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My son is in his third year at Barrie, in the 8th grade. He was in Montgomery County schools before that (local and GT schools). We have been very happy with Barrie's focus on students as individuals, emphasis on critical thinking, and close attention to maintaining an environment in which everyone is treated respectfully. Before we came to Barrie, I wondered whether it was too small, and whether it would be academically challenging. My perception is that they present challenging material in small group settings that help students get the most out of it. A lot of schools say that they are student-centered. I really believe it is true at Barrie.
My son is what is called a Barried lifer. We have seen the good and the bad at this school and are most impressed with the way the bad has been handled. They are in a constant state of assessment and improvements are palpable. I am surprised to see the complaint of academic offerings as Barrie offers extensive art, performance and music courses as well as innovative electives. Humanties is very strong and many of my friends have commented on the depth and quality of literature my son has studied. Many AP courses are offered inclusive of AP lit, BC calculus, AP biology, physics and Chemistry. Creative courses such as the History of the World through Food, Asian Religions and Woodbridge. The school's experiential learning curriculum is superior and has helped my shy son develop social and leadership skills. The school is environmentally conscious & well worth the money.
My child was at Barrie middle school. In general it is an excellent school -- teaching children to think critically and to advocate for themselves -- important skills. The teachers are caring and the smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention. Our experience between the school and the local public with both Barrie and the public schools is that Barrie does some things as well, some such as leadership, critical thinking, and writing better than the public schools, and some worse. This is probably normal for most schools to fall in this range. We don't regret for a minute sending our child to the school even though that child chose to attend public high school.
My child was at Barrie for many years (which was a mistake). I can't say that I was pleased with the administration. I would characterize it as non-responsive and ineffectual. The teachers were hit or miss in terms of quality. Prospective parents should research this school very carefully before sending their children here. Dollar for dollar the middle and high upper schools are not a good buy -- at all.
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