Culture of St. Anselm’s Abbey school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read on another thread that this school is for gifted boys. Is this correct?

"Gifted" is a loaded term. SAAS administers admissions tests (the OLSAT and SCAT) that are quite different from the SSAT/HSPT that most private schools use in that they are more abstract and harder to prepare for. I don't konw what score they look for, but I think it is more about whether they think your DS is a good fit and can handle the rigor, with or without the gifted label. I think there is general consensus that the academics at SAAS are more rigorous than the other all-boys Catholic schools (e.g., Prep, Gonzaga and Heights) in that all classes are at least honors level and many are AP. It's also much smaller (about 40 per graduating class) so you probably get more homogeneity in terms of academic abilities ranges. That said, by all accounts it not a pressure-cooker, cutthroat atmosphere, and the boys there seem to be very bright and welcoming, if somewhat more inclined to march to the beat of their own drum.

The campus is also a remarkably beautiful oasis.

This school is a hidden gem- let's hop it stays that way. Hopefully, it will as it's in NE,DC and so the typical Sidwell/ status school seeking DC wonk won't be stampeding there

This is exactly why we chose this school for our son. He was accepted at two, Big 3's but we wanted a break from the typical politics and demographic that often follows these schools, without sacrificing strong academic content. The lower price tag was also a bonus in our book. Our son is really happy at SAAS. No regrets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that the SAAS boys work really hard but why is it not reflected in college admissions? Someone in one of these posts compares it to STA and SAAS boys take far more classes than STA boys.
And yet SAAS rarely sends anyone to the Ivy League or equivalent. Their college admissions are published each year in the local Catholic periodical (I'm forgetting the name). They are fine but nothing
to write home about. Meanwhile STA will send 20% of the class to the Ivy League and the rest to top 50 schools. Does anyone know why this is? Do colleges just not know about SAAS?

Simple answer. SAAS families are less wealthy than STA families and quite often will choose a less expensive in-state option or a lower ranked school that offers good merit aid.

-SAAS parent

+1. Two more reasons..... SAAS does not have the handful of Ivy athletic recruits that STA has every year. Nor does SAAS have the high percentage of Ivy legacy applicants that STA does.

Well, the Abbey could fix that in a few years- just hire a great rowing coach fresh out of a SLAC/ Ivy and start a Crew program ; ))

Perhaps they don’t see this as something that needs fixing? For us, it’s a feature.

[Anonymous]

We’re at the Abbey for this reason—sports are for exercise and fun, not for admissions to Ivy Schools.

[Anonymous]

Great feedback

[Anonymous]

Crew is great exercise. Aside from distance running, it's probably the most physically demanding endurance sport there is. Spending 4 years in HS rowing crew will cultivate a lot of discipline in a young person and teach them A LOT about themselves. Don't knock the value of that. It's life experience a young person can draw on for decades any time they face a tough challenge.

Added bonus points: 4 man boat or 8 man boat demands development of strong team functioning skills.

Then there is the mediative time on the water and the cultivation in young men a sport they can do their whole lives.

Don't knock it that, when it comes time to apply for college, the number of excellent Universities ( Ivy, Stanford, SLACs) needing to fill their crew team EVERY YEAR is pretty much the inverse ratio of kids capable of filling that role.

Its football/ basketball dynamic in reverse in your kid's favor.

[Anonymous]

Don’t worry, St. Anselms doesn’t have a crew team.

The school does offer other sports teams for boys. But it’s not a sports powerhouse in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crew is great exercise. Aside from distance running, it's probably the most physically demanding endurance sport there is. Spending 4 years in HS rowing crew will cultivate a lot of discipline in a young person and teach them A LOT about themselves. Don't knock the value of that. It's life experience a young person can draw on for decades any time they face a tough challenge.

Added bonus points: 4 man boat or 8 man boat demands development of strong team functioning skills.

Then there is the mediative time on the water and the cultivation in young men a sport they can do their whole lives.

Don't knock it that, when it comes time to apply for college, the number of excellent Universities ( Ivy, Stanford, SLACs) needing to fill their crew team EVERY YEAR is pretty much the inverse ratio of kids capable of filling that role.

Its football/ basketball dynamic in reverse in your kid's favor.

No argument that it is a great sport. One 8-man boat equals 20% of the senior class though. It is a tiny school. But there is/was/will be again a group of boys who row on a team that combines with other small schools at the boathouse on the Anacostia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crew is great exercise. Aside from distance running, it's probably the most physically demanding endurance sport there is. Spending 4 years in HS rowing crew will cultivate a lot of discipline in a young person and teach them A LOT about themselves. Don't knock the value of that. It's life experience a young person can draw on for decades any time they face a tough challenge.

