Friendship Chamberlain

[Anonymous]

Stopped through Friendship Chamberlain for a school tour a few days ago, mainly to checkout all local options in the Cap Hill area and was also curious how their CAPE schools jumped so much from 2025 to 2025(30+%).

For anyone looking for a specific type of school.. its imo very very well done. The curriculum IS academic, even at ECE due to the demographic of the school, but its delivered in a play based and natural tone.. ie through dance, song, art, conversation.

The specials are solid, having dedicated rooms for art, music, gym etc. They also have a really well done sensory room for younger kids. The classrooms are bright and organized. The student counselor in particular, Ms. Saunders seems absolutely wonderful and extremely attentive to the kids needs individually and overall.

The staff by and large were participating in activities with the kids, meaning during movement breaks, the teacher or assistant was leading the movements vs showing youtube videos, which ive seen at some school open houses.. The classrooms overall, particularly ECE were more orderly and calm(but not quiet which imo is good) than some other higher rated charters we've visited recently.. including one in particular where kids were literally wrestling and jumping on one another during a school visit and the staff acted like they didnt see it.

There were quite a few kids on "walk breaks or hall breaks" with staff throughout the building, which means there are classroom disruptions which requires a school attendant to assist, but they also just seemed to have a handle on it and the kids on the breaks seemed chill and calm.

Outside of testing, they seem to use fairly little tech even at upper grades aside from smart boards and the school just seems to have an "everyone is a teacher" approach, meaning anyone in the school can and does observe, report and correct behaviors if needed. Its a fairly old building with not alot of polish, but they do alot with the space, even having a pretty modern STEM robotics room.

This school isnt one ive seen mentioned much here, but it seems like a really solid, loving, instructive environment for ECE specifically, for those comfortable with the facility, SES level and classroom demographics; The Friendship schools seem to turnover staff quite a bit, but most faculty I spoke with had been there 10+ years, even some former students. The program deserves recognition imo for what they are accomplishing.

[Anonymous]

This likely will not get a lot of notice here because folks who post here don't really vibe w/Friendship. However, that campus is fairly legendary, and has always been a model of success. I taught middle school at another Friendship campus and was very unhappy there, but the ECE model works well and teacher retention is better.

[Anonymous]

Definitely better DCPS pre-k schools on the Hill!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this report! I think sometimes people are put off by how it only goes to 3rd grade, not realizing the "middle school" starts in 4th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely better DCPS pre-k schools on the Hill!

And all almost impossible to lottery into from OOB ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This likely will not get a lot of notice here because folks who post here don't really vibe w/Friendship. However, that campus is fairly legendary, and has always been a model of success. I taught middle school at another Friendship campus and was very unhappy there, but the ECE model works well and teacher retention is better.

Thank you for this info and perspective. To the comments of "better" Cap Hill schools, better may be subjective in some instances and to some families, so just wanted the thread as a searchable datapoint for a school that may be workable for those that deem it a fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This likely will not get a lot of notice here because folks who post here don't really vibe w/Friendship. However, that campus is fairly legendary, and has always been a model of success. I taught middle school at another Friendship campus and was very unhappy there, but the ECE model works well and teacher retention is better.

Thank you for this info and perspective. To the comments of "better" Cap Hill schools, better may be subjective in some instances and to some families, so just wanted the thread as a searchable datapoint for a school that may be workable for those that deem it a fit.

I mean if they want to kid themselves sure.

[Anonymous]

I was a related service provider there a few years ago and always enjoyed the days I was there- teachers, students, and families were all great to work with.