Anonymous
Post 04/07/2013 23:31     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
The extent to which GDS supporters go to obscure the reality of their school is baffling. GDS is a fine school that fills a unique niche in the Washington, DC private school landscape. GDS is NOT similar to STA – STA is a somewhat tradition bound an all-boys school with a long history in DC. GDS is a comparatively new school founded by Jewish and Black families who were being excluded from the schools such as STA. GDS has always been a VERY progressive/liberal school that draws its students from NW and the near in suburbs – it fits its community perfectly. STA is a world renowned destination school. Beyond that false comparison, there is the reticence here to acknowledge the ethnic character of the school that GDS itself considers a badge of honor. There also seems to be a reticence to admit to the artsy/hipster character of the students that is comparable to Maret, not STA.

The GDS supporters here do their school a disservice. The students at GDS are very bright and if my son were a highly intelligent, secular somewhat reserved “hipster” (non-athletic) type student, I’d want to know that there was a place for him.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2013 10:43     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I'm an atheist, and it doesn't matter to me if GDS is predominantly Jewish or Muslim or Pastafarian, but is a fact that it isn't predominantly Jewish. It is less than 40% Jewish.


So not a majority but maybe a plurality.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2013 09:36     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
And most importantly if this is for high school, listen to your DD, she is the one that will need to fit into the community and be comfortable at the school, not the parent. And the school really is all about the kid taking ownership of their intellectual lives and figuring out what they believe on various issues, instead of simply accepting the party line without real knowledge. My kid is not at all overtly liberal/countercultural and I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up politically quite conservative on some issues (albeit not social ones), and she has never felt marginalized, and has valued the dialog on issues that occur constantly at GDS.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 20:29     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD is considering GDS when applying to highschool in the fall. She is a strong athlete and good student. Our concern is finding the right place for her as she has previously been in a fairly sheltered, small class environment. Appreciate any honest feedback. And yes, we do plan to tour the school, along with others, when the 2013-2014 tours begin.....


Here's an honest opinion - if you think GDS is a good fit for your daughter then you should pursue it. Truthfully, GDS is unique - it's not for everyone, but it is different -- there is no school like it. The only possible "comparables" IMHO are Sidwell & Maret. NCS, Holton and the Catholic Schools are VERY different -- simply put if GDS is a fit for your DD then none of the other schools is.


I'm sorry, but I think that is a really silly and vacuous comment. Here's hoping young people are not all neatly labelled into where they "fit" at age 13. LOL and let's stop cloaking a school in wide sweeping generalizations . The world really isn't such an ordered place , all the square pegs here, the round ones over there....

Take a tour, read the curriculum, talk to other parents and ignore anyone who tries to stereotype a school.

Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 20:24     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


Religion is a non-factor at STA - the school is essentially secular.


The Koran is also read during Cathedral services and all of the world's religions are studied in sort of a philosophy class.

I would not say it is a non-factor. The students take two religion courses for a semester each in Upper School and there is mandatory chapel twice a week. The classes are chapel are structured to be welcoming to other faiths, but there's not a retreat from Christianity and a big feature of Chapel, for example, are prayers for those in the community in need, those in the service, and on other global or international issues. (And they say the Lord's Prayer together -- the Protestant version with "thine is the Kingdom" etc.)
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 21:15     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
I would agree with 18:40, and add that it's great that we really do have a range of different independent schools (which are still academically strong) to choose from in this area.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 18:40     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:My DD is considering GDS when applying to highschool in the fall. She is a strong athlete and good student. Our concern is finding the right place for her as she has previously been in a fairly sheltered, small class environment. Appreciate any honest feedback. And yes, we do plan to tour the school, along with others, when the 2013-2014 tours begin.....


Here's an honest opinion - if you think GDS is a good fit for your daughter then you should pursue it. Truthfully, GDS is unique - it's not for everyone, but it is different -- there is no school like it. The only possible "comparables" IMHO are Sidwell & Maret. NCS, Holton and the Catholic Schools are VERY different -- simply put if GDS is a fit for your DD then none of the other schools is.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:58     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
By the way, 17:56 here realizing that this was a hijacking of a GDS thread with an argument over religion at St. Albans. Sorry about that. If 17:38 posts again, take it as a given I probably disagree!
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:56     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


I'm a different poster. St. Albans actually is pretty diverse religiously. I believe I was told by a chaplain that the single largest religious denomination is Catholicism. I believe that the total number of Protestants in the aggregate, no separation by denomination (Episcopalians plus Baptists plus Presbyterian plus Methodists plus AME etc), is higher than the number of Catholic students. Probably Judaism is third, and, yes, also Hindu, Sikh, Muslims as well as those who are not religious. Even with the Protestants who attend, STA doesn't strike one as a particularly WASPy place compared to, say, a Groton or St. Paul's.


First, WASP, by definition encompasses all protestant denominations - though STA isn't drawing many (if any) bible thumpers. Second, the "Catholics" at STA are CINO and are WASP wannabes. No one cares about religion at STA.


