Maryvale and Sligo Creek ES French Immersion programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Possibly. Just wouldn't count on it. DCCAPS would know, but it probably isn't good for them to put out a "typical" number publicly and then have people unhappy if it doesn't get there.

It depends very much on who is in front in the offer queue/where they might live (farther tends to equal less likely to accept a spot once the logistics are seriously considered, though some are willing and others actually move to be closer once in). Also, I think there was more declining of offers in the past few years due to the prospect of additional hassle during the pandemic (and then stories from that), where there was plenty of adjustment to deal with already, and a new language would make that all the more difficult. Last year might be a better indicator, but that would be an n of 1.

Several years back, I want to say it might have been in the high teens through mid-summer, but that, again would be an n of 1. Still, there are occasional drops leading up to and during the school year from the program that open up seats.

All true, but another (more enduring) reason that wait lists might be moving more than in the past is that the sibling link is all but gone. People were grandfathered in post 2017-2018 and it took a few years (running into the pandemic) for more seats each year to reliably be in play. It still exists (for families with 3+ children with continuous enrollment), but it's very few seats at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Yes, and I think this guidance is conservative, especially for schools with two immersion classes. They often get to more like 40 before the start of the year. In recent years I've known families with WL numbers in the 50s and 60s to get an offer sometime during the fall. Note that when there is an opening after school starts, the WL can go faster because people are more likely to decline the offer.

That said, we were very unlucky last year! I'm wondering what kind of wait list numbers have a shot for first grade, but I never see that mentioned.

SCES parent here. From what I've seen over the course of a couple of kids, numbers 1 and 2 always get in at first grade because the class ratios shift. Then, you have some kids move out after K because the commute or the language isn't working. This is not a promise, but I'd think up to #5 would come into the program in first grade easily. After that, kids need to test in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Possibly. Just wouldn't count on it. DCCAPS would know, but it probably isn't good for them to put out a "typical" number publicly and then have people unhappy if it doesn't get there.

It depends very much on who is in front in the offer queue/where they might live (farther tends to equal less likely to accept a spot once the logistics are seriously considered, though some are willing and others actually move to be closer once in). Also, I think there was more declining of offers in the past few years due to the prospect of additional hassle during the pandemic (and then stories from that), where there was plenty of adjustment to deal with already, and a new language would make that all the more difficult. Last year might be a better indicator, but that would be an n of 1.

Several years back, I want to say it might have been in the high teens through mid-summer, but that, again would be an n of 1. Still, there are occasional drops leading up to and during the school year from the program that open up seats.

Fwiw the results letters are putting that 30 number out publicly. Or they did last year at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Possibly. Just wouldn't count on it. DCCAPS would know, but it probably isn't good for them to put out a "typical" number publicly and then have people unhappy if it doesn't get there.

It depends very much on who is in front in the offer queue/where they might live (farther tends to equal less likely to accept a spot once the logistics are seriously considered, though some are willing and others actually move to be closer once in). Also, I think there was more declining of offers in the past few years due to the prospect of additional hassle during the pandemic (and then stories from that), where there was plenty of adjustment to deal with already, and a new language would make that all the more difficult. Last year might be a better indicator, but that would be an n of 1.

Several years back, I want to say it might have been in the high teens through mid-summer, but that, again would be an n of 1. Still, there are occasional drops leading up to and during the school year from the program that open up seats.

Fwiw the results letters are putting that 30 number out publicly. Or they did last year at least.

Yes--that 30 number was on the SCES website! I mean there's never a guarantee but previously, that's where they got more often than not. My kid is in 2nd grade. He's had one new classmate in each 1st and second.

[Anonymous]

Our kid was #34 in the fall of 2020. Fortunately not that many people wanted to send kids to K on Zoom—in French! I think they went quite a few seats past us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Possibly. Just wouldn't count on it. DCCAPS would know, but it probably isn't good for them to put out a "typical" number publicly and then have people unhappy if it doesn't get there.

It depends very much on who is in front in the offer queue/where they might live (farther tends to equal less likely to accept a spot once the logistics are seriously considered, though some are willing and others actually move to be closer once in). Also, I think there was more declining of offers in the past few years due to the prospect of additional hassle during the pandemic (and then stories from that), where there was plenty of adjustment to deal with already, and a new language would make that all the more difficult. Last year might be a better indicator, but that would be an n of 1.

