Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have been cancelling meets and games for MS but then they send their US girls' bball team out to Minnesota? When did they become Spire Academy? What happened to equity? I hate that they are all Quaker until the NBA or ESPN comes calling. So hypocritical. And yes, I WENT TO SIDWELL.

and the girls team practiced over the holidays even htough other teams could not

i am an alum and a parent, deeply disturbed by how the school is now trying to become an athletics powerhouse. Donors $$s and college admissions seem to be the motivation. Meanwhile there are no full time art teachers and kids have to choose either CS or Art because the schedules conflict and both are both basically afterthoughts. The school has really lost its way, very sad to see. I mean WTF ramping up the football program and hiring a big name coach.

It's not "trying" to become a powerhouse. The boys basketball team is as it has been for years. The girls team has a new coach after decades of the old one. Coaching matters. Talent matters. The AD is fantastic and gets the ability for talented kids who work hard in the classroom and with their sport. He has hired coaches who actually care, and teach their crafts through both Middle and Upper School. As a result, ALL of the sports are doing better.

And to the OP, the issue is MS versus US. It is also likely that other MS doesn't want the kids playing other schools and SFS is a casualty of that.

I agree with the above post for the most part but let's not kid ourselves. Sidwell didn't get to be the #1 girl's team in the US because they got "talanted kids who work hard in the classroom". I have no inside info but can almost guarantee that they're doing what schools in te WCAC(in B-ball, football and lax) and to a lesser extent the IAC (especially in Lax) have been doing for years. The coaching staff likely is deeply connected to the local middle school girls basketball community and is heavily recruiting. This sort of thing has really ramped up in the past decade across the region in boys sports and now appears to be spreading to girls sports as well.

Sidwell, will never be an "athletics powerhouse". They don't have 200+ boys/class. They can however pluck 5 or 6 girls from around the region (which is loaded with basketball talent) and now all of a sudden they are competing on a national level. There's no way that SFS admin looks at a 10 year old boys game the same as it does their HS girls team. It's a commitment the school clearly seems to have made and like anything there are tradeoffs which appear to be ruffling some feathers.

You wouldn't ask Gonzaga to put the same resources into freshman fencing as varsity football. Or Landon to treat their lax program like they do their model UN team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

Girls BB is doing great. However, of the starters, only Rice has been at SFS since middle school. 3 new players were all brought over by the new coach!

However, the school insist that they don't recruit for sports (admin has stated that)

lol. They definitely recruit in a soft way. My kid was "recruited" last year. The AD reaches out when he finds a kid he's interested in.

I should add that all the top schools do this. My kid is a top travel athlete and we got all sorts of calls and emails from coaches and ADs with promises of "looking out for your kid", etc.
I applied with a non-athlete kid as well and it's very different experience with an athlete. The schools are all trying to fill their rosters.

While this is great information, I would dispute the premise that the school “insist[s] that they don’t recruit”. Where exactly do they say this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

Girls BB is doing great. However, of the starters, only Rice has been at SFS since middle school. 3 new players were all brought over by the new coach!

However, the school insist that they don't recruit for sports (admin has stated that)

lol. They definitely recruit in a soft way. My kid was "recruited" last year. The AD reaches out when he finds a kid he's interested in.

I should add that all the top schools do this. My kid is a top travel athlete and we got all sorts of calls and emails from coaches and ADs with promises of "looking out for your kid", etc.
I applied with a non-athlete kid as well and it's very different experience with an athlete. The schools are all trying to fill their rosters.

Anonymous wrote:SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

Girls BB is doing great. However, of the starters, only Rice has been at SFS since middle school. 3 new players were all brought over by the new coach!

However, the school insist that they don't recruit for sports (admin has stated that)

lol. They definitely recruit in a soft way. My kid was "recruited" last year. The AD reaches out when he finds a kid he's interested in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whats more hypocritical is Bryan Garman moves prom from a hotel to the gym because of the "optics" and then the Board raises tuition by 6.7%. So gross.

You are seriously the only person who cares about where the prom is.

