<p>So, a positive thread on random things we like about schools we are associated with, things that might not be immediately obvious. </p>
<p>St. Paul's School: I really appreciate that SPS will keep courses with as little as 6, 4 or even 2 students in them. Most classes tend to be in the 11-13 student range but my children have had classes with just a few students in them. I've heard some schools will cancel courses that don't have a higher minimum enrollment.</p>
<p>This weekend, I stopped by my daughter’s BS on the way home from a sports-related trip for my younger girl and was struck by at least two “random things I like”:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The proximity to our home. I have been reminded of this convenience several times over the past 1.5 years and have really appreciated it. I think having a kid 6 hours away by car (or plane for that matter) would be a lot harder. I’d encourage prospective families, if they have the option of a desirable school within 2-3 hours drive (day-trip distance), to have at least one on your short list.</p></li>
<li><p>The politeness/friendliness of the students. While waiting for my daughter to get something from her room, I saw a few of her friends and/or kids we’ve met. Most greeted me with a “Hello, Mr. SevenDad.” That kind of thing wins big points for a school in my book. I think part of what I’m getting at here is that at smaller schools, you may be more likely to run into the same families during parent weekends, etc. so you feel more of a connection to the school family at large.</p></li>
<li><p>This third one is not related to our drive-by this weekend, but rather something I’ve noted before. The effect of a beautiful campus. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the fact that St. Andrew’s has a secluded, gorgeous, and massive (counting all land…not just the academic/dorm/arts/athletic facilities) campus just feels “right” to us. Seeing the glow of the new (completed last Fall) Sipprelle Fieldhouse as you turn into campus never ceases to elicit a warm feeling. And finally, the fact that the school is situated on a body of water that the crew teams use and race on is really nice…it allows the student body to turn out to watch races in numbers, and is very convenient for parents.</p>
<p>Since the mission is “random things:”</p>
<ul>
<li>I like the smell of orange blossoms, lavender and sage that float through the campus.</li>
<li>I like the way the mountain range runs East to West so that the whole valley turns pink as the sun sets.</li>
<li>I like the fact that my kid knows his way around a backpack and a wilderness adventure.</li>
<li>I like the unpretentious, non-cliquey, kind, supportive and unfailingly modest atmosphere.</li>
</ul>
<p>So, do the kids voluntarily walk away after graduating, TParent, or do they have to be pushed out the door?!! (This reminds me why I’m overdue to visit with CA relatives.) </p>
<p>Following up on 7D, I’ll add that Mr. Roach has sought to infuse “ritual” into the everyday fabric of the school, and even from a parental distance, one discerns how much this affects the community. In the context of an all-boarding, 300-person student body, the rituals work to help make the whole experience cohesive and inclusive. I get on campus more often than lots of parents, and the morale is pretty impressive. As an example, close to two dozen students participated in this month’s morning Polar Bear dip in Noxontown Pond, during frigid conditions. That’s galvanizing even for those who just hear about it. Big like for rituals.</p>
<p>To build on ThacherParent’s thoughts on “place”…we were fortunate enough to get a tour of Thacher last year and I agree that it is an awe inspiring place — incredible natural beauty. SAS and SPS give me similar feelings.</p>
<p>I think this sense of being in a beautiful, special place DOES matter in feeling fit or choosing a BS home. In much the same way one chooses to live in a certain town or neighborhood or buy a particular house. In much the same way people go to the Grand Canyon or Sedona or Skyline Drive or Shi Shi Beach or the Eiffel Tower.</p>
<p>FWIW, I also think you can get a “Blink” like read on a place at first visit.</p>
<p>I like that my daughter is the happiest she’s ever been. She has the most amazing friends and peers that are kind, thoughtful, quirky, interesting, and above all exceptionally nice people. At Thanksgiving when she was home she said she considers Thacher to be her home now. (but she misses us) The orange blossoms and sunsets are a bonus! We are so lucky to have found this gem. On a side note, I love the fruit stand where you can grab an orange, apple or other piece of fruit on the way to class.</p>
<p>@choosingwisely: And of course, the outdoor bookstore!</p>
<p>Taft…</p>
<p>The people are kind. There is a warmth among staff and faculty in their interactions with each other and with students. My husband and I are treated like members of the family on and off teh campus.</p>
<p>In narrowing down schools during the application process my husband insisted on Taft because they were the nicest to him during a routine call for information. We had not yet applied, they did not know of my daughter at the time of that call. It’s just the way they are to everyone.</p>
