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What schools are PK-8 (or K-8)?
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Anonymous
| I have decided that I like the (P)K - 8 model, the same community for elementary and middle school years. Other than Sheridan and Capital Hill Day School, what are the others? |
Anonymous
| Norwood is K-8. DC just started there, and so far we are very happy. The commute is a strike against it, but it hasn't been as bad as we thought it would be. |
Anonymous
| I think St. Patrick's is too. Lovely school. |
Anonymous
| Also WES. |
Anonymous
| Burgundy Farm. |
Anonymous
| The Langley School and Green Hedges. |
Anonymous
| St Patrick's is likely to expand in the near future to 12th grade. |
Anonymous
You know I am wondering about that considering the current economy, unavailability of credit, loss of investment money, etc... Considering all of those factors, and although the school has the property (which is gorgeous), they still need to BUILD the middle and upper schools. Even though there is a lot of money at St Patrick's, in the current economic atmosphere I wonder how many parents, even those with very deep pockets, will pony up the money to build the new facilities. |
Anonymous
| Grace Episcopal Day School in Kensington has expanded to 7th this year, and is adding 8th next year. |
Anonymous
| Green Acres |
Anonymous
| Woods Academy, Bethesda. WES too |
Anonymous
| Barnesville |
jhuber
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I have a certain amount of bias here, but even if I weren't in my current position, I would strongly advocate that parents consider the PS-8 model for their children. For the younger students, there are the benefits of older buddies, larger facilities, and in-house specialization of middle school subject teachers working in collaboration with lower school teachers. For the older students, there's the true ability to be leaders within the community, and less of a rush to adulthood (or at least not quite as quickly as society and popular culture would like). It also avoids a school transition at the 5th / 6th grade year.
Each year I have the talk with our 8th graders at the beginning of the year to remind them of the awesome responsibility they have, as leaders of the school community, and that their actions will help to shape what younger students think is "grown up". It's perhaps one of the most important student talks that I have. One measure for prospective parents to consider - at middle school recess, do the students run around and play? My expectation is that at PS-8 schools, it's more likely. I have not a shred of data to support this, but I believe that at PS-8 schools, there is less pressure to be cool (i.e. like high school students) and abandon normal childhood activities. |
Anonymous
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Mr Huber --
Thanks for chiming in because this is a question that my husband and I are debating now. My question is this: why is it better to avoid a transition at 5th or 6th grade instead of 8th/9th? Isn't age 13 (the onset of adolescence) a more awkward time to be a new kid at, say, Landon or St. Albans. (Yes, I know that some kids enter that year -- but there are more who have been there since 4th grade). I ask this because I have a friend who did just that (enter St Albans in 9th grade) and he really hated that first year or two. He said that the other boys made his life hell and basically hazed him. He says that he wishes that he had entered at 4th or not at all. What do you think? |
Anonymous
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My son entered Sidwell in 7th and had an easy transition.
St. Albans is known for having a tough environment -- at 4th or 9th. |