Waples vs Hunters for Level IV

[Anonymous]

Really struggling to decide and struggling to get a straight answer on how
Much extra enrichment kids get staying at Waples without Level IV services. We have not been impressed with the new administration, and hear great things about HWES administration but the bus ride would be a trek and not sure the middle school situation would be worth it either.

Is center school really worth it academically if uprooting friendships? My kid really loves math and science but not all that interested in arts so don’t actually care about the bells and whistles of magnet program. How do you all decide?

[Anonymous]

We found this to be a difficult decision, too, and ultimately decided to try HWES and pull DC back to Waples if there was an issue. So far, DC has been happy and thriving at HWES.

The deadline to accept Level IV services has already passed. Are you having regrets about your decision to accept or decline services for next year?

[Anonymous]

Having Regrets about accepting, and am told I can always take some time and drop down but ideally letting them know as soon as possible for class planning purposes is the right call.

[Anonymous]

Ah. I’m sympathetic to that feeling, as we also struggled with uprooting our DC and disrupting friendships. We knew the status quo at Waples and we decided to take a chance on moving to HWES because DC needed more acceleration in math, and we were impressed by the HWES admin team and teachers. DC had a friend going to HWES, too, which made the decision a little easier friendship wise. And we have not found the commute to be terribly different.

Does your DC have any friends or acquaintances going to HWES next year? If so, reach out to those kids’ parents to set up a few play dates so your DC has a broader support system when they start next year. Ultimately, it’s one year of school and your DC can go back to Waples the following year if HWES isn’t a good fit.