What is the Shining Stars experience like

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were at SSMA for PK3 and PK4. Half of PK4 was during the pandemic. My opinion was that it was fine for PK3 because of the caring teachers, plus aftercare was great. PK4 started to be a crap show even before the pandemic, as we had a different classroom with different 'guides'. Literally no feedback in parent/teacher conferences -- it was like they didn't know who my child was. Their assessment forms were often blank when they gave them to the parents (me). It turned out my child wasn't actually learning anything in PK4, and seemed to be ignored by the guides.

Then there was a lot of poor communication, even before the pandemic, from the admin. My understanding was that she was making things difficult for teachers, leading to poor retention. Having new guides in PK4 was the outcome of that for us.

So we got a better spot via the lottery and left.

Your child was a white male, wasn't he?

How could you tell he wasn't learning anything? I believe you, based on my experience, but am curious as to how you found out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

Inbound is Noyes. We only want to do languages we think we can realistically help our child with, so no You Ying or Sela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

Inbound is Noyes. We only want to do languages we think we can realistically help our child with, so no You Ying or Sela.

Your list looks good and very reasonable. Since all of the schools listed are pretty Brookland-based, I want to be sure you know LAMB will be fully moving to the new campus soon. If language and Montessori are your top priority, that commute may be worth it for you. But just flagging to be aware. Breakthrough Montessori could be another option for you to add if that distance isn't a problem.

With your 11 schools there, I would actually recommend putting Noyes as #12. We have good friends who's kids have been at Noyes and they've been really happy. I think their PK3 and PK4 program is pretty good. And since it's Early Action, it gives you a guarantee at your #12 spot (although truth be told you're likely to get into SSMA pretty easily if you decide to keep it on the list and you don't have a number good enough for the ones above)

[Anonymous]

PP above - any reason you didn't include Inspired Teaching? It's not Montessori or language, but it has a good reputation in the neighborhood and if you're inbound for Noyes it's pretty close to you.

[Anonymous]

Burroughs has Spanish class once a week for those looking for language exposure but not necessarily immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were at SSMA for PK3 and PK4. Half of PK4 was during the pandemic. My opinion was that it was fine for PK3 because of the caring teachers, plus aftercare was great. PK4 started to be a crap show even before the pandemic, as we had a different classroom with different 'guides'. Literally no feedback in parent/teacher conferences -- it was like they didn't know who my child was. Their assessment forms were often blank when they gave them to the parents (me). It turned out my child wasn't actually learning anything in PK4, and seemed to be ignored by the guides.

Then there was a lot of poor communication, even before the pandemic, from the admin. My understanding was that she was making things difficult for teachers, leading to poor retention. Having new guides in PK4 was the outcome of that for us.

So we got a better spot via the lottery and left.

Your child was a white male, wasn't he?

How could you tell he wasn't learning anything? I believe you, based on my experience, but am curious as to how you found out.

Oh come on, surely they are not handing out blank assessment forms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP above - any reason you didn't include Inspired Teaching? It's not Montessori or language, but it has a good reputation in the neighborhood and if you're inbound for Noyes it's pretty close to you.

Thank you! Yes, I just forgot. It's on the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

Inbound is Noyes. We only want to do languages we think we can realistically help our child with, so no You Ying or Sela.

Your list looks good and very reasonable. Since all of the schools listed are pretty Brookland-based, I want to be sure you know LAMB will be fully moving to the new campus soon. If language and Montessori are your top priority, that commute may be worth it for you. But just flagging to be aware. Breakthrough Montessori could be another option for you to add if that distance isn't a problem.

With your 11 schools there, I would actually recommend putting Noyes as #12. We have good friends who's kids have been at Noyes and they've been really happy. I think their PK3 and PK4 program is pretty good. And since it's Early Action, it gives you a guarantee at your #12 spot (although truth be told you're likely to get into SSMA pretty easily if you decide to keep it on the list and you don't have a number good enough for the ones above)

Thank you! Yes, we know about LAMB and might consider moving closer to it eventually. But we decided Breakthrough doesn't offer the combination of Spanish and potential high school access that would make a long commute worthwhile for LAMB. So here is the list right now. We didn't put the P Street Mundo Verde because of the commute.

1 LAMB
2 Lee
3 Langdon Montessori
4 Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
5 Stokes Brookland for Spanish
6 Inspired Teaching
7 Burroughs
8 Langley
9 Langdon
10 Bunker Hill
11 SSMA
12 Noyes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

Inbound is Noyes. We only want to do languages we think we can realistically help our child with, so no You Ying or Sela.

Your list looks good and very reasonable. Since all of the schools listed are pretty Brookland-based, I want to be sure you know LAMB will be fully moving to the new campus soon. If language and Montessori are your top priority, that commute may be worth it for you. But just flagging to be aware. Breakthrough Montessori could be another option for you to add if that distance isn't a problem.

With your 11 schools there, I would actually recommend putting Noyes as #12. We have good friends who's kids have been at Noyes and they've been really happy. I think their PK3 and PK4 program is pretty good. And since it's Early Action, it gives you a guarantee at your #12 spot (although truth be told you're likely to get into SSMA pretty easily if you decide to keep it on the list and you don't have a number good enough for the ones above)

Thank you! Yes, we know about LAMB and might consider moving closer to it eventually. But we decided Breakthrough doesn't offer the combination of Spanish and potential high school access that would make a long commute worthwhile for LAMB. So here is the list right now. We didn't put the P Street Mundo Verde because of the commute.

