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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Oh, and forgive me but I feel compelled to share our anecdote.  We went through exactly the same mental block about the distance that others do.  First time we drove to the school to visit, we both thought, "Oh, it's SO far."  And I think it felt that way because it's a different (more rural) kind of driving.  Just north of Germantown, around where one gets into Boyds, you feel very far away from life in Rockville.

But thank goodness we got over that because it turned out to be a complete non-issue relative to the quality of the school.

OK, enough on transportation logistics for today.  Back to your regularly scheduled programming.[/quote]

Can you tell me more about Barnesville? How is it for unconventional learners/GTLD/SN kids? What is the typical parent profile? We are a bit more "crunchy" than many DC-ers (recent CA transplants) and seek a nurturing, not-too-preppy, engaging, warm environment for early elementary.

Any thoughts appreciated![/quote]

Well, we're hardly objective because we absolutely love the school and in particular we love the parents.  All the parents we know are very involved with the school, there is a ton of volunteerism, and it's just a very supportive, welcoming place.  If you're looking for "nurturing, not preppy, engaging, warm" you could hardly do better.

As for unconventional learners they have some resources available -- they have a reading specialist with the school who helps kids with challenges in that area, there's also a speech/social specialist, though that costs extra, that's someone who is permitted to work with students there but parents contract with them separately.  The reading specialist isn't someone we have had to use, so we can't vouch for her personally, but I believe she's actually employed by the school, and judging by rapid progress other kids in the class have made, she clearly knows what she is doing.

Not a SN school by any means, most of the kids are already strong academic achievers but the small class sizes and the general attitude of the school are very conducive to kids having an opportunity to get individualized instruction where they need a little extra work.  In our class, every kid seemed to have some real strong talents, but a few of them had an area they had to work harder on, too.  They were thus able to learn from each other, and to help one another, while also getting extra attention from the teacher in the discipline if they weren't as strong in it.  And the teachers and parents are very on top of the social interactions between the kids, so if a kid is a bit off the beaten path, it's a very warm and supportive place to be.

Everyone is looking for something different, but if you were the parent of a student who was academically in a decent place, I would definitely look into it.  My feeling wouldn't change even if your child has an unconventional learning profile or a particular challenge that needed to be worked on, as it doesn't seem to be a huge problem there.  If they're not equipped to handle a specific LD, they'll be up front about it and discuss whether it's possible to work with the parent to bring in other resources.  It's hard to find schools that provide both the helping hand as necessary, and the strong academics at the same time, and this is one.

One of the notable things about the school is the number of annual shows and performances (grandparents' day, holiday show, may day, graduation) at which the kids get experience singing, dancing, and speaking in front of an audience.  It's done in low pressure ways and it's a part of the school's routine, so even the kids who are shy and a bit withdrawn at first all seem like poised public speakers by 8th graduation.  It's indeed something to see.

OK, enough gushing. Obviously, we love the school.[/quote]

Thank you!!!!!!!!! It sounds wonderful. Thank you for the great information here. It is definitely on our radar now. [/quote]

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