Rosemary Hills ES vs Kensington Parkwood?

[Anonymous]

We're currently considering a home in each school district and I'm trying to get a handle on information beyond test scores. I have seen general raves about Parkwood, but not specifics about why parents like it so much. And I don't understand how the arts integration program works - is art used to teach every subject?

As for Rosemary Hills, I can't seem to figure out the archives, and I can find scarecely any info on Rosemary Hills other than its size and the fact that people like the K-2 structure.

I'd also be curious on feedback about the HS differences (BCC vs. Walter Johnson) but that is still a long way off.

Thanks so much for helping out this befuddled preschooler mom.....

[Anonymous]

We're KPES parents, and I've posted about it in the past. We really like the principal, who is both approachable to parents and seems like a great leader to her staff. Our children have had great teachers who have really gotten to understand their individual needs. In our experience, the teachers and staff are proactive in providing individualized programs where necessary.

The school has a very active community of families. The PTA does important fundraising for the school but also organizes a large number of fun, free activities that are enjoyable for families and add to the community spirit. The neighborhood has a reputation for being a friendly place, and I find that that carries over to the individual parents and students. For example, I've been impressed by kids in older grades being kind to younger ones.

Arts integration means that teachers learn how to incorporate dance, movement, theater, music, and visual arts into all subjects to help enhance children's understanding. This happens to a certain extent in any elementary school, but the connections are much deeper and more deliberate in an arts integration program. So 1st graders learning about clouds don't just sing a song about the weather, they use xylophones, etc., to play parts that tell the story of a storm. Techniques vary, but we've seen, for example, how children use techniques of "tableau" (living pictures) to show what they understand about what they're learning. Visiting artists come work with individual classes. The third graders write, direct, and perform their own original opera. (More info on arts integration: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/parkwoodes/artsintegration/) As parents, we love that arts integration values different ways of learning and that the spirit of the arts infuses the school, giving it a special focus that is unusual among Montgomery County schools.

Another added bonus at KPES: kids are introduced to Italian language as one of their specials. The funding is from outside (the Italian Cultural Institute, I think), so it may not last forever, of course. This year all students will have one Italian class a week for one semester. The goal is not to achieve fluency but to provide a fun introduction to another language. Our kids really enjoy it.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I'm an RHPS parent and can offer a similarly positive assessment as the PP's experience at KP. The size issue at RHPS seems to be the one that gets everyone, including me, a little nervous but I have to say our experience with the school over the past year has been nothing but great. The teachers are wonderful, the parents are incredibly involved and supportive, and our child has developed both good academic skills and good friends. I don't worry so much about the size anymore - most of the other elementaries are close to the same size, although typically that's dispersed over six grades rather than RH's three.

In terms of the differences at the HS level, I think both BCC and WJ have good and growing reputations. You might check out the recent Bethesda magazine which lists college placement - it's all self-reported so who knows how accurate it is. My impression from watching this survey every year is that BCC is almost as competitive as Whitman or Churchill in Potomac.

[Anonymous]

KP could get redistricted for Einstein HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:KP could get redistricted for Einstein HS.

Where are you getting this from?

[Anonymous]

KP could get redistricted for Einstein HS.

Actually that is not true. With the White Flint development, there is discussions of the need to add a new elementary school in 10-15 years, but there is no discussion of redistricting High Schools. Any HS change is at least 30 years out and there is no guarantee what would be done at that point.

[Anonymous]

It's a definite possibility and I think it would be a good thing. KP should feed into Einstein- it's much closer to Einstein and Einstein is not overenrolled like WJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

KP could get redistricted for Einstein HS.

Actually that is not true. With the White Flint development, there is discussions of the need to add a new elementary school in 10-15 years, but there is no discussion of redistricting High Schools. Any HS change is at least 30 years out and there is no guarantee what would be done at that point.

This response is exactly what I've heard in various community development meetings, discussions with council members and board members, etc. Any discussions to the contrary are as based in fact as stating that Luxmanor could be redistricted to Rockville HS. Which is to say, it's not.

[Anonymous]

Q to 15:10 PP. So am I understanding that there are no plans for redistricting High Schools at this time? We too are interested in the KP neighborhood...but worry about redistricting to Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

KP could get redistricted for Einstein HS.

