Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am an overprotecting dad who simply wants the best for his only child. Can someone recommend a great private middle school for my daughter. I was considering Knox. Any comments or other recommendations? We are not Catholic (or Christian for that matter), but I don't mind sending her there if she will get a top-notch education....
Any other school in the city that fits the bill? I don't mind moving closer to the city, if that is what it takes...
Check into Portledge School in Locust Valley (Nassau County, north shore; next to Mill Neck and north of Old Brookville). They are non-sectarian and I understand their middle school and upper (high) school are intensely Ivy-League level oriented. Portledge School
Those were two other schools we considered. How are the teacher's in Laurel Hill and Stony Brook School. They are not too far from where we live.
Thanks
I have a number of friends (4 families) who have pulled their children from Laurel Hill. Some are upper admin at SUNY, some are upper tier at Renaissance Tech. A fair part of the reason cited was politics affecting the teaching environment. (In all fairness, this was 2 years ago, things might have changed.) They all opted to place their children in the public schools.
A few of my friends send their children to SBS; a few of my oldest's former elementary classmates attend SBS as well. I've heard it is very rigorous. The children we are familiar with are very bright, were always ahead of their grade level coming up through elementary school. I wish I could afford to send my son there, but at $21K/year it's a bit steep. It is a Christian school and has bible study.
As a purely social aspect: Laurel Hill is pre-K through 8th, while SBS is 7th-12th. As your daughter is a developing young woman, she might resent having to attend the same school as 5 and 6 year-olds and where her peers would be very limited.
I, and my two brothers attended SBS, and we all resent it.
It was gone downhill over the last ten years.
Many, many of the classical teachers (the well-renowned ones...) have left, the academics have plummeted (most classes are now taught by people with only Bachelor's degrees, and it's nepotism central...every teacher is another person's brother, cousin, Aunt, Mother's friend from church...), the theatre and music and art departments are almost non-existent now (the wonderful old director was thrown out for "extravagant spending"), the classrooms are filled with mold, and the football and lacrosse teams are a joke. When my brothers attended, the teams were at the top of the state, but unfortunately, one coach left, and the director of the athletic dept. died of cancer, and the whole ordeal is now run horrifically.
I won't get into the attitudes and social habits of the students there, because that's subject to so much personal opinion...but I will say that 75% of the attendants live in million-dollar homes with horse ranches, and the rest are international students. I enjoyed the cultural diversity, though - I can now hold very basic conversation in Korean, and Russian, and I learned an enormous amount about other countries and peoples.
I understand this is also a touchy subject, and some people might well prefer this for their children...but there are also some severe issues with religious indoctrination. There's a daily required chapel for about 90 mins., including lovely sermons on how all homosexuals are going to Hell, and how women should be servile to their Husbands...usually it's more tame, but it happens. Bible classes were required every semester, but hurling out an "I love Jesus" usually garnered one an A. Even my Jewish, Islamic, and Atheist friends there were not given exemptions.
That said, I realize how negative my comment appears...but it's heartfelt, and I know many people whom I met there who would agree. Several teachers who I loved and who changed my outlook on life while I was there were asked to leave, for merely fighting some management issues...
I strongly recommend that you'd look into one of the better public school districts (Smithtown and Ward Melville come to mind), as they are a much nicer environment and the academics are still strong, if one chooses to get involved in as many clubs and groups and honor programs as possible. Their science programs have been phenomenal, and award-winning, and they win Intel competitions almost every year. I wish my parents would have saved their well-earned money and sent us there.
In terms of Laurel Hill, my experience with the place is limited; however, please note that at least three students entered 7th grade at SBS after attending L.H. and were unable to read. They could barely pass English, and were put on academic probation.
EDIT: A previous poster mentioned that SBS has rigorous academics, and it does...but a lot of it is "busy work", and certain areas are lacking, such as history (outside of the Christian church, and Constantine...), and evolutionary science, which isn't taught at all because of its religious controversy. Math, and English are quite strong, foreign languages (except Latin, which is generally strong) are so-so. A student is also required to do a sport for 2/3 seasons of the year, which takes place from 3:30-6:30P everyday, plus any games or other events. This can be quite a hassle to juggle with schoolwork, and can be quite taxing, if one doesn't enjoy it.
In terms of safety, I'd say it's about average to other public high schools my other friends attended. There were scuffles on occasion, and though it was a subversive undercurrent...there were certainly drugs and alcohol if someone sought these items out.
I hope that this is of some help, and that I don't get flamed for all of the negativity.
Last edited by venividibitchy; 10-25-2008 at 04:29 AM..
I understand this is also a touchy subject, and some people might well prefer this for their children...but there are also some severe issues with religious indoctrination.... Even my Jewish, Islamic, and Atheist friends there were not given exemptions.
