Like most parochial schools, ours offers an orchestra program. The school has a contract with a company that offers orchestra programs to a number of Catholic and other private schools around here. The instructor somehow teaches *all* of the instruments. The company's CEO has videos in which he demonstrates how to play all of the instruments, and as a musician myself I'm extremely unimpressed. The company also has videos of end-of-the-year concerts their students have done, and the repertoire is too challenging and the quality of the playing is horrible.

So am I upset at the school for not offering a professional-level orchestra program? Not at all. I'm glad there's an option for kids who want to try music. I do not plan to waste the $500 to enroll my children in the orchestra program, and they will go to private lessons with a competent instructor when they are ready, and eventually likely do youth orchestra. There's just no other way to get good at music. While I would love a school that dedicates a lot of time to training excellent classical musicians, such a school does not exist around here. If we can identify a couple other kids in the program who are doing private lessons I may try to organize a school string quartet eventually and see whether I can get my volunteer hours from coaching the quartet.

Can you volunteer and actual see what they do? At our catholic school in MD, parents can volunteer for art class (not music) and they learn about all kinds of things. They did a whole project on picasso in 2nd. It was awesome! Music is alot of singing and some musical history and theory but light.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have you started multiple threads complaining about your children's school?

Congrats getting the moderator to delete any criticism of BSSM. Thank goodness for Reddit. Lots of great commentary there. And uncensored.

Imagining you throwing yourself on the floor and having a tantrum, with little wisps of steam coming out of your ears.

You seem to be the one throwing tantrums. Lots of TRUTH coming out about bssm — here and elsewhere. Too bad, so sad.

So now that you’ve revealed the truth what’s your plan? Are you going to keep advocating for your children to strangers here on DCUM or are you going to ask for a meeting with the administration or find a school that you like better?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have you started multiple threads complaining about your children's school?

Congrats getting the moderator to delete any criticism of BSSM. Thank goodness for Reddit. Lots of great commentary there. And uncensored.

Imagining you throwing yourself on the floor and having a tantrum, with little wisps of steam coming out of your ears.

You seem to be the one throwing tantrums. Lots of TRUTH coming out about bssm — here and elsewhere. Too bad, so sad.

We’re at the other big Alexandria parochial. The art teacher is a talented artist and the music teacher is great. I’m thinking yours probably is too, but your kids aren’t relaying what they actually are learning.

I did not know this detail before that you went to public and had a great experience. How did you end up choosing Catholic then? You seem very unhappy with it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - have you started multiple threads complaining about your children's school?

Congrats getting the moderator to delete any criticism of BSSM. Thank goodness for Reddit. Lots of great commentary there. And uncensored.

Imagining you throwing yourself on the floor and having a tantrum, with little wisps of steam coming out of your ears.

Anonymous wrote:OP - have you started multiple threads complaining about your children's school?

Congrats getting the moderator to delete any criticism of BSSM. Thank goodness for Reddit. Lots of great commentary there. And uncensored.

OP - have you started multiple threads complaining about your children's school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's disappointing that you aren't happy with your curriculum! At our Catholic school in MD my children are learning to sing and read music and identify different instruments by ear in music class. In art they are mostly learning to draw with different art materials (pencils, pastels, paint etc) but they also do some sculpting/collage/etc. They have genuinely gained actual skills in both these classes. I don't know how that compares to the public schools.

That sounds great. Unfortunately, at my Alexandria k-8 Catholic school, they seem to primarily watch YouTube videos and play on iPad.

So you are going to send them to a different school, right? One you don’t hate.

Or just keep paying the tuition and complaining on DCUM.

How much do you want to bet OP is actually a student at St Mary’s who just really hates the school and is posing as a parent to recruit others to his or her cause?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's disappointing that you aren't happy with your curriculum! At our Catholic school in MD my children are learning to sing and read music and identify different instruments by ear in music class. In art they are mostly learning to draw with different art materials (pencils, pastels, paint etc) but they also do some sculpting/collage/etc. They have genuinely gained actual skills in both these classes. I don't know how that compares to the public schools.

That sounds great. Unfortunately, at my Alexandria k-8 Catholic school, they seem to primarily watch YouTube videos and play on iPad.

So you are going to send them to a different school, right? One you don’t hate.

Or just keep paying the tuition and complaining on DCUM.

That’s unfortunate, as my children attend a large Catholic school in Alexandria and do
amazing art projects! Their music class is a lot fun and the teacher seems to have boundless energy. I am so grateful for these fine arts teachers!

Anonymous wrote:It's disappointing that you aren't happy with your curriculum! At our Catholic school in MD my children are learning to sing and read music and identify different instruments by ear in music class. In art they are mostly learning to draw with different art materials (pencils, pastels, paint etc) but they also do some sculpting/collage/etc. They have genuinely gained actual skills in both these classes. I don't know how that compares to the public schools.

That sounds great. Unfortunately, at my Alexandria k-8 Catholic school, they seem to primarily watch YouTube videos and play on iPad.

Delighted with the Art & Music teachers at Saint Ann.

Visit their art show and attend the Christmas concert.

The kids at this school are all sent home with recorders as part of their 4th grade music program. You claim to have a kiddo in 5th grade; good on you for somehow “missing” an entire year’s worth of your former 4th grade’s music curriculum.

(I wish I had been so lucky, honestly. That recorder is now so deep at the bottom of the city’s landfill at this point.)