Academically it has been a huge challenge. My DD had great grades at Pyle but is struggling at a top private in 9th, particularly with writing and with the strict policies around late work, retakes, etc. Socially she is still hanging out with her public friends because she can walk to their houses.

Had our two children transition into a D.C. private having come from abroad.

They are settling in really well academically. Both are finding their coursework rewarding without it being overwhelming.

Socially, the middle school one is finding it a little more difficult to settle in but is still included in all the class invites (birthday parties, etc) for their gender (and some cross gender ones).

The younger elementary one is doing great socially. Already has good friends and is included in everything.

The parent community is lovely - in fact, much much more welcoming than we anticipated. The community ethos is great and has impressed us with its commitment to its values and support for its families.

So all-in-all, not totally perfect but far exceeding most all ingoing expectations.

Anonymous wrote:I am glad we aren’t the only ones. I have a social 9th grader who is struggling at their new school. Just not invited to anything. Luckily, they have outside activities, but it would be nice to join up with others outside of school. We even thought about changing schools. Maybe it will just take more time.

As another PP said, it's even harder for high school kids to find time to hang out outside of school. DD's old close friends from her previous public school are now too busy to hang out too, even though they are still very good friends. It's hard to find a time when everyone is free between schoolwork and extracurriculars. Like you I am hoping it will get easier over time to get comfortable with the new crowd at school.