Anonymous
01/13/2026 11:08
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For those of you reporting good experiences at application HSs, where did your kids do middle school and did you have that experience there?
I actually worry more about my kid getting list in the crowd in middle. She's highly academic but super shy and teachers like her but when there are louder/extroverted kids around in these general ed classes, she tends to get lost in the hubbub. I expect that in high school she'll be able to find more of a nice because you can select your classes more, but worry that in MS this will be hard.
You just described my kid to a T. She went to Stuart-Hobson and a
attended Watkins and Peabody. Honestly, her introversion made her stand out. Teachers were really impressed that she had the ability to put her head down and get things done. Her best friend was/is a textbook extrovert. I also was a presence at the school and volunteered when I could.
PP here and S-H is our IB middle! That is so great to hear. Our elementary has a lot of very extroverted kids so it's hard to tell what the vibe will be going into middle.
S-H is definitely becoming a performing arts standout, so it's expected that a lot of the kiddos will have outsized personalities. Our kid THRIVED in the museum studies program and really enjoyed curating museum projects connected to the musicals. She said it was stressful, but she learned so much about curation, leadership and organization. The library was also a welcoming and quiet space for kiddos. I really appreciated her time there. It was not perfect at all. But it was good.
Anonymous
01/12/2026 15:42
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This has been our experience at Truth. So, if your kid isn't headed for a competitive HS and you didn't get in to Latin in 5th grade may be a good spot to look. The academics aren't as rigorous as Banneker (and maybe Latin, but I've got no first hand experience there), but that actually works well for our kid.
This school has not really been on our radar bc it is a bit harder to get to from our house, and also as a charter that is 6-12 we weren't sure how many kids get in for 9th grade. Is there a large cohort that starts new in 9th grade, or do most of the kids already know each other?
The school is still pretty new, so only a handful of years to really give you data from. Plus, this is the first year in the new school building (separate now from the MS). So things will likely change over the next few years. But I think there are enough kids from the MS that head towards the application HS's that there's opportunity for backfill and new students coming in.
Anonymous
01/12/2026 12:49
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For those of you reporting good experiences at application HSs, where did your kids do middle school and did you have that experience there?
I actually worry more about my kid getting list in the crowd in middle. She's highly academic but super shy and teachers like her but when there are louder/extroverted kids around in these general ed classes, she tends to get lost in the hubbub. I expect that in high school she'll be able to find more of a nice because you can select your classes more, but worry that in MS this will be hard.
You just described my kid to a T. She went to Stuart-Hobson and a
attended Watkins and Peabody. Honestly, her introversion made her stand out. Teachers were really impressed that she had the ability to put her head down and get things done. Her best friend was/is a textbook extrovert. I also was a presence at the school and volunteered when I could.
PP here and S-H is our IB middle! That is so great to hear. Our elementary has a lot of very extroverted kids so it's hard to tell what the vibe will be going into middle.
Anonymous
01/12/2026 12:46
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Not been mentioned yet, but my child does love a good handful of his BASIS teachers. He has close relationships particularly with club advisors who have also taught him. Clubs are also good for wandering around right after school -- he said he always goes and chats with last years favorite teachers.
Anonymous
01/12/2026 11:20
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
I don't even think my kid has a strong relationship with a single teacher at DCI, so, not there.
Anonymous
01/12/2026 08:14
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
It’s already been said, but: Latin is great for this. I have a Latin grad an a current HS student and the student-teacher relationships there are extraordinary, at least compared to my HS experiences! My college kid was home for Christmas and made sure to catch up with several of his teachers.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:50
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Latin excels at this!
Anonymous
01/08/2026 17:30
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Anonymous wrote:For those of you reporting good experiences at application HSs, where did your kids do middle school and did you have that experience there?
I actually worry more about my kid getting list in the crowd in middle. She's highly academic but super shy and teachers like her but when there are louder/extroverted kids around in these general ed classes, she tends to get lost in the hubbub. I expect that in high school she'll be able to find more of a nice because you can select your classes more, but worry that in MS this will be hard.
Application HS PP: our middle school was Wells and the student-teacher connection there is phenomenal. Speaking not just for my own kid but so many other kids I know.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 17:21
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Anonymous wrote:For those of you reporting good experiences at application HSs, where did your kids do middle school and did you have that experience there?
I actually worry more about my kid getting list in the crowd in middle. She's highly academic but super shy and teachers like her but when there are louder/extroverted kids around in these general ed classes, she tends to get lost in the hubbub. I expect that in high school she'll be able to find more of a nice because you can select your classes more, but worry that in MS this will be hard.
You just described my kid to a T. She went to Stuart-Hobson and a
attended Watkins and Peabody. Honestly, her introversion made her stand out. Teachers were really impressed that she had the ability to put her head down and get things done. Her best friend was/is a textbook extrovert. I also was a presence at the school and volunteered when I could.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 13:36
Subject: Strong Teacher–Student Connections?
Definitely MacArthur. The major benefit of that school is the admin, the teachers, and the relationships they have with the students.