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[quote=Anonymous]I'm a previous poster (23:55 from last year), and I can comment on the social climate/bullying...maybe. I'm hesitant because being social has never been a priority for me. I'm mostly a social loner, even though I'm involved in a ton of activities - and it doesn't bother me (send your kid here if (s)he is like me!).

In the middle school, there is quite a bit of bullying and a lot of social pressure. I have a younger sibling in eighth grade who has been bullied several times throughout the MS, and I know that it happens quite frequently. When I was at the MS, I was bullied a couple of times (for being a very serious male singer) and the old MS principal put a stop to it immediately. According to my sibling, the new principal seems to shun the topic as somewhat of a non-issue. Also, the whole bar/bat mitzvah thing in 7th grade can get quite hectic - you always knew about every party, about who was invited and who wasn't, and people would judge and rank partities. There will also be several doubleheader weekends, when you have to choose whose party to go to - weekly social catastrophes waiting to happen. So, there's clearly work that needs to be done there.

I don't really hear about bullying in the high school (it's not a very commonly discussed topic school-wide), and I don't know how it is handled. I can say that the social climate tends to be very clique-y from what I can tell, as 00:55 says. Some cliques definitely form in the normal way, but a lot form from time-intensive activities. I think theater is the best example (both performers and techies). I was involved in theater for my first two years in high school, and while the shows were fantastic and awesome, and while sets while amazing (it is hard to find a better HS performing arts department around), much of rehearsing/teching is social. It makes sense - theater people stay at school doing theater for hours and hours, sometimes until 10:30 or 11:00 - it's their lives. Same with people who do sports, quizbowl, math team, debate, singing...all of that stuff.

Also, it definitely depends on the class, as posters have mentioned. I would say that both my sibling's class and my class are pretty clique-y socially, compared to other classes.

In my opinion, middle school is iff-y in terms of socially-conscious children currently, but the high school is amazing. Social stuff is a major priority in every teenager's life. But ultimately, the majority of the people at GDS HS spend 75%+ of their time in class and doing schoolwork, and the remaining time is all used up on extracurriculars. I think I'm pretty typical in that I do not have a single break or activity period free, and I do things after school almost every day. And I love it. The fantastic teachers, the fantastic academics, and the fantastic activities that you have access to make GDS, in my opinion, well worth attending in most circumstances. This becomes more and more true as you progress through the high school. The classes become harder, but more tailored to your interests and passions - and you meet new, interesting people, who share those interests. The same thing happens with extracurriculars. That is my "social life," and the social life of many others.

I could see the social climate at GDS HS being very restrictive for students who are generally uninvolved with school stuff. There is quite a bit of pressure to do things at the high school. At the same time, however, I can see it being liberating for many people - a chance to finally enjoy passions with other people at school. That's what it's been for me.

An interesting tidbit for LMS parents who just loooove waiting in the carpool line: There is no such thing at the high school. The vast majority of the students stay at school past 3:15 for one reason or another, as evidenced by the significant lack of cars at that time.

Take this post with a grain of salt - I am one person, and 00:55 sounds like a very different person. Hopefully, our perspectives are helpful either way![/quote]

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