How religious is Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

It’s a legit question and is asked about the Catholic schools all the time. If a family or a student is not Quaker or not religious at all, what is the experience like? While one can refer to the school’s website/viewbook/handbook, that’s not going to tell you what it’s like day to day.

And there have been responses here that run from full on Quaker to just a few minutes each week. So experiences do vary and that’s useful info.

[Anonymous]

Refer to it. You got your answers. Stop trolling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a legit question and is asked about the Catholic schools all the time. If a family or a student is not Quaker or not religious at all, what is the experience like? While one can refer to the school’s website/viewbook/handbook, that’s not going to tell you what it’s like day to day.

And there have been responses here that run from full on Quaker to just a few minutes each week. So experiences do vary and that’s useful info.

Well let one refer to it then

and give the others a rest from the incessant trolling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been wondering about this question… I understand is it a Quaker school. So, would you consider the school as a religious one?

Yes technically. They even have moments of silence however from what I hear it is extremely welcoming.

It's not "technically " religious; it is FULL-ON Quaker. The mandatory weekly worship service at Sidwell is run the same way that Quaker worship services are run everywhere. You might find Quaker worship nice, affirming, or centering, but that doesn't mean it's not religious.

That’s not true. It doesn’t even have the same length. Again, what is your actual problem? Like a dog with a bone. Gnaw gnaw gnaw
There’s no deep dark secret; go back
to your regular programming of bashing the admin and leading the anonymous petitions or bemoaning a non-extant learning gap

List the differences between the weekly Quaker Meeting of Worship at Sidwell and a weekly meeting of worship at any of couple hundred Quaker meeting houses across the country. There are none.

[Anonymous]

There are; but I have two questions for you:

1. You state you have access to the handbook. If you do you are in the school already. So you know what it’s like.

which leads to:

2. What is your problem?

[Anonymous]

U h8 us cuz u ain’t us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been wondering about this question… I understand is it a Quaker school. So, would you consider the school as a religious one?

Yes technically. They even have moments of silence however from what I hear it is extremely welcoming.

It's not "technically " religious; it is FULL-ON Quaker. The mandatory weekly worship service at Sidwell is run the same way that Quaker worship services are run everywhere. You might find Quaker worship nice, affirming, or centering, but that doesn't mean it's not religious.

That’s not true. It doesn’t even have the same length. Again, what is your actual problem? Like a dog with a bone. Gnaw gnaw gnaw
There’s no deep dark secret; go back
to your regular programming of bashing the admin and leading the anonymous petitions or bemoaning a non-extant learning gap

List the differences between the weekly Quaker Meeting of Worship at Sidwell and a weekly meeting of worship at any of couple hundred Quaker meeting houses across the country. There are none.

Three differences I've seen. First, a regular Quaker meeting runs until someone calls it to a close, which can run over an hour; Sidwell is always less than an hour. Second, a Quaker meeting is usually lightly attended; they might not be proselytizing, but a Quaker meeting of worship at Sidwell is packed. Third, and related to the last point, attendance at a regular Quaker meeting is completely voluntary; at Sidwell, attendance is compulsory.

No other differences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a legit question and is asked about the Catholic schools all the time. If a family or a student is not Quaker or not religious at all, what is the experience like? While one can refer to the school’s website/viewbook/handbook, that’s not going to tell you what it’s like day to day.

And there have been responses here that run from full on Quaker to just a few minutes each week. So experiences do vary and that’s useful info.

No, experiences do not vary within a grade. In lower grades, there is daily silence, which begins with a few minutes. But in upper school, all 600 students go to a weekly Meeting of Worship that follows the most used protocol for Quaker meetings of worship, and runs for 40 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No there is not. The community at large is 65% Christian, 32% atheist/agnostic many of whom have affinity for Christian traditions. I haven’t heard anyone complain at all.

What on earth does this mean:

“There is a disconnect between the school's professed values and the values of the student body and especially the parents.”

I can attest to it not being true.

This can't be correct. You're saying that 65% of the students are Christian, 35% are atheist/agnostic (with many of them having an "affinity" for Christian traditions, whatever that means, leaving 3% for everyone else.

Are you saying that no more than 3% of the student body is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or something else?

That's not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No there is not. The community at large is 65% Christian, 32% atheist/agnostic many of whom have affinity for Christian traditions. I haven’t heard anyone complain at all.

What on earth does this mean:

“There is a disconnect between the school's professed values and the values of the student body and especially the parents.”

I can attest to it not being true.

This can't be correct. You're saying that 65% of the students are Christian, 35% are atheist/agnostic (with many of them having an "affinity" for Christian traditions, whatever that means, leaving 3% for everyone else.