1 LAMB
2 Lee
3 Langdon Montessori
4 Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
5 Stokes Brookland for Spanish
6 Inspired Teaching
7 Burroughs
8 Langley
9 Langdon
10 Bunker Hill
11 SSMA
12 Noyes

Coming from a parent who lives very near you and either has had kids at or has friends with kids at 10 out of those 12 schools, I can tell what your priorities are, and think that's a good list for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- so it's disorganized, sometimes no heat (?!), and worksheets? Um....

Yeah we turned down a SSMA seat for pre-K 3. It’s pretty clear it’s on a downward spiral and I didn’t particularly want to get on a sinking ship. Also turned down seats at MV, but that’s a different conversation.

So you have no idea what experience with SSMA?

OP here-- A downward spiral is declining enrollment? I do understand that it's free preschool and we can't be too picky, but I am holding out some hope of a school with a functioning heating system. I guess I can rank it last if I don't have other schools to rank.

LAMB
Lee
Langdon Montessori
Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
Stokes Brookland for Spanish
Burroughs
Langley
Langdon
Bunker Hill
SSMA
Any other ideas?

Inbound for Burroughs? You'll get a spot per Early Action. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/pre-kindergarten-pk3-and-pk4

Sela?

Inbound is Noyes. We only want to do languages we think we can realistically help our child with, so no You Ying or Sela.

Your list looks good and very reasonable. Since all of the schools listed are pretty Brookland-based, I want to be sure you know LAMB will be fully moving to the new campus soon. If language and Montessori are your top priority, that commute may be worth it for you. But just flagging to be aware. Breakthrough Montessori could be another option for you to add if that distance isn't a problem.

With your 11 schools there, I would actually recommend putting Noyes as #12. We have good friends who's kids have been at Noyes and they've been really happy. I think their PK3 and PK4 program is pretty good. And since it's Early Action, it gives you a guarantee at your #12 spot (although truth be told you're likely to get into SSMA pretty easily if you decide to keep it on the list and you don't have a number good enough for the ones above)

Thank you! Yes, we know about LAMB and might consider moving closer to it eventually. But we decided Breakthrough doesn't offer the combination of Spanish and potential high school access that would make a long commute worthwhile for LAMB. So here is the list right now. We didn't put the P Street Mundo Verde because of the commute.

1 LAMB
2 Lee
3 Langdon Montessori
4 Mundo Verde Calle Ocho
5 Stokes Brookland for Spanish
6 Inspired Teaching
7 Burroughs
8 Langley
9 Langdon
10 Bunker Hill
11 SSMA
12 Noyes

Coming from a parent who lives very near you and either has had kids at or has friends with kids at 10 out of those 12 schools, I can tell what your priorities are, and think that's a good list for you.

Thank you! It took me a while to get my head around all of this, but fortunately living where we do means there are lots of convenient options. What do you think I'm likely to end up with?

[Anonymous]

Also, does anyone think I should have Seaton on the list? I just feel like it's kind of far, and we can walk to Burroughs...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were at SSMA for PK3 and PK4. Half of PK4 was during the pandemic. My opinion was that it was fine for PK3 because of the caring teachers, plus aftercare was great. PK4 started to be a crap show even before the pandemic, as we had a different classroom with different 'guides'. Literally no feedback in parent/teacher conferences -- it was like they didn't know who my child was. Their assessment forms were often blank when they gave them to the parents (me). It turned out my child wasn't actually learning anything in PK4, and seemed to be ignored by the guides.

Then there was a lot of poor communication, even before the pandemic, from the admin. My understanding was that she was making things difficult for teachers, leading to poor retention. Having new guides in PK4 was the outcome of that for us.

So we got a better spot via the lottery and left.

Your child was a white male, wasn't he?

How could you tell he wasn't learning anything? I believe you, based on my experience, but am curious as to how you found out.

Oh come on, surely they are not handing out blank assessment forms.

So, I'm not sure what the question about the race and gender of my child is getting at -- can you explain, PP?

Yes, got a blank assessment form. Sent it back asking if it was a mistake, and then they sent it back with every "meet expectations" box filled in. Area to provide comments was blank. There were also weekly forms that show what stations your child worked in during the week each day (I think this is standard Montessori). They would send these home blank. End of the year assessment email was sent saying the assessment was attached, but there was no assessment attached. We asked again if this was a mistake. They sent us (again) a blank form.

How did I know my kid wasn't learning anything? Well, this really only became apparently in the context of the pandemic. I could watch classes, so that was part of it. I realized that nothing was happening in those (it was literally just a guide talking at PK4 kids; I'm not really blaming them for the fact that this was worthless, but it showed that nothing was really going to happen in zoom pk4). So I went and researched what was expected for kids to learn in PK4, got some apps, got some workbooks, and realized that kid was exactly where he had been at the end of Pk3. After more than a half hear in pk4. It also meant he was mildly behind where he should be. I intervened, it was fine. It just didn't suggest that SSMA was a good idea long term for education for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Same song, same verse....