Politics | 11/21/2008 4:15 pm

Obama Girls Headed to Sidwell Friends

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Contrary to speculation, President-elect Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, will be attending Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. Mercury News elaborates:

President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen private Sidwell Friends School in Washington for their two daughters.
A spokeswoman for Michelle Obama, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, says the Obamas considered several schools for ten-year-old Malia and seven-year-old Sasha but decided Sidwell Friends was the best fit.

Sidwell Friends is a private Quaker school in northwest Washington that Chelsea Clinton attended.

Many believed that the girls would attend Georgetown Day School, but obviously the Obama family decided otherwise. We wish the girls lots of luck, but know that they won’t need it — their father’s the new president! They’re automatically the most popular girls on that campus!

49 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Chelsea Clinton went here, and they are very well equipped and set up for First Families, as well as being a highly respected school. I wish the Obama girls all the best…

By Diana T on 11/21/2008 4:48 pm

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Diana, I concur. Considering all the Press around the Clinton Administration, Hillary was able to provide Chelsea with a reasonably private childhood experience. I remember reading that Hillary was a ‘mother lion protecting her cub.’ God Bless her for being able to pull it off. I think Michelle Obama has that same character trait, and great counsel from her contemporaries. I am sensing a real reaching out to make this transition go smoothly for all. Mom’s, above all, will always be mom’s. CA

By C A Rose on 11/23/2008 12:01 am

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CA, as I remember, Sidwell was a wonderful help to the Clintons in keeping Cheslea shielded from the public and letting her have a “typical” life. I think between their mom and dad and the life they have had so far, that the two Obama girls are very fortunate indeed, and it shows in their eyes and their smiles.

By Diana T on 11/23/2008 8:37 am

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When I moved to the metropolitan D.C. area in 1980, the choice of good schools for my children was paramount. Sidwell Friends was on my ‘short list’. At the time, I liked the ethnic diversity - There were students from all over the world in attendance. Also, Sidwell was very popular among North West Washington parents. Yet, Sidwell fell a little behind other private schools in various rankings. Other area schools had a higher rate of graduates accepted at Ivy League and other top colleges/universities (circa 1980). I’m not sure of the current overall rankings. However, I’ve been told that Sidwell continues to rank among the top private schools in the area. I’m sure the Obama children will be very happy at their new school. And, I’m happy for the family that this important decision has been made. It’s a great choice. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone speak about a ‘bad experience’ while attending Sidwell. Friends of my sons who attended Sidwell speak fondly of their days there as students. Most of all, I wish the Obama children the best of luck, and I am sure they will be very popular, while feeling ‘one of the group’.

By Maizie James on 11/21/2008 4:59 pm

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I guess Barry O can’t make any independent decisions. He is surely following everything that the clintons did when they were in the WH. Installing his cabinet with people from the clinton era, and now the girls school. well, so much for change Barry

By Irish Eyes NY on 11/21/2008 7:01 pm

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LOL I must have missed the speech when Obama promised to send his children to a school where no other children of former presidents ever attended! Oh, and the name “Barry” that you find so amusing. It’s very common for children with unusual, ethnic names to go by easy versions of that name that helps them to fit in more with the children in their class, especially back in the years Obama was in school. I have an aunt whose name was “Dionysia” (my grandfather was Greek). She went by the name “Diana” for most of her life. Perhaps you live in a place which does not have a mix of ethnic groups and never heard of such a thing. My son has a boy in his 1st grade class whose first name I can’t even begin to spell…. but it has about 12 letters in it. In the center of the 12 letters are the letters “demi”… and that is the name he goes by. The fact that a little boy in America named “Barack” would choose to go by the name “Barry” is not a surprise to someone living in Chicago where 1/2 the people you meet have shortened ethnic names to more recognizable, easier to say names. As for change. Read the David Brooks article about “Barry Hussean Obama’s” choice of people in his administration. Brooks explains how this Obama administration is very much a CHANGE: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/21brooks.html

By DeBúrca obj on 11/21/2008 8:33 pm

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TYPO Hussein….. see I can’t even spell that one

By DeBúrca obj on 11/21/2008 8:35 pm

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Yea, DB: it is a change from the Bush administration, I’ll give you that, BUT what he said was “CHANGE FROM THE USUAL WASHINGTON INSIDERS” I wouldn’t exactly call his appointments that kind of change. I fear that he will regret picking Hilary as Sec of state, but time will tell.

By Irish Eyes NY on 11/22/2008 10:35 am

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He said change from the usual in Washington. He is already creating a huge change from Bush and from Clinton even with the way he is constructing his administration. He is surrounding himself with the best minds available and he is not surrounding himself with cronies he owes or cronies used to saying “yes I agree” to him on everything.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/22/2008 10:58 am

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Just a bit of a reminder, or update, or ? It is not at all uncommon for this situation with the new President and his Cabinet - Many of those selected now, are merely a kind of transition team, and will leave after the posts are filled by the permanent team of Cabinet members and staff in the Obama Presidency. So, in my opinion, it only makes sense to select those people whom are well respected, capable, and transitionary. Should he select someone like ummm say, Gonsalez? Rove? Perino? I don’t think he is so inclined to be pinned with such… Well, ‘ll leave it at that.

By Ro H on 11/22/2008 6:50 pm

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Agreed.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/22/2008 9:58 pm

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Thank you, DeBurca for responding to that ridiculous post. I read it, but just didn’t have the time , this morning, to address it. Thanks for being on top of it.

By Sally K on 11/26/2008 11:42 am

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P.S. Probably wouldn’t have done it as well as you did, anyway.

By Sally K on 11/26/2008 11:43 am

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Thank you Sally. I have a hard time letting some comments just slide by.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/26/2008 1:46 pm

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Hey, what’s wrong with piggy backing on what was successful? The Clinton cabinet obviously was a fairly good one- they got us out of the financial mess we were heading into then, of course, not quite on this scale. As far as the schooling goes, I’m sure security was a major factor in the decision. Sidwell may be better equiped to handle tight security for children of the elite. Who are we to question the choice if it’s based on safety for the children?

By Dee T on 11/22/2008 8:13 am