Are you saying that no more than 3% of the student body is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or something else?

That's not true.

I'm guessing that what is true is that no more than 3% of the student body is Quaker (at least at the start), and probably even less. Nearly the entire student body and faculty is compelled to attend worship services of a religion that's not their own. That's remarkable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been wondering about this question… I understand is it a Quaker school. So, would you consider the school as a religious one?

Yes technically. They even have moments of silence however from what I hear it is extremely welcoming.

It's not "technically " religious; it is FULL-ON Quaker. The mandatory weekly worship service at Sidwell is run the same way that Quaker worship services are run everywhere. You might find Quaker worship nice, affirming, or centering, but that doesn't mean it's not religious.

That’s not true. It doesn’t even have the same length. Again, what is your actual problem? Like a dog with a bone. Gnaw gnaw gnaw
There’s no deep dark secret; go back
to your regular programming of bashing the admin and leading the anonymous petitions or bemoaning a non-extant learning gap

List the differences between the weekly Quaker Meeting of Worship at Sidwell and a weekly meeting of worship at any of couple hundred Quaker meeting houses across the country. There are none.

Three differences I've seen. First, a regular Quaker meeting runs until someone calls it to a close, which can run over an hour; Sidwell is always less than an hour. Second, a Quaker meeting is usually lightly attended; they might not be proselytizing, but a Quaker meeting of worship at Sidwell is packed. Third, and related to the last point, attendance at a regular Quaker meeting is completely voluntary; at Sidwell, attendance is compulsory.

No other differences.

See? For someone considering the school, this is useful info not available in other school materials.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is way less Quaker than the Quaker schools elsewhere. I saw a copy of their alumni magazine with a glowing story about an alumnus’s military career and couldn’t believe it — my alma mater had refused to even print that a senior was going to the Naval Academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No there is not. The community at large is 65% Christian, 32% atheist/agnostic many of whom have affinity for Christian traditions. I haven’t heard anyone complain at all.

What on earth does this mean:

“There is a disconnect between the school's professed values and the values of the student body and especially the parents.”

I can attest to it not being true.

This can't be correct. You're saying that 65% of the students are Christian, 35% are atheist/agnostic (with many of them having an "affinity" for Christian traditions, whatever that means, leaving 3% for everyone else.

Are you saying that no more than 3% of the student body is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or something else?

That's not true.

That is DC composition. So as you say Sidwell is way more diverse. So again, what is the problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a legit question and is asked about the Catholic schools all the time. If a family or a student is not Quaker or not religious at all, what is the experience like? While one can refer to the school’s website/viewbook/handbook, that’s not going to tell you what it’s like day to day.

And there have been responses here that run from full on Quaker to just a few minutes each week. So experiences do vary and that’s useful info.

No, experiences do not vary within a grade. In lower grades, there is daily silence, which begins with a few minutes. But in upper school, all 600 students go to a weekly Meeting of Worship that follows the most used protocol for Quaker meetings of worship, and runs for 40 minutes.

Again, useful info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been wondering about this question… I understand is it a Quaker school. So, would you consider the school as a religious one?

Yes technically. They even have moments of silence however from what I hear it is extremely welcoming.

It's not "technically " religious; it is FULL-ON Quaker. The mandatory weekly worship service at Sidwell is run the same way that Quaker worship services are run everywhere. You might find Quaker worship nice, affirming, or centering, but that doesn't mean it's not religious.

That’s not true. It doesn’t even have the same length. Again, what is your actual problem? Like a dog with a bone. Gnaw gnaw gnaw
There’s no deep dark secret; go back
to your regular programming of bashing the admin and leading the anonymous petitions or bemoaning a non-extant learning gap

List the differences between the weekly Quaker Meeting of Worship at Sidwell and a weekly meeting of worship at any of couple hundred Quaker meeting houses across the country. There are none.

Three differences I've seen. First, a regular Quaker meeting runs until someone calls it to a close, which can run over an hour; Sidwell is always less than an hour. Second, a Quaker meeting is usually lightly attended; they might not be proselytizing, but a Quaker meeting of worship at Sidwell is packed. Third, and related to the last point, attendance at a regular Quaker meeting is completely voluntary; at Sidwell, attendance is compulsory.

No other differences.

See? For someone considering the school, this is useful info not available in other school materials.

But it’s not true. It’s this person’s impression. Let them find the word “compulsory” anywhere. And they imply “proselytizing”. It’s just so cringe.

I have a very good idea where this is coming from. But anyway as said upstream, even if they worshiped like the Mayans, you should take that offer stat if you even got one.