Anonymous wrote:
Most sports practices are right after school. How does that work with the HB schedule?

I dislike the lack of parking and the dropoff/pickup zone. I'm not a huge fan of the building with all those stairs, even though it's a very nice new building. The school doesn't really teach organizational skills so a student who lacks those may struggle. The school allows kids to have their phones with them during the school day and I don't love that at all.

I LOVE the climate of the school- small, friendly, accepting. Teachers are mostly very good to good with some not-so-good too. But overall most are very invested in students. Kids don't get lost at HB because it's small. And the teachers are more flexible with letting kids choose what type of assignments to do and seem to try to focus on project-based learning. Homework isn't excessive, seems less compared to some other APS schools.

I think self motivated kids do well at HB as well as kids who are organized. Culture is accepting and there are kids of all stripes in different social groups but not really cliques if that makes sense. If your kid requires a lot of structure, this isn't the place for them. For the right student, they can just thrive at HB.

Most sports practices are right after school. How does that work with the HB schedule?

Anonymous wrote:I dislike the lack of parking and the dropoff/pickup zone. I'm not a huge fan of the building with all those stairs, even though it's a very nice new building. The school doesn't really teach organizational skills so a student who lacks those may struggle. The school allows kids to have their phones with them during the school day and I don't love that at all.

I LOVE the climate of the school- small, friendly, accepting. Teachers are mostly very good to good with some not-so-good too. But overall most are very invested in students. Kids don't get lost at HB because it's small. And the teachers are more flexible with letting kids choose what type of assignments to do and seem to try to focus on project-based learning. Homework isn't excessive, seems less compared to some other APS schools.

I think self motivated kids do well at HB as well as kids who are organized. Culture is accepting and there are kids of all stripes in different social groups but not really cliques if that makes sense. If your kid requires a lot of structure, this isn't the place for them. For the right student, they can just thrive at HB.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one there now. I would say the school seems very small - like the physical building and grounds. I think I would be claustrophobic spending 7 years there in that one small concrete building, but kid seems to like it so far.

This was my kid’s experience. She left for high school.

My kid never considered leaving. She loves the school. While HB is small, kids seem more likely to branch out to make friends in other grades, and also new kids come into the school in 9th grade, which brings some welcome new blood.

Yes, a few kids do leave to get a broader social experience. While you can play sports at your comprehensive high school, if you want to go to school with your friends on your team, you aren't going to get that at HB.

Also, the comprehensive high schools do offer a lot more class options so it's worth pulling up the program of studies from HB and comparing it to the program of studies at the comprehensive high schools as you make your decision. HB does not have intensified classes. Also my kid's AP class at HB mixes the AP kids in with kids taking the regular class all in the same classroom with the same teacher. We did not know that going in so this was a surprise to us, and it's not the type of AP experience I had in high school, which was a separate class.

We love HB and these tradeoffs are more than worth it to us. Just good to have full info going in.

Anonymous wrote:A kid who's a little quirky would do well at HB.

The school does a great job making school fun. Not every day of course as there are classes, tests, homework, etc. But there are fun traditions interspersed throughout the year.

The admins are very, very good. Supportive of students and staff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one there now. I would say the school seems very small - like the physical building and grounds. I think I would be claustrophobic spending 7 years there in that one small concrete building, but kid seems to like it so far.

This was my kid’s experience. She left for high school.

Anonymous wrote:I have one there now. I would say the school seems very small - like the physical building and grounds. I think I would be claustrophobic spending 7 years there in that one small concrete building, but kid seems to like it so far.