No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

Small class sizes.
Responsive teachers and administrators.
Material resources: classroom supplies, art or science materials, books, and the (not at all new) building being cheerful and well lit.

Our school is too small to run a bus, so that's a downside.

Small class sizes, responsive teachers, fewer or no behavioral disruptions, not having to think about lunch, not having to think about paying for dances, sporting events, small focused college counseling.

Can I say what I hope to like? Smaller class sizes. My kid can't focus in a room of 24 kids. In his smaller academic classes (8-14 students), he has no issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

same poster. I also really like the lack of disruptions. This will make me sound awful to SN parents but in mcps lower grades my kid always had a child with autism in her class, she was friend’s daughter with him, but twice a week or so he would have a sensory overload and start yelling and throwing things including chairs. If the teacher and staff couldn’t calm him the class had to leave the room while he got it together. Glad we’re not dealing with that anymore.

My daughter had this in her public middle school. Budget cuts and parents wanting their SN kids in regular school, led to the closing of programs for these kids in our county. Additionally staff not being able to even touch these kids when they were having these events.

I never once went to her MS and not found a child wandering the halls ignoring a staff member trying to cajole them into coming back, or throwing themselves on the floor screaming, with a special ed aid trying to talk them into getting up. It was disconcerting as an adult to see, and my daughter reluctantly admitted to me that she found it scary.

Crucify me for saying it, but it's nice that this isn't in our private school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

same poster. I also really like the lack of disruptions. This will make me sound awful to SN parents but in mcps lower grades my kid always had a child with autism in her class, she was friend’s daughter with him, but twice a week or so he would have a sensory overload and start yelling and throwing things including chairs. If the teacher and staff couldn’t calm him the class had to leave the room while he got it together. Glad we’re not dealing with that anymore.

Yikes! Sounds like it was probably not the correct placement for that other child.

Switched my son to private this year into 3rd grade. What I love is that I get ZERO complaints about going to school. He loves it and raves about it all the time. His happiness makes me happy. It wasn't the same enthusiasm for public.

Smaller class size

FIVE DAY WEEKS OF SCHOOL!!!!

Wide open 2020-2021 school year

My experience is with a small Catholic high school:

Smaller class sizes.

Students aren't disruptive. Those that are, are out.

In the 5 years my kids have been at our private HS, the police have only been parked out front one time.

Teachers who are really interested in seeing these kids learn and blossom. Not just shepherding them to the door come the end of the semester/school year.

Highschool (came from public K-8 to a Cathedral school)

-the vastly improved academics, especially in the humanities
-the traditions
-the prestige

“ friends with him” not sure where daughter came from.

Anonymous wrote:The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

same poster. I also really like the lack of disruptions. This will make me sound awful to SN parents but in mcps lower grades my kid always had a child with autism in her class, she was friend’s daughter with him, but twice a week or so he would have a sensory overload and start yelling and throwing things including chairs. If the teacher and staff couldn’t calm him the class had to leave the room while he got it together. Glad we’re not dealing with that anymore.

The luxury of it

The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

Interested in what you like best about private school, whether it's what you expected or you were happily surprised.