We are new to the GDS community and came from a school with a stunning campus by comparison.

GDS has been perfect for my ds. He likes eating packed lunches and is super engaged academically. We would not choose some of the other schools typically discussed here because we saw too much focus on superficial values masking unbridled competition. This thread tends to support our analysis.

Perhaps those worried about GDS's campus should spend time worrying about truly dangerous or substandard schools plaguing our communities beyond NW DC. Just saying.

Sidwell got ranked #1 in the nation for school lunch

1. Sidwell Friends School — Washington, D.C.
If you’ve got the two First Daughters enrolled at your academy, you’d better be sure the lunch is luxurious. And that’s exactly how it is at Sidwell. Cuisines you’d never dream of show up on the menu here, such as an entire lunch of Brazilian delicacies like feijoada, caldo verde soup, all-natural chicken with coconut milk, and mango and pineapple with lime and mint. There’s a soup every day, like borscht, creamy spinach soup or Tuscan white bean, and creative dishes like the Creole caprese salad or hot and sour Cajun gumbo served on “Fat Tuesday.”

Anonymous wrote:People worrying about things like buildings and fancy dining areas are the ones driving tuition up. Please worry about fit and quality of education instead if you need something to worry about.

There are many top notch academic schools in the area, more than a few that cost annually an amount similar to what is charged by GDS. There is no reason to pick a school missing an important functionality like a good quality eating facility on campus, note PP, not fancy, just good quality. The lack of such on a brand new campus like GDS's upper school is one reason the school just doesn't stack up well against the competition. GDS is truly a second tier school and this is one reason - inadequate basic facilities.

Why don't GDS parents every come to the defense of the DCUM attack of the school?

Yes that HS hang out space smells of old food, dirty carpet and BO. It is pretty off putting

People worrying about things like buildings and fancy dining areas are the ones driving tuition up. Please worry about fit and quality of education instead if you need something to worry about.

Anonymous wrote:I am very curious where GDS spend their money? to hire high quality teacher? Really hope that is the case. Otherwise I just can't understand why they spend some money renovate their building. Paying more than 30k each year and I really hope the building can be like the elite private school. It is totally different from my impression of top private school.

That building is not as terrible as your writing ability.

And you are talking just about the building. the whole LS school can use a revamp in terms of their approach to Progressive education. It seems they didn't get the memo about the current trends and are still hanging on the "Progressive"tag of the 60's. I have never spoken to more traditional teachers in my life.

When it comes to food service, all of GDS is utterly bizarre. There isn't even a lunch room or cafeteria in the brand new upper school. In my opinion, that completely removes it from the list of top schools. That is an important feature of a top academic facility. Kids should have a designated place to buy and eat healthy lunches ( and at many private high schools also breakfast) on campus. It is a basic requirement. The lack of a dining facility in a brand new building is just flat out weird.

We thought the grossest aspect was that there is no cafeteria/lunch room.

Anonymous wrote:From visiting there, the LS seemed dirty and run down.

It's to weed out the shallow country club set. Looks like it's working.

From visiting there, the LS seemed dirty and run down.

Weird, I found the LS/MS building very well-designed and functional, with a great turf full size playing field, several playground for different aged kids, and plenty of art space, drama space and a great mini" forum" as you enter the middle school which works well for assemblys/meetings of smaller size than the whole school in the gym. It isn't exciting architecturally, but it works very well. My kids have been in the HS for a few years but I don't recall any maintenance or other problems with the LS/MS. It is now quite a few years since the last major renovation there, so maybe there are things that need to be done, but with the HS building project now completed for a few years, there should be time and money to spend on the LS/MS if it needs it. But just find the PPs comments odd having had three kids go through there pretty recently.

They put all their money into the HS. Have you seen it? It is pretty fancy. This is why you want to look at a K-8 and not a K-12. The little ones almost always get the shaft.

I am very curious where GDS spend their money? to hire high quality teacher? Really hope that is the case. Otherwise I just can't understand why they spend some money renovate their building. Paying more than 30k each year and I really hope the building can be like the elite private school. It is totally different from my impression of top private school.