Really agree with this. My kids have/had great DCPS elementary teachers and friends, but there's still a big emphasis on rules, tests, and just managing base level chaos. That environment is going to turn off some kids from school, and those same kids are ones who (I think) can most benefit from finding the right fit. |
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Maret is challenging to get into. Field also not a given. If a student is performing kind of average at DCPS, both are going to be a challenge.
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| Since you live on the hill, Burgundy Farm in Alexandria could also be a good fit. Strong emphasis on the arts. Strong academics as well at the MS level, but not a pressure cooker. There's a bus (funded by parents) to/from Capitol Hill. |
| I’d recommend SSSAS but I have zero sense of what the commute might be like. Having commuted from outside the Beltway to a NWDC school for 7-12th myself, a reasonable commute was definitely a factor for us! |
| Friends Community School |
| Look at CHDS if you are on the hill. |
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From the Hill, try Maret, GDS, Burke, Field CHDS. Burgundy Farms and SSSA too. Cast a wide net, there are always more applications than spots at these schools.
Also don't dismiss Stuart Hobson if you strike out with privates. I know several families with girls who fit your daughter's profile who are happy there (these kids do the theater program, which seems to be the magic sauce). Good luck OP! |
| I would consider Green Acres. It has strong academics without being a pressure cooker. Kids ADORE the drama teacher, and she would get to participate in the middle school musical in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Middle school advisory classes support executive functioning like organization. |