in your mind, is STA worth it for high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

You can satisfy the arts requirement by taking art classes. That’s how most students do it.

Sports eats into other activities. There’s no way around it. Yes you can do robotics but you do it from 630-930 at night on fridays. Everything takes a back seat to sports. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

NP. STA is a great school but factually speaking it does not have an arts requirement of 100 hours! Absolutely does not. One arts class or two max in upperschool. Very few boys are in the plays. You are not being factual here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

NP. STA is a great school but factually speaking it does not have an arts requirement of 100 hours! Absolutely does not. One arts class or two max in upperschool. Very few boys are in the plays. You are not being factual here.

Several plays? Absolutely not. Only a handful of boys in the entire grade participate in the plays. It would be nice to have more time to do those things but most can not do it getting out of sports at 6pm. I am not the person complaining about the sports requirement by the way. That being said I think they make some good points and I think 1-2 seasons requirement is sufficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

My private also had sports, arts, and other requirements. It was awesome because it made you see the strengths and weaknesses of everyone. We realized that everyone has gifts and everyone has things they could work on. It was much better than allowing people to silo into their interests. But I'm a big liberal arts education proponent and I would never send my kids to TJ, so take that with a grain of salt I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids have been together since elementary school. Good luck breaking in.

Is this a real concern?

Wouldn't this be the case at any private, except catholic high schools
that start at 9th? Is it a bigger issue at STA?

My DS entered in 9th. The class was fully integrated socially. This is just not an issue. I would say that it is somewhat true for the parent social groups and volunteering with the school. It takes awhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put one kid through NCS and another through STA. If I had another daughter, I would have sent her to another all-girls high school in a second. If I had another boy, I would have demanded a co-ed school. It isn't specifically a problem with STA, but the kind of male bonding he learned at an all boys school, especially around sexism, troubled me. There are many nice kids at STA, but in my opinion all-male schools tend to be more toxic than serving a particular need.

NCS grad here. Totally agree. The sexism at STA is rampant.

NCS is very feminist, so the Overton window shifted. The two schools may be on a collision course. I hope the STA curriculum doesn't move to accommodate.
- STA mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

There are not "plenty" of elite schools in DC, and certainly not "plenty" that are meaningful alternatives for many of the boys who largely like STA. Academically, STA/NCS and SFS are in a league of their own in DC. Yes, GDS and maybe Maret have high flyers, but for someone who lives in DC and whose son is very academically strong, STA and SFS are the obvious choices.

There are numerous boys for whom SFS (or GDS or Maret) isn't an obvious alternative. For example, a very strong academic boy in DC who wants single sex--ok, STA is it. A very strong academic boy in DC who is strong in one sport but also very musically talented and would like to do both--tougher call, because SFS is not strong in sports except where it recruits (basketball). A very strong academic boy in DC who doesn't want (or whose parents don't want) a social-justice-heavy education, but who wants a more classical education--ok, STA. You could mix and match those combos or make new combos and you still land in the same spot: SFS not an obvious alternative, GDS and Maret definitely not an alternative for any of those combos.

No one here is saying STA should not have a sports focus. They are simply saying that a 3-season sports requirement means that the ONLY EC these boys tend to have is sports-related. These boys are super-talented, and many of them are academically strong, strong at one sport (maybe two), and many want to be/could be/are talented musicians, dramatists, mathematicians, etc. and would like more time to do the non-sports EC. STA is unique even among peer all-boys schools in having a 3-season requirement. Most we know of have a 2-season requirement. These are schools similar to STA with very similar educational models and commitment to "mens sana in corpora sane" (the only differences being that the other schools are even more highly ranked!), and with incredible reputations and outplacement. Yet they give boys a season off to either rest or pursue a non-sports EC that makes for a more well-rounded boy (and if we're being purely cynical, a better college applicant).

In short, no, there aren't "plenty" of elite school alternatives generally, and there certainly aren't "plenty" for many of the possible sorts of boys I mentioned. STA's commitment to sports would be fully honored if they allowed boys to take one sports season to do another EC, if they so chose, and it would strengthen their commitment to the whole boy.

It is not true that sports is the only option for EC. Our recently graduated class went all in for the arts. A huge portion of the class was heavily involved in music, drama and visual arts. It does mean that these boys will be at the school until 9 p.m. most nights as rehearsals begin after dinner. This means that the academically weaker members of the class probably won't choose these activities, but please don't portray the school as only fixated on sports. My own DS was not a huge athlete, but I appreciated the sports requirement for pushing him out of his comfort zone, building team camaraderie and exhausting the boys so much that they were less likely to get into mischief (doubly so for the boys involved in the arts.)

I will say that admissions under Tyler Casertano has tended to place to emphasize athletes more, rather than other talented kids, so there may be a shift going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

There are not "plenty" of elite schools in DC, and certainly not "plenty" that are meaningful alternatives for many of the boys who largely like STA. Academically, STA/NCS and SFS are in a league of their own in DC. Yes, GDS and maybe Maret have high flyers, but for someone who lives in DC and whose son is very academically strong, STA and SFS are the obvious choices.

There are numerous boys for whom SFS (or GDS or Maret) isn't an obvious alternative. For example, a very strong academic boy in DC who wants single sex--ok, STA is it. A very strong academic boy in DC who is strong in one sport but also very musically talented and would like to do both--tougher call, because SFS is not strong in sports except where it recruits (basketball). A very strong academic boy in DC who doesn't want (or whose parents don't want) a social-justice-heavy education, but who wants a more classical education--ok, STA. You could mix and match those combos or make new combos and you still land in the same spot: SFS not an obvious alternative, GDS and Maret definitely not an alternative for any of those combos.

