Anonymous
Post 11/27/2022 22:52     Subject: The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mare Dei is all boys with lots of male teachers in upper grades. Athletics are emphasized. And it has become a feeder for Georgetown Prep.

Our active, athletic, resilient boys benefitted significantly from the experience. But it wasn’t always easy for them.


Do you mean academically, or was it too religion-focused?

Also, congratulations on Prep!


The religion part was easy. The school is strongly Catholic. But not so much that it creates a problem.

The academics weren’t always easy. They are pretty stringent when it comes to meeting requirements.

The male teachers and administrators don’t coddle the boys in the upper grades. One of ours chafed under that a little bit. But, longer term he benefitted from this approach. They insist the boys behave and interrelate in a certain manner. Some may scoff at the “be good guys” part of their motto, but they really do try and inculcate that in the boys.

It’s not for everyone. But it fits like Cinderella’s slipper for some.


Can you elaborate on who you think MD is not for? We are considering for upper school.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2022 20:02     Subject: The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How Catholic are you? We are devout and The Heights would be our top if we still lived in DC.


Catholic is how we were raised. Although we do still have faith, we do not attend church regularly. Having said this, through research, it is clear to us that it is in disputed the children raised with faith are happier. For that reason, we are looking for a school that meaningfully includes religion in its curriculum.


The Catholic faith did not make anyone in my family happier. 12 years of Catholic school was rough.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2022 18:55     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Sorry that you feel this way. We’ve had nothing but lovely experiences at HTS and have been impressed with the curriculum and faculty.


You are sadly misinformed. For those of you that actually want your kids to receive a quality education, look elsewhere.


Notice how the one throwing our nasty attacks are anti-heights. All those who have said that they are pleased with The Heights have been respectful. Before anything, I’d like my child to be taught to be respectful- which it seems that The Heights is doing a better job of based on this forum!
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2022 07:32     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:One of my favorite Mater Dei stories concerns dealing with a class of boys who appear not to be ready to settle down and take instruction.

The instructor took them outside and had them run around the perimeter of the football field to get the excess energy burned off.

It seemed to me to be a fantastic approach.

That would never happen at a co-ed school. I'm not sure it happens at other all boys schools.

Boys are different from girls and should be dealt with differently. Mater Dei gets that.


This happens at all boys schools.


This happens at co-ed schools and even public ones. Not unique at all to MD. That said OP these 3 schools are really different. What
Do you like about each? Did you go to the open houses?
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 17:53     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Sorry that you feel this way. We’ve had nothing but lovely experiences at HTS and have been impressed with the curriculum and faculty.


You are sadly misinformed. For those of you that actually want your kids to receive a quality education, look elsewhere.
I’m curious how you are qualified to make such a judgment.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 15:32     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Sorry that you feel this way. We’ve had nothing but lovely experiences at HTS and have been impressed with the curriculum and faculty.


You are sadly misinformed. For those of you that actually want your kids to receive a quality education, look elsewhere.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 14:49     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Sorry that you feel this way. We’ve had nothing but lovely experiences at HTS and have been impressed with the curriculum and faculty.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 12:28     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:One of my favorite Mater Dei stories concerns dealing with a class of boys who appear not to be ready to settle down and take instruction.

The instructor took them outside and had them run around the perimeter of the football field to get the excess energy burned off.

It seemed to me to be a fantastic approach.

That would never happen at a co-ed school. I'm not sure it happens at other all boys schools.

Boys are different from girls and should be dealt with differently. Mater Dei gets that.


This happens at all boys schools.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 10:15     Subject: The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
I don't know how anyone could objectively say which is "best" ... but I have 3 sons at The Heights and love it.

I think you can't go wrong with any of those choices, but it really comes down to what feels right for your family.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2022 10:15     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Hard yes for HTS based on results.

HTS is a top 3 feeder school to Gonzaga and Visi every year.



Dream on! It is about the relationship between HTS and Gonzaga/Visi. Plus many accepted students are legacies. Not true about being a top 3 feeder school every year -- that's what parents are betting on when they send their kids to HTS, but the admission numbers vary greatly from year to year.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2022 20:51     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Hard yes for HTS based on results.

HTS is a top 3 feeder school to Gonzaga and Visi every year.

Anonymous
Post 11/20/2022 20:49     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Some of the preference for Gonzaga over Prep for these HT families could be related to geography and commuting difference.

Prep is a significant journey from the HT campus and the neighborhoods that send their boys to HT.


50% of the HTS student population live in Virginia close to the Chain Bridge or Key Bridge.

Anonymous
Post 11/20/2022 16:50     Subject: The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
The heights is for SUPER Catholics. Like go to church daily and don’t believe in birth control.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2022 16:42     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Anonymous wrote:Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.


Some of the preference for Gonzaga over Prep for these HT families could be related to geography and commuting difference.

Prep is a significant journey from the HT campus and the neighborhoods that send their boys to HT.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2022 15:48     Subject: Re:The Heights, Mater Dei, vs Holy trinity: what’re best DC area private Catholic boysElementary school
Hard no for Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Terrible curriculum and faculty. But yes they do send many boys to Gonzaga, but only 1 or 2 per year to Georgetown Prep.