Current Hyde Addison Experiences?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Hyde this year (2nd grade) from our IB in Ward 6 and wish we had done it years ago. DD is “deeply feeling” and the environment has been so much more supportive. Academics are stronger and the teachers are a higher caliber. For example at Literacy Night (all DCPS seem to do one a year, as well as a Math Night) I attended and was expecting chaotic literacy games in the gym like our old school offered. What I found was the art teacher and specials teachers hosting “child care” with free pizza for the kids, so the parents could attend a few concurrent sessions of basically professional development. The ones I attended were on executive functioning and on this school wide effort to have the kids engage in productive conversations. Like how to listen and reflect and express yourself when yon disagree. It blew my mind.

PTA is active and raises a good about of money. Kids are diverse in all aspects - race, culture, economically. Facility is nice and was modernized in 2019. My biggest worry was drop off and pickup/parking, but they have a good system for drop off and pickups are staggered enough with aftercare I’ve never had an issue finding a place to park within 2 blocks (though if you’re IB maybe you can just walk).

It has been hard as OOB to figure out how to get kids together outside of school but we will keep working on that.

I’m sure Hyde is lovely but the Literacy Night just sounds like a completely different event and not one that would be a good fit for my family. Honestly, if they didn’t communicate in advance that it was babysitting for kids rather than actually participating in activities, I would be annoyed. Different strokes, obviously.

It’s not a good fit for your family that the school hosted a well-organized event that was fun for the kids, and also engaged the parents and gave them actionable information so they could support the school’s literacy instruction at home? You wouldn’t find it compelling that the teachers are masters of their craft and designed really great sessions to educate parents and make them feel like partners? You’d rather be in a hot loud gym fishing rubber ducks out of a bucket with phonemes on the bottom to match to a bingo card, as if that has lasting value to you and your kid’s literacy skills?

Ok.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. Are there many DCPS elementary schools that don’t have attrition at 4th and especially 5th grade for private or charters? It’s pretty much the norm to varying degrees even at “JLKM” schools. It’s more notable when there isn’t flux at 4th/5th.

Hyde had no lottery seats available for matching on results day, and barely any waitlist spots offered by October for 4th and 5th this year, so if parents are pulling kids for private in large numbers it’s not apparent and the school isn’t clamoring to fill those seats (likely resulting in smaller class sizes). I was actually going to tell OP that they probably wouldn’t get a 3rd grade OOB seat as the lottery cools a lot after 2nd grade, but then I reread and noticed they are IB.

Hyde has 70% of families OOB and many of us are motivated enough to make long commutes to get our kids there and home each day. I’ve found that to be a strength and indicates a lot families are not complacent to just use an elementary school as free education til they finally decide to pay for private. We come to Hyde because we are willing to make sacrifices for a great public school. How lucky OP is that such a great school is in her neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Schools like Hyde, Key, Mann are different than most of the rest of DC schools, even Ward 3 schools, because there is SO much wealth in those neighborhoods that people plan from the beginning to spend a few years in public then move to private. Or opt out of public entirely but still live in-bound. They’re not “regular” Ward 3 or MoCo rich that can afford to buy into a good school zone. When you have a high enough percentage of that wealth in a school boundary, you get some OOB availability and attrition in the private school entry years (i.e., fourth grade). Those dynamics make reenrollment numbers pretty meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools like Hyde, Key, Mann are different than most of the rest of DC schools, even Ward 3 schools, because there is SO much wealth in those neighborhoods that people plan from the beginning to spend a few years in public then move to private. Or opt out of public entirely but still live in-bound. They’re not “regular” Ward 3 or MoCo rich that can afford to buy into a good school zone. When you have a high enough percentage of that wealth in a school boundary, you get some OOB availability and attrition in the private school entry years (i.e., fourth grade). Those dynamics make reenrollment numbers pretty meaningless.

Agree and their re-enrollment is not low.

[Anonymous]

We commute quite a distance from out of bounds and I agree with previous poster who said it is well worth it. Very good school.

