Rachel Carson ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

So it’s purely a coincidence that the 3 largest cohorts that ever passed through RCES were the first 3 cohorts to start kindergarten after RCES was named a Blue Ribbon school?

I think people were lulled into thinking Blue Ribbon meant something. Turns out it really doesn’t mean all that much. RCES is a big, unwieldy school that has all the problems MCPS has and feeds into a mediocre cluster. It took a few years for people to realize it, but they have. Nearly 700 kids is a big elementary school, regardless of the building‘s capacity. Every parent I’ve talked to with kids there talk about how it’s disappointing.

The school just hasn’t been the same since Larry Chep left. I hope the new principal is very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

So it’s purely a coincidence that the 3 largest cohorts that ever passed through RCES were the first 3 cohorts to start kindergarten after RCES was named a Blue Ribbon school?

I think people were lulled into thinking Blue Ribbon meant something. Turns out it really doesn’t mean all that much. RCES is a big, unwieldy school that has all the problems MCPS has and feeds into a mediocre cluster. It took a few years for people to realize it, but they have. Nearly 700 kids is a big elementary school, regardless of the building‘s capacity. Every parent I’ve talked to with kids there talk about how it’s disappointing.

The school just hasn’t been the same since Larry Chep left. I hope the new principal is very good.

I hope so too, but we just weren’t willing to wait around and see. We have at least 6-7 families from Kentlands/Lakelands in the lower school at our private. It’s sad. We never wanted to send our kid to private school and we love our neighborhood. The school just clearly isn’t what it used to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

We know. In your case, its because the school has "other" children who are bussed in from the Governor apartments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

So it’s purely a coincidence that the 3 largest cohorts that ever passed through RCES were the first 3 cohorts to start kindergarten after RCES was named a Blue Ribbon school?

I think people were lulled into thinking Blue Ribbon meant something. Turns out it really doesn’t mean all that much. RCES is a big, unwieldy school that has all the problems MCPS has and feeds into a mediocre cluster. It took a few years for people to realize it, but they have. Nearly 700 kids is a big elementary school, regardless of the building‘s capacity. Every parent I’ve talked to with kids there talk about how it’s disappointing.

The school just hasn’t been the same since Larry Chep left. I hope the new principal is very good.

I hope so too, but we just weren’t willing to wait around and see. We have at least 6-7 families from Kentlands/Lakelands in the lower school at our private. It’s sad. We never wanted to send our kid to private school and we love our neighborhood. The school just clearly isn’t what it used to be.

There has always been a high rate of families who send their children to private school in the kentl;ands/lakelands. You can stop blaming the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

We know. In your case, its because the school has "other" children who are bussed in from the Governor apartments.

Please don’t make assumptions about me. That has absolutely nothing to do with our decision and in fact RCES’s diversity is a positive of the school, as far as I’m concerned.

[Anonymous]

For those of you in Kentlands/Lakelands who send your kids to private school--

Do your kids feel like they are missing out on friendships with the other neighborhood kids? Asking because we are weighing pros and cons of private vs. public. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you in Kentlands/Lakelands who send your kids to private school--

Do your kids feel like they are missing out on friendships with the other neighborhood kids? Asking because we are weighing pros and cons of private vs. public. TIA!

We were concerned about this, but have found that if you put in the effort, it doesn’t matter if the kids go to different schools. My daughter had her birthday party recently and had 5 kids there who do not go to school with her. One of her best friends hasn’t been in school with her for 3 years.

Also, for us, the educational value of a good private school outweighed the downside of having to make a little more effort to establish and maintain neighborhood friendships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

where do parents at kentlands or lakelands parents send their kids to private elementary school? I am curious where do they go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

So it’s purely a coincidence that the 3 largest cohorts that ever passed through RCES were the first 3 cohorts to start kindergarten after RCES was named a Blue Ribbon school?

I think people were lulled into thinking Blue Ribbon meant something. Turns out it really doesn’t mean all that much. RCES is a big, unwieldy school that has all the problems MCPS has and feeds into a mediocre cluster. It took a few years for people to realize it, but they have. Nearly 700 kids is a big elementary school, regardless of the building‘s capacity. Every parent I’ve talked to with kids there talk about how it’s disappointing.

