Anonymous wrote:On a macro-level, how healthy is their financial aid program? Is it capitalized from current tuition, current gifts or good funds management of a long-standing endowment?

And on the individual level, if you get a good package one year, is is likely to be sustained at that level in successive years providing your financial situation is unchanged?

+1

Anonymous wrote:Are they required to follow the common core or can they/do they have their own curriculum?

No independent school is required to follow any government issue cuurricum. However, most of the teachers at the schools discussed on DCUM are aware of standards put out by states, NCTM, NGSS, etc . Regular grade level standards are met if not exceeded.

CHDS is a warm place, and most parents I know love it. But it lacks the cachet of the Big 3, is smallish, and is not in upper-nw, so it will have a tough time becoming more than just a school for kids on the Hill.

Anonymous wrote:09:30, parent of an alum here. Ask for a list of what they read in 7th and 8th grade (it includes Shakespeare, Wiesel, Poe, Ernest Gaines, Salinger, and many many others). And then imagine a former college professor teaching a two year english class with a summer break in the middle. The essay assignments required deep analysis and insight. I was stunned at the quality of the english instruction. The students in middle school at CHDS write an enormous amount. Our child was more than prepared for the rigors of high school.

Agree. Another alum parent here. My DC ended up reading some of the same books in 9th and 10th grade English in their high schools. And they really learned to write in middle school.

09:30, parent of an alum here. Ask for a list of what they read in 7th and 8th grade (it includes Shakespeare, Wiesel, Poe, Ernest Gaines, Salinger, and many many others). And then imagine a former college professor teaching a two year english class with a summer break in the middle. The essay assignments required deep analysis and insight. I was stunned at the quality of the english instruction. The students in middle school at CHDS write an enormous amount. Our child was more than prepared for the rigors of high school.

Anonymous wrote:We have checked out the school but have no enrolled. My take is that it is a good school with good staff and good programs, but is not that strong academically.

As a parent who has a child at the school, I very much disagree that the school is not strong academically.

We have checked out the school but have no enrolled. My take is that it is a good school with good staff and good programs, but is not that strong academically.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the parents like? Typical well-off, high powered, clubby private school crowd?

I'm biased, because I am a CHDS parent currently, but our your description does not fit us (we are a two-fed family) or most of the parents we know. The school places a strong emphasis on community, and just about every parent we've interacted with has been down-to-earth and friendly. There are certainly some exceptions, but that's true anywhere in life.

I agree with the PP. I think the parent community is great. And we are about as far from "high powered" as you can get.

Anonymous wrote:Are they required to follow the common core or can they/do they have their own curriculum?

CHDS doesn't follow Common Core. I don't know any area privates that use Common Core....

Anonymous wrote:What are the parents like? Typical well-off, high powered, clubby private school crowd?

I'm biased, because I am a CHDS parent currently, but our your description does not fit us (we are a two-fed family) or most of the parents we know. The school places a strong emphasis on community, and just about every parent we've interacted with has been down-to-earth and friendly. There are certainly some exceptions, but that's true anywhere in life.

What are the parents like? Typical well-off, high powered, clubby private school crowd?

On a macro-level, how healthy is their financial aid program? Is it capitalized from current tuition, current gifts or good funds management of a long-standing endowment?

And on the individual level, if you get a good package one year, is is likely to be sustained at that level in successive years providing your financial situation is unchanged?

Are they required to follow the common core or can they/do they have their own curriculum?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect the confusion is that someone in the school goes on a field trip every day, but each student only goes about once a week or so; PP, I can see how a child would find every day overwhelming! Our DC went there for middle school and loved it (in middle school!) and was very prepared for HS. Can't say enough good things about it.

Yes, this PP is correct. There are field trips happening every day (or almost every day), but an each individual class is not going on a trip every day. That would be nearly impossible from a logistical standpoint!

These are also field trips that are closely tied to the curriculum. Some can be quite short, others longer. They might go to a museum to see a few pieces relating to what they are studying. Or they might go to the arboretum to look at varieties of trees. They might go to the Folger Library to understand some aspect of Shakespeare. Some are in school - with visiting speakers. The kids get so used to them it's not a disruption and doesn't create overexcitement for the kids.

My kids really loved CHDS and the field education program was a big part of it. They are in HS/college now and still talk about some of the field trips and, more importantly, what they learned on the trips.

Anonymous wrote:I suspect the confusion is that someone in the school goes on a field trip every day, but each student only goes about once a week or so; PP, I can see how a child would find every day overwhelming! Our DC went there for middle school and loved it (in middle school!) and was very prepared for HS. Can't say enough good things about it.

Yes, this PP is correct. There are field trips happening every day (or almost every day), but an each individual class is not going on a trip every day. That would be nearly impossible from a logistical standpoint!