice math/science to get a foreign language but the foreign language acquisition wasn't that much greater than if it had been taken as a single subject.

Her take was either send the kid to full immersion in the non-native language (Rochambeau in our case) and work on English at home. Or send the kid to the school with the best academics (according to one's own standards/kid's needs and abilities) and pursue a foreign language on the side. We chose the latter option and looked for a school where relatively serious foreign language instruction began early.

WIS parent of 4 years - this is completely untrue. We don't speak target language at home, DC is completely fluent and academics in other areas are top notch, not to mention the art and music program which are also outstanding.

Another WIS parent here. I fully agree with the previous poster. Beyond having native command of the foreign language, DC is receiving an excellent preparation in all areas of the curriculum.