Actually that is not true. With the White Flint development, there is discussions of the need to add a new elementary school in 10-15 years, but there is no discussion of redistricting High Schools. Any HS change is at least 30 years out and there is no guarantee what would be done at that point.

This response is exactly what I've heard in various community development meetings, discussions with council members and board members, etc. Any discussions to the contrary are as based in fact as stating that Luxmanor could be redistricted to Rockville HS. Which is to say, it's not.

And just how does that make any sense? Maybe I'll ask the principal at the back to school picnic tonight.

We're new Luxmanor parents. I can't add much except that, according to our principal at last weeks PTA meeting, the only ES school in the WJ cluster scoring higher on the MSAs than Luxmanor was Kensington Parkwood.

[Anonymous]

That is what I have been told. Under the Capital Improvements Program, the Superintendent publishes by mid-October any recommendations regarding boundary studies that were conducted in Spring 2010. If you want concrete confirmation - that is what I would wait for if I were you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And just how does that make any sense? Maybe I'll ask the principal at the back to school picnic tonight.

We're new Luxmanor parents. I can't add much except that, according to our principal at last weeks PTA meeting, the only ES school in the WJ cluster scoring higher on the MSAs than Luxmanor was Kensington Parkwood.

I was just trying to pick an example out of thin air - one that didn't make sense (as you rightly pointed out). Luxmanor is NOT, I repeat NOT rumored to be redistricted to Rockville High.

Reading Comprehension anyone?

[Anonymous]

Kp to Einstein actually makes sense. Luxmanor to Rockville makes no sense so I don't think it's a good comparison. And the kp thing has actually been raised by moco officials- it is not a rumor pulled out of thin air. Rsearch it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And just how does that make any sense? Maybe I'll ask the principal at the back to school picnic tonight.

We're new Luxmanor parents. I can't add much except that, according to our principal at last weeks PTA meeting, the only ES school in the WJ cluster scoring higher on the MSAs than Luxmanor was Kensington Parkwood.

I was just trying to pick an example out of thin air - one that didn't make sense (as you rightly pointed out). Luxmanor is NOT, I repeat NOT rumored to be redistricted to Rockville High.

Reading Comprehension anyone?

Clear writing, anyone?

[Anonymous]

Here's some of the text sent in an email from MCPS Director of Long Range Planning Bruce Crispell in response to an inquiry:

1. When does MCPS plan to conduct its own
> > analysis of where a new White Flint area MCPS school
> should be constructed, e.g., 5 years, 15 years, etc?
> >
> > First - MCPS will urge the County Council to include
> > an elementary school site in the White Flint sector plan
> later this fall when the plan is being reviewed and acted on
> > at that level. Longer term, when occupancies start coming
> out of new housing in the sector plan, MCPS will evaluate
> when, and if, a new elementary school needs to be programmed
> in the capital budget. If it is, then a site selection
> process would be undertaken - with community input. Because
> > the sector plan envisions a 20 to 30 year build-out
> > period, this could be quite a while into the future,
> and unlikely within the next 10 years.

> > 2. Will any such analysis result in the
> > redistricting of the Kensington-Parkwood elementary/
> North Bethesda middle/ Walter Johnson high school clusters?
> If so, how will these clusters being redistricted? For
> > example, will some of the students who are currently
> tracked to attend Kensington-Parkwood elementary be
> redistricted to attend the new White Flint area MCPS school? If so,
> > please explain which students are envisioned to be
> > redistricted. Please provide the same information for
> the middle/high school clusters referenced above.
> > Alternatively, if this information is available to
> the public, please direct me to this information.
> >
> > If we do open a new elementary school we would have
> > to establish a service area for it. Currently Luxmanor
> > and Garrett Park elementary schools serve the sector
> > plan. A new school service area would likely be a
> > reduction of these two schools' service areas. A
> > middle school assignment would need to be determined
> > for the new school. At the high school we would not
> > anticipate any change to the assignment - Walter Johnson
> > HS. Please note all of this is extremely
> > hypothetical and very long-range. I would say at
> > least 10 years out, if we even do have to open another
> > elementary school.