Reply to Beauvoir - what do you like? What don't you like?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thanks everyone! If you all are a good representation of the parents at Beauvoir that speaks volumes. This board is notorious for negative Nancy's and someone who always has something negative to say...the fact that has not happened in this entire thread I think say a lot about the schools values truly being reflected in the families it admits.[/quote]

OP, I hope I will not get slammed as a "negative Nancy," but as a parent of two former Beauvoir students, I will offer a slightly different opinion than those previously expressed:  Beauvoir is a fine school, and certainly among the top in this area, but it is lacking in a few areas.  For example, it's simply not as strong as some other schools in such areas as art and music, if that's important to you.  While Beauvoir has a beautiful campus with light-filled classrooms, a nice cafeteria (and good food), and of course that magical playground, I always found it strange that the school lacks a proper theater.  Performances take place in a small multipurpose room or in the Cathedral (where everyone not lucky enough to snag a pew in one of the first rows cranes their necks for a view).  The art classes (at least when my kids were there) were run with a heavy hand - every student produced the same artwork, with slight variations.  My kids (who didn't choose to go to NCS/STA, but instead to other competitive area schools) were not as well prepared for fourth grade as some of their new classmates, particularly in math and Spanish.

Both my kids were generally very happy at Beauvoir.  Most of the teachers were good, although one of my kids had a truly subpar teacher one year- not at all at the level she she should have been for a school of Beauvoir's reputation (and price tag).  However, you will find this uneven level of teaching talent at all the schools in this area.

I hope this is helpful.  Best of luck.

[/quote]

Thanks for your insight, and no you don't sound like a Negative Nancy just someone who didn't have as good as of experience as some others. I noticed that there was no theater. I chalked it up to the grade level they focus on. I imagine Pk-3 don't really need to perform on a big stage. I don't particularly have an interest in the arts but I definitely want my children to be exposed to it because they could very well have one that I am currently unaware of.

As for the language I find that interesting. When talking to other parents about the language programs most say you don't get any real intensity till the 4th grade and only an introduction (unless you go the immersion route). At least one school - GDS - doesn't offer language until the 3rd of 4th grade I think. Nonetheless, this is something I will follow up with the school on because foreign language instruction is important to me, as well as a good foundation in math. If you don't mind sharing which schools did your kids go to? How hard was it for them to catch up? [/quote]

11:45 here.  I don't want to identify my children's schools, but they are schools frequently mentioned in conjunction with NCS/STA.  It was not difficult for our kids to catch up, but it took some extra work over the first semester.

I agree that a full-size theater is not always necessary for young children's performances, but it would be nice to have a room with stadium seating, at least, so that parents can truly see and enjoy the performances.  The school always asked parents who wanted to film or photograph their children to be considerate of those seated behind them, but unfortunately, there were always those one or two parents who blocked the views of others with their phones and iPads.  It just seemed odd that a school with so many resources lacked this basic facility that many other schools have.

To the parent who feels I unfairly characterized the art instruction:  of course the children produced a variety of artworks throughout the year using different media.  It's just that the subject was usually dictated to them:  today we are making a collage of the cathedral, or we are making a sculpture of X, using X materials, or we are making Keith Haring-like designs, using X color.  There didn't seem to be much opportunity for individual expression.  But again, this is my particular POV.

And just to comment on the outplacement process:  James Carroll is amazing at his job.  It cannot always be a pleasant job (especially when parents are disappointed about their children's options), but in our experience he was kind, diplomatic, incredibly knowledgeable, and very well-connected.  Everyone hates the process of applying to schools, but he took a great deal of the stress out of it.  I can't speak highly enough of him.[/quote]

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