<p>We attended a presentation at son #2’s K-8 pre-prep school about an optional 9th grade year they offer.</p>
<p>Four former 9th grade students and one mother spoke. Among the group was a kid who had completed 9th grade at the pre-prep and then repeated 9th at a GLADCHEMMS school. He described feeling like a “super freshman” during his repeat 9th. He said the extra 9th, in his case, was the best decision he had ever made as it made him more mature and independent, allowed him to achieve an honors GPA, drive a car as a sophomore, and pursue independent coursework a year earlier than most.</p>
<p>This kid was so eloquent and charming he stood head and shoulders above the other speakers; so much so that the crowd of 40-odd parents gave him a standing-o, which none of the other kids received.</p>
<p>The down side was when the mother spoke. Her son enrolled at Andover and she apparently resented the fact that the repeat 9th kid had, quite unintentionally, just upstaged him. She peppered her talk with comments such as, “we are <em>not</em> a repeat 9th family”, “repeating 9th is just <em>not</em> an option for <em>us</em>”…</p>
<p>Our takeaway was very positive toward a repeat 9th but obviously some see it as a stigma.</p>