Centro Nia, Apple Tree, Bridges, Lamb, E.L. Haynes - preschool options - recommendations

[Anonymous]

Didn't LAMB extend its school day because they didn't meet AYP on the CAS? That's what I heard.

[Anonymous]

PP, thank you. That was the explanation I was looking for.

[Anonymous]

May I ask about how difficult it is to get into LAMB? Are my chances good applying for preschool 3 or is their a very high demand?

[Anonymous]

Re: the extension of LAMB hours, I don't know if the DC CAS was it or just wanting more instruction time in general. The art and music offerings were extended this year and they had to make room for that, as well. I was glad to see the extra instruction time for DC.

Re: getting in, your chances are not good, just because there aren't that many spots. Let's say 20 openings, 10 for english and 10 for spanish dominant kids. Take out sibling spots, maybe there are 14 left, 7 of each. They could be 3 yr or 4 yr openings. After that it's by lottery. So maybe there are between 4 and 10 english-speaking 3 year openings. I don't know the exact numbers here, I'm just guessing based on what I've seen previous years. And there's probably 200 applicants or so. But somebody has to get in-- you just never know. Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for taking the time for such a good explanation. I was looking for something like this!

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here again. LAMB currently has 4th graders and over the next few years will grow to sixth grade. There are about 170 kids total, starting from the pre-S year on up through 4th grade. The kids are divided into three year classrooms -- 3,4, and 5 year olds in Primary, 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders in Lower Elementary and 4th - 6th graders in Upper Elementary. In most cases, the child would stay in the same classroom with the same teachers for all three years. There is some flexibility in moving kids around but most stay. That way they really know the kids, the routine, the teachers know the children already and so forth.

A previous poster asked if LAMB targets special needs kids. No, but of course they are in the LAMB population, as they are in any school, and my point is that they do a great job with these kids. Most parents don't know if their 3 or 4 year olds have ADD or a learning disability or whatever-- that comes up later. If that ends up being the case, LAMB does right by these kids. They supply good services, they are in full compliance with special ed procedures and laws. But more importantly, each kid is supported in a way that allows him/her to succeed, and parents don't have to fight/sue to get services that their child needs. There's an attitude there that is refreshing regarding special education. It's not a stigma, it's just help for children.

LAMB is small so the DC CAS is administered to a small group of students, starting in 3rd grade. That makes it a less than ideal measure of achievement. The first year only six or so kids took it. There wasn't too much test prep and with a bilingual, montessori curriculum, the kids struggled with the test. Last year, 15 or so kids took it. There was improvement between the two years. The number of kids was still not enough to publish the results (I think the magic number is 25 or 30 kids). However, the administration is using it as a tool because eventually there will be enough kids to make it statistically significant. It's difficult because Maria Montessori didn't imagine DC CAS so they have to add test-taking and so forth as a separate subject. In adidtion, the kids spend about 50-60% of the time working in Spanish, so the amount of time spent on English test prep is naturally limited. I think they are trying to strike the right balance between helping the kids do well enough on the DC CAS so they make AYP but not overburdening the kids with too much test prep.

For the parents of a 3 year old, you should know some things about the primary classes. You'll see mixed age classes, with 3,4 and 5 year olds together. The kids nap in the afternoon, they do not have to be potty trained before they start school and they have a nice long recess. The kids put their own coats away, get on their slippers, etc., even if it takes them a long time. The school lunch provider is Revolution Foods which serves all organic, healthy, etc. meals. The day is from 8:30 to 3 pm for little ones (older kids have 30 minutes more). There is a spanish dominant teacher and an English-dominant teacher in the class, and usually an aide to help with pottying, lunch, etc. The goal of the preschool year is to acclimate the kids and get them understanding and speaking the 2nd language. By imitating the older children, they learn to do the montessori activities and how to act in the classroom. Some kids come in speaking only Spanish, some come in speaking only English and some are bilingual already. By the end of the first year, all the kids function in both languages.

Hope this info is useful.

[Anonymous]

Instead of choosing a school, and getting your heart set, I'd apply to all of them, and then if you're lucky enough to have a choice make it once you know what your options are -- you have many great options on your list.

If you're interested in Preschool only programs like Apple Tree and Bridges, make sure you look at both the charter school (DC Bilingual), and the PreK incentive program at Centro Nia.