Before too much DCUM negativity sets in, I would say that depending on a girls playing level, and desire to get better, it's a great opportunity for a girl to play up with a good coach, or if looking to get more game time, or play a new position, this could be the right environment. I'd say Potomac, as with all the other clubs (have you seen the threads about northern VA teams?) are going through a lot of changes and movements as GA and GA Aspire enters the landscape, and all girl players, especially 2013 and older, are trying to find the right fit and developmental opportunities. For 2014 or 2015 girls, there is a great established coach at Potomac there who will be coaching 2014 and 2015 this upcoming year (current coach of 2013 and 2014) So great opportunity for great coaching, while getting in early on a GA Aspire platform (and hopefully GA platform, depending on leadership's strategy and steering of the club.) (I'm not saying other coaches are not good, by calling out just this one. I am not as aware of others' coaching style and success as much. )

With the club moving to GA Aspire, I do wish they would require all girls to go through the process of attending an actual tryout session. I don't think it's a waste of time. It's a good reminder about the need to stay competitive. And if you don't want to, and make soccer a lesser part of your life, that's a fine decision. But then accept that you won't start, or will be moved to a lower level team. And it's a good way to see all the players (current and new) mixed together.

Maybe for this year? But, if there's enough "branding" and structure created, stronger girls/teams should/would move to GA Aspire teams/clubs. At least that has been the way youth soccer has tended to happen - introduce something, say it'll be more exclusive (better players, etc.) and people do move. (Except all the weird MLS Next 2, NAL stuff going on.... people don't seem to be moving for that.)

Thoughts on PPA's younger first team as they become GA Aspire. Probably not as much leaving yet because can wait a few years to see if PPA gets full GA? Eg 2012, 2013, 2014 etc?

Anonymous wrote:Privates vary by school and by grade. Some talk low tech, but use tech more than their website or marketing will admit. Not all privates are as low tech or appropriate tech as some posters here are claiming.

OP should visit and tour their candidate schools in person to get the reality.

Thank you. But, there is only so much time one has. So everyone's comments have been helpful to narrow down a bit. More recommendations, sharing of experience, one's own "characterization" of what they see is still welcomed.

Anonymous wrote:I was very happy coming out of back to school night earlier this school year. For the first time in at least 5 years, I heard several teachers say they are relying on textbooks more than previously. Never heard this mentioned in previous years. The whole-cloth adoption of tech in the classroom based on no data or previous experience means our current students are the guinea pigs here and losers for sure. Teachers are finally getting real-life data sustained over a period of years so moving away from this stuff.

It's tragic that the schools at large (public, diocesans and majority of privates) all went 1:1 based on NO DATA. Amazing to me how they rolled the dice with our kids. Some will be okay. The vulnerable students will suffer for years to come.

Was this a public or private school, and if you don't mind sharing, which one?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pro tip to parents of vulnerable readers out there..... get your kid into no tech school through 8th grade. Vulnerable middle school boy students especially need to be reading actual books and writing with actual pencils / pens. They need to create those brain pathways.

The ship has sailed relative to getting your student to read once they are in high school (and truthfully, middle school for most) so if they are using tech all day at middle school - your hesitant reader will play with learning apps all day and miss out on the critically necessary reading and writing time they need to get their skills to fluent levels.

You only get one shot at this... don't be in a position where you are sending your poor reader kid off to high school. Tech is a disaster for a large percentage of students.

I don't know what "vulnerable readers" means, but tech is vital for students with learning disabilities. They need access to grade level content in the form of audiobooks while they are learning how to read. They need technology (voice to text or typing) in order to convey grade level content and ideas while learning how to write.

No tech means that they can only learn/show what they know at the level of their decoding/encoding, rather than at their cognitive abilities. They also need to be taught how to read and write IN ADDITION TO using technology to access grade level content.

For my 15 year old son, I wholeheartedly agree that having so much of school online deteriorated his ability and willingness to read in middle school. And now in HS, we are struggling to get him to even open a book. Granted, I finally had him tested and he was diagnosed with ADHD. He does not do computer games, no social media/streaming on phone (only useful utilities), but we couldn't "control" school's technology. So much of teaching/assignments/feedback being online had a very negative effect.

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:All of the local Classical Christian schools are going to put heavy limits on tech.