No, quite a few people care about this issue, although I am resigned to the fact that it will be in the gym and will be lovely and fun for the kids, which is all that matters in the end.

However, I can also appreciate PP's statement that the link between a 6.7% tuition increase, and statements that the prom is being brought home because of the "optics" of having it at the 4 Seasons, is hard to miss.

SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

Girls BB is doing great. However, of the starters, only Rice has been at SFS since middle school. 3 new players were all brought over by the new coach!

However, the school insist that they don't recruit for sports (admin has stated that)

Perhaps, if CS were to become a department instead of a program. Find a way to keep the stars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have been cancelling meets and games for MS but then they send their US girls' bball team out to Minnesota? When did they become Spire Academy? What happened to equity? I hate that they are all Quaker until the NBA or ESPN comes calling. So hypocritical. And yes, I WENT TO SIDWELL.

and the girls team practiced over the holidays even htough other teams could not

i am an alum and a parent, deeply disturbed by how the school is now trying to become an athletics powerhouse. Donors $$s and college admissions seem to be the motivation. Meanwhile there are no full time art teachers and kids have to choose either CS or Art because the schedules conflict and both are both basically afterthoughts. The school has really lost its way, very sad to see. I mean WTF ramping up the football program and hiring a big name coach.

They have to choose between CS and Art because of the requirements and the way the schedules work. It has nothing to do with money.

And to the art teachers, most of them are professional, full time artists who want the flexibility and stability to practice what they teach, while also teaching.

Is that why the beloved head of the CS program is leaving?

She has been there almost two decades. She has done an incredible job as both the school IT lead and creating the award-winning robotics program and establishing a popular CS program. She wants to move on to different challenges. Do you expect people to stay forever?

Anonymous wrote:Whats more hypocritical is Bryan Garman moves prom from a hotel to the gym because of the "optics" and then the Board raises tuition by 6.7%. So gross.

You are seriously the only person who cares about where the prom is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s totally hypocritical OP. If you read the writings of George Fox he’s quite clear that the inward light doesn’t shine on people who good at basketball or people support anyone who is good at basketball. Why it’s almost a sin really.

Oh here comes the dummmy-mummy who tries to ridicule a peaceful and modest religion for being… peaceful and modest. Give it up girl

Quaker schools have supported school sporting competitions for over 120 years. Typically the Quaker schools competed within Quaker Leagues.

Fact check: Penn Charter and Wilmington Friends are both sports powerhouses and do not only compete against other Quaker schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The basketball teams are top ranked. When they travel to popular tournaments, the school gets notoriety. And the basketball teams most likely have sponsors so the school wouldn’t be on the hook for the bill.

Who paid for the private jet to Minnesota?

A parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have the number one girls basketball team in the country. It's awesome. Don't be jealous!

Yes, let's all praise recruitment! *eyeroll*

My kid can't travel for an academic related pursuit but the basketball team can?

And not have one field trip in 2 years?!?! Or minimester?

]

A pandemic will do that, particularly when any of the places they would go on minimester or field trip is also closed.

The head of cs is leaving? Has that been announced?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have been cancelling meets and games for MS but then they send their US girls' bball team out to Minnesota? When did they become Spire Academy? What happened to equity? I hate that they are all Quaker until the NBA or ESPN comes calling. So hypocritical. And yes, I WENT TO SIDWELL.

and the girls team practiced over the holidays even htough other teams could not

i am an alum and a parent, deeply disturbed by how the school is now trying to become an athletics powerhouse. Donors $$s and college admissions seem to be the motivation. Meanwhile there are no full time art teachers and kids have to choose either CS or Art because the schedules conflict and both are both basically afterthoughts. The school has really lost its way, very sad to see. I mean WTF ramping up the football program and hiring a big name coach.

They have to choose between CS and Art because of the requirements and the way the schedules work. It has nothing to do with money.

And to the art teachers, most of them are professional, full time artists who want the flexibility and stability to practice what they teach, while also teaching.

Is that why the beloved head of the CS program is leaving?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple’s don’t fall far.

Nice punctuation.

Dont kare.

+1