What schools would you look at for this kid?

[Anonymous]

7th grade boy at a Catholic school that goes through 8th, looking for options for 9th.

Well behaved, well liked by his teachers, eager to please

Makes friends easily, often described as the class peacemaker, very good at reading people

Strong multisport athlete

Loves music, sings in the choir, acts in school plays, plays a brass instrument

Average academically

Scattered and disorganized

Daydreamy

Some specific anxieties that seem to be due to stressors at home.

In the process of being evaluated for ADHD - I, but that process is being slowed down by COVID

[Anonymous]

Do you want to keep him in Catholic school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want to keep him in Catholic school?

We're definitely going to look at Catholic options. He doesn't want single sex, and I worry that the co-ed Catholic options are too big, and that he'll get lost. I have similar concerns about our public option, even though I think that in a lot of ways it's a great fit.

We're Catholic, but fine with schools that are secular, or another Christian denomination.

[Anonymous]

OP here,

I should add that we're in Silver Spring, and he's a kid who does well with a fair amount of family time. So, I'd rather not have a super long commute.

[Anonymous]

Assuming you are familiar with the Catholic options, I won’t list them. Non-Catholic Mo Co options that might be a great fit are St. Andrew’s Episcopal and Sandy Spring Friends School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you are familiar with the Catholic options, I won’t list them. Non-Catholic Mo Co options that might be a great fit are St. Andrew’s Episcopal and Sandy Spring Friends School.

OP here, thanks! I'll look at those. What about Burke? Should that be on our list?

[Anonymous]

The scattered and disorganized piece makes me wonder if St. Anselm's Abbey would be a good choice. The boys who have gone there from our coed K-8 have tended to be bright and friendly, but with some organizational challenges that are partially just...being a teen boy.

I know you are getting him evaluated for ADHD so don't want to put this all down to sex/gender but from what I've heard, their single sex model focused on how boys in particular learn is a good fit for the kind of kid you describe.

[Anonymous]

St. Anselms

[Anonymous]

St. Anselm's would not be a good fit for an "average academically" boy. The work load and expectations would be too heavy, particularly coming in new at 9th grade without the benefit of the middle school education.

[Anonymous]

OP here,

The boys in our extended family, and the ones from his school who have gone to St. Anselm's from our school are lovely kids. Socially, they'd be a good match for him, but there's a pretty big gap between his academic skills and theirs, as far as I can see. If they are typical of St. Anselm's students then I can't imagine that he'd be able to keep up.

He's also a kid who is going to need time for the things he's good at and loves in his day. A school with a workload that didn't leave time for sports or music, even if other kids could manage it, wouldn't be a fit for hm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you are familiar with the Catholic options, I won’t list them. Non-Catholic Mo Co options that might be a great fit are St. Andrew’s Episcopal and Sandy Spring Friends School.

OP here, thanks! I'll look at those. What about Burke? Should that be on our list?

Perhaps but I don’t know if they offer the sports outlet he might need/want.

[Anonymous]

Silver Spring is big. Where are you? Close to downtown? Wheaton? This will help narrow based on commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring is big. Where are you? Close to downtown? Wheaton? This will help narrow based on commute.

We're close to Holy Cross Hospital.

According to Google Maps, Burke, Sandy Springs, and St. Andrew's are almost exactly the same distance from us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade boy at a Catholic school that goes through 8th, looking for options for 9th.

Well behaved, well liked by his teachers, eager to please

Makes friends easily, often described as the class peacemaker, very good at reading people


Get the diagnosis. I'd bet you have an ADHD-Inattentive type kid who does great on medication.Child might not be average academically at all.


Strong multisport athlete

Loves music, sings in the choir, acts in school plays, plays a brass instrument

Average academically

Scattered and disorganized

Daydreamy

Some specific anxieties that seem to be due to stressors at home.

In the process of being evaluated for ADHD - I, but that process is being slowed down by COVID

[Anonymous]

Landon if you can get past single sex.