This actually is why I suggested the OP look into Portledge. Our friends who sent their child there were looking specifically for a school where religious instruction was not included. They found it was a challenge because almost all the private schools on LI are operated under some kind of religious auspices whether Christian, Jewish or Quaker (Friends School in Locust Valley). At the time I think they found only 5: Portledge, Waldorf School, Harbor Country Day School, Stony Brook School and Knox. Their child was too young for the last two . As for the others, they said Waldorf was just too weird in their curriculum and philosophies and they didn't like the vibes they got at Harbor Country. They loved the look of Portledge which is on a huge estate. But they pulled their child out after 2 years. I got the impression it was because they weren't in nearly the same socio-economic strata as the other children/parents in the Lower School. All of the other kids in those grades were from extremely wealthy families and our friends were at the time just hard-working middle income doing everything to get their child the best education possible. I suspect their child was feeling excluded as well, not even living in the same area there were never any playdates or party invitations. They did say though that everyone says the Middle and High Schools were a whole different scene from the lower grades. Apparantly the kids there get nurtured and coddled in the Lower School but when they move up to the Middle School it becomes a Marine Boot Camp educationally. Again this was a good 10 years ago at least so for all I know things have changed. But there is most definitely NO religious affiliation or requirement there. That was something our friends made sure of beforehand.
however, please note that at least three students entered 7th grade at SBS after attending L.H. and were unable to read. They could barely pass English, and were put on academic probation.
I meant to address this too. I remember our friends saying that when they moved their child from private to public school (I forget whether it was 2nd or 3rd grade) they were subsequently told that her reading skills were below grade level. This was a huge shock to the parents who had been receiving glowing reports constantly during the entire time she was at Portledge. And therein I think lies the big trap with private schools: They are in the business of "retention" .... not only getting, but keeping, student because tuition (and all the fundraising!) is what allows them to survive. They get NO money from NY State. So it's in these schools financial interest to keep the tuition-paying parents thinking their school is a great place in which their wonderful child is excelling. I'm not saying all school are deceptive but let's just say it's not entirely in their interest to be as brutally honest with a parent as a public school (who gets the same amount of income whether the Jones kid attends or not) might be.
Let's face it, MANY (most?) parents' main concern is to get their child into the best college possible. The route there can be very different for a child coming out of a public versus a private school. Some people claim that certaina private school guidance/placement counselors have traditional connections with certain upscale colleges. I don't know if that's true but I'm cynical enough to believe it's definitely possible. But which private schools do or don't fudge things and/or pull strings, it's impossible to know except from firsthand experience or from someone who has had that. Just don't forget the "follow the money" adage when reading reports and examining curriculums; those schools don't want to lose their meal tickets, especially in this economy.
I, and my two brothers attended SBS, and we all resent it.
It was gone downhill over the last ten years.
Many, many of the classical teachers (the well-renowned ones...) have left, the academics have plummeted (most classes are now taught by people with only Bachelor's degrees, and it's nepotism central...every teacher is another person's brother, cousin, Aunt, Mother's friend from church...), the theatre and music and art departments are almost non-existent now (the wonderful old director was thrown out for "extravagant spending"), the classrooms are filled with mold, and the football and lacrosse teams are a joke. When my brothers attended, the teams were at the top of the state, but unfortunately, one coach left, and the director of the athletic dept. died of cancer, and the whole ordeal is now run horrifically.
I won't get into the attitudes and social habits of the students there, because that's subject to so much personal opinion...but I will say that 75% of the attendants live in million-dollar homes with horse ranches, and the rest are international students. I enjoyed the cultural diversity, though - I can now hold very basic conversation in Korean, and Russian, and I learned an enormous amount about other countries and peoples.
I understand this is also a touchy subject, and some people might well prefer this for their children...but there are also some severe issues with religious indoctrination. There's a daily required chapel for about 90 mins., including lovely sermons on how all homosexuals are going to Hell, and how women should be servile to their Husbands...usually it's more tame, but it happens. Bible classes were required every semester, but hurling out an "I love Jesus" usually garnered one an A. Even my Jewish, Islamic, and Atheist friends there were not given exemptions.
That said, I realize how negative my comment appears...but it's heartfelt, and I know many people whom I met there who would agree. Several teachers who I loved and who changed my outlook on life while I was there were asked to leave, for merely fighting some management issues...
I strongly recommend that you'd look into one of the better public school districts (Smithtown and Ward Melville come to mind), as they are a much nicer environment and the academics are still strong, if one chooses to get involved in as many clubs and groups and honor programs as possible. Their science programs have been phenomenal, and award-winning, and they win Intel competitions almost every year. I wish my parents would have saved their well-earned money and sent us there.
In terms of Laurel Hill, my experience with the place is limited; however, please note that at least three students entered 7th grade at SBS after attending L.H. and were unable to read. They could barely pass English, and were put on academic probation.
