<p>Periwinkle,</p>
<p>Are you thinking of attending or sending your child there?</p>
<p>Leanid, </p>
<p>yes, Tabor is on our list of schools to investigate further. At this point, the list is very long, and we´re whittling it down. We´ve received Tabor´s viewbook, and my child and I have decided to start the process of a tour and interview. </p>
<p>My gender unspecified child (GUC) is a rising eighth grader. We, the parents, are looking for a school which will challenge GUC, at which GUC will not be thought "quaint" for reading voraciously.</p>
<p>Why refer to your child as "GUC"?</p>
<p>I thought it sounded rather hermaphroditic but then I thought why is this parent being so detailed? idk.</p>
<p>also, I see nothing "quaint" about devouring books -- a shade unhealthy, yes, but not quaint.</p>
<p>"Gender unspecified," because the English language hasn´t developed a good, gender neutral pronoun. He/she/it? I am not comfortable detailing our child´s "stats" online. In my opinion, many posters gradually become too detailed over time.</p>
<p>I agree, reading many books isn´t quaint. Many of my child´s current classmates find it odd, however.</p>
<p>Why does there have to be a "gender neutral pronoun"? Do other languages have them? I know of none. I don't see how revealing one's gender leads to "too detailed...".</p>
<p>In answer to your question about Tabor, I was guessing, really, given its academics profile, that it is less highly stressful for its students than the "usual suspects" -- ones, I dare say, that appear to be not content with being "merely high schools but have taken on what looks like a college curriculum -- this is something I do not understand.</p>
<p>Rather than say "Tabor lets kids be kids" I probably should have said that it keeps its role as a secondary education insitution at the forefront, and that is healthier for the students I believe. I also feel that it has its share of highly motivated scholars, as any school does, who will find the most challenging courses. Now, whether those course are challenging enough for your child I cannot say, but you can probably get a good idea by talking to the school.</p>
<p>I do know this, that Tabor is a very attractive campus in a great location, and if you like sailing...</p>
<p>OBAMA08 WROTE By the way, OP, unless you're speaking Russian and French at home, your daughter may forget those languages during the few years you are in the Middle East. She may want to try to pick up those languages again in high school, so you might look at the few schools which still offer Russian. Not many do."</p>
<p>She attends French speaking schools and we maintain a Russian speaking nanny. I doubt she'll lose the languages.</p>
<p>She has never attended school in English. She speaks and reads in English. Her writing experience is limited. She writes in French. When she does write in English, she occasionally misspells words. (fich instead of fish). Will she need to take a TOEFL to enter any boarding school?</p>
<p>And her happiness, tell me, have you thought of her happiness?</p>
<p>she definitely will have to take the TOEFL. if english is not her first language (in terms of how good she actually is at it, not when she learned it) i suggest she take it (unless English miraculously becomes her first language over the next few years. and im not being sarcastic. at that age it's very easy to build up another language to a state of almost-perfection) & don't worry about how this may skew her acceptance prospects because if she keeps up her good grades (i'm assuming she has these because normally parents don't post if their children are failing classes lol) and writes a nice essay and has good recommendations much later on, it should be ok.</p>
<p>btw, maybe none of YOUR parents started a thread on CC about planning a boarding school from 4th grade, but there are some who did. i know many parents who had their first child go to a very good boarding school and because of that, believe their second child should go to the same school as well (the age difference here is about 4-7 so yes, i don't believe cdgni is a slavedriver or anything. if she were, she might be thinking "EXETER" or "ST PAULS" from all the threads here)</p>
<p>I think it's fine to dream about possibilities for a child. Many parents do that. If the OP is living in the Middle East, information about US boarding schools is not so easily available. While I think it's too early to select a school, I think it's fine to build awareness of the possibilities. Also, there is time to start saving.</p>