<p>The grounds are beautiful and manicured. The school looks and feels a lot like Hogwarts. Families live across the street or in the dorm apartments and there is a “life” to the campus that includes the laughter of young children.</p>
<p>The classes are small and the teachers are available day and night for extra consultations. The grade report is long, comprehensive and includes comments solicited from other staff to fill in the blanks.</p>
<p>Most of all - my daughter is happy. Even when she’s stressed you can hear how much she loves her life there. Her Facebook page is filled with photos posted by friends of activities, smiles, hugs.</p>
<p>And even better - she isn’t pressured to apply to Ivy’s. Instead the counselor worked with her to narrow down a list of colleges with the degree specialization SHE wanted - and suggested good alternatives we hadn’t thought of to round out the list. They also asked (ASKED) us what we as parents thought should be on the list (in the end, it was solely our daughter’s choice to include them or not)</p>
<p>She’s happy, healthy and fulfilled.</p>
<p>“Taft takes care of its own” was the motto we heard when we accepted their offer and they prove it to us every day.</p>
<p>I liked that both of the older two felt confused when they had to use the term “home.” I liked that as we were dismantling my S’s room before he left Eton for the last time he said that he didn’t want to give his “school dress” to the tailors to be re-sold as second hand tails because “I want to save them for my son…” That my D txted me last night to find out how Harvard was doing in the Beanpot because two of her friends from her old school were playing–and when Harvard lost, she was upset.</p>
<p>I love UWC USA because the teachers are on a first name basis with the students and extracurriculars (IB CAS requirements) are an integral part of the curriculum instead of an impossible add-on. It’s a wonderful place to spend your last two years of high school and great place to mature into a thoughtful adult.</p>
<p>I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I love the campus webcam. I can peek in on campus just to check the weather if I want. A dusting of snow this morning. DS doesn’t even need to be involved.</p>
<p>In the same vein as ChoatieMom, I love that the Chapel announcements are posted every day on the parents’ webpage, and that there’s often a new photo of the Chapel with an up-to-date view of the Chapel accompanying it.</p>
<p>I also like that everyone follows the “return emails and calls within 24 hours” policy and that everyone I’ve encountered has been helpful and flexible.</p>
<p>Cate - I like that the weekly photos still show happy kids sitting on green grass in shorts and sandals, even in February. I like that surfing is a winter sport, along with soccer. Those kids are pretty safe from seasonal affective disorder! (One less thing I have to worry about.)</p>
<p>I really like this thread because it discusses something that I think gets overlooked in all the marketing ----quality of life. Families should not underestimate the impact that the little things can have when kids are stressed and far from home.</p>
<p>Okay, I’ll break a taboo and address a repeated critique head on. I LIKE the high day student population (~40%). Even though my son boards, close to half of his friend set are day students. He gets to get off of the Island and interact with other families. And they look out for him back on campus. I like talking to some of the parents of my kid’s friends, understanding why the school works for their family, what they’re looking out for with their own child, observations they make about my child, the offers of places to stay when we visit the school. It makes it feel like a community for us, too, even as non-local parents. And I love the old quad at Loomis that is modeled after U.Va.'s Lawn, but with its own distinct Yankee character. And as I’ve said before, I like that it’s a high school that remembers it’s a high school–they push the students to the boundaries of their capacities “& beyond,” but with a forgiving countenance and the interpersonal skills set to pick kids up when they fall, dust them off, and keep encouraging them.</p>
<p>Miss Porter’s: I like the shelf at the entrance of Main where girls leave items for each other…kind of like a lost and found/message depot. I like the swinging bench that hangs from a huge misshapen branch of a tree. I like driving down Main Street and seeing the beautiful campus and the stark white New England steeple of the Congo (congregational church) against a bright blue sky. I like that there is a Starbucks and a great pizza place just a few steps from campus. I like that the school provides a shuttle to the airport before breaks, saving me about $60 each way. I like the graffitti dating to the early 1900s etched into the wavy glass of my child’s dorm room. I like the Porter’s Plan, where the dorm directors are simply dorm directors who focus on that aspect of the boarding school experience. I like that the girls are completely at ease, often in sweats or athletic gear, no makeup–and at other times dressed so nicely. I like my kid’s advisor and the fact that he really knows her, has her back, actively thinks of ways to support and enrich her, answers my emails promptly and generally thinks she’s a rock star…</p>