Reply to Sidwell parents — is your child happy?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The thing about this thread is that those opposing sidwell like environments act as if all kids are the same. If your kid loves Burke or field then they may not like sidwell. Or if a kid is unhappy at a “sidwell like” school they may love Burke or field. But some kids do actually enjoy the challenge. They thrive off of it. Most kids are not like this, but if you do have a kid like this, they are the kind of kid who will be happy at a school like sidwell. [/quote]
Agree. Some kids will get stressed out by the work, others will find ways to handle it.  Know your kid, and don't be afraid to move if your kid isn't dealing well with the situation.[/quote]

The false premise of many of the comments on this thread is that Sidwell is unique in the pressure placed on its student (by the school, by their parents, or by themselves). I have one kid at Sidwell, have had another at an MCPS magnet, and know several kids/families at other top private (St. Albany, GDS) and public (RM IB, Blair math-sci, TJ). ALL OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE CRAZY INTENSE. The pressure from the school in the form of tons of homework is generally worst at the public magnets - the pressure from families and students themselves varies, but I certainly don’t think Sidwell is any more of a pressure cooker than anywhere else on this score. The fact is that competition for admission to the most selective colleges is over the top - way, way worse than anything that my generation (eighties h.s grad) faced. You can argue that the focus on getting into the most selective schools is warped, and you might be right. The fact remains,however, that parents, students think this is extremely important, and that’s ultimately why the experience of attending these schools is what it is. The DC area in particular is full of overachiever, hyper ambitious parents who want their kids to be admitted to the most selective (and consequently most prestigious) colleges.[/quote]

I completely agree. To pretend that Sidwell is uniquely challenging is downright ridiculous. [/quote]

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