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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have a daughter at Sidwell and two boys at STA.

Both schools are high pressure and extremely rigorous but STA has a more supportive, tight-knit vibe. The boys compete but the ethos is to acknowledge and appreciate each others’ strengths. Teachers are generally warmer and more engaged. This is a godsend during the high school years because the supportive environment helps mitigate the extreme demands kids face.

[b]Sidwell has the extreme pressure but without as much supportive bonds. Students are competitive with one another. There are pockets of kids who support each other and are good friends. However, there’s more free form anxiety. Teachers are less warm. It’s up to students to find them if they need help. [/b]

I know my STA boys have been told countless times by teachers,”Come see me and we can talk about that some more” or something to that effect. Teachers invite you to engage with them.[b] At Sidwell the teachers seem more distant and you have to be more entrepreneurial about getting help.[/b]

Sidwell has an edge in the sciences. STA has the edge in sports with the notable exception of basketball.

For a boy, I think STA is better.  Our daughter chose Sidwell over NCS because Sidwell is less of a pressure cooker than NCS. She’s still in touch with Beauvoir friends who went to NCS, and she is happy that she did not go there. 
[/quote]

This is all very true about Sidwell in Upper School. Hopefully the new principal will try to change this, he was an outlier in this respect and was warm as teacher and warm in his administrative role. It would take time though...Sidwell teachers have far too much autonomy.  The have lacked good leadership and have had few tangible expectations with regards to being supportive mentors to students.  It's really a shame that the school is so devoid of this - some kids seek it out and find the adults that will engage on this level - but there are others that do not get this. [/quote]

The autonomy that the Sidwell teachers have is a strength of the school. It’s why they have the best teachers in the DMV. [/quote]

Ok - go ahead and tell yourself that.  There is a way to give teachers autonomy in what they teach but still expect them to be accessible, caring human beings that act as mentors who want kids to succeed and are supportive and warm. Some may be this way, but many are notoriously not. [/quote]

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