Holton, NCS, Sidwell, Maret, Visitation or Stoneridge?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BCC -- why exactly did you leave? Did NCS ask you to leave?

No NCS did not ask me to leave. I wanted to leave so I did so.

[Anonymous]

we had some girls leave Holton for BCC. Do you feel like you get enough attention there or don't you like attention anyway?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like BCC might be a little alternative -- so since it's a much bigger school -- they're are probably more people at BCC she might relate better to -- just a guess -- hopefully she'll come back on

[Anonymous]

A number of the girls who leave NCS & Holton do so to have a better social life -- they'll have more time when they go to a public school -- less homework.

[Anonymous]

public schools also do not have the strict sports requirements thats the private schools do.

[Anonymous]

Hi! Sorry I'm back. Busy week.

"we had some girls leave Holton for BCC. Do you feel like you get enough attention there or don't you like attention anyway?"

Attention in what way? I have been impressed by how connected the teachers (at least most of them) have been to a class of 20 some students. If that's what you mean...

"A number of the girls who leave NCS & Holton do so to have a better social life -- they'll have more time when they go to a public school -- less homework."

Maybe so. That is not why I left. Admittedly I have slightly less homework but I take pretty difficult classes so it's not like I'm wallowing in free time. I probably had a bigger social life when I went to NCS actually.

"public schools also do not have the strict sports requirements thats the private schools do."

This is true but not for me. I'm a two sport athlete. B-CC varsity girls soccer is going to the Maryland state championship tomorrow against Urbana. Also I row crew. And hopefully I'll make varsity on that too. Even though NCS does require a sport every season there are less rigorous sports, like yoga or pilates, for people who are less athletically oriented than people like me.

I didn't leave NCS for more attention or more free time or more or a social life or easier classes or less athletics. I left it because I was unhappy with the school and unhappy with the administration and I wanted to go somewhere better. I chose B-CC and I am very happy with that decision. It might not be the right place for everybody but I think it's the right place for me and I don't think that it should be assumed that private school is better just because they are private.

I know it's hard to convey tone in writing so I'd like to say I'm not trying to be mean or belittle the questioners- just clarifying.

[Anonymous]

Why did you stay at NCS so long if you didn't like it? Weren't you taking a scholarship from someone who may have cherished the opportunity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you stay at NCS so long if you didn't like it? Weren't you taking a scholarship from someone who may have cherished the opportunity?

Good grief - this girl is a high school kid. High school kids, and certainly middle school kids, do not make all their own decisions about schooling. It is difficult to make a decision to change schools midstream. Do you think that maybe her parents had some role in this?

[Anonymous]

Don't know...I'm sure she'll tell us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Visitation and Stoneridge are both less academically challenging than the other schools.

"Stone Ridge" is two words. The original poster is forgiven for the misspelling, because she doubtless picked it up from the Holton/NCS boosters on this board. But if the quoted poster doesn't know the school's name, she probably doesn't know much about its academics.

Holton takes pride in giving its girls five hours of homework a night, so I guess that's the basis for the claim that Holton's more challenging. I looked closely at the curricula of Holton and Stone Ridge last year when our family was choosing a middle school for my daughter. The curricula are remarkably similar, except that Holton teaches the Bible as literature and Stone Ridge teaches the Bible as, well, the Bible. (Stone Ridge's theology is progressive, but it's not atheistic. Many on this board are strongly opposed to Catholic education, and assume its inferiority. But the religious component, at a good school like Stone Ridge, is a sophisticated weave of intellect and faith that broadens a student's vision beyond herself and lays a foundation of healthy values and social consciousness, no matter how the student's religious beliefs may evolve.)

When my daughter visited Stone Ridge's fifth grade, the girls welcomed her warmly and in P.E. class they coached her through her first-ever game of field hockey. Our friend's daughter visited Holton's fifth grade, and her hostesses all swapped name tags and thought it was hilarious every time their visitor called one of them by the wrong name.

From what I've seen, the girls at both schools are very bright. From talking to high school and college students in the area, Holton students have a reputation for competitiveness, while Stone Ridge students have a reputation for niceness.

As for field hockey teams, Stone Ridge went 8-1-1 last year (in the same league with the other schools you're considering) and their captain is playing for Harvard this year.

If it helps give you a frame of reference, OP, Stone Ridge belongs to the Sacred Heart network of schools, like Newton Country Day School. I have no idea how similar those two schools are, but they share a tradition and there could be exchange opportunities if your daughter wanted to visit her home town.

All the schools you're considering are the cream for girls in the Washington area. I'd just encourage you to visit them, meet the families and educators, and then best of luck!

That must have been a few year ago because the Holton fifth grade teachers for the past few years have been fabulous. We were thrilled with our daughter's fifth grade experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Visitation and Stoneridge are both less academically challenging than the other schools.

"Stone Ridge" is two words. The original poster is forgiven for the misspelling, because she doubtless picked it up from the Holton/NCS boosters on this board. But if the quoted poster doesn't know the school's name, she probably doesn't know much about its academics.

Holton takes pride in giving its girls five hours of homework a night, so I guess that's the basis for the claim that Holton's more challenging. I looked closely at the curricula of Holton and Stone Ridge last year when our family was choosing a middle school for my daughter. The curricula are remarkably similar, except that Holton teaches the Bible as literature and Stone Ridge teaches the Bible as, well, the Bible. (Stone Ridge's theology is progressive, but it's not atheistic. Many on this board are strongly opposed to Catholic education, and assume its inferiority. But the religious component, at a good school like Stone Ridge, is a sophisticated weave of intellect and faith that broadens a student's vision beyond herself and lays a foundation of healthy values and social consciousness, no matter how the student's religious beliefs may evolve.)

When my daughter visited Stone Ridge's fifth grade, the girls welcomed her warmly and in P.E. class they coached her through her first-ever game of field hockey. Our friend's daughter visited Holton's fifth grade, and her hostesses all swapped name tags and thought it was hilarious every time their visitor called one of them by the wrong name.

From what I've seen, the girls at both schools are very bright. From talking to high school and college students in the area, Holton students have a reputation for competitiveness, while Stone Ridge students have a reputation for niceness.

As for field hockey teams, Stone Ridge went 8-1-1 last year (in the same league with the other schools you're considering) and their captain is playing for Harvard this year.

If it helps give you a frame of reference, OP, Stone Ridge belongs to the Sacred Heart network of schools, like Newton Country Day School. I have no idea how similar those two schools are, but they share a tradition and there could be exchange opportunities if your daughter wanted to visit her home town.

All the schools you're considering are the cream for girls in the Washington area. I'd just encourage you to visit them, meet the families and educators, and then best of luck!

That must have been a few year ago because the Holton fifth grade teachers for the past few years have been fabulous. We were thrilled with our daughter's fifth grade experience.

Our daughter's fifth grade experience transformed her from a shy girl with little self-confidence to an independent, vibrant girl with strong self-confidence. The teachers are fabulous and loving.It sounds like your negative experience was with the hostess. You should have said something to the Lower School director immediately, they don't put up with that kind of behavior at all.

For the record, no more than two hours of homework at Holton. Homework is strongly discouraged. As my daughter's teacher said "Good teachers dont use homework to push the curriculum." Ask Holton for their homework policy, they have it in writing.