VA: Dominion Christian, Oak Hill Christian, Immanuel Lutheran (K-8), Potomac Classical, Ad Fontes, probably also Loudoun Classical

MD: Calvary Christian Academy, Rockbridge Academy

Charlotte Mason is generally pretty low tech - thus Ambleside (K-8, VA)

There's also Waldorf, as represented by Washington Waldorf (DC)

Basically all the local private schools limit tech. It’s not a Christian thing.

I think this depends on your definition of limit and what the OP is looking for. My DC's K class uses ipads and has technology class but they also go outside and do a lot of hands on learning. I'm not sure if OP is looking for any tech though.

Which school?
I'm not looking for no tech. I think learning to type is good, drafting and writing in a word doc is fine, even an online calendar to help you keep organized wtih links to the assignments. It's the "teaching" and supposed "learning" that is suppose to be done through all online materials that doesn't work. Eg: more textbooks, less powerpoint. More paper assignments, less online. More feedback and grades marked on the paper, then online where kids don't pay attention.

My children went to a public elementary school in NW DC - there was no Chromebook/notepad provided to students (although, I think if of limited means, you could apply to borrow one for the home.) During math lessons, there were "stations" and one of them was to use the IReady math exercises in Canvas. If parents wanted, at home through home computers, children could log onto Canvas and continue the exercises. We never did, but practiced with problems on paper. I found the Iready stuff was more "bright lights and colors and click for the sake of clicking" than learning.

My daughter’s private elementary school has no online component to homework and little to no online work at school.

Middle school will have online work, but mostly in the form of writing papers and doing research. Certainly not all the work is online.

Which school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:All of the local Classical Christian schools are going to put heavy limits on tech.

VA: Dominion Christian, Oak Hill Christian, Immanuel Lutheran (K-8), Potomac Classical, Ad Fontes, probably also Loudoun Classical

MD: Calvary Christian Academy, Rockbridge Academy

Charlotte Mason is generally pretty low tech - thus Ambleside (K-8, VA)

There's also Waldorf, as represented by Washington Waldorf (DC)

Basically all the local private schools limit tech. It’s not a Christian thing.

I think this depends on your definition of limit and what the OP is looking for. My DC's K class uses ipads and has technology class but they also go outside and do a lot of hands on learning. I'm not sure if OP is looking for any tech though.

I'm not looking for no tech. I think learning to type is good, drafting and writing in a word doc is fine, even an online calendar to help you keep organized wtih links to the assignments. It's the "teaching" and supposed "learning" that is suppose to be done through all online materials that doesn't work. Eg need instead: more textbooks, less powerpoint. More paper assignments, less online. More feedback and grades marked on the paper, then online where kids don't pay attention and parents can't find.

My children went to a public elementary school in NW DC - there was no Chromebook/notepad provided to students (although, I think if of limited means, you could apply to borrow one for the home.) During math lessons, there were "stations" and one of them was to do the IReady math exercises in Canvas. If parents wanted, at home through home computers, children could log onto Canvas and continue the exercises. We never did, but practiced with problems on paper. I found the Iready stuff was more "bright lights and colors and click for the sake of clicking" than learning.

Anonymous wrote:I would say there’s probably a better balance btwn tech and textbooks/traditional means of instruction at private schools. Our school uses Google Classroom (which I loathe), but also has the kids keep track of their assignments in paper planners. We have textbooks but teachers also use smart boards for instruction and various online tools like IXL for reinforcement. This is definitely one of those where you have to visit the school to see and ask what’s what.

Which school is this?

Am looking for recommendation for high school (and middle school) that uses textbooks, gives feedback on the paper the assignment is handed in on, and minimizes use of online platform for teaching (via powerpoints), learning (reference materials being online spread out over the seperate powerpoint deck/day teachers teach from ), and feedback (feedback on the digital assignment submitted online via the portal, but not noticed by students.) Thank you.

Thank you. Part of reason I was looking at Red Bulls is for cooler summer weather. Even 4 - 5 hours north is less humid and cooler.

Hello all, wondering if anyone has experience with Red Bulls residential 1-week soccer camps requiring tryouts on April 14th:

https://www.rbnytraining.com/user-pages/public/camps/index.asp?F_REGION_ID=42

What level of play? MLS and ECNL level? EDP 1 level? etc. Thank you in advance for your help.

Wondering as well.

OP here. Thank you.