Chevy Chase Center for Enriched Studies vs. staying at home school?

[Anonymous]

Hello,
My rising 4th grader was offered a spot via the lottery waiting list for the CES at Chevy Chase. We have ELC and Compact 4/5 math available at our school and my child has qualified for those per our principal. What does Center for Enriched Studies (CES) give you over Enriched Literacy (ELC) and Compact 4/5 math at our home school? I worry about social/emotional considerations of pulling our kid out of a school she enjoys but the program sounds great too. She wants to try it some days, and other days she doesn't.... Also, my kid has ADHD and I am worried about the workload causing more focus/attention/organization struggles. We are trying to get my kid a 504. Unfortunately, it's the last week of school and we couldn't attend an Open House or tour the CES school. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My kid had a great experience. Made new friends and learned she could make new friends. Academics and teachers were great. I’d do it again.

[Anonymous]

Did you have ELC and Compact 4/5 math at your school? Did your child enjoy your home elementary school or was really ready for a change? I feel like our home school has good teachers and these classes available and she loves her friends there - looking for a compelling reason to change for 2 yrs and then change again for middle school.

[Anonymous]

Does she have a 504? If so, CCES not for you.

[Anonymous]

My kid has a 504, and the CES was great. Work was not too much - and they enjoyed being with peers at their level, who engaged in intetesting discussions. They remained close with friends from their home school via sports teams

[Anonymous]

What does your child want to do, OP?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We decided to pass. My kid wasn't ready to move to a new school for 4th and had a LOT of anxiety over it, and we felt that keeping her at our local school with ELC and 4/5 math and all her friends and teachers that she enjoys was in everyone's best interest.

[Anonymous]

We made the same decision a few years back, and didn't regret it for a second. We really liked how the school implemented the ELC.

[Anonymous]

Actually if your child is on a 504 and gifted, the Center is the best place. The teachers are so used to this profile and are so sensitive to those dual needs. Program itself is terrific with the best teachers you’ll find at any school. The science especially in fifth grade is so much more engaging than a typical class. ELC doesn’t include everything that the Center provides, because the Center has an integrated Social Studies and ELA program. CCES also does Ted talks which teaches research, writing and public speaking. The math instruction especially in fifth grade will include more enrichment like puzzles and projects (though your local school teacher may do that).

[Anonymous]

I think the need for CES is much less when you have a strong ELC program at your own school (limited to gifted students and not offered to all).

[Anonymous]

Since the lottery began + the pandemic struck, the Centers aren't what they used to be. Chevy Chase probably does not have as serious an issue as some of the other centers, but ask the teachers, they'll tell you the center population has changed and learning deficits are real.

I would not be at all surprised if the county-wide rollout of ELC dooms the centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since the lottery began + the pandemic struck, the Centers aren't what they used to be. Chevy Chase probably does not have as serious an issue as some of the other centers, but ask the teachers, they'll tell you the center population has changed and learning deficits are real.

I would not be at all surprised if the county-wide rollout of ELC dooms the centers.

OVES parent here. Give me a break. Learning deficits? I *have* talked to teachers and they've reported that the kids are all bright and more than capable of handling the curriculum. If anything, the classes are a bit more diverse than they used to be - which the teachers and administration view as a net positive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since the lottery began + the pandemic struck, the Centers aren't what they used to be. Chevy Chase probably does not have as serious an issue as some of the other centers, but ask the teachers, they'll tell you the center population has changed and learning deficits are real.

I would not be at all surprised if the county-wide rollout of ELC dooms the centers.

OVES parent here. Give me a break. Learning deficits? I *have* talked to teachers and they've reported that the kids are all bright and more than capable of handling the curriculum. If anything, the classes are a bit more diverse than they used to be - which the teachers and administration view as a net positive.

What is OVES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since the lottery began + the pandemic struck, the Centers aren't what they used to be. Chevy Chase probably does not have as serious an issue as some of the other centers, but ask the teachers, they'll tell you the center population has changed and learning deficits are real.

I would not be at all surprised if the county-wide rollout of ELC dooms the centers.

OVES parent here. Give me a break. Learning deficits? I *have* talked to teachers and they've reported that the kids are all bright and more than capable of handling the curriculum. If anything, the classes are a bit more diverse than they used to be - which the teachers and administration view as a net positive.

What is OVES?

Oak View ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since the lottery began + the pandemic struck, the Centers aren't what they used to be. Chevy Chase probably does not have as serious an issue as some of the other centers, but ask the teachers, they'll tell you the center population has changed and learning deficits are real.

I would not be at all surprised if the county-wide rollout of ELC dooms the centers.

MCPS has been going downhill for over a century. Or at least according to all the parents who remember their halcyon days!