Small class sizes
Amazing facilities both academic and athletic
Focus on writing
PE every day and recess twice a day (in lower school now)
Super responsive teachers
Everyone at school knows my kids (I went to pick one up sick two weeks ago and multiple people I didn't know all told her by name that they hoped she'd feel better soon)
Great community of parentss
Exposure to engineering classes since first grade
Really cool field trips and experiences
The fact that my kids did in-person school starting August 2020 certainly didn't hurt either, although obviously I hope to never go through something like COVID again

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised by the crowing about 5 day school weeks. I like our private but one of the things that I do not like is it seems my kid is always out of school. Everyone jokes that the more you pay, the less they go. I think it is slightly under the 180 day limit our publics are required to do.

You must be in MD. Privates are only required to have 168 instructional days versus the 180 required of public schools. Any day kids are on campus counts as an instructional day so they fudge it even more with half days, assemblies, student led conferences and such.

Very small classes, wonderful community

Anonymous wrote:No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

This

And then when I see groups of kids out in public, from nearby public schools, my decision is solidified.

I have two kids with anxiety and really appreciate the calmer setting of private school compared to our prior experience in public. No overcrowding, no fights and other disruptions, bathrooms with soap and toilet paper, more freedom and independence for students, feeling seen and known rather than lost in a crowd, flexible lunch seating options, time outside in nature rather than locked in a high security building with no fresh air or sunlight. It’s just a much less intense and stressful experience, which helps a lot with managing anxiety.

We moved my son into private in 6th grade. We really wanted to stick with public for various reasons, but it was so chaotic. We just had our first parent teacher conference and the difference was staggering, and if anything it has totally infuriated us that every kid doesn't have access to the kind of attention and academic instruction that he is getting now. I am appalled.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

Ummm you’re paying them. As long as you pay tuition you could live in Timbuktu.

Not true at our private. No absences allowed for vacationing, and the administration or teachers will email to remind you of this nicely if you break the rule. Ask me how I know.

Anonymous wrote:Single sex academics. And the small class sizes.

+1. Never thought I would say this, but single sex education is better, esp. in lower and middle school. And what the others are saying, no disruptive behavior, which in part is helped by the single sex structure.

Strong peer group: a few to no disruptive kids per grade; many parents with PhDs and or other accomplishments. Excellent academics. I don’t have to worry about MS & HS placement. The food in the cafeteria is decent, way better than in public. The teachers and administration always reply the same day, and typically within a couple of hours. Best of all, our kids love their school and go happily every day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the smug moral superiority that comes with telling my public-school neighbors that I send my kids to private school.

I know (well, assume) this is tongue in cheek, but I actually feel bad when I tell people we are considering private school. I find myself going into this long explanation of why we are making this decision, and what our zoned schools are like.

Same. I never volunteer where my kid goes to school, but when I asked, I answer. And then sometimes I get a sniff and “well, it was important to us to support public schools…”

Of course, those people are inevitably zoned for a much better public school than we are, and have houses that cost 3x as much. But they do love to make it clear that they could afford private school, they just find it morally inferior. Whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That they actually have school! FCPS sibling has barely had a full week of school all year.

I always thought my kid was never in school, but the FCPS parents have had it ROUGH this year. Who has a school holiday on Halloween?!

It does seem a bit odd to have one the day of Halloween but having one the day after could solve a lot of problems.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t fly under the radar. Teachers will know them and encourage participation and provide lots of feedback.

Just got off the phone with the principal of his school about a kid doodling and not paying any attention in class. I'm going to say that this is indeed a huge benefit.

Is he actually doodling and not paying attention or doodling TO pay attention? I have to do the latter as I am not an auditory learner.

Alas, he was light-years away, planning out the interstellar expansion of warring nations.

(I used to do the same thing, only in more of a fantasy world context. I often doodle while paying attention, but any time the High King's army was ambushing the orcish horde, I wouldn't be following along with Algebra I.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

same poster. I also really like the lack of disruptions. This will make me sound awful to SN parents but in mcps lower grades my kid always had a child with autism in her class, she was friend’s daughter with him, but twice a week or so he would have a sensory overload and start yelling and throwing things including chairs. If the teacher and staff couldn’t calm him the class had to leave the room while he got it together. Glad we’re not dealing with that anymore.

You sound awful to me and my kid has no special needs.

Oh, knock it off. Your moral superiority is tiresome. The classroom episodes the PP wrote about are extreme, not minor and not ideal for anyone involved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smaller class sizes. My kid is bright but not gifted. I think she would be lost in a class of 28 kids.

same poster. I also really like the lack of disruptions. This will make me sound awful to SN parents but in mcps lower grades my kid always had a child with autism in her class, she was friend’s daughter with him, but twice a week or so he would have a sensory overload and start yelling and throwing things including chairs. If the teacher and staff couldn’t calm him the class had to leave the room while he got it together. Glad we’re not dealing with that anymore.

You sound awful to me and my kid has no special needs.

Teacher quality. Maybe they are able to excel at their jobs because they have a manageable course load and class size. But they provide detailed feedback, offer regular one-on-one meetings, often have doctorates (in their specialty, not EDD), and execute a rigorous and interesting curriculum.