Anonymous
03/05/2013 17:16
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:I believe the new Beauvoir Head of School is from Massachusetts.
By birth perhaps, but she was Head of School at Philadelphia School in Phila.,PA for the last 5 years. The Philadelphia school is a profressive school and is famous for producing a lot of theatre prodigies. Check out its Board on their website. Its very progressive, Philadeelphia arts and humanities elite types
Anonymous
03/05/2013 17:11
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Easy - Beauvoir is nominally Episcopalian. GDS is nominally Jewish. Both are the more liberal sectors of each religious contingent and their school administration's actions and policies reflect the influence of each "tribe".
GDS is nominally "nothing." It was started in 1945 by people who were not into segregation
So, you have never, ever heard that GDS is primarily Jewish and you would swear that the school is, like Beauvoir no more than 20% from any particular religious group ? Question: does GDS give tests on Yom Kippur ? Is it open on Yom Kippur ? Not that there is anything wrong with making allowances , but lets be honest as to the reasons why that is done. There is more religious diversity at Beauvoir than at GDS. That is a fact.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 17:05
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Beauvoir parent here. Never heard something so ridicuous in my life. "Boob job" ??? I think the women are too busy representing the US at the UN, billing hours at their law firm or running their own company. Of the SAHM's I know, all are former law partners. I think the stereotypes that you are potraying are not even worthy of an adolescent. You seem to want to put people in a box. Isn't taht what GDS says is wrong with the world ?
Anonymous
03/05/2013 16:45
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Exceedingly funny. Not entirely inaccurate, for a stereotype. I read the OP to a colleague. Here's the opinion I got back:
Beauvoir is for rich people who pretend they're very rich people and pretend not to know that their kids are sometimes stoned. GDS is for rich people who pretend that they're cool and don't mind that their kids are perpetually stoned.
I would offer the following modification of PP's colleague's characterization: B is for rich people who are unapologetic about being rich. GDS is for rich people who feel guilty (or at least pretend to feel guilty) about being rich.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 13:12
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Exceedingly funny. Not entirely inaccurate, for a stereotype. I read the OP to a colleague. Here's the opinion I got back:
Beauvoir is for rich people who pretend they're very rich people and pretend not to know that their kids are sometimes stoned. GDS is for rich people who pretend that they're cool and don't mind that their kids are perpetually stoned.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 13:05
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Easy - Beauvoir is nominally Episcopalian. GDS is nominally Jewish. Both are the more liberal sectors of each religious contingent and their school administration's actions and policies reflect the influence of each "tribe".
GDS is nominally "nothing." It was started in 1945 by people who were not into segregation
Anonymous
03/05/2013 12:49
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Yes, it helps if its accurate and not an outdated stereotype....
There's still some truth to this stereotype. Also, I know lots of B families who belong to country clubs, not so many GDS families.
What proportion/percentage of B families fit the stereotype would you say?
Anonymous
03/05/2013 12:47
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Yes, it helps if its accurate and not an outdated stereotype....
There's still some truth to this stereotype. Also, I know lots of B families who belong to country clubs, not so many GDS families.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 12:37
Subject: Re:Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:One aspect about the Beauvoir parenting community which is truly special is that parents are encouraged to spend time in the school with their kids especially after drop off in the morning. For working parents it's the opportunity to arrive at 7:50 and have quality unstructured time w/your child until the day begins (8:15 or 8:30 depending on grade) which is a great opportunity - especially for those of us that sometimes work late. An indirect benefit of this policy is the parental community gets to know each other very well in a casual environment and not based on social status communities outside the school. Beauvoir is able to do this because of the accessible parking situation and the age of the students. The last thing I was thinking when I enrolled my child, was that I would make so many friends... didn't even cross my mind - in fact people who send their children so they can make friends scare me. For the record I am a single parent whose child is the beneficiary of relatives paying for tuition. Our apartment and my income would definitely put us in the "have not" category, but I have been awed by how social status seems irrelevant within the halls of the school and each family embraces each other. There are many different types of families at the school. It truly is a family school where families regardless of background get to know each other well. It would be hard for that not to happen given the morning environment. There may be other schools that have policies the open door parental policy that Beauvoir does, but I can't think of one in DC proper.
