Bilingual PK schools with green spaces (NW DC)

[Anonymous]

This is the first year participating in the lottery for PK3. We live in Petworth but willing to travel for a bilingual program (any language, currently learning Spanish/English) with a nice playground or green space (garden, etc). Would love to hear recommendations from parents! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it has a garden, but LAMB has a beautiful property and spends a ton of time outdoors. I think they have 3 playgrounds. I know some people don’t love the upper el (4th/5th), but we have kids in K and 2nd and have been extremely happy. The primary program (prek3-k) is magical. We have also been super happy with our son’s lower el (1st-3rd) experience.

[Anonymous]

The number of bilingual programs period that don’t essentially require you to live in-bounds to have any chance of getting in is pretty small to begin with.

And the odds of even getting into any of those are very low, like single digit (MAYBE teens) percentages, for top choices like, LAMB, Stokes, and Mundo Verde.

In Petworth, you might already be in-bounds for a bilingual school, no? Powell?

Best of luck, OP, but the post just kind of reads like you don’t know much about the realities of the lottery. If you’re trying to stay in DC, you have to understand the reality of needing to at least think about what your middle and high school options will be, not focusing on how nice the playground is.

If you’re just looking for the best school for now and are not staying in DC or are open to private, then sure, prioritize the green space.

Sela is a bilingual Hebrew school that seems to be a backup option for folks who don’t get into Spanish bilingual. I’m not sure of their green space, but worth checking out if you are truly open simply to “bilingual.”

[Anonymous]

Lamb is absolutely fantastic for primary. Anything beyond that gets worse every year. Few upper el parents are happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the first year participating in the lottery for PK3. We live in Petworth but willing to travel for a bilingual program (any language, currently learning Spanish/English) with a nice playground or green space (garden, etc). Would love to hear recommendations from parents! Thank you!

I don’t think Global Citizens has a green space, but I’ve been hearing great reviews about them.

[Anonymous]

Your chances of getting into a bilingual charter are pretty slim in prek3 but fairly easy in Kindergarten and up. What is your inbound? If it is Powell you could try for prek3 and prek4 and then attempt to lottery in to a bilingual charter.

[Anonymous]

Mundo Verde Calle Ocho and Yu Ying have pretty nice green spaces- those were our top choices for bilingual. YY would not be a heinous commute.

[Anonymous]

Can you move IB for Oyster-Adams?

[Anonymous]

DC Bilingual would also work.

[Anonymous]

Bethune seems to fit the bill and is reasonable commute (and you would get in).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mundo Verde Calle Ocho and Yu Ying have pretty nice green spaces- those were our top choices for bilingual. YY would not be a heinous commute.

MVC8 doesn’t have any green space. They have a blacktop where kids sometimes play, and a mulched area next to the school with some tables. There’s a lovely fenced in green space across the street, not owned by the school, that children can’t access. It’s a shame! The kids walk to nearby parks for recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Best of luck, OP, but the post just kind of reads like you don’t know much about the realities of the lottery. If you’re trying to stay in DC, you have to understand the reality of needing to at least think about what your middle and high school options will be, not focusing on how nice the playground is.

If you’re just looking for the best school for now and are not staying in DC or are open to private, then sure, prioritize the green space.

/quote]

This is ridiculous. It makes very little sense to plan Pre-K entirely thinking about school options in seven years. How many people spend years in gruelling commutes or in a school that doesn't fit their family only to move for unrelated reasons before middle school? Or find that DCUM'S favored middle schools area match for their actual kid. Meanwhile, those families miss out on all the benefits of a neighborhood school.

Bruce Monroe has a small garden that the Pre-K used for their science special, though they use the rec center for recess. Powell has a great playground. Both require a lot of luck in Pre-K but are much easier in K. DCBL has a lovely garden, though as others have mentioned you need a very good number to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mundo Verde Calle Ocho and Yu Ying have pretty nice green spaces- those were our top choices for bilingual. YY would not be a heinous commute.

MVC8 doesn’t have any green space. They have a blacktop where kids sometimes play, and a mulched area next to the school with some tables. There’s a lovely fenced in green space across the street, not owned by the school, that children can’t access. It’s a shame! The kids walk to nearby parks for recess.

Anyone else find it ironic - Green World School - with no Green space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lamb is absolutely fantastic for primary. Anything beyond that gets worse every year. Few upper el parents are happy.

Upper El parent here and highly disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lamb is absolutely fantastic for primary. Anything beyond that gets worse every year. Few upper el parents are happy.

Upper El parent here and highly disagree.

Upper el parent here and strongly agree.

Take a look at the declining test scores, the amount of teacher turnover, and the dismal track record of lamb kids at dci. Not good, sorry.