Several years back, I want to say it might have been in the high teens through mid-summer, but that, again would be an n of 1. Still, there are occasional drops leading up to and during the school year from the program that open up seats.

All true, but another (more enduring) reason that wait lists might be moving more than in the past is that the sibling link is all but gone. People were grandfathered in post 2017-2018 and it took a few years (running into the pandemic) for more seats each year to reliably be in play. It still exists (for families with 3+ children with continuous enrollment), but it's very few seats at this point.

This is a good point, and one I hadn't considered. I think the last class with full sibling preference left last year. The following class (classes? maybe still?) had something like an extra lottery entry for younger siblings, but not an automatic in. These were/are for lottery applicants who have an older sibling who will still be at that school the next year.

[Anonymous]

Immersion program families are very involved and want to see the program and children succeed. There’s always room to volunteer through PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say on the lottery that we were told that kids with numbers up to about 30 likely will get a spot off the wait list. We were in the high single digits and were offered a spot in mid June

Possibly. Just wouldn't count on it. DCCAPS would know, but it probably isn't good for them to put out a "typical" number publicly and then have people unhappy if it doesn't get there.

It depends very much on who is in front in the offer queue/where they might live (farther tends to equal less likely to accept a spot once the logistics are seriously considered, though some are willing and others actually move to be closer once in). Also, I think there was more declining of offers in the past few years due to the prospect of additional hassle during the pandemic (and then stories from that), where there was plenty of adjustment to deal with already, and a new language would make that all the more difficult. Last year might be a better indicator, but that would be an n of 1.

Several years back, I want to say it might have been in the high teens through mid-summer, but that, again would be an n of 1. Still, there are occasional drops leading up to and during the school year from the program that open up seats.

All true, but another (more enduring) reason that wait lists might be moving more than in the past is that the sibling link is all but gone. People were grandfathered in post 2017-2018 and it took a few years (running into the pandemic) for more seats each year to reliably be in play. It still exists (for families with 3+ children with continuous enrollment), but it's very few seats at this point.

This is a good point, and one I hadn't considered. I think the last class with full sibling preference left last year. The following class (classes? maybe still?) had something like an extra lottery entry for younger siblings, but not an automatic in. These were/are for lottery applicants who have an older sibling who will still be at that school the next year.

Siblings get 2 lottery entries now. I believe sibling link persists for large families because of the way it’s worded: if a student entered the program in 2017-2018 and there is still a sibling at the school. In any case this still gets mentioned on the immersion presentation slides.

[Anonymous]

any idea when we will get the results of the lottery? I can't find that posted anywhere either!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:any idea when we will get the results of the lottery? I can't find that posted anywhere either!

I was really expecting today based on past years. So I’m guessing this week.

[Anonymous]

We found out this time last year. Good luck to all! Maybe we should start a petition to increase immersion. It really is an amazing opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We found out this time last year. Good luck to all! Maybe we should start a petition to increase immersion. It really is an amazing opportunity.

I agree although I always hear it's hard to hire the teachers for it.

Waiting anxiously on the results -- I want to know but I don't want to know, because my kid is going into first grade so it's our last chance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion program families are very involved and want to see the program and children succeed. There’s always room to volunteer through PTA.

Our neighborhood school was immersion. I would say the opposite. They do not live near by. Do not know each other from the neighborhood. Unlikely to be involved in the PTA. Maybe they are very involved in the immersion program and other parents do not see it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immersion program families are very involved and want to see the program and children succeed. There’s always room to volunteer through PTA.

Our neighborhood school was immersion. I would say the opposite. They do not live near by. Do not know each other from the neighborhood. Unlikely to be involved in the PTA. Maybe they are very involved in the immersion program and other parents do not see it?

We are in immersion at SCES and we live just outside the boundary but still in walking distance. Our experience is that everyone is very involved, there are lots of neighborhood families in both the immersion and the academy. And even the immersion kids who live far away come to school social events after school.

[Anonymous]

PP- I am always amazed how far are willing to drive on weekends and weeknights. Maybe parents get less involved in the older grades? But I see people as heavily involved still. Could it be better? Sure - but that’s every school.