Reply to Entering St. Alban's from a progressive (pedagogy) school

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[quote=Anonymous]We are considering applying to St. Alban's for our rising fourth grader.

He is currently at a school that follows progressive pedagogy and he's done well and grown tremendously there. There's a lot that's intriguing to us about St. Alban's, including the brotherhood that they talk about, but we are wondering if it would be too much of a culture shock, and too much of a departure from some of the things we've really treasured about his elementary school.

I'd love current families' thoughts on the following:

- The structure and focus on academics is appealing to us - he is a fairly cerebral kid and I think he'd do well there and enjoy being pushed academically. But we've been struck that it seems SO academically focused compared to other DC schools, including rigorous ones like Sidwell. For example - if I understand correctly, the after-school offering is to do homework in the library, where other schools offer a range of extracurricular activities on campus after school. It sounds like extracurriculars don't really start until the later years of the lower school. Is this a reflection of an all-academics-all-the-time approach? On the surface, this feels particularly intense for 9 year olds - what's your experience?

- Related to the above question, I've heard people rave about St. Alban's but would you describe the student body as happy? I have no doubt my son would come out of the school well-behaved, respectful, and likely hard-working--all great traits - but I'm wondering if the school also cultivates joy and a genuine love of learning (above and beyond a commitment to high achievement). I don't believe you need to sacrifice one for the other, but it's not clear to me if/how St. Alban's embraces both.

- Does the school embrace kids with a wide range of interests? Or does it feel like an exercise in crafting kids to meet a very specific mold? I want my kid to learn to work hard for what he wants -- but also to embrace who he is and what makes him unique and special and develop a sense of intrinsic motivation and connection to his passions and interests. I'm not looking to raise a kid who, for example, goes to work in finance because he thinks that's what it looks like to be successful -- and realizes at age 40 that, despite his material success, he's miserable and always has been.

- I'd love anyone's perspective but especially those that have come from schools that follow less of a traditional pedagogy. How did your child adjust?

I'm not looking for opinions from people who haven't sent their kids to St. Alban's. I am familiar with the many stereotypes of the schools on this board. I'm looking for genuine perspectives rooted in experience. Thank you.

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