Classical High School vs. Barrington HS

[jai-jagdesh kaur khalsa]

Originally Posted by xyzchessdude

We are thinking of moving to Providence from upstate NY.
Key to our decision are school options.

Can anyone share thoughts about Classical HS.
We have a 14 y/o daughter, who will be in 10th grade next Fall.
Strong student, a little shy, a little over-protected but well-loved.
We want the best for her educationally and socially.
We value public education, but want to keep her safe, avoid unnecessary exposure to the negative side of popular culture.
Socially, would like her to grow but feel welcomed.
Academically, would like her to be challenged and supported.

How does this match Classical
We are also thinking about Barrington, but would rather avoid the commute and get a little more diversity in our lives, if possible.

As a Classical Graduate, and now M.A. the "real"world is just that. Sun,rain,avalanches,peak experiences. Just pay attention to who your daughter really is.
G-d is great. Good luck to you all!

[jmancini]

Don't bite hard on Classical. I can honestly say it's a crap roll. Some kids come out looking great and some are alcoholics. Then again, the same can be said about Barrington. I guess it depends where you want to go.

[ricitykid]

Originally Posted by traceyr13

Hi - I know a bit about Classical HS, although certainly not as much as Barrington HS where I worked for 8 years. But I did interview 2 students over the years (from Classical) as an alumni interview for my university, and was able to get a feel for it. Also, one of my professors for my Master's degree at Providence College was the director of guidance for Classical (Lou Torro) and he talked ad nauseum about Classical as a point of reference.

Academically, I think it's very strong - I honestly can't compare it to Barrington HS, but I feel that, as far as academics, I would feel comfortable placing my own children there, if that's any help.

If you are looking for a nurturing, welcoming (aka a bit sheltered!) community, you have to know that Classical is still an urban school. For example, they still have a clinic doling out birth control and (I believe, at least they did 5 years ago) a daycare for students' children. I'm not saying there is a problem with any of that, but if you don't want your child being exposed to the more "nitty gritty" aspects of urban life, you won't avoid it at Classical.

You will probably find more recreational drug and alcohol use at Barrington HS (not IN the high school, but part of the weekend culture), although I can't say that with all authority. You may very well find "harder" drugs in some of the Classical circles, but again, that is totally speculation.

Not sure if this helps or leads to more questions!

I agree with Tracy.

Classical high school is located in urban Providence, and again, your daughter will be exposed to "popular" culture and the "tough" side of high school life. Not that high school isn't hard. Classical high school is a bit more "rough" due to it's location and err... the backgrounds of the some of the students, compared to small well-sheltered towns such as EG, Barrington, NK, and etc. As a current high school student, I can absolutly guarentee you the use of "harder" drugs is probably there in Classical, as in any other high school, perhaps maybe even more. But academically, I've heard excellent news about Classical. Many of their students end up going to Ivy League schools.

Barrington is a sheltered community and it's median household is one of the highest in the state. Living in a "wealthy" town my self, and belonging to a middle class family, I really struggled to fit in because I couldn't afford many of the lavish things the kids have here. Academically, I've heard no complaints about Barrington. They have one of the highest SATS scores in the state. However, they have a huge partying/alcohol/reactional drug use problem. With bored rich kids with lots of money, what do you expect? They had a scandel a couple of years ago with a young drunk high school student accidentally killing his friend by running a boat over him, or something like that. Barrington, like EG, tries to deny the fact that they do indeed have a huge alcohol/drug use problem. I also know a girl who moved from Barrington to EG, due to the bullying she had to endure from the kids at Barrington.

No public high school system is perfect in Rhode Island. Some are "worst" and some are "better". The "better" ones aren't too great at all - I attend one of those public high schools that are considered "good" in Rhode Island and it quite frankly, sucks. Your child will be exposed to "popular" culture, no matter how you try. Maybe more or less, depending on what school you chose to send her to.

I'd suggest a private school in RI, even though they can be quite costly. And they still have drug/alcohol/reactional drug use problems and all the other common problems you see in high school today, in probably all of them especially in LaSalle, Bayview, and etc.

I'd suggest trying Prout, as I know they aren't really a partying/drug school and I have a friend who goes there, who absolutly loves it. Prout has some of the best high school atheletic in a state and is excellent academically.

I'd also suggest Lincoln, an all-girls quaker school. It's well-known and prestigious. Academically, it's excellent but it's also pretty challenging. And the alumni includes Meredith Vieira.