No one here is saying STA should not have a sports focus. They are simply saying that a 3-season sports requirement means that the ONLY EC these boys tend to have is sports-related. These boys are super-talented, and many of them are academically strong, strong at one sport (maybe two), and many want to be/could be/are talented musicians, dramatists, mathematicians, etc. and would like more time to do the non-sports EC. STA is unique even among peer all-boys schools in having a 3-season requirement. Most we know of have a 2-season requirement. These are schools similar to STA with very similar educational models and commitment to "mens sana in corpora sane" (the only differences being that the other schools are even more highly ranked!), and with incredible reputations and outplacement. Yet they give boys a season off to either rest or pursue a non-sports EC that makes for a more well-rounded boy (and if we're being purely cynical, a better college applicant).

In short, no, there aren't "plenty" of elite school alternatives generally, and there certainly aren't "plenty" for many of the possible sorts of boys I mentioned. STA's commitment to sports would be fully honored if they allowed boys to take one sports season to do another EC, if they so chose, and it would strengthen their commitment to the whole boy.

It is not true that sports is the only option for EC. Our recently graduated class went all in for the arts. A huge portion of the class was heavily involved in music, drama and visual arts. It does mean that these boys will be at the school until 9 p.m. most nights as rehearsals begin after dinner. This means that the academically weaker members of the class probably won't choose these activities, but please don't portray the school as only fixated on sports. My own DS was not a huge athlete, but I appreciated the sports requirement for pushing him out of his comfort zone, building team camaraderie and exhausting the boys so much that they were less likely to get into mischief (doubly so for the boys involved in the arts.)

I will say that admissions under Tyler Casertano has tended to place to emphasize athletes more, rather than other talented kids, so there may be a shift going on.

Maybe I misunderstand your post, but I thought Casterano was no longer in admissions. Do you mean that there's a shift toward a more diverse and more diversely talented set of boys going on now (which is what we were explicitly told when we were going through the admissions process), or am I missing something?

As for the arts, this was something we looked at when we were going through the process this year. We were looking at STA, Sidwell, Maret, and Potomac (I don't want to say where DS is going, as that might out us). It seemed that things like the play and the musical were always going to stretch kids thin, because regardless of whether there is a sports requirement or not, the different departments tried to schedule around each other. In other words, even if a kid wasn't doing sports after school one season, he would have to wait until later to do practice for the musical or play, which was often trying to accommodate those who were playing a sport that season. It wasn't uniformly the case, of course, but it just seems like at all these schools, the kids are really stretched.

[Anonymous]

*Casertano. Weird autocorrect, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We put one kid through NCS and another through STA. If I had another daughter, I would have sent her to another all-girls high school in a second. If I had another boy, I would have demanded a co-ed school. It isn't specifically a problem with STA, but the kind of male bonding he learned at an all boys school, especially around sexism, troubled me. There are many nice kids at STA, but in my opinion all-male schools tend to be more toxic than serving a particular need.

NCS grad here. Totally agree. The sexism at STA is rampant.

NCS is very feminist, so the Overton window shifted. The two schools may be on a collision course. I hope the STA curriculum doesn't move to accommodate.
- STA mom

DP. I don’t understand what you mean. Can you please clarify? Are you hoping STA does not teach women’s rights and feminism or are you saying you would like them to?

[Anonymous]

It's not just the Casertano effect. Though for sure the former Yale laxer has a special place in his heart for lacrosse players. But it's also the new lacrosse Head Coach who is recruiting players from his club teams and it's the Head of School. Lots of old timer alums and current dads have bent his ear about rebuilding the helmet sports programs. It's a shame really as one more sports recruit means one fewer artist, singer or musician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will say that admissions under Tyler Casertano has tended to place to emphasize athletes more, rather than other talented kids, so there may be a shift going on.

Tyler has not been in the admissions office for a couple years. I find PP's comment ironic in light of the fact that he encouraged my spouse not to worry so much about sports for our son.

[Anonymous]

What's the new AD like? I know the previous one had lacrosse connections and the one prior had soccer connections which manifested itself in admission decisions. I wonder if the new AD's interests and background will play a role in his approach to admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

STA also has a mandatory Arts requirement of 100 hours- in order to graduate. So, all of those Athletes also had to do several school plays, play an instrument or sing in the choir.

Most STA students also - in addition to their sport- belong to clubs like Gov Club, Debate Team, Cyber Patriot, Yearbook committee, school newspaper, Robotics and affinity clubs. These clubs are voluntary, of course, but most students belong to 1 or more in addition to their sport and their mandatory arts requirement and , of course, 60 hours of community service to graduate

NP. STA is a great school but factually speaking it does not have an arts requirement of 100 hours! Absolutely does not. One arts class or two max in upperschool. Very few boys are in the plays. You are not being factual here.

Several plays? Absolutely not. Only a handful of boys in the entire grade participate in the plays. It would be nice to have more time to do those things but most can not do it getting out of sports at 6pm. I am not the person complaining about the sports requirement by the way. That being said I think they make some good points and I think 1-2 seasons requirement is sufficient.

This is not correct. A good chunk of the class participates in drama (unless the last two years have killed the program) and even more in Music. A good chunk of boys do the Visual Arts. I chaired the STA Arts Committee, so know this well.