Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Yeah, I agree. In open-admission public schools, the maturity gap with boys really shows by 3rd–5th grade and can drag the whole environment down.

I may be odd, but I think something similar applies to girls too—they do better in a setting tailored to them. And of course, less mature boys in the mix make it even harder for girls to thrive.

That’s why we chose an all-boys school for middle/high school. You just can’t do real boy formation work—or the same for girls—at full strength in a co-ed environment.

WTH is “real boy formation work?” And why are you looking for any school to accomplish that?

Is this a serious question?

So you don't know either?

Anonymous wrote:Worth it. Will get worse in middle school. Read Carol Gilligan In a Different Voice. Girls start silencing themselves around boys. Best to move before middle school.

When I was going through this decision-making process, I read a ton of academic research in an attempt to take the emotion and reactive response out of it. There are a few studies, including a big one from the UK (where there are more single-sex schools across all regions and socioeconomic groups) that have shown co-ed is best for boys and worst for girls. And single-sex is best for girls. Single-sex is worst for boys.

After I read that, it validated my sense that in my DD's private co-ed k-8, boys' emotional development and education came at the expense of that of girls, regardless of the structure or priorities of the school.

Anonymous wrote:We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Same. 3rd was bad and 4th was a nightmare, and DD is going all-girls for 5th grade. We started her applications in August before 4th grade even started and with every boy incident that happened, we felt relieved to be working on a way out.

I was at a swim meet this week talking to two other random moms from the other team who live far away, and they spontaneously brought up how bad 4th grade was for their girls. I really didn't expect this boy stuff in late elementary and had braced myself for middle school mean girls. The situation took me by surprise, and the other moms agreed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Yeah, I agree. In open-admission public schools, the maturity gap with boys really shows by 3rd–5th grade and can drag the whole environment down.

I may be odd, but I think something similar applies to girls too—they do better in a setting tailored to them. And of course, less mature boys in the mix make it even harder for girls to thrive.

That’s why we chose an all-boys school for middle/high school. You just can’t do real boy formation work—or the same for girls—at full strength in a co-ed environment.

WTH is “real boy formation work?” And why are you looking for any school to accomplish that?

Is this a serious question?

We did single sex (for DDs and DSs) in high school and I'm happy with that. As much as I love the benefits of single sex education, I think too many years of it has some downsides in terms of dealing with the realities of life and building some normal coping/resilience skills.

I don't think middle school should be miserable just for the sake of being miserable or as some sort of endurance test. But taking every obstacle out of the path of our children doesn't serve them either. It's a tough balance and you have to trust your gut on YOUR situation and YOUR kid. But for me, a few years in key grades was perfect.

Also, FWIW, my friends who I consider the best moms and have boys in grades 3-12 all-boys schools make a real effort to have their boys involved in a co-ed extracurricular that takes some significant time.

All girls middle school was definitely NOT an awesome move for DD. Without the boys in MS it became an all out drama fest. She would have been better staying in her small coed private through 8th. All girls for HS, however, was great.

Anonymous wrote:2 girls in coed privates from K and switched to single sex in 9th. I hate that we waited so long.

+1 except mine were in public K-8.

Worth it. Will get worse in middle school. Read Carol Gilligan In a Different Voice. Girls start silencing themselves around boys. Best to move before middle school.

The old argument was that girls in coed schools were denied leadership opportunities and were silenced in the classroom. That is just no longer true in the independent schools around here. Girls are leaders in these schools in all areas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Yeah, I agree. In open-admission public schools, the maturity gap with boys really shows by 3rd–5th grade and can drag the whole environment down.

I may be odd, but I think something similar applies to girls too—they do better in a setting tailored to them. And of course, less mature boys in the mix make it even harder for girls to thrive.

That’s why we chose an all-boys school for middle/high school. You just can’t do real boy formation work—or the same for girls—at full strength in a co-ed environment.

WTH is “real boy formation work?” And why are you looking for any school to accomplish that?

2 girls in coed privates from K and switched to single sex in 9th. I hate that we waited so long.

Anonymous wrote:We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Yeah, I agree. In open-admission public schools, the maturity gap with boys really shows by 3rd–5th grade and can drag the whole environment down.

I may be odd, but I think something similar applies to girls too—they do better in a setting tailored to them. And of course, less mature boys in the mix make it even harder for girls to thrive.

That’s why we chose an all-boys school for middle/high school. You just can’t do real boy formation work—or the same for girls—at full strength in a co-ed environment.

We found that the boys only get worse with age due to a massive maturity gap. It's especially bad in grade 4. We're moving to an all girls school next year and DD can't wait. We also think she will thrive.

Holton mom here. Our daughter has a lot of friends from McLean in her class and there are multiple bus routes from McLean. We have been very happy there.

I have an 8yo daughter in McLean public. I really like the idea of an all girls education for my daughter. Madeira is close to us but it is only 9-12. I don’t think there are any single sex elementary schools close by.

Do you think the extra commute would be worth it?

DD is happy and social. She would be in AAP in third grade public. She is stronger in language arts than math. I know she would thrive in an all girls school. The boys are disruptive and a distraction.