Reply to Living in Fairfax County and sending kids to private school.

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Living in Fairfax County and sending kids to private school."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]00:00 posting again.  When asked about why we chose a private school for our child, people have taken offense to the following:

1.  Class size:  Our class sizes are 20-22 and we have full time assistants in the classroom through second grade.

2.  Number of classes per grade:  we have 2 classes per grade not 4 or 5 or 7.

3.  Discipline:  Our kids are subject to behavioral requirements.  If they can't adhere after working with the administration, they are counseled out.  My kid has very few distractions in the classroom from others who have never been required to behave themselves before.

4.  If there is some question of wrongdoing in school or out of school, our school's policy is to inform parents when a student will be questioned about their own involvement or knowledge of wrongdoing.  If police show up at school requesting to speak to a student about involvement in or knowledge of criminal activity, they are denied access to the student and the parents are informed.  In FCPS, administrators and staff and teachers may question students without informing parents and police are given access to students without parents being informed.  This isn't usually an issue in elementary school, but in MS and HS this is a major issue.

5.  Zero tolerance:  Our school does not have a zero tolerance discipline policy.

6.  Community:  After a year or so, we know our school families.  I know each child by name in my daughter's grade.  I know all of the parents.  We see many of them daily at drop off and pick up (no elementary transportation).  When my kid is having trouble with a friend or their is some mean girl behavior starting, we don't hesitate to call each other.

7.  Spanish:  Our kids have had Spanish in school since preschool.  There is a dedicated elementary school Spanish teacher and another teacher only for the MS grades.  Spanish is an after school activity for my friend's kids at a highly regarded Vienna public ES.

8.  Science:  Our kids have hard science class every day and computer class once or twice per week.  I have a friend with a child in public school who isn't being taught science this year because science isn't on the SOLs.

9.  Homework:  No homework in K.  Homework is not to take more than one hour in grade 3 or higher.  No homework over weekends or holidays (unless it is unfinished work).  No major projects over school breaks.

Having learned that other people find these reasons offensive, I usually say we wanted her to have a Catholic education.  If someone is being very confrontational, I am less diplomatic about my answers.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics