The Heights School
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Anonymous
Here is summer reading. https://heights.edu/parents/summer-assignments/summer-reading/ |
Anonymous
Grade 3 The Great Quillow by James Thurber, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis; Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White; A Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl; poetry includes The Cats of Kilkenny, The Daffodils by William Wordsworth, A Knight by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Tiger by William Blake, The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning, St. George and the Dragon by G.K. Chesterton Grade 4 Farmer Boy by L.E. Wilder, The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling; poetry includes Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Barbara Fritchie by James Whittier Grade 5 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham; poetry includes The Bells and El Dorado by Edgar Allen Poe, Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Pied Beauty and The Windhover by Gerard M. Hopkins, The Listeners by Walter de la Mare, The Donkey by G.K. Chesterton, Casey at the Bat by Ernest L. Thayer |
Anonymous
| There are a lot of opportunities to get a sense of what the school is like. They do these lectures (which are open to everyone) and I went with my neighbor one night to check it out. I can honestly say it was a really nice vibe and I was really impressed (but perhaps many privates do this?). they have recess 3 times a day and the school has a podcast that can give you insight into their values and curriculum. I'm not sure what you weren't impressed with; maybe the campus is not at outwardly "fancy" as some of the other privates in terms of building or classrooms (but in my opinion they were more than fine). It seems to have its priorities in place in regards to character formation and academics but doesn't have the cache other independent schools in the area have (in my opinion, that's a good thing ! ) |
Anonymous
So it's my understanding that the lower school isn't specifically a school for students with ADHD, but that their approach (giving ALL boys the opportunities the move, play, explore multiple times a day) benefits the busier boys as well (ADHD or not). Not entirely sure if this makes it a more attractive setting for students who are diagnosed with that ADHD label, but it is not a special needs classroom or anything. But it would be interesting to know from current families what the cohort is like |
Cruzado
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We have a son in the Lower School at The Heights and have been thrilled with the school thus far. I recommend that you check out some of the podcasts and articles from the Heights Forum (https://heightsforum.org) to get a better sense of the school's approach to teaching boys and young men. Also, this is the time of year for open houses etc. and I highly recommend that you check it out just to see whether you think it would be a good fit for your boy. I will tell you that we have a VERY active younger boy (not yet old enough for The Heights, which only starts in 3rd grade) who is just one of those boys who really has a hard time SITTING STILL for long periods of time. We are planning (and hoping, and praying!) that he'll attend The Heights because they really do seem to give the boys plenty of opportunity to burn off excess energy. For example, I believe the Lower School has 3 recess periods (of varying length). Also, my son tells me that in gym class, they're doing physical conditioning, like learning how to do proper pushup and sit-ups and running sprints and stuff -- I was impressed! But the point being that gym is more than just "throw a ball around" or do a hula hoop game or something -- they are really working! My son who is currently at The Heights found his love of reading there. For whatever reason, he was one of our kids who was never much interested in reading at home (and we have several other children who are avid readers) despite our attempts to gently push it. Perhaps it was the books they've been reading, or maybe the fact that he had burned off enough excess energy, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but my Heights boy is starting to read for fun on his own, and we love that! Finally, I will add that in the Upper School, I've been told that given the relatively small size of the school, and the competitive sports league in which the school competes, all of the students are encouraged to tryout for and play multiple sports during the year. So I think that's another healthy way for a boy with lots of energy, or a boy who has difficulty sitting still etc., can help relax and focus on his reading and schoolwork. Just my off the cuff thoughts. I don't think the school is able to support truly disabled kids with serious ADHD type issues, but if it's a spectrum kind of thing, it might be the ideal place for a boy who just needs a little more active approach to learning. In any case, it can't hurt to check it out. I hope that you find the right place for your boy wherever that may be. |
Anonymous
| Are there many kids there from DC? Is there a shuttle bus from DC? |
Anonymous
We lived in DC when my son started at The Heights and there were a few other families, but not a lot. There are several bus lines from Virginia but none of them come from DC (there is one bus stop at a metro stop (might be Grosvenor/Strathmore). Many families carpool (and the school provides school lists by zip code to help facilitate carpools) but depending on where you live in DC you might not find other families close by. It's an amazing school and we feel incredibly fortunate that our son is a student there. |
Anonymous
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To the PP asking about the appropriateness for students with learning disabilities, I would tread carefully. A lot will depend upon how much outside help you are willing to pay for and the age/grade of your child. Unlike most other area privates (including its sister school), there is no learning specialist at the Heights. In the lower school, there is no Reading Specialist or Resource Teacher. As far as I know, none of the lower school teachers have received much training or education in the Science of Reading. The lower school teachers are mostly recently grads of liberal arts universities. Many are alumni. They are great role models for boys who don't have learning disabilities. I know of a devout Catholic family (members of Opus Dei themselves) who sent a son with a learning disability to a nearby parochial school that could adequately teach and support their son. He was able to transfer in for high school, having established solid reading skills elsewhere.
