Anonymous
10/29/2018 16:21
Subject: Re:St. Andrew's mainstream or seen as good place for slight LDs?
Anonymous wrote:
Every single kid we know who goes to SAES is awkward/has social difficulties or other mild issues. Its a fairly long list. Super nice kids who are very bright but that have a tougher time than most fitting in and making friends. I'm sure there are some SAES kids who are completely neuro-typical but it IS a school well-known for accepting and doing a great job with kids who have some challenges. This is a good thing. Its admirable that kids who struggle at other private schools tend to find SAES a warm and welcoming place that helps them overcome challenges.
Thank you for being honest and for stating this so perfectly. This has been my understanding, but every parent of a current or past student will swear that this is not the case. Our family is seriously considering sending DC to SAES next year, mostly because of the warm and welcoming part. DC is academically doing well at a top 3, but finds it not so warm and welcoming socially. Think SAES is perfect.
Perhaps the reason those of us at the school don't see these same kids as socially awkward is that in their new school environment. . . they aren't. I was about to post explaining that I didn't think the description above was at all accurate and then it occurred to me that in the one year my child has been at SAES he has stopped identifying himself as an quiet, introvert. He explained to me recently that in his crowded public school there wasn't "room to talk." He was never painfully shy and he's always been a stand-out athlete, and a neuro-typical boy who makes friends easily. Academically, let's say he's "catching up on academics after suffering from being lost in a class of 29 kids using MCPS' horrid curriculum 2.0" I would have never described him as "very bright" or "awkward." But, I will say, his confidence has skyrocketed in one year and the change in environment has clearly impacted his demeanor and happiness. It's been said repeatedly, there is not typical SAES student. It's a great, diverse, warm community where kids can be themselves.
Anonymous
10/29/2018 12:26
Subject: St. Andrew's mainstream or seen as good place for slight LDs?
OK, so this is "honest" and "stated perfectly" because for some reason it confirms a belief you already have which is wrong. That's called "confirmation bias" and kids at SAES can teach you a bit about it if you go up there. I personally did have a kid at SAES who was a bit slow in social development by some standards (or unusually mature for DC's age depending on who you talk to ), and I can 110% assure you DC was unusual at the school. It was not a place where there were dozens -- or even 2 -- others like DC. That's either a weird lie which I have no idea why anyone would deliberately perpetuate, or is just the height of irresponsible ignorance. In fact, the overwhelming majority of "neurotypical" kids were a huge benefit to eventually helping DC catch up socially. We would have gone to public school in a heart beat rather than put DC in a group with a high proportion of non-"neuro-=typical" kids, and anyone who knows anything about that population would know that the worst setting for them would be to be with similar kids.
What is true, is that years ago St. Andrews developed a reputation for being a good place for bright kids who may have one particular weaknesses -- could be math, could be lack of motivation, could be shyness, could be foreign languages, could be athletics, could be social -- and who wanted (or whose parents wanted them) to overcome them. And thanks to many gifted and committed teachers, they did a wonderful job in that respect. Of course, show me a kid -- or an adult - who doesn't have at least one weakness if they are honest.
I'm also willing to wager the proportion of kids at SAES popping Aderal or Ritilin, in weekly mental health therapy, or on anxiety meds is no higher (and I would not be surprised if lower) than kids at any other downtown well known private.
Further, I'd like to ask the above posters to think about their comments on this board -- which is known to be occasionally trolled by students -- and their potential impact on such students. I don't mean just SAES students, I mean the many kids from GDS, Sidwell, Maret, Field, Landon, NCS, etc. that SAES kids see every week and play against in basketball, cross country, wrestling, lacross, etc. The many kids who together attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conferences together, the Model UN together, etc. What are you teaching your children about other children? On what basis -- a few friends? Send me your email -- the next time one of my kids has a party and invites his former SAES classmates -still close friends -- to our house I'll invite you. Use your own eyes and ears; use your own common sense; base your judgment on evidence. I have been privileged to get to know many of my kids' former SAES friends. They are warm, they are funny, they are smart, they are telented and interesting - they have good social lives in high school and in college. They would probably accept you even if you would not be so accepting of them.
What is true, is that years ago St. Andrews developed a reputation for being a good place for bright kids who may have one particular weaknesses -- could be math, could be lack of motivation, could be shyness, could be foreign languages, could be athletics, could be social -- and who wanted (or whose parents wanted them) to overcome them. And thanks to many gifted and committed teachers, they did a wonderful job in that respect. Of course, show me a kid -- or an adult - who doesn't have at least one weakness if they are honest.
I'm also willing to wager the proportion of kids at SAES popping Aderal or Ritilin, in weekly mental health therapy, or on anxiety meds is no higher (and I would not be surprised if lower) than kids at any other downtown well known private.
Further, I'd like to ask the above posters to think about their comments on this board -- which is known to be occasionally trolled by students -- and their potential impact on such students. I don't mean just SAES students, I mean the many kids from GDS, Sidwell, Maret, Field, Landon, NCS, etc. that SAES kids see every week and play against in basketball, cross country, wrestling, lacross, etc. The many kids who together attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conferences together, the Model UN together, etc. What are you teaching your children about other children? On what basis -- a few friends? Send me your email -- the next time one of my kids has a party and invites his former SAES classmates -still close friends -- to our house I'll invite you. Use your own eyes and ears; use your own common sense; base your judgment on evidence. I have been privileged to get to know many of my kids' former SAES friends. They are warm, they are funny, they are smart, they are telented and interesting - they have good social lives in high school and in college. They would probably accept you even if you would not be so accepting of them.
Anonymous
10/29/2018 10:15
Subject: Re:St. Andrew's mainstream or seen as good place for slight LDs?
Every single kid we know who goes to SAES is awkward/has social difficulties or other mild issues. Its a fairly long list. Super nice kids who are very bright but that have a tougher time than most fitting in and making friends. I'm sure there are some SAES kids who are completely neuro-typical but it IS a school well-known for accepting and doing a great job with kids who have some challenges. This is a good thing. Its admirable that kids who struggle at other private schools tend to find SAES a warm and welcoming place that helps them overcome challenges.
Thank you for being honest and for stating this so perfectly. This has been my understanding, but every parent of a current or past student will swear that this is not the case. Our family is seriously considering sending DC to SAES next year, mostly because of the warm and welcoming part. DC is academically doing well at a top 3, but finds it not so warm and welcoming socially. Think SAES is perfect.