Drugs

[Anonymous]

Nope, just saying the school is all rainbows and unicorns and the students are all above average and exceptional until … the subject is drugs/vaping/partying/sex and then the students are just like other kids and behaving in age appropriate ways and there is nothing the school could possibly do about it.

Which is it?

[Anonymous]

ALL of the private schools have some kids who party/vape/etc and some kids who don't.

My GDS kid doesn't, but tells me that some kids leave school at lunch to go vape. And some kids go to parties and drink - even with the Obama girls sometimes. But DC thinks it's less than half of the kids who party.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell Parent: Big vaping issues in middle school made more complex by inconsistent consequences for the kids -- known by some as the " intermittent zero tolerance policy" -- many kids then enter upper grades vaping more and leaning on combination of potent weed and a lot of prescribed stimulants that they pretend not to be on..not the healthiest environment..less drinking than one would expect though... Parents quite defensive about it when its brought up and often deny there are issues at all....but they are there....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell Parent: Big vaping issues in middle school made more complex by inconsistent consequences for the kids -- known by some as the " intermittent zero tolerance policy" -- many kids then enter upper grades vaping more and leaning on combination of potent weed and a lot of prescribed stimulants that they pretend not to be on..not the healthiest environment..less drinking than one would expect though... Parents quite defensive about it when its brought up and often deny there are issues at all....but they are there....

this seems to be fairly recent phenomenon then. as of 2 to 3 years ago, there wasn't much vaping in middle school. each class is different. intermittent zero tolerance policy --ack, sorry.

[Anonymous]

I am an alumni of and have kids graduate from these schools. My experience and the experience of my kids is that there are drugs at every single school. By drugs, I mean all drugs, pot, coke, LSD and molly.

However....I think it's important to look at particular classes as much as the school itself. GDS may have a reputation for having more drugs than STA but a kid at STA may end up with more exposure to drugs than a kid at GDS because he happens to be in particular class. Bottom line. Don't pick a school because you are worried about the drug scene. They all have one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell Parent: Big vaping issues in middle school made more complex by inconsistent consequences for the kids -- known by some as the " intermittent zero tolerance policy" -- many kids then enter upper grades vaping more and leaning on combination of potent weed and a lot of prescribed stimulants that they pretend not to be on..not the healthiest environment..less drinking than one would expect though... Parents quite defensive about it when its brought up and often deny there are issues at all....but they are there....

Are you serious? I have two kids at MS and never hear them mentioning any vaping issues. Will ask them today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an alumni of and have kids graduate from these schools. My experience and the experience of my kids is that there are drugs at every single school. By drugs, I mean all drugs, pot, coke, LSD and molly.

However....I think it's important to look at particular classes as much as the school itself. GDS may have a reputation for having more drugs than STA but a kid at STA may end up with more exposure to drugs than a kid at GDS because he happens to be in particular class. Bottom line. Don't pick a school because you are worried about the drug scene. They all have one.

x a million

another alum of an "elite" private (from Philly) with 2 kids at two different private schools in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an alumni of and have kids graduate from these schools. My experience and the experience of my kids is that there are drugs at every single school. By drugs, I mean all drugs, pot, coke, LSD and molly.

However....I think it's important to look at particular classes as much as the school itself. GDS may have a reputation for having more drugs than STA but a kid at STA may end up with more exposure to drugs than a kid at GDS because he happens to be in particular class. Bottom line. Don't pick a school because you are worried about the drug scene. They all have one.

x a million

another alum of an "elite" private (from Philly) with 2 kids at two different private schools in DC.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have friends whose oldest child graduated from private a few years ago. That student had friends at a variety of schools in DC area because their K-8 class continued onto a mix of public/private and also through sports connections. The student had shared that drugs seemed to be present at all schools pretty much equally. It didn't matter whether it was private or public and it didn't matter which private. Some kids had pretty severe issues, others less so....but it exists everywhere and it's key to just teach your child about the dangers and how to make good choices.

+1

This is our experience as well. You may delay use in a private, but in the end all of the schools have some level of a drug culture and it’s all about open communication with your kids...

and any parent who "claims" this is not happening their precious school is just full of sh*t. you don't have a clue as to what is really happening.

I say this as parent who's 9th grader came home from a holiday party smelling of booze and who was obviously high. got the kid cleaned up and next day we have a loooong talk about what's really happening on the social scene in his circle of friends.

[Anonymous]

My kid did it so everyone's kid must be doing it is no kind of logic.

[Anonymous]

Didn't have to open this to know it was about GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell Parent: Big vaping issues in middle school made more complex by inconsistent consequences for the kids -- known by some as the " intermittent zero tolerance policy" -- many kids then enter upper grades vaping more and leaning on combination of potent weed and a lot of prescribed stimulants that they pretend not to be on..not the healthiest environment..less drinking than one would expect though... Parents quite defensive about it when its brought up and often deny there are issues at all....but they are there....

Are you serious? I have two kids at MS and never hear them mentioning any vaping issues. Will ask them today.

Also ask them if they kids vaped last year. The vaping has seriously diminished without the flavors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did it so everyone's kid must be doing it is no kind of logic.

My kid didn't do it so nobody does it, is no kind of logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did it so everyone's kid must be doing it is no kind of logic.

My kid didn't do it so nobody does it, is no kind of logic.

I think the PP is responding the the posters who claim "if you think your kid isn't doing it your head is in the sand." The truth is that not all kids do it or try it or even want to. And there are schools where it isn't a "problem" that "half the kids" are into, as some PPs claim.

Normalizing what your child is doing is not a good idea. It isn't normal. It isn't inevitable. It is a problem you need to address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did it so everyone's kid must be doing it is no kind of logic.

My kid didn't do it so nobody does it, is no kind of logic.

I think the PP is responding the the posters who claim "if you think your kid isn't doing it your head is in the sand." The truth is that not all kids do it or try it or even want to. And there are schools where it isn't a "problem" that "half the kids" are into, as some PPs claim.

Normalizing what your child is doing is not a good idea. It isn't normal. It isn't inevitable. It is a problem you need to address.

NP. I agree with this. Many of my kids’ highschool age friends stay home on the weekends with a few friends and hang out and an adult is at the home. I suspect at most about 1/4 of the grade may be in the party crowd which means about 3/4 are not. Also I remember going to parties and not drinking for several years as well as my friends so you can be at a party and not be drinking or doing drugs.