The school just hasn’t been the same since Larry Chep left. I hope the new principal is very good.

I hope so too, but we just weren’t willing to wait around and see. We have at least 6-7 families from Kentlands/Lakelands in the lower school at our private. It’s sad. We never wanted to send our kid to private school and we love our neighborhood. The school just clearly isn’t what it used to be.

There has always been a high rate of families who send their children to private school in the kentl;ands/lakelands. You can stop blaming the principal.

where do they go for private school? Are there any nice private schools around kentlands/lakelands or they have to drive all the way to bethesda/potomac?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, nobody goes there anymore—it’s too crowded.

(I think that was a Yogi Berra line, right?)

You really can’t see that a school losing that number of kids in just a few years is a problem?

In fairness, there wasn’t a significant increase in the population zoned for RCES during the time that enrollment surged; it was just that RCES was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2012, and for a few years after that, fewer people in Kentlands and Lakelands chose private elementary schools, and then for several more years, they sent the younger siblings to RCES as well. Eventually, enrollment was out of control, the excellent longtime principal left, the new one couldn’t fill his shoes, and the Blue Ribbon designation wasn’t recent anymore, so the people seeking the best schools are back to choosing private.

Yeah no. I’ve lived in Lakelands for 7 years and can confidently say that I would’ve chosen private for my kid even if RCES had been named a Blue Ribbon school last year. You all always go back to that as though it’s the reason, when it’s just not. I don’t know anyone who has even mentioned it when making a decision about whether to send their kid there.

So it’s purely a coincidence that the 3 largest cohorts that ever passed through RCES were the first 3 cohorts to start kindergarten after RCES was named a Blue Ribbon school?

I think people were lulled into thinking Blue Ribbon meant something. Turns out it really doesn’t mean all that much. RCES is a big, unwieldy school that has all the problems MCPS has and feeds into a mediocre cluster. It took a few years for people to realize it, but they have. Nearly 700 kids is a big elementary school, regardless of the building‘s capacity. Every parent I’ve talked to with kids there talk about how it’s disappointing.

The school just hasn’t been the same since Larry Chep left. I hope the new principal is very good.

I hope so too, but we just weren’t willing to wait around and see. We have at least 6-7 families from Kentlands/Lakelands in the lower school at our private. It’s sad. We never wanted to send our kid to private school and we love our neighborhood. The school just clearly isn’t what it used to be.

There has always been a high rate of families who send their children to private school in the kentl;ands/lakelands. You can stop blaming the principal.

where do they go for private school? Are there any nice private schools around kentlands/lakelands or they have to drive all the way to bethesda/potomac?

I know some who send their kids to Seneca Academy and Mary of Nazareth. We send our kid to a private school near Potomac. It’s about a 20-25 min drive each way.

[Anonymous]

so, blue ribbon back in 2012 means nothing huh. Is that the reason that the great school rating has gone down from rating 10 to 7 now?

[Anonymous]

we looked at Seneca Academy but it's too homogenous and stifling for us. good if that's your thing though.

[Anonymous]

Listen, my kid was at RCES at the heart of the overcrowding and when the problematic principal was there. It was not ideal for sure but my kid get a decent education.

I think in the last few years with Covid there is an uptick in private schools for a few reasons. And the old principal did not help things either. And then there are people that will go to private regardless. Not a fan of private school myself but to each their own.

RCES being less overcrowded is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity: Why are you not a fan of private schools? They're certainly not all one and the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen, my kid was at RCES at the heart of the overcrowding and when the problematic principal was there. It was not ideal for sure but my kid get a decent education.

I think in the last few years with Covid there is an uptick in private schools for a few reasons. And the old principal did not help things either. And then there are people that will go to private regardless. Not a fan of private school myself but to each their own.

RCES being less overcrowded is a good thing.

+1
My older child was there when enrollment was 1100+
Enrollment went down during Covid for all the obvious reasons. People wanted in person school, people moved, some home schooled etc.
I will say the CES program was good but I have heard others without kids in CES complain.