The mix of out of bounds, inbounds, and kids from other countries (many with embassy, diplomatic or similar ties, I believe) makes for a great mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Hyde this year (2nd grade) from our IB in Ward 6 and wish we had done it years ago. DD is “deeply feeling” and the environment has been so much more supportive. Academics are stronger and the teachers are a higher caliber. For example at Literacy Night (all DCPS seem to do one a year, as well as a Math Night) I attended and was expecting chaotic literacy games in the gym like our old school offered. What I found was the art teacher and specials teachers hosting “child care” with free pizza for the kids, so the parents could attend a few concurrent sessions of basically professional development. The ones I attended were on executive functioning and on this school wide effort to have the kids engage in productive conversations. Like how to listen and reflect and express yourself when yon disagree. It blew my mind.

PTA is active and raises a good about of money. Kids are diverse in all aspects - race, culture, economically. Facility is nice and was modernized in 2019. My biggest worry was drop off and pickup/parking, but they have a good system for drop off and pickups are staggered enough with aftercare I’ve never had an issue finding a place to park within 2 blocks (though if you’re IB maybe you can just walk).

It has been hard as OOB to figure out how to get kids together outside of school but we will keep working on that.

I’m sure Hyde is lovely but the Literacy Night just sounds like a completely different event and not one that would be a good fit for my family. Honestly, if they didn’t communicate in advance that it was babysitting for kids rather than actually participating in activities, I would be annoyed. Different strokes, obviously.

It’s not a good fit for your family that the school hosted a well-organized event that was fun for the kids, and also engaged the parents and gave them actionable information so they could support the school’s literacy instruction at home? You wouldn’t find it compelling that the teachers are masters of their craft and designed really great sessions to educate parents and make them feel like partners? You’d rather be in a hot loud gym fishing rubber ducks out of a bucket with phonemes on the bottom to match to a bingo card, as if that has lasting value to you and your kid’s literacy skills?

Ok.

Yea, I wouldn’t drag my kids to school for that event. I’d leave them at home and I’d be annoyed that they didn’t tell me the kids part of the event was glorified babysitting. Most HA families don’t live IB, so having kids at school late for an afterschool event is a big PIA.

[Anonymous]

https://georgetowner.com/articles/2024/12/23/hyde-addisons-hooks-named-principal-of-the-year/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Hyde this year (2nd grade) from our IB in Ward 6 and wish we had done it years ago. DD is “deeply feeling” and the environment has been so much more supportive. Academics are stronger and the teachers are a higher caliber. For example at Literacy Night (all DCPS seem to do one a year, as well as a Math Night) I attended and was expecting chaotic literacy games in the gym like our old school offered. What I found was the art teacher and specials teachers hosting “child care” with free pizza for the kids, so the parents could attend a few concurrent sessions of basically professional development. The ones I attended were on executive functioning and on this school wide effort to have the kids engage in productive conversations. Like how to listen and reflect and express yourself when yon disagree. It blew my mind.

PTA is active and raises a good about of money. Kids are diverse in all aspects - race, culture, economically. Facility is nice and was modernized in 2019. My biggest worry was drop off and pickup/parking, but they have a good system for drop off and pickups are staggered enough with aftercare I’ve never had an issue finding a place to park within 2 blocks (though if you’re IB maybe you can just walk).

It has been hard as OOB to figure out how to get kids together outside of school but we will keep working on that.

I’m sure Hyde is lovely but the Literacy Night just sounds like a completely different event and not one that would be a good fit for my family. Honestly, if they didn’t communicate in advance that it was babysitting for kids rather than actually participating in activities, I would be annoyed. Different strokes, obviously.

It’s not a good fit for your family that the school hosted a well-organized event that was fun for the kids, and also engaged the parents and gave them actionable information so they could support the school’s literacy instruction at home? You wouldn’t find it compelling that the teachers are masters of their craft and designed really great sessions to educate parents and make them feel like partners? You’d rather be in a hot loud gym fishing rubber ducks out of a bucket with phonemes on the bottom to match to a bingo card, as if that has lasting value to you and your kid’s literacy skills?

Ok.

Yea, I wouldn’t drag my kids to school for that event. I’d leave them at home and I’d be annoyed that they didn’t tell me the kids part of the event was glorified babysitting. Most HA families don’t live IB, so having kids at school late for an afterschool event is a big PIA.

