Mrs. Simpson's Classes

[Anonymous]

Y'know, I wouldn't send my child to Mrs. Simpson's, for a variety of reasons, but I have known several children of color and several Jewish kids who have gone. I think they have moved from exclusively WASP to only accepting kids who someone vouches for.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids who are going/have gone to Mrs Simpson's. We are part Jewish. It's really never come up. Several other Jewish kids that I know of there. While it isn't the most diverse group of kids there are AA and other children of various backgrounds there. My child's very diverse class at a non elite school were all invited.

It's a dance class 8-10 times a year for 1.5 to 2 hours. As a PP noted there are tons of kids who attend. Most of the kids enjoy dressing up and meeting kids from other schools. I don't think they think of it as an exclusive social club at all.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There is no website because Mrs. Simpson classes are by invitation only. You must know someone who currently attends and then they will put down your name up for the following year and you may or may not get an invite. If your child is invited to attend and you say no, alll of your following siblings will be blackballed. I know many a child who has had their feelings hurt becuase they were not invited to attend this dancing class but many other of the kids in their class are invited.

I have heard that entire classes of kids at certain schools are invited. Not unlike what they do at Capital Cotillion. Is there any truth to this?

After tearing up an invite several years ago, we received another invite this year for my ds that I also tore up. As a follow up Mrs. Simpson, sent us a letter wondering whether or not we received the invitation. I tore that up too, tsk-tsk, didn't RSVP. I wish I would have mailed all of our tore up invitations back to her so that she would absolutely blackball us.

So is a frenemy doing this, or are you at one of those elite schools that get mass invitations?

At an "elite" school. Second time around was recommended by someone different.

So let me get this straight - you get a letter indicating a specific someone has recommended you for inclusion?

Yes and the person who recommends your child is mentioned at the end of the cover letter.

And this person who recommends is obviously not a person of color or of the Jewish faith, right?

Yup.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There is no website because Mrs. Simpson classes are by invitation only. You must know someone who currently attends and then they will put down your name up for the following year and you may or may not get an invite. If your child is invited to attend and you say no, alll of your following siblings will be blackballed. I know many a child who has had their feelings hurt becuase they were not invited to attend this dancing class but many other of the kids in their class are invited.

I have heard that entire classes of kids at certain schools are invited. Not unlike what they do at Capital Cotillion. Is there any truth to this?

After tearing up an invite several years ago, we received another invite this year for my ds that I also tore up. As a follow up Mrs. Simpson, sent us a letter wondering whether or not we received the invitation. I tore that up too, tsk-tsk, didn't RSVP. I wish I would have mailed all of our tore up invitations back to her so that she would absolutely blackball us.

So is a frenemy doing this, or are you at one of those elite schools that get mass invitations?

At an "elite" school. Second time around was recommended by someone different.

So let me get this straight - you get a letter indicating a specific someone has recommended you for inclusion?

Yes and the person who recommends your child is mentioned at the end of the cover letter.

And this person who recommends is obviously not a person of color or of the Jewish faith, right?

Yup.

So why not ask the person who recommended you to refrain from doing so? It sounds like the person recommending you is at fault here for not confirming with you first. That's pretty rude to pass your personal info along without telling you. It's not Mrs. Simpson harassing you, it's the fellow moms in your child's class.

[Anonymous]

I go to mrs. Simpsons and it is very nice.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if anyone posted this, I didn't read every post, but the "too exclusive" rap has been around for years. I've also heard, from a Jewish friend who grew up in the area, that it was not always friendly to Jewish clients.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-952110.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if anyone posted this, I didn't read every post, but the "too exclusive" rap has been around for years. I've also heard, from a Jewish friend who grew up in the area, that it was not always friendly to Jewish clients.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-952110.html

The article you posted is 16 years old and luckily things have changed since then. There are now Jewish and other diverse kids attending. I understand how people can take offense and am glad someone did years ago such that my kids are now able to go. But like the Disney World thread - if you want to go then go, if you don't want to go then don't. No need for many of the PPs to belittle the choices others have made.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who posted the link. I am not belittling anyone. Rather, I was trying to give the historical context for Mrs. Simpson's reputation. Obviously people who grew up in this area have complicated feelings about a place like this.

[Anonymous]

As a mom and a teacher I think etiquette is lovely/somewhat dying... I also try to be fair-minded (I.E. not give in to rumor mongering). However, there is a definite whiff/taint around Mrs. Simpson's to anyone who keeps an ear open in DC--even if the taint is just that it seems to derive so much of its cachet by the fact that it is 'hard to get in' (I cringe at the possible reasons why). My students who attend don't particularly seem to care for it. It seems to be much more about their parents' personality make-up than their own. I have nothing against dancing, manners etc. per se. Even in school we should explore with the children how to be mannerly and caring. It would be wonderful if there were more etiquette experiences in DC area that teach children the best of generations past (think boy/girlscouts of America, or the etiquette video someone suggested), without bringing back the hurt...and that don't seem so centered on social exclusion. If that is what makes you 'classy', it is pretty shaky ground.

[Anonymous]

I don't think my kids going to dance classes makes me classy or not - but one of the reasons I am glad my kids get to go is because I wasn't able to.

[Anonymous]

OK--so long as they are open to everyone. Don't send them on the grounds that you were excluded; two wrongs don't make a right.

[Anonymous]

Not sure I get your point. Obviously not exclusionary since my kids can go. As can other diverse kids (although admittedly it's not overflowing with diversity, but you have to start somewhere). I also went to a college that was once all male. Doesn't mean I shouldn't have gone just because they finally opened it up to women.

[Anonymous]

And I'm not sure I get your point. Yes, your kids can go, but are there subtle exclusions applied to the children of others--(even if they can afford to go: I understand it is a private business)? That is the 'whiff' that has been around Mrs. Simpson's. If so, then it is exclusionary.

[Anonymous]

It costs $300/year. Cheaper than music lessons and actually most of the other activities my kids are involved in.

Obviously you aren't going to change my mind and I am not going to change yours so no point in continuing this debate.

[Anonymous]

Capital Cotillion does not exclude (although some might argue it prices some families out at a whopping $400). You should be able to find a thread or two about it on this forum. My child likes it...and he's a boy. And even though he's approaching that age where it might start to make a kid cringe, he still said he wanted to go, so I'm starting to feel comfortable that I'm not projecting my own hoity-toity aspirations onto him.