I have many friends whose kids have gone onto GDS, Sidwell and obviously NCS, STA and by those ages the parent in the classroom is not encouraged due to age on top of that due to parking and other issues it is not realistic. I'm thinking of two friends in particular whose Beauvoir kids are at GDS & Sidwell who have both said that they love their current schools, but what Beauvoir has in terms of family community is unparalleled and very special.
NP here: I do hope our experiences will mirror yours as I think we are choosing Beauvoir over GDS.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 12:24
Subject: Re:Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
One aspect about the Beauvoir parenting community which is truly special is that parents are encouraged to spend time in the school with their kids especially after drop off in the morning. For working parents it's the opportunity to arrive at 7:50 and have quality unstructured time w/your child until the day begins (8:15 or 8:30 depending on grade) which is a great opportunity - especially for those of us that sometimes work late. An indirect benefit of this policy is the parental community gets to know each other very well in a casual environment and not based on social status communities outside the school. Beauvoir is able to do this because of the accessible parking situation and the age of the students. The last thing I was thinking when I enrolled my child, was that I would make so many friends... didn't even cross my mind - in fact people who send their children so they can make friends scare me. For the record I am a single parent whose child is the beneficiary of relatives paying for tuition. Our apartment and my income would definitely put us in the "have not" category, but I have been awed by how social status seems irrelevant within the halls of the school and each family embraces each other. There are many different types of families at the school. It truly is a family school where families regardless of background get to know each other well. It would be hard for that not to happen given the morning environment. There may be other schools that have policies the open door parental policy that Beauvoir does, but I can't think of one in DC proper.
I have many friends whose kids have gone onto GDS, Sidwell and obviously NCS, STA and by those ages the parent in the classroom is not encouraged due to age on top of that due to parking and other issues it is not realistic. I'm thinking of two friends in particular whose Beauvoir kids are at GDS & Sidwell who have both said that they love their current schools, but what Beauvoir has in terms of family community is unparalleled and very special.
I have many friends whose kids have gone onto GDS, Sidwell and obviously NCS, STA and by those ages the parent in the classroom is not encouraged due to age on top of that due to parking and other issues it is not realistic. I'm thinking of two friends in particular whose Beauvoir kids are at GDS & Sidwell who have both said that they love their current schools, but what Beauvoir has in terms of family community is unparalleled and very special.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 11:07
Subject: Re:Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
With the exception of 21:25 and, perhaps, the PP who mentioned boob jobs and grey hair, most posters here were fairly civil and relatively accurate in their postings. For 21:25, sad that protesting the bigoted Westboro Baptist Church = "injustice , which seems to be found under every rock and blade of grass."
Anonymous
03/05/2013 08:17
Subject: Re:Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Love a previous comment about somehow reflecting the real world, although I realize they were referring to political leanings. (In any case, Beauvoir and GDS put in the same category as the "real world" in any sense is laughable.) Great schools with great reputations but I think it's fair to say you want to feel like the school is home for your DC and fits your family's style and values. Re-visit and talk to as many parents as you can.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 08:05
Subject: Re:Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote: Beauvoir has a moral curriculum empahsising being part of a community. GDS seems to teach kids to stand up and fight injustice , which seems to be found under every rock and blade of grass. I suppose ther are worse options.
So, "being part of a community" means condoning injustice? And, don't you fight injustice to better your community?
No dog in this fight -- I'm a Sidwell parent -- but I just have to say this is idiotic and mean-spirited. Our kids are in HS and college now, and, believe me, over the years you realize what hogwash all these stereotypes are. Please do not choose a school based on something so superficial as what kinds of bags the moms carry or whether they color their hair.
Anonymous
03/05/2013 06:53
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
I believe the new Beauvoir Head of School is from Massachusetts.
Anonymous
03/04/2013 23:40
Subject: Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?
Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?
Yes, it helps if its accurate and not an outdated stereotype....