EDIT: A previous poster mentioned that SBS has rigorous academics, and it does...but a lot of it is "busy work", and certain areas are lacking, such as history (outside of the Christian church, and Constantine...), and evolutionary science, which isn't taught at all because of its religious controversy. Math, and English are quite strong, foreign languages (except Latin, which is generally strong) are so-so. A student is also required to do a sport for 2/3 seasons of the year, which takes place from 3:30-6:30P everyday, plus any games or other events. This can be quite a hassle to juggle with schoolwork, and can be quite taxing, if one doesn't enjoy it.
In terms of safety, I'd say it's about average to other public high schools my other friends attended. There were scuffles on occasion, and though it was a subversive undercurrent...there were certainly drugs and alcohol if someone sought these items out.
I hope that this is of some help, and that I don't get flamed for all of the negativity.
"I" am my two brothers.??? This school did a banner job with grammar. How much did your parents pay for your particular brand of genius? And not to mention, you were miserable!!! Nice job by the 'rents". Perhaps public school would have been the move.
I, and my two brothers attended SBS, and we all resent it.
It was gone downhill over the last ten years.
Many, many of the classical teachers (the well-renowned ones...) have left, the academics have plummeted (most classes are now taught by people with only Bachelor's degrees, and it's nepotism central...every teacher is another person's brother, cousin, Aunt, Mother's friend from church...), the theatre and music and art departments are almost non-existent now (the wonderful old director was thrown out for "extravagant spending"), the classrooms are filled with mold, and the football and lacrosse teams are a joke. When my brothers attended, the teams were at the top of the state, but unfortunately, one coach left, and the director of the athletic dept. died of cancer, and the whole ordeal is now run horrifically.
I won't get into the attitudes and social habits of the students there, because that's subject to so much personal opinion...but I will say that 75% of the attendants live in million-dollar homes with horse ranches, and the rest are international students. I enjoyed the cultural diversity, though - I can now hold very basic conversation in Korean, and Russian, and I learned an enormous amount about other countries and peoples.
I understand this is also a touchy subject, and some people might well prefer this for their children...but there are also some severe issues with religious indoctrination. There's a daily required chapel for about 90 mins., including lovely sermons on how all homosexuals are going to Hell, and how women should be servile to their Husbands...usually it's more tame, but it happens. Bible classes were required every semester, but hurling out an "I love Jesus" usually garnered one an A. Even my Jewish, Islamic, and Atheist friends there were not given exemptions.
That said, I realize how negative my comment appears...but it's heartfelt, and I know many people whom I met there who would agree. Several teachers who I loved and who changed my outlook on life while I was there were asked to leave, for merely fighting some management issues...
I strongly recommend that you'd look into one of the better public school districts (Smithtown and Ward Melville come to mind), as they are a much nicer environment and the academics are still strong, if one chooses to get involved in as many clubs and groups and honor programs as possible. Their science programs have been phenomenal, and award-winning, and they win Intel competitions almost every year. I wish my parents would have saved their well-earned money and sent us there.
In terms of Laurel Hill, my experience with the place is limited; however, please note that at least three students entered 7th grade at SBS after attending L.H. and were unable to read. They could barely pass English, and were put on academic probation.
EDIT: A previous poster mentioned that SBS has rigorous academics, and it does...but a lot of it is "busy work", and certain areas are lacking, such as history (outside of the Christian church, and Constantine...), and evolutionary science, which isn't taught at all because of its religious controversy. Math, and English are quite strong, foreign languages (except Latin, which is generally strong) are so-so. A student is also required to do a sport for 2/3 seasons of the year, which takes place from 3:30-6:30P everyday, plus any games or other events. This can be quite a hassle to juggle with schoolwork, and can be quite taxing, if one doesn't enjoy it.
In terms of safety, I'd say it's about average to other public high schools my other friends attended. There were scuffles on occasion, and though it was a subversive undercurrent...there were certainly drugs and alcohol if someone sought these items out.
I hope that this is of some help, and that I don't get flamed for all of the negativity.
(I can't help but giggle at your screen name.)
Thank you for the insider's view. One of my friends has several children attending right now; they aren't religious by a long shot and I've never heard them talk about the religious studies as being as zealous as you have. (You almost made it sound like the classes are right out of the World Baptist School further west on 25A.)
The director of the athletic department was well liked around town and his death was very upsetting to many friends and neighbors alike.
As for the negativity: you did not enjoy your experience there; you were upfront and honest about it and it showed in your assessment. Your honesty makes me curious. Do you feel that your SBS experience helped you open any doors that might not have been opened to a student attending a public school? Do you feel that your parents should have saved the SBS money for college tuition? Did you feel out of your element?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
