Is Stokes really all that and more?
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Anonymous
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I have 2 kids at Stokes and am very happy there. The teachers are absolutely wonderful and very supportive. My kids have learned a lot compared to their peers who are at other DC schools, including private schools. Also, I found the PTA and Admin staff to be helpful and very active, so not sure about the comments otherwise. Maybe others have had different experiences. I have visited dozens of schools in DC (private, public, charter) and they all have strengths and weaknesses. Stokes fits the personalities of our kids very well and that is why we are there. It's like picking a college - some people like the big schools and some like small, liberal arts. Both types and strengths and weaknesses, it just depends on what your needs are. Some of my friends would have hated to go to my college and I would have hated their choice, but we individually like where we each went. I think my kids are learning as they should be at Stokes and I am pleased they are mastering another language. If you have specific questions about the school, feel free to ask and I will reply. Overall, my experience has been positive.
The only negative that comes to mind is the parking and lighting of the school outside. This needs to be changed because I think the parking situation and limited lighting is dangerous. |
Anonymous
| Sorry to be lottery obsessed, but do you have any sense of how many applications Stokes has received for the next year? Do they ever publish waitlist info from previous years? I applied to K. |
Anonymous
Just curious if you could elaborate on what ther personalities of kids who do best at Stokes. I liked the school a lot when I visited and didn't get a sense that one kind of kid would do better than another. (With Montessori, I definitely got the sense that some kids would do well and others would flounder.) Thanks! |
Anonymous
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To answer the questions above, I am not sure about the wait lists or lotteries. I do know that my kid got into K last year and was one of 14 kids who got in, out of like 186 who applied. So, odds are not great of getting in, but that should not stop anyone since my kid did get in, and then my younger Pre-K kid got in as a result.
About personality, my kids are very outgoing and gregarious. They are both performer types that like a lot of activity and friends. They like people and contact, not so much into using ipads, electronics, etc. At the same time, I don't think they would do well in a rigid environment that has a lot of structure. Some schools had more structure than Stokes, and one private school we visited was not very open to "free spirit" type of kids. My kids are definitely free spirits, although they are polite, follow rules, etc. I just know they would get stifled by too much structure and rules and not enough free play. Also, the teachers at Stokes are kind and patient and not overwhelming with discipline. That works for my kids. It is not a bad or good issue, just that some kids feel more comfortable with more structure, discipline and rules, whereas others thrive better with more creative, artistic and unstructured activity. In addition, the teachers at Stokes pay attention to what works with individual kids instead of forcing all kids to adjust to one set of rules all the time. This works for my kids and my family. Again, some might disagree and think this is terrible, but for me and my kids, it works. |
Anonymous
Different poster, are you asking the PP to generalize about what types of personalities she thinks do well at Stokes? Or to tell you what HER kids personalities are like, since that's all she said, she said the school fits HER kids personalities. I'm not her but I'd think it would be hard to generalize about *all* the types of kids who do well at a particular school. She probably doesn't know every kid or the full range of personalities. |
Anonymous
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PP again - Another thing I LOVE about the school is the cafeteria. It is the best I have ever seen or even heard of. The school has its own chef and all food is organic, locally grown, etc. This is another reason why I chose Stokes. I feel that the food and environment of a school are indicators of how the school is overall.
Regarding subject matter, my kids seem to be progressing as they should. They are learning their letters, numbers, and history and science. I have seen private school kids and VA public school kids and quite frankly, I think my kids know a bit more than a lot of them. |
Anonymous
| PP again - I agree that I can't generalize about all kids personalities. I do not have that knowledge or experience. This is not a scientific study. I am just answering why I like the school. It works for my kids, either because of their personality, parents, situation, or whatever other reason. But like anything else, what works for some kids may not work for others. Visit the class rooms and chat with the teachers and you will get a feel for what will work with your kids... |
Anonymous
| My friend's daughter moved there this year and she couldn't be happier. Her daughter has blossomed and made lots of friends. They are really impressed with the aftercare activities -- chess, cooking classes, etc. And, they made a real effort to help her with the commute (from the Adams Morgan area). |
Anonymous
What did they do to help her with the commute? |
Anonymous
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For the first month of school (this is my DC's 1st year there) I was almost in tears dropping off and picking up each day. I was not upset; I was just so grateful to have a wonderful place for my child to go to school. We came from a bad experience and never thought we would get into Stokes. Yes, it is all that. The teachers are warm, kind and patient. Violin, soccer, chess club for children. Saturday academy, summer camp, parent enrichment programs and, yes, a PTA. The parents are very active/visible and all have been welcoming. My DC loves the school. There is a little bit of magic that happens there each day and I don't take for granted that not every parent gets to feel this way.
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Anonymous
| Our friends left because they didn't like the admin response to a bullying sort of issue. But I do know other families content enough. |
Anonymous
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we got into Stokes a few years ago and turned it down based on the following:
1) the majority of the school kids are from low income families---- i.e. a high FARM rate 2) test scores for these FARM kids were abysmal 3) the upper grade kids were not well behaved during the open house we attended i.e. cursing and yelling in the hallways 4) the school building is nice but very overcrowded 5) the pre-k program seemed like an afterthought so for us it did not seem all that |
Anonymous
| What do you use to see farm kids test scores vs non farm? |
Anonymous
| How long has the school been open? You can't judge a school by test score if the kids have only been there for a year or two. |
Anonymous
It's one of the first charters in DC founded in 1998. Yes, you can look at its test scores by now. |