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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm the PP whose child recently transferred to the Woods.  One of the reasons, in fact, that we made the switch was because of Woods' assurance of their ability to accelerate due to small classes and the individualized curriculum.  I think that they are respected by the area high schools because their most recent 8th grade graduates all got in to their first high school choices.  My child is high achieving and I've seen significant evidence in just a few short weeks that he is being challenged.  This is pure speculation on my part but one of the reasons that I think Woods is significantly more expensive than a parish school is because they do not receive any outside assistance from a parish or the Archdiocese.  We found their independent status to be very, very appealing.  As a previous poster pointed out, there are many more non-Catholics at Woods than at a typical parish school and the Catholics that are there come from a wide variety of parishes throughout the metro area.  My impression is that Woods teaches the aspects of the Catholic faith that are important to us as a family while also teaching tolerance and inclusion, which wasn't our experience at a parish school.  In addition to the core curriculum, we really liked how often specials are offered (foreign language every day!) and the art program is especially impressive.  We have found the girl/boy ratio to be pretty equal for our child's class---and we like the fact that there are two classes for each grade so that class dynamics can be mixed up from year to year.  I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone who is interested in the Woods to take a tour of both your parish school options and the Woods.  Pose these questions to the person conducting the tour.  On our tour (and my child's shadow day), we found Woods to be very honest and frank about their approach to education...and we saw lots of happy smiling faces (on both the teachers and the kids!).  We just regret that we didn't start there sooner. We have friends whose children are thriving at parish schools (including the one that we left so I'm hesitant to say anything too negative).  It boils down to fit and trusting your gut on what will be the best environment for your child.[/quote]

Your child may indeed be being challenged appropriately.  But just to clarify, the PP had expressed concern about a lack of acceleration and this touches on a pet peeve of mine.  I'm not at the Woods, so I can't say if this is an issue there or not, but I've seen this enough before that I want to say:

Many parents (at most schools, not just The Woods) do not appreciate the difference between enrichment which is working at a higher level on certain skills,but not all or working on more challenging projects or applications of skills, and acceleration.  An enriched curriculum [b]should[/b] be challenging and interesting but does not advance your child's skills beyond their grade level to any significant degree.  With an enriched curriculum, capable students may  learn [i]some [/i]higher level skills, new applications of those skills and practice applying those skills by completing interesting  projects.

In contrast, acceleration means, for example, that when your child finishes 4th grade, they will have completed the 5th, 6th or even 7th grade curriculum because they were moving through the material faster and/or working at a higher grade level throughout.  Some enrichment activities may be included as well, but primarily, students are challenged by the higher level and/or pace of the curriculum.

Both enrichment and acceleration are valid and appropriate approaches to meeting the academic needs of capable and talented students who are ready for more than the standard curriculum.  However, that does not mean that both approaches are equally appropriate for all capable students.  Some students are not ready for acceleration but thrive with enrichment.  And the reasons may not be academic...maybe that student does not work well in a fast paced program or needs the kind of projects that enrichment provides to stay motivated and engaged.  Other students may find enrichment interesting, but are capable and motivated to learn much more challenging material. For some children, enrichment is not only not "enough". its not appropriate..they should be working on another level altogether and/or at a much faster pace their peers.

Imagine a 2nd grade reading class where every child reads Nate the Great.  At many schools, some kids are still just trying to learn to read the words,  while others are appropriately working on comprehension at varying, but grade appropriate, levels.  However, some children spent their summer reading Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys.  The children who are working on that level can certainly do enrichment activities related to Nate the Great, but probably should not.  Not because the enrichment activities are boring or not challenging..they may be quite fun and challenging.  But because those students are already at another level entirely, they should be working at that level and not just skimming along the top of the level below them.   
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