I would not be excited to attend glorified PD for parents — especially PD that wasn’t tailored to specific kids or parents. I feel like a very specific type of parent (obviously of an only or oldest) would brag about this as a school event.

[Anonymous]

For all the OOB Hyde Addison parents any interest in setting up a sub group somewhere to see who may live where to see about organizing pick ups/drop offs/just keeping in touch? My daughters in grade 2 and we are in Columbia heights

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For all the OOB Hyde Addison parents any interest in setting up a sub group somewhere to see who may live where to see about organizing pick ups/drop offs/just keeping in touch? My daughters in grade 2 and we are in Columbia heights

Are you on the Konstella app the PTA uses? There is a big school wide group, and then smaller groups by Ward for OOB families. You could also maybe do a larger OOB family group - use the main group to ask the PTA to add one. I’ve used the directory in Konstella to reach out to families in my child’s class and set up play dates, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Hyde this year (2nd grade) from our IB in Ward 6 and wish we had done it years ago. DD is “deeply feeling” and the environment has been so much more supportive. Academics are stronger and the teachers are a higher caliber. For example at Literacy Night (all DCPS seem to do one a year, as well as a Math Night) I attended and was expecting chaotic literacy games in the gym like our old school offered. What I found was the art teacher and specials teachers hosting “child care” with free pizza for the kids, so the parents could attend a few concurrent sessions of basically professional development. The ones I attended were on executive functioning and on this school wide effort to have the kids engage in productive conversations. Like how to listen and reflect and express yourself when yon disagree. It blew my mind.

PTA is active and raises a good about of money. Kids are diverse in all aspects - race, culture, economically. Facility is nice and was modernized in 2019. My biggest worry was drop off and pickup/parking, but they have a good system for drop off and pickups are staggered enough with aftercare I’ve never had an issue finding a place to park within 2 blocks (though if you’re IB maybe you can just walk).

It has been hard as OOB to figure out how to get kids together outside of school but we will keep working on that.

I’m sure Hyde is lovely but the Literacy Night just sounds like a completely different event and not one that would be a good fit for my family. Honestly, if they didn’t communicate in advance that it was babysitting for kids rather than actually participating in activities, I would be annoyed. Different strokes, obviously.

It’s not a good fit for your family that the school hosted a well-organized event that was fun for the kids, and also engaged the parents and gave them actionable information so they could support the school’s literacy instruction at home? You wouldn’t find it compelling that the teachers are masters of their craft and designed really great sessions to educate parents and make them feel like partners? You’d rather be in a hot loud gym fishing rubber ducks out of a bucket with phonemes on the bottom to match to a bingo card, as if that has lasting value to you and your kid’s literacy skills?

Ok.

Yea, I wouldn’t drag my kids to school for that event. I’d leave them at home and I’d be annoyed that they didn’t tell me the kids part of the event was glorified babysitting. Most HA families don’t live IB, so having kids at school late for an afterschool event is a big PIA.

I would not be excited to attend glorified PD for parents — especially PD that wasn’t tailored to specific kids or parents. I feel like a very specific type of parent (obviously of an only or oldest) would brag about this as a school event.

That’s fine, I just shared the information because I did find the event really great (obviously). There were about a dozen sessions to choose from, each done twice over two time blocks, so you could tailor what you attended based on your interests or your child’s age level (they marked them as being for PK-K, 3-5, all grades etc). I really felt like I walked away with deeper knowledge of what the school was doing school wide, and had some executive functioning development tips in handouts from that session. I had time to meet other parents in the sessions and in between that I hadn’t met before, as well as meet some of the teachers I may not have met otherwise (the ELA coach for example). I wouldn’t have had that calm focus time if all the kids were milling about trying to do puzzles or games, or demanding snacks while I was trying to listen.

You’re right that it’s definitely a unique group of parents, motivated to get a better public school experience for our children than what we found IB. If you’re happy with your current school, not sure of this discussion is worth your energy to read.

[Anonymous]

Hyde-Addison is amazing! We made the switch from our IB school this year, and we really feel like we "won" the lottery. DD is 3rd grade and DS is K. The only downsides are lots of traffic at drop-off and a pretty small playground.