If your child is not a solid reader already, be prepared to pay for private Orton-Gillingham tutoring. If your child will need a tutor in the upper grades, ask if it is possible for every teacher to send the tutor the daily homework schedule at least a week ahead of time. Ask if your child can type his essay answers if he suffers from dysgraphia or needs spell-check help. Find out more details about the Saxon Math curriculum - it tends to work best for students who are "middle-of-the-road." For those who are struggling, there can be too many concepts introduced in rapid succession without enough time to master one of them. I'm pretty sure that the standard is to use the math textbook for the next grade up, as well, which doesn't necessarily work well for everyone. I say all of this as someone who does genuinely like the Heights, but also knows some of its limitations. |
Anonymous
Scanning the faculty list, your best bet in the lower school might be Eric Heil. |
Anonymous
| for those of you with first-hand experience, are the academics in the lower school strong? What do hw assignments look like? Do you get a sense of what they are doing in school or is it a "black box"? Are there a lot of projects? Pop quizzes? Is it a kill and drill sort of school? Just trying to get a sense of what the daily experience is like... |
Anonymous
| also, how do they grade? do they give percentages? letter grades? |
Anonymous
| Someone must have details regarding the above… |
Anonymous
I have a student in the lower school at The Heights. I can compare it with the AAP program at FCPS, which is where he was prior to The Heights. Academics at The Heights is much more rigorous, in my opinion. One major difference---and I cannot stress this enough---is that The Heights DOES NOT rely on "screen time" assignments, either in-class or for homework. Homework assignments in the lower school at The Heights typically involve: (1) math problems assigned from the math textbook; (2) grammar / language arts assignments assigned from the language arts textbook (e.g. problem sets covering things like identifying subject and predicate, other rules of English construction and grammar); and then variably some homework from some combination of history. religion, natural history / science (these latter 3 don't seem to be assigned for homework every evening, it varies day to day and week to week, while math and English seem to be assigned every day). I have a very good idea of what my son's class is covering in school based on the homework; definitely not a black box. I had previously been very frustrated with the extreme use of screen-time at FCPS. The kids would work on screen-based assignments (both in class and at home) where it seemed completely unnecessary; for example, going online to do math problems on the computer (when they just as easily could have been done on paper, and in my mind where doing it on paper is a more effective way to learn) or other assignments for English or science. There is already so much screen time in most kids' lives, it really seemed unhealthy and unnecessary to pile on more screen time for basically no reason (other than making it easier for teachers so they don't have to grade homework or other assignments). Also, my son was not given textbooks in FCPS --- not even a math textbook or a history textbook! Everything was PDF printouts and random collections of papers brought home in folders or pasted/glued into a notebook. It was very difficult to have a sense of what they were actually learning and what was coming up next. The reading material in the lower school at The Heights is also much more challenging and rigorous than what he was covering in FCPS. For example, the reading thus far this year has included: The Phantom Tollbooth; Swallows and Amazons; and The Hobbit. All are great books but more challenging than what our kids in public school ever covered. Thus far in our experience, there have not been "pop quizzes" or anything I would describe as "drill and kill." It's a very hands-on, traditional approach to learning. Honestly, we couldn't be happier and our boy is happy and engaged with school in a way he frankly never was before. It took us a while to discover The Heights and to make the switch, but we're so glad we did. I'm sure you've seen it already, but there is a good deal of information (articles, podcasts) on the Forum which gives you a good sense of the school: https://heightsforum.org/ Happy to share my perspective on any other questions you have. Good luck in your endeavor to find a good school for your boy! |
Anonymous
| thank you for your honest feedback and for taking the time to respond! |
Anonymous
| One last question- is it hard for the boys to foster close friendships (playdates) etc. bc the school pulls from a wide geographical area (DC,MD,VA?) |