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Old 02-27-2022, 09:07 PM
 
6 posts, read 3,945 times
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I recently moved to Northwest Philly (Roxborough) and haven’t gotten to learn the area yet. My husband and I are looking for a private pre-k through elementary school for my soon to be 3yo daughter with max annual tuition of 15K (doesn’t have to include extended care or summer camp). We have another baby on the way, and thinking ahead to two kids, we will likely move and switch to public education for high school (if not before for middle school as well).

Based on just internet search we like Norwood Fontbonne in Chestnut Hill (about a 10 min drive), and Ancillae Assumpta in Wyncote (about 17 min drive), but for both, the reviews we found are a couple years old. Anyone have personal experience with these schools or know what the current status is?

I’m biracial and my husband is Hispanic, so wondering how our daughter will do in a not so diverse environment. We place more value on overall experience than overall academics, though obviously looking for a school that is decent all round. Also open to additional recommendations if they are within 20 or so mins from where we are.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 02-28-2022, 08:44 AM
 
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Why not Philly public schools? If per pupil expenditure and student teacher ratios are indications of quality, Philly public elementary schools are comparable to the best private schools. Why spend good money when the best is available for free?


https://www.usnews.com/education/k12...istrict-101796


If I were to choose a school to send my children to and tuition is no consideration (note: I am an old bachelor) it would be the Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square.
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Old 02-28-2022, 09:40 AM
 
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Hi Wells5, and thanks for your reply. I know there are some great Philly public schools but we are not located in those catchment areas. Despite that we are looking at catholic/ private schools, tuition is still a limitation. Episcopal Academy is unfortunately way out of our range.
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Old 02-28-2022, 02:34 PM
 
Location: North by Northwest
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People have good things to say about Our Mother of Consolation in Chestnut Hill. It’s an Archdiocese school, but among the better ones as far as I know.
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Old 03-01-2022, 02:05 AM
 
Location: Germantown, Philadelphia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaymom View Post
Hi Wells5, and thanks for your reply. I know there are some great Philly public schools but we are not located in those catchment areas. Despite that we are looking at catholic/ private schools, tuition is still a limitation. Episcopal Academy is unfortunately way out of our range.
If you're reasonably well off and devote time and attention to your kids' education, it may not matter what public school catchment area you're in:

Ignore the Rankings: Why the Best School For Your Kid Is Probably the One in Your Neighborhood | Philadelphia Magazine

(This article, the cover feature for the 2019 Schools Issue, is partly autobiographical. And it addresses at the end why my own mother didn't do what I recommend readers do in this article.)

There's a pretty sizable body of research that has found that what happens outside the classroom may have a greater impact on kids' performance in school than what happens in it. A lot of that research has found that the strongest correlating factor with performance in school is the household income of the pupil's household.

IOW, if you settle in Roxborough, your neighborhood grade school (which won't be among the better-ranked public grade schools in the city) may actually do just fine.
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Old 03-01-2022, 02:18 AM
 
Location: Germantown, Philadelphia
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Having said what I just said, however, another option you might want to consider if your budget is limited are public charter schools.

These privately run public schools are tuition-free and open to any city resident (though some may require you pass an entrance exam to enter). Many of them offer unique curricula based on things like experiential learning, or the natural environment, or science and technology.

The thing is, these schools are located all over the city, and some of the best ones are far from Northwest Philly (e.g., Russell Byers Charter School in Logan Square).

But near you will be Wissahickon Charter School, with campuses in East Falls and on the East Mount Airy side of the Germantown-Mount Airy border. This school has a nature-based curriculum; the Mount Airy campus is located next to the Awbury Arboretum for that reason.

There are also some Mastery charter schools in Germantown, including Pastorius-Richardson near me in East Germantown and Pickett Middle School on the neighborhood's west side. Its discipline-focused "no excuses" educational model is very popular with African-American parents.

(BTW, I should note here that one of the top private schools in this part of the city has a name that people sometimes confuse with these schools. William Penn Charter School in upper East Falls is a private Friends school founded in 1689 — the oldest Quaker school in the world. You might also want to explore scholarship options at the Friends schools [another up this way: Germantown Friends School], all of which offer top-notch educations rooted in Quaker values.)
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Old 03-01-2022, 10:56 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ElijahAstin View Post
People have good things to say about Our Mother of Consolation in Chestnut Hill. It’s an Archdiocese school, but among the better ones as far as I know.
Thanks! I'm not sure how I missed this school being so close to the other one, but I'll definitely check it out.
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Old 03-02-2022, 11:06 AM
 
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Originally Posted by MarketStEl View Post
Having said what I just said, however, another option you might want to consider if your budget is limited are public charter schools.
Thanks for the insight on both public and charter schools. We're definitely not opposed to either and are actually planning to do this eventually. She'll be going to pre-K right now though, and these public schools start at K. We mostly want the option of keeping her stable before moving her yet again. Something close by would also be preferred since she can't take the school bus yet.
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Old 03-03-2022, 07:28 AM
 
Location: Plymouth Meeting, PA.
5,713 posts, read 3,218,841 times
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Philadelphia Public Schools are abysmal.





Quote:
Originally Posted by Wells5 View Post
Why not Philly public schools? If per pupil expenditure and student teacher ratios are indications of quality, Philly public elementary schools are comparable to the best private schools. Why spend good money when the best is available for free?


https://www.usnews.com/education/k12...istrict-101796


If I were to choose a school to send my children to and tuition is no consideration (note: I am an old bachelor) it would be the Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square.
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Old 03-03-2022, 07:45 AM
 
2,523 posts, read 2,636,371 times
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Online schools are worth considering. I know that might not be ideal. Might be better for when your child(ren) are in middle or high school. The elementary schools for public tend not to be too bad overall because most kids overall still have "that innocence" at a younger age. Once you start middle and high school, the quality tends to get affected from the disruptions and constant tension from the community of the people whose children attend those schools.
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