Added bonus points: 4 man boat or 8 man boat demands development of strong team functioning skills.

Then there is the mediative time on the water and the cultivation in young men a sport they can do their whole lives.

Don't knock it that, when it comes time to apply for college, the number of excellent Universities ( Ivy, Stanford, SLACs) needing to fill their crew team EVERY YEAR is pretty much the inverse ratio of kids capable of filling that role.

Its football/ basketball dynamic in reverse in your kid's favor.

No argument that it is a great sport. One 8-man boat equals 20% of the senior class though. It is a tiny school. But there is/was/will be again a group of boys who row on a team that combines with other small schools at the boathouse on the Anacostia.

That's a good idea.

Speaking of the Anacostia, maybe SAAS or other small schools with a mission to provide equity would do well to form Crew clubs with less financially resourced schools on the OTHER side of the Anacostia- being that they also share this water resource, and have a large population of young men who deserve more variety in offered sports than FB,BB,Soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crew is great exercise. Aside from distance running, it's probably the most physically demanding endurance sport there is. Spending 4 years in HS rowing crew will cultivate a lot of discipline in a young person and teach them A LOT about themselves. Don't knock the value of that. It's life experience a young person can draw on for decades any time they face a tough challenge.

Added bonus points: 4 man boat or 8 man boat demands development of strong team functioning skills.

Then there is the mediative time on the water and the cultivation in young men a sport they can do their whole lives.

Don't knock it that, when it comes time to apply for college, the number of excellent Universities ( Ivy, Stanford, SLACs) needing to fill their crew team EVERY YEAR is pretty much the inverse ratio of kids capable of filling that role.

Its football/ basketball dynamic in reverse in your kid's favor.

No argument that it is a great sport. One 8-man boat equals 20% of the senior class though. It is a tiny school. But there is/was/will be again a group of boys who row on a team that combines with other small schools at the boathouse on the Anacostia.

That's a good idea.

Speaking of the Anacostia, maybe SAAS or other small schools with a mission to provide equity would do well to form Crew clubs with less financially resourced schools on the OTHER side of the Anacostia- being that they also share this water resource, and have a large population of young men who deserve more variety in offered sports than FB,BB,Soccer

https://www.anacostiaboathouse.org

[Anonymous]

Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

I didn't realize the class size was only 40 boys, but there are still 4 grades in the HS, right ? So, its actually about 170 boys, correct ?

Not saying offer 5-6 sports every season, but maybe targeted: xc/track, crew, fencing, tennis- sports that only require a roster of 7-10 on the team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

I didn't realize the class size was only 40 boys, but there are still 4 grades in the HS, right ? So, its actually about 170 boys, correct ?

Not saying offer 5-6 sports every season, but maybe targeted: xc/track, crew, fencing, tennis- sports that only require a roster of 7-10 on the team

Head of School has an open zoom meeting with parents every week, you should mention a sports expansion there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

I didn't realize the class size was only 40 boys, but there are still 4 grades in the HS, right ? So, its actually about 170 boys, correct ?

Not saying offer 5-6 sports every season, but maybe targeted: xc/track, crew, fencing, tennis- sports that only require a roster of 7-10 on the team

Head of School has an open zoom meeting with parents every week, you should mention a sports expansion there.

That’s a great idea. Report back, pls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

I didn't realize the class size was only 40 boys, but there are still 4 grades in the HS, right ? So, its actually about 170 boys, correct ?

Not saying offer 5-6 sports every season, but maybe targeted: xc/track, crew, fencing, tennis- sports that only require a roster of 7-10 on the team

They have soccer, xc/track, swimming, wrestling, baseball, basketball, tennis, fencing, golf, and lacrosse. They just don't have football and crew, though some boys do row for clubs (not through the school) as mentioned. Upperclassmen are required to play one sport per year. They also win a lot of PVAC Championships, which is fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you can do crew as a club sport elsewhere. Go lobby the current school to form a team. But it’s not part of the culture today to have a lot of sports offerings.

I didn't realize the class size was only 40 boys, but there are still 4 grades in the HS, right ? So, its actually about 170 boys, correct ?

Not saying offer 5-6 sports every season, but maybe targeted: xc/track, crew, fencing, tennis- sports that only require a roster of 7-10 on the team

They have soccer, xc/track, swimming, wrestling, baseball, basketball, tennis, fencing, golf, and lacrosse. They just don't have football and crew, though some boys do row for clubs (not through the school) as mentioned. Upperclassmen are required to play one sport per year. They also win a lot of PVAC Championships, which is fun.

Good to know about xc and fencing. TY.