SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

No, I don't. I don't see anything on the website that says class sizes of 8. I don't know where you go the idea that student:teacher ratio is the same as the number of students and teachers in the classroom. It's never meant that at any school unless it's Little House on the Prairie with one teacher and no one else in the building.

Can you explain where you got that misunderstanding, and how you managed to go through the admissions process without noticing more than 8 desks in classrooms, and music and art teachers in the building?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

Sounds like it won't meet your expectations regardless of facts. Might I suggest withdrawing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

Deep breaths…

Faculty:student ratio and class size are different things. So you can have a 1:8 ratio but class of 16 students with one main teacher. But, as others have already indicated, it’s a good size for third grade and manageable for a teacher (who will likely have support from other faculty and staff).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

Sounds like it won't meet your expectations regardless of facts. Might I suggest withdrawing?

Will you be giving my money back if I withdraw?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

Deep breaths…

Faculty:student ratio and class size are different things. So you can have a 1:8 ratio but class of 16 students with one main teacher. But, as others have already indicated, it’s a good size for third grade and manageable for a teacher (who will likely have support from other faculty and staff).

+1. That sounds like a great class size to me. I work in a private HS, but my oldest is in public 3rd with a ... much bigger class than that. The benefit to those low ratio is also that you can take a 16-student class and split them into two groups of 8 for specials and the like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

Class size is different to teacher student ratio. Your kids class size is 16, the student teacher ratio would be 16/# of teachers. I don’t think there is 1 teacher for math, English, art, PE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

You misunderstood what student:teacher ratio means vs class size, and that’s a bummer. Your expectations were raised and now you feel blindsided. But this is a standard metric and you’ll see it again and again.

My kid is a rising senior at SSFS, has been there since lower school. In looking at colleges there is also a faculty:student ratio, and an average class size. They are wildly different numbers.

In most of their years in lower school my kid’s class size was about 16. A couple of years it was smaller, and those years were not better. At all. My kid also has learning disabilities and needs extra explanation and differentiation, so I understand how you might worry. But 16 kids is a great number.

May this year go well for all our kids and their teachers!

[Anonymous]

Honestly I think a class size of 8 is too small, OP! 16 sounds ideal.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a dog in this fight but I would also assume 8-1 ratio meant 8 kids 1 teacher or 16 kids and 2 teachers.
Having said that, my kid is at a different private and had 16 kids in her 4th and 5th grade classes with 1 teacher and it’s the perfect size.
In 6th they had differentiated math and only 9 kids in her math class. Going into 7th this year, 15 kids in her math class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

I can tell this is very upsetting and stressful for you. I suggest reaching out to the Head of School with your concerns. Perhaps she can answer some of your questions and you can express how you feel about what is on the website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

I’m sorry you’re just finding this out…but one section of 16 kids has been the plan for months at this point. I’ve only heard glowing things about the 3rd grade teacher, so I am sure she is capable of handling this. And there aren’t really any classes anywhere at SSFS outside of the Preschool program that have an 8 students in a classroom with one teacher. That said, there are support staff around the LS who will be able to step in to help, when needed, and there’s a learning specialist for students who need her. Take a breath, it’s going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

Breathe, OP. You are panicking and losing perspective. A class size of 16 is objectively small. MCPS has class sizes upwards of 27+. Furthermore, the 3rd grade teacher is very experienced (and an amazing human). Your kid is in capable hands. The lower school also has a dedicated learning specialist who does pull-outs for kids who need extra attention.
And there are experienced support staff who can be pulled in as needed. You really don't need to worry about this part.

But SSFS advertises their teacher to student ratio at 8 to 1. It's double that, they should update their website and advertising materials... it's misleading.

The website literally does not say this. Even if you Google ssfs it says FACULTY to student ratio. That's not the same and average number of kids in a class. I will also say as a teacher of many years, classes can be too small also. 16 is a great number, especially at third grade and up. There are concerns at the school for sure, but this is simply not one of mine.

Yes it does, see here: https://www.ssfs.org/admission/tuition-value

That is immediately next to where it says average class size. So, even if you didn't realize the school had art and music and Spanish teachers, you'd realize that they weren't talking about classes of 8.

Did you want a school without art and music and Spanish and PE? I am really confused what you are upset about.

You're completely missing the point. It's about student to teacher ratio. I don't care how large the class size is. I care about student to teacher ratio. They are advertising 8:1 but it's 16:1. They need to fix their marketing materials. Simple. Phew.

But it's not 16:1. If you look on the website, the LS has 160 kids.

It employs the following faculty members:

10 classroom teachers (2 for PK and 4th, 1 for each other grade)
1 assistant (PS)
1 Counselor
1 Learning Support
2 arts
1 music
1 Spanish
2 PE
1 just listed as "teacher" (could be in house sub, or someone who pushes in to make academic groups)

So, 20 teachers. 160 kids : 20 faculty members = 8:1 ratio

You can't avoid the fact that my 3rd grader will be in a classroom at 16:1, not 8:1 as stated on the website. You get my point.

I’m sorry you’re just finding this out…but one section of 16 kids has been the plan for months at this point. I’ve only heard glowing things about the 3rd grade teacher, so I am sure she is capable of handling this. And there aren’t really any classes anywhere at SSFS outside of the Preschool program that have an 8 students in a classroom with one teacher. That said, there are support staff around the LS who will be able to step in to help, when needed, and there’s a learning specialist for students who need her. Take a breath, it’s going to be fine.

That's very reassuring to hear. I didn't know anything about "the plan" when we enrolled. I've only heard wonderful things about the 3rd grade teacher, I never doubted her, not at all. It's becoming clear that the ratio should be ok, thank you all for helping to allay my irritation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking forward to the school year ahead and are choosing to remain optimistic.

Same!

Same here as well. But unfortunately, we just found out that third grade only has 1 teacher for 16 students! No teacher's aid, no other teacher support. What if the teacher has an emergency and needs to leave the classroom... what then?... just leave the children alone, unsupervised? What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher? I'm starting to get upset.

A third grade class size of 16 is not "so large". And if the teacher needs to use the bathroom they will do what public school teachers do- ask the teacher next door to stand in the hall between both classrooms to keep an eye on things for 5 minutes, or call the front office to send someone to the room to keep an eye on things. And if parents are worried about not having an aid then stop up and be a classroom volunteer for a few hours each week.

This will be fine.

I wish I could volunteer for a few hours each week, but I have to work five, 8 hour days to pay for this school.

Oh, and you missed the part about "What if a child needs extra explanation for something but there are so many students that the teacher can not provide the individual support the student needs, all because the class size is so large with no relief for the teacher?"

3rd grade parent here. This is our 5th year at SSFS. This is the largest class size we've had. My student requires additional learning support. I was really worried about the class size too until I learned who the teacher was. She is AMAZING (and has a special education background). If anyone can manage a class of this size, it's her. And the kids are amazing too! You'll see.