Please Help Unionville/chadds Ford (Philadelphia, Lancaster: fit in, condo, buying a house)

[rcovph]

We are in the process of buying a house. Our kids would go to Unionville middle and High School. HOWEVER, we have been informed by people we talked to in the area that is this a very uppity close knit place/school and our kids might have a very tough time coming into that school. PLEASE anyone with any experience or knowledge of this area/ school I would so appreciate any comments.

[rainrock]

rcovph, I believe you will find that problem
everywhere. I had friends move up to the Downingtown area from Va. They have 4 incredibly well adjusted school-aged kids that I thought could fit in anywhere, the perfect all-american family. The 2 younger ones are fitting in just fine. The two oldest ones middle school + HS are having tough times adjusting to the cliques.

They'll be fine but it is going to be a tough adjustment for a year or two especially for Middle + High schools. I don't think the problem is contained to Unionville- that problem is going to exist everywhere in the Northeast.Its the nature of the beast in a very competitive region. If you moved into a similar metro such as NYC or Boston you would unfortunately run into the same problem.

Good luck with everything. Its a great area and give it a little time.

[toobusytoday]

Yeah, moving in middle school stinks. We moved 10 years ago when my older kids were entering 4th and 7th grade. My daughter had the tougher time but after a few months all was well. I don't think it's the competitive northeast thing, it's just middle school. If you can move when kids are transitioning (first year of middle or high school) it won't be as bad because there will be other kids coming in from parochial and private schools. Our school recently started a helpful transition group of students for new kids in middle and high school. Maybe Unionville- Chadds Ford has something like that too.

The best thing you can do is have them get involved in extracurricular activities so they can quickly find some kids with the same interests like band, choir, scouts, or sports.

On a positive note moving can be a good thing. My kids had an extremely easy transition to colleges out of state partly because of their moves.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I don't think it's the competitive northeast thing, it's just middle school. If you can move when kids are transitioning (first year of middle or high school)

Solely due to transitioning? Certainly in part. However I just see the transitioning to a laid- back, less competitive, harmonious place like Lancaster County or the Lehigh Valley a much easier transition than an ultra competitive, dog eat dog suburbs, where the average house is $800,000. People are wired differently according to their surroundings and upbringing. The Philadlephia area is notorious for their parochiality.

[toobusytoday]

We lived in Delaware and Chester county for ten years. Downingtown for four and Garnet Valley area for six. Chadds Ford-Unionville is right between the two areas. I didn't consider it a super urban environment. A little too busy, a little too much traffic and stores, but not cut-throat. My kids were involved in little league, soccer, scouts and band. They played and had sleepovers. I think the schools were a tad more rigorous, but not that much.

With so many people moving into the area I don't think one has to expect that ALL the kids will have settled into their lifetime cliques. People move a whole bunch these days. It's almost unusual to find people that have lived in just one place their whole lives. Just get involved, it will be okay.

Rainrock, from all the posts I've read of yours, I can tell that you really know the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia but have you had experience with moving middle school kids? I'm not saying it will be smooth sailing but I don't think it's going to be all snobs and no reason to make an already worried parent feel even more worried.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Rainrock, from all the posts I've read of yours, I can tell that you really know the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia but have you had experience with moving middle school kids? I'm not saying it will be smooth sailing but I don't think it's going to be all snobs and no reason to make an already worried parent feel even more worried.

Only that I have good friends that moved up here from Va. and their middle and HS aged kids had a very tough first year. I have no facts or personal experience whatsoever, its just my perception that it might be a little more difficult acclimating to one of the more stable metros like Philadlephia which has very moderate inflow and outflow population trends.

I'm sure rvovph kids will be just fine.

[matildap]

my kids are elementary age, but we just went through (are still going through) the same thing...very hard for kids and even harder mid-year like we did (kicking ourselves, now...) BUT one thing I would have done differently (other than stayed back home is find kids in the neighborhood or from school that have something in common with my kids or just from the same class, and before starting school, just get together, get together, get together...might be harder for the big kids (not cool?) but just to give them that edge...knowing someone already, an ally, someone to hang out with/eat lunch with that you know from outside..Instead of plopping them in there on the first day to navigate on their own. I'm SURE there will be cliques...there always are. I'd try to get them involved over the summer with someone or a group. Give them that one advantage. You're moving over the summer, correct?
P.S. One question about this board for anyone: how do you find the original post when there are a ton of responses?

[aswedc]

Hello,

I graduated from Unionville High School and had attended the district since the second grade.

As to what you have heard, this is a public school of a decent size, not some elite boarding academy. I wouldn't necessarily consider either "close knit" or "uppity" to be accurate descriptions. On the other hand, it has to be recognized there is a notable lack of economic or social diversity.

I hesitate to give any further advice as an environment one person might feel right at home in would be disastrous for another. If you have more specific questions I'd be happy to try and help.

[Wanna Leave Penciltucky]

Last week the local paper revealed that at Unionville high school students on May 18 had taken LSD and had stripped naked at school. They did not disclose this to the general media so parents could find out but instead swept it under the carpet. It did not hit the Phila Inquirer till June 2nd , the same paper reported that a student also at Unionville high school had poisoned as many as 8 students on May 31 with homemade "laced" cookies when they became ill last Thursday and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. It was the second time in as many weeks that a drug related incident had happened at the high school.
I am shocked and surprised to learn that these students were not expelled.
They were "counselled and disciplined" and let back to school. What happened to zero tolerance?
Well there you have it. I have not heard of any incident like this anywhere else. You be the judge.

[Will Kelly]

I would want to leave as well if the bad behavior of certain individuals and the way the school system handled it affected me but it doesn't so I am staying.

However, if you find a "zero tolerance" place that fits your bill maybe you can post it on the board for others who may want to follow you to Utopia.

People make mistakes, I know I have made plenty. Administrators make mistakes but they have to live and die by those decisions and unless you want the job and are qualified to handle the responsability that goes with it then you should not throw stones.

I find it more troubling that you rely on the Inquirer for news and policy and don't question the parents and the children who were not involved. They should be the ones to question it and if my children knew about the incident and didn't tell me then shame on me and my lack of communication with my children.

I have many friends with children in Unionville Chaddsford and the quality of their education and their personal successes should not be overshadowed by a few stoners and kids experimenting. It is dangerous, I do not condone it but it exists and that is a societal problem not a school policy problem.

I am getting off my soap box now.

All the best.