Hi! We’re moving to Lexington, MA and are looking to send our kids to private schools. One will be applying for 8th and the other 9th. Both play hockey and lacrosse. We’re looking to ideally send them to the same school, so want somewhere that has a middle school. I would welcome any opinions that you may have on Rivers, Dexter, BBN, and Nobles. Are there any private day schools that you would add to this list that are reasonably accessible from Lexington, and offer good academics/athletics? We don’t want to put them at a school where most kids board. Thanks so much for any and all input!!!
Brimmer
Beaver
The schools you listed have significantly different vibes and significantly different academic standards/pressures.
Are you set on private schools? Lexington public has an excellent reputation.
We are thrilled to be moving to a town with an excellent school system, but believe our older kids will benefit from a smaller, more personalized learning environment, which is why we’re investigating private schools. In addition, both are quite serious about athletics, in particular, hockey.
Thanks for any and all input!
Boys? Belmont hill. Lacrosse coach is excellent. Beyond words. You will be treated at the door by him and he will make sure every question you have gets answered.
But like I said I think after visiting you will cross half those schools off your list because they are very different vibe wise.
Sorry. I don’t know anything about hockey!
I don’t know a lot about the Boston-area schools but of the ones you mention, I think Dexter is the most successful for hockey. They are regularly in the New England “Elite 8” tournament (the highest level prep tournament). However, the level of hockey in the Boston are and across the NE prep schools is very high generally. Lacrosse too, and there are also plenty of local off-season clubs.
If you’re looking for a mix of academics and hockey in that general area, it would be hard to beat St. Mark’s. No middle school, though.
Boys or Girls? Also, it would be helpful to know if your kids are strong students, regular students or have things they like/don’t like in the context of learning. Some of those schools are highly academic and others are not. That’s fine it’s more a matter of finding the right match for your kids. You can also do research on the schools and get the vibe when you visit.
Hi- we have a boy and a girl applying. Both hockey/lax players. Both are strong academically, but I wouldn’t characterize either as complete book worms. And both are solid hockey/lacrosse players- but we’re realistic that there are plenty of incredibly talented athletes in the area! We are drawn to the small class sizes and personalized instruction, but don’t want them in a pressure cooker environment. Ultimately, we’re trying to raise well rounded kids that are active in the classroom and out of it.
I should have added that we’d like to see them land in the same school- so we’re looking for a co-Ed school with 8th grade.
So I would definitely describe BB&N and Nobles as intense, pressure cooker kind of schools. Others might disagree with me but that was a very solid impression we got.
All the kids I know at Rivers are much more laid back and academically they certainly admit a larger range than Nobles does. I think the range is what sometimes helps keep schools balanced.
There is also Beaver, but that is probably a step down in athletic competition from what you listed. I know some families there who are very happy though so it may be worth a look.
Oh, Concord Academy is great and very community focused, not sure if they have hockey though.
8th grade is tough. You really have BB&N and Nobles. Think Nobles is closer to what you mentioned but maybe not as balanced/non pressure cooker as you might like. The entire area us very high stress Both public and private schools. Rivers is less stress, Cambridge School of Weston is more alternative, Concord isn’t 8th and has next to zero in sports. Dexter, Brimmer and Beaver are far different academically. Maybe you’d consider a spot for 8th then transfer for 9th-12. You’d have some good choices for high school.
I agree. Maybe do public for 8th grade since it’s good in Lexington and an easy decision. Then apply into 9th grade. I think the 8th grade really limits your choices and pushes you into schools that don’t sound like they would philosophically fit your family. You’d also have time to actually do your research on the ground which might lead to a better decision.
I’m not entirely convinced on the choice to go to day school living in Lexington. LHS is super duper top notch; aside from sports, you’ll the highest level of clubs in the country(Robotics, Debate, Model UN, Science Bowl, Math Team are just a few of the clubs at LHS which go/win at their respective National/World Championships). Also, the academic standards are super high.