Reply to How to help child succeed at BASIS

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For every comment on here finding fault with BASIS, there’s another comment on this thread or a different thread where people are singing its praises or eager to find out if their child will get off the waitlist.  BASIS is clearly great for some and terrible for others.  It’s important and helpful to know what generally makes it a good fit or not to the extent folks are trying to decide for their own child.  But I’m the end everyone has their own priorities and those are not right or wrong.  Just different.

But for a moment, I’d like to get back to the original question on here regarding success at BASIS.  How can parents help their children? Are the parents quizzing their kids?  Do students ever/often form study groups together?  When students receive disappointing “pre-comps” scores what specific measures are taken to ensure they improve by the end of year comps?  How much do pre-comps count for the course grade?  How is the “90s Club” or any other measure of success presented to the students to help them stay motivated and focused?  I heard the school has a spirit week.  Do students feel like they are “in it together” or do they feel more competitive with one another?  Are the most successful students generally successful from the beginning, or is it common for “stragglers” to get the help they need and rise to the top?  [/quote]

As a parent of a kid at BASIS, I’ve heard from other parents that it’s a mix of everything.  Kids who are struggling at the school often tend to leave early (5th, 6th grade, maybe 7th.). The ones who stay seem to get the hang of how the place works, and this may help with establishing study groups because they are mostly aligned with their study habits.  I think the school administration is generally supportive, and the students are generally supportive of each other, with students being less cut throat than what I hear from my friends whose kids are in the top privates.   There are some really good teachers and some that aren’t so good…like any school.  I’ve also seen some kids who are friends with my child start off as average, and then eventually climb into the top 10-20% with hard work (based on the results from awards ceremonies.)

I don’t know how to answer your question on how to prep them for BASIS except for encouraging strong executive functioning skills.   A lot of this is taught at the school and comes with time, but as a parent you can work with your child over the summer by having set schedules at home and encouraging your child to write down what they plan to do daily and checking off completed tasks.  Although I don’t think this is unique to BASIS, it will help your child manage their workload once the school year starts.  [/quote]

You see knowledgeable and helpful so can I follow-up with this: I have seen reports on DCUM of kids who manage to get most homework done during school hours. In your experience is that regularly possible? [/quote]

I think in the first year (5th grade) it’s harder to do that because[b] it’s a lot more work than what elementary school kids are used to. [/b] However, it may be possible in later years as the child gets used to a new homework completion pattern.  Also, if the child uses study hall efficiently, there is less work to do at home.  There is also significant variability in homework over the year, with more study time and prep work needed before the end of grading period exams and pre-comps/comps.  Hope this helps   [/quote]

Depends entirely on the elementary school, the kid and the family. Our eldest was allowed to work ahead a year in math at his DCPS before BASIS.  We're raising our kids bilingual and biliterate in a language not taught in DC public schools, meaning language classes on weekends and homework in the second language. We've been supplementing for reading and writing via on-line courses and tutors for several years. Our kids play musical instruments in youth ensembles. One also plays competitive chess. BASIS was actually less work in 5th than our kids were accustomed to from 4th grade. [/quote]

Ok. Your point it? You took the time to chime in to say that if you effectively have your kid in school school 7 days a week and pay for tutors and teachers on the side then Basis (or any school) isn't a step up? Would you also like to share that your kid has been in USA Gymnastics since the age of 3, attends Olympic training camps in TX and competed at the Junior Worlds and you want everyone to know that gym class at Wilson isn't very challenging?

I assume you were going for "humble brag". You landed instead on something that rhymes - "d-bag".   [/quote]

This thread has become ridiculously unpleasant.

[b]PP above makes a fair point: don't believe the hype.[/b] All 5th graders aren't going to find the BASIS workload intimidating, not in a Metro area where high-achieving families are a dime a dozen.

The fact that a new BASIS student attended a DC public ES through 4th grade doesn't necessarily mean that they're not used to hard work and high standards. The point seems to be that BASIS exceptionalism gets.....tiresome.[/quote]

There is no way that was your takeaway from what they posted. You clearly have an issue with Basis that through which you view all other posts. Seriously, someone posted that they do school 7 days a week and pay for tutors and external teachers and as a consequence Basis wasn't hard...and from that you take that Basis isn't that great a school? Seriously?[/quote]

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