Are we crazy to turn down DCBilingual to stay at SSMA?

[Anonymous]

The best thing you can do is honor your kid and what works. I think any of us in the DC public and charter system have learned to take it year by year. But I will say that language immersion can be taxing on littler kids, especially those who aren't quick to jump into challenges or who can get sensory overload. (I say that having one kid who started in a language immersion program and did quite well; we shifted to non immersion because we got a call off the waiting list at a better school. Even she came home exhausted, and there's some literature to back that up from people who teach immersion in early grades. I'm pretty sure our younger kid would not flourish in immersion. So I'm really echoing what the other poster said about recognizing why it might work or not for an outgoing.up-for-anything kid but might be a different decision with someone who's a sensitive kid). I'd also say close-by friends and the feel of a "neighborhood" school (even if you're outside that neighborhood) can be important. A school that feels warm and nurturing is really valuable. Lastly, the decisions you'd make now about middle school are very unlikely the same decisions you'll make when you're closer to that time, and now with a kiddo in 5th grade, I see both how much and how little the landscape has changed but I also have a much better idea of what a good "fit" entails. (PS: Kids are resilient. I tied myself in knots when we moved our oldest from one school to another years ago, right about this time of year. SHE was fine. Mom was the one with adjustment issues. Whatever you decide will be fine.)

[Anonymous]

+1.

[Anonymous]

+2 I'd stay where you are. Don't worry so much about the future, be glad your kid is in a warm and nurturing place now.

[Anonymous]

+100.

[Anonymous]

I'll be the one dissenting voice but we really really liked DCB and would not want to give up the chance to have 3 kids there. (We also have kids that are very interested in learning Spanish and tend to do well with transitions. If that wasn't true and they were enjoying a Montessori, I'd not move them.)

[Anonymous]

I would pick DCB over SSMA, but a second language is a higher priority to us than Montessori.