Actually, I've always thought of "WASP" as a class thing too -- the Cabots and Saltonstalls and Lowells, old money mainline Episcopalians. I think if you see how it is used in literature/popular culture you'll see a fair amount of support for that conception of "WASP" -- and even by its own terms, there is "Anglo-Saxon" as part of the acronym.

Second, I've met a number of boys at St. Albans who are quite serious about their Catholic faith, so I think your comment about "CINOs" is overblown.

Third, although you say "no one cares about religion at STA" if you go to a chapel service (or read through the book of homilies from Chapel that is published by the student vestry every year), you can see the faith component.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:38     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


I'm a different poster. St. Albans actually is pretty diverse religiously. I believe I was told by a chaplain that the single largest religious denomination is Catholicism. I believe that the total number of Protestants in the aggregate, no separation by denomination (Episcopalians plus Baptists plus Presbyterian plus Methodists plus AME etc), is higher than the number of Catholic students. Probably Judaism is third, and, yes, also Hindu, Sikh, Muslims as well as those who are not religious. Even with the Protestants who attend, STA doesn't strike one as a particularly WASPy place compared to, say, a Groton or St. Paul's.


First, WASP, by definition encompasses all protestant denominations - though STA isn't drawing many (if any) bible thumpers. Second, the "Catholics" at STA are CINO and are WASP wannabes. No one cares about religion at STA.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:34     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


Religion is a non-factor at STA - the school is essentially secular.


I would not say it is a non-factor. The students take two religion courses for a semester each in Upper School and there is mandatory chapel twice a week. The classes are chapel are structured to be welcoming to other faiths, but there's not a retreat from Christianity and a big feature of Chapel, for example, are prayers for those in the community in need, those in the service, and on other global or international issues. (And they say the Lord's Prayer together -- the Protestant version with "thine is the Kingdom" etc.)
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:32     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


I'm a different poster. St. Albans actually is pretty diverse religiously. I believe I was told by a chaplain that the single largest religious denomination is Catholicism. I believe that the total number of Protestants in the aggregate, no separation by denomination (Episcopalians plus Baptists plus Presbyterian plus Methodists plus AME etc), is higher than the number of Catholic students. Probably Judaism is third, and, yes, also Hindu, Sikh, Muslims as well as those who are not religious. Even with the Protestants who attend, STA doesn't strike one as a particularly WASPy place compared to, say, a Groton or St. Paul's.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:28     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is the drug issue overblown? I am the OP.


Although some kids at GDS do drugs and drink on the weekends, like every other high school, it's a great place for kids who do not drink or do drugs, because the school is open every day until 10pm, so there is an alternative to going to parties. Unlike at other schools which lock the doors at 5pm and stay closed on weekends, there are always kids at GDS playing chess, participating in clubs like Quiz Bowl, Debate, Math Team, teaching each other how to program, hanging out with teachers discussing ideas, or just shooting the breeze. My kids would have been miserable at a school where the only after hours activity was sports and the dominant social activity was going to parties.


It doesn't sound like those kids are getting crushed by the homework load, then.


I think GDS is more of a "Hipster" school than a druggie school. You don't have to be Jewish to fit in, but you'd better not be conservative.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:25     Subject: Re:Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well, my kids are at GDS and I love the school and everything it stands for. The diversity, the acceptance, the social justice that it teaches. And it is predominantly Jewish - there is no need to shy away from this! The person who writes that less than half the kids are Jewish is quibbling. Every school is predominantly something. St Albans is predominantly WASP, the Catholic schools are predominantly Catholic! I don't know why we need to run away from this and insist it isn't true. GDS is welcoming to everybody. There will also be a LOT of bar and bat mitzvahs in 7th and 8th grade!


Saint Albans is not predominantly Protestant. There are are many Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Agnostics, Jewish, and at least one Athiest. I don't get it either why people protest so much that GDS is not overwhelmingly Jewish. It is. So is Sidwell.


I am sure there are many people of other faiths and backgrounds. But you would argue that most kids are not of a Protestant background? That is demographically impossible.


Religion is a non-factor at STA - the school is essentially secular.
Anonymous
Post 04/05/2013 17:24     Subject: Looking for an honest assessment of GDS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is the drug issue overblown? I am the OP.


Although some kids at GDS do drugs and drink on the weekends, like every other high school, it's a great place for kids who do not drink or do drugs, because the school is open every day until 10pm, so there is an alternative to going to parties. Unlike at other schools which lock the doors at 5pm and stay closed on weekends, there are always kids at GDS playing chess, participating in clubs like Quiz Bowl, Debate, Math Team, teaching each other how to program, hanging out with teachers discussing ideas, or just shooting the breeze. My kids would have been miserable at a school where the only after hours activity was sports and the dominant social activity was going to parties.


It doesn't sound like those kids are getting crushed by the homework load, then.