<p>Leonid.. you asked about her happiness. Let's see..she ski's, sails,dives, has plenty of friends, regulary spends the night at their homes or they spend the night with her. What problems do you think she might have? She's a well loved child,with plenty of ambition and incredibly bright. Don't ask me her IQ- because I know it and it is very high. I wouldn't want to humilate you with a 9 year old probably smarter then you. Get off my back.</p>
<p>Hmm... I doubt there is any nine-year old smarter than (notice it is spelled with an 'a' not an 'e') I -- she would probably have to be at least thirteen...</p>
<p>And, I am glad to hear she is so happy, after all, that is far more important, which is why I asked.</p>
<p>Leanid: in German, the following sentences make sense: "Dem Kind gefaellt die Schule. Es lernt schnell." It's quite possible to speak of a child with the neutral pronoun "es." To switch to "er" or "sie" would reflect an English-speaker's feeling for gender.</p>
<p>I am interested in finding an appropriate high school for my child. I am concerned about some schools' emphasis on advanced coursework and highly pressured environments. This may be a misplaced concern, as the people who post on this site seem very focused on such adjectives as "best," "most prestigous," and "most advanced." I am trying to remind myself that we are looking for a "fine" (or "good enough") school, and that our child's school placement doesn't have to impress the neighbors.</p>
<p>Periwinkle -- you are correct, you don't need to impress the neighbors with your school choice and a "fine" school is a good goal. What is important to keep in mind is that you want a school that will challenge (but not over-challenge) your child, allow them to stretch themselves emotionally, physically, and intellectually (but not to the breaking point). You want a school where you child can pursue interests he/she has, discover new interests and share in the enjoyment of other peoples interests. </p>
<p>Not all of us are focused on the "best", "most prestigious", etc -- so feel free to post, ask questions, etc. You will get a wide range of answers -- some will work for you, others...not so much.</p>
<p>Your child sounds like a great kid!</p>
<p>if your d speaks and likes to learn languages and you want to send her off to boarding school now i would say check out :</a> : LE ROSEY : : prestigious international boarding school in Switzerland there junior boarding school starts aT 8 AND SHE WOULD BECOME FLUENT IN FRENCH AND ANOTHER LANGUAGE BY GRADUATION.</p>
<p>I wish I could go to Tabor... as "the school by the sea", it is very beautiful and comparable to St. Georges as it is right on the atlantic. My parents would never and will never go for it since it is 5 hr away. Its an understatement to say my parents hate the idea of boarding. Tabor has a reputation for bad athletics and good academics. Since your little one seems to be bright, I would aim a little higher. Try to get into exeter, andover, or hotchkiss. If she dosent get in, at least she will be at Tabor!</p>
<p>Our son is attending Tabor this fall. He was also accepted at Taft and at Governor's Academy. Choosing Tabor was primarily a gut decision on his part (he ended up strongly preferring a school with a larger population). Hopefully he will make the most of it. My wife and I liked Tabor but we still feel less familiar with it than the other two schools. She was rooting for Taft (where I went) because she loves the school and I was leaning toward Governor's because of their strong lacrosse program and a very family-like feel. Tabor is the least prestigious of the three. It seems to be less intense than the top 15 schools. </p>
<p>You really need to visit the schools. If you are living abroad you may want to consider where you want your child to fly in and out of. Schools closer to Boston (Middlesex, St. Mark's) might be a better choice. Episcopal High in Alexandria, Va. may also be a good option.</p>
<p>I'm currently a senior at Tabor Academy. I could not be happier with my decision to attend the school. Tabor is definitely a rigorous academic school, where the students are pushed, and the teachers are amazing and very, very helpful. We do have good athletic programs, particular in our nationally-ranked sailing program, but the primary focus is always academics. Most importantly, as another poster on this thread said, Tabor is also a school where the kids are allowed to be kids. Going to Tabor is like getting a holistic education--even though academic education is top priority, there's also a huge emphasis on allowing the kids to be human beings, instead of robots intent on cranking out grade after grade after grade and assignment after assignment.</p>
<p>Also, in my own opinion, going to a school right on the ocean is amazing, and allows for some great beach days in the spring!</p>