Reply to Beauvoir PreK vs GDS PreK

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our DC was accepted to both. We are about 90% sure we are going to accept at Beauvoir. Is there any advice current parents (or previous) can provide? Any standout teachers in particular? Helpful administrators? Things to be cautious about or avoid? Does anyone think we are making the wrong choice and should go with GDS. Our family is a traditional family.
We aren't conservative, but we also aren't ultra liberal. We do want our DC to learn to be accepting of all people. Ultimately, we are looking for a nurturing and academically challenging environment that fosters a love a learning. We are leaning towards Beauvoir because it felt fun for children and we got a better feel for the curriculum they provide than we did when touring GDS. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.[/quote]

Congratulations on your choices. Beauvoir parent here. We have been happy at Beauvoir and for us the outplacement process has been a breeze for both of our children. Several children have gone to GDS from Beauvoir for 4th grade each year so that is always an option to apply to gds again when your child graduates Beauvoir. Good luck in your decision. [/quote]

Thanks! We are at 99% sure now we are going to accept at Beauvoir. We reached out to the psychologist who admitted the WPPSI-IV to our DC to let her know our results and to ask if she had any insight into which would be a better fit based on her observations of our DC.[b] She said we had great options but based on what she observed she recommended Beauvoir because she believes our DC will initially do better in a structured environment. She said if we opted for GDS she would recommend we explain to the teacher our DC responds better to clear directions than directions worded as options. [/b]She said she thinks overtime that will change but for now she thinks Beauvoir would be an overall better fit. I really appreciated her candidness about her observations, so we are ready to sign the contract barring something crazy happening at the accepted parent's reception.[/quote]

You should press your tester on this. Having sent two kids through GDS, and being an educator myself, I frankly find this laughable. Your tester is being very irresponsible in her description of GDS pedagogy in the LS. The independence that you find in the GDS LS has *nothing* to do with giving young children options rather than clear directions when doing school work or learning in class. In fact, I would guess that the style of instruction at GDS and Beauvoir are very similar and based upon what is developmentally appropriate for a child's age. The differences in the two schools have much to do with content--e.g., GDS teaches about racism and differences from PK (of course, in an age-appropriate way) whereas Beauvoir tends to shield children from these realities until the children are older. (Frankly, this baffles me because the most recent brain research shows that unless you talk to children *directly* about racism, they will harbor racist views--see Nurtureshock.) Because GDS was founded by African American families and Jewish families in 1945, when DC was still a segregated city by law and the world was still reeling from the Holocaust, the mission of the school takes very, very seriously social justice issues. Kids at GDS are given a lot of responsibility--so, for example, the children deliver milk at lunch to all the classes; they walk from their homerooms to their next class (science lab, music, PE, etc.) on their own--and they all manage to make it!; they are allowed their own books to check out at the library (a PK-8 library) and aren't restricted in their choices; there is no dress code, etc.etc. I am actually kind of amazed by how self-regulating the kids are by the time they reach 4th grade. I think it is true that kids at GDS are louder than kids at other schools, but actually, I kind of love it. They are so happy to be at school and they show it. It's a joyous place to be.

All that being said, I have the utmost respect for Beavoir. I considered it for my children, too, and was blown away--as anyone would be--by the facilities. The teachers and administrators are top notch, and the families that I know there (yes, we are friends!) are very, very happy there. You are blessed to have to amazing options, but please make your choice based upon accurate information, not upon your tester's unfortunately inaccurate description of the schools.[/quote]

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