Mt. Vernon Community School - ACPS

[Anonymous]

Was there a lottery for administrative transfers this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there a lottery for administrative transfers this year?

No. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our friends all love it. Great community feel. Spanish immersion is great. Lots of community events aimed at creating a real sense of community. For ACPS, you need to look at the test scores for your demographics. For my family, they were quite high at all schools. ACPS seems to fail low income students across all races. To me that is concerning.

OP here. Does that even apply to Jefferson-Houston?

We’re at JH and the hate it gets on here is really outdated. It’s got the same Great Schools rating as MVCS, which while not high (it’s a 3) is a product of the above - low income sub-groups, which no school district serves well when it comes to standardized test scores. (The difference on here is that in Fairfax and Arlington the schools with a lot of low income students aren’t even talked about on here.) We have friends at MVCS and they seem just as happy as we are at JH and the instruction and everything (special events, encore classes, etc) sound really really similar. DS really likes all of his classmates and we’ve had great experiences, outdoor playdates, etc with families from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds from us, which has been so important to us in our choice of school. We have no desire or plans to go private or move and neither do our friends at MVCS.

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.

[Anonymous]

Been at MVCS for 4 years with a child who receives special education in the general education setting. Our experience has been very good there. Two of the three SpEd teachers have been good and one of them has been absolutely top notch, receiving acknowledgement and awards at the City level. Our GenEd teachers have been either good or great. My child struggles with school a lot and they’ve gone out of their way to accommodate us. Despite not loving school, they love their teachers and are still learning and is now above expected reading level (at grade level) even though we were very behind in first grade (before we got accommodations). MVCS struggled during the early part of the pandemic, but I think everyone did.

I am concerned about middle school in ACPS, and I doubt $700k will get you a SFH in bounds for MVCS. We did an administrative/programmatic transfer for the immersion program but live elsewhere in Alex (bought many years ago, before school was a question for us!). We couldn’t afford Del Ray now unless we bought a tiny outdated row house in Warwick.

The PTA is very active and inclusive if that’s your thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our friends all love it. Great community feel. Spanish immersion is great. Lots of community events aimed at creating a real sense of community. For ACPS, you need to look at the test scores for your demographics. For my family, they were quite high at all schools. ACPS seems to fail low income students across all races. To me that is concerning.

OP here. Does that even apply to Jefferson-Houston?

We’re at JH and the hate it gets on here is really outdated. It’s got the same Great Schools rating as MVCS, which while not high (it’s a 3) is a product of the above - low income sub-groups, which no school district serves well when it comes to standardized test scores. (The difference on here is that in Fairfax and Arlington the schools with a lot of low income students aren’t even talked about on here.) We have friends at MVCS and they seem just as happy as we are at JH and the instruction and everything (special events, encore classes, etc) sound really really similar. DS really likes all of his classmates and we’ve had great experiences, outdoor playdates, etc with families from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds from us, which has been so important to us in our choice of school. We have no desire or plans to go private or move and neither do our friends at MVCS.

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.

What grade is your child in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our friends all love it. Great community feel. Spanish immersion is great. Lots of community events aimed at creating a real sense of community. For ACPS, you need to look at the test scores for your demographics. For my family, they were quite high at all schools. ACPS seems to fail low income students across all races. To me that is concerning.

OP here. Does that even apply to Jefferson-Houston?

We’re at JH and the hate it gets on here is really outdated. It’s got the same Great Schools rating as MVCS, which while not high (it’s a 3) is a product of the above - low income sub-groups, which no school district serves well when it comes to standardized test scores. (The difference on here is that in Fairfax and Arlington the schools with a lot of low income students aren’t even talked about on here.) We have friends at MVCS and they seem just as happy as we are at JH and the instruction and everything (special events, encore classes, etc) sound really really similar. DS really likes all of his classmates and we’ve had great experiences, outdoor playdates, etc with families from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds from us, which has been so important to us in our choice of school. We have no desire or plans to go private or move and neither do our friends at MVCS.

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.

What grade is your child in?

2nd grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our friends all love it. Great community feel. Spanish immersion is great. Lots of community events aimed at creating a real sense of community. For ACPS, you need to look at the test scores for your demographics. For my family, they were quite high at all schools. ACPS seems to fail low income students across all races. To me that is concerning.

OP here. Does that even apply to Jefferson-Houston?

We’re at JH and the hate it gets on here is really outdated. It’s got the same Great Schools rating as MVCS, which while not high (it’s a 3) is a product of the above - low income sub-groups, which no school district serves well when it comes to standardized test scores. (The difference on here is that in Fairfax and Arlington the schools with a lot of low income students aren’t even talked about on here.) We have friends at MVCS and they seem just as happy as we are at JH and the instruction and everything (special events, encore classes, etc) sound really really similar. DS really likes all of his classmates and we’ve had great experiences, outdoor playdates, etc with families from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds from us, which has been so important to us in our choice of school. We have no desire or plans to go private or move and neither do our friends at MVCS.

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.

What grade is your child in?

2nd grade

Better late than never with your answer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our friends all love it. Great community feel. Spanish immersion is great. Lots of community events aimed at creating a real sense of community. For ACPS, you need to look at the test scores for your demographics. For my family, they were quite high at all schools. ACPS seems to fail low income students across all races. To me that is concerning.

OP here. Does that even apply to Jefferson-Houston?

We’re at JH and the hate it gets on here is really outdated. It’s got the same Great Schools rating as MVCS, which while not high (it’s a 3) is a product of the above - low income sub-groups, which no school district serves well when it comes to standardized test scores. (The difference on here is that in Fairfax and Arlington the schools with a lot of low income students aren’t even talked about on here.) We have friends at MVCS and they seem just as happy as we are at JH and the instruction and everything (special events, encore classes, etc) sound really really similar. DS really likes all of his classmates and we’ve had great experiences, outdoor playdates, etc with families from different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds from us, which has been so important to us in our choice of school. We have no desire or plans to go private or move and neither do our friends at MVCS.

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.

What grade is your child in?

2nd grade

Better late than never with your answer?

No need to be disrespectful. I don’t spend much time here and just noticed the question I responded.

[Anonymous]

We went to MVCS for 4 years and did not have a great experience, so we transferred out. I don't know that it was necessarily the fault of the school but we had a kid who really struggled with the Spanish and we got no support from the school about it. The transfer process was a pain but we like where we are now. The community at MVCS is amazing though.

[Anonymous]

How many principals has JH had in the last decade? Eight, I think? Tells the whole story right there.

[Anonymous]

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.


What grade is your child in?



2nd grade

I have no basis to doubt that it could be great for younger kids, or even older kids who have been there all along. But, I can say that when my son entered in 6th grade, he was unable to make any friends, despite trying really hard. The kids were not open to him, and the school didn't do much to help him. It was a miserable experience. We moved, and he has been able to make new friends in his new school district pretty easily. Honestly, my impression is that the older kids there are not an accepting and friendly group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many principals has JH had in the last decade? Eight, I think? Tells the whole story right there.

Right because places can’t change

And obviously that doesn’t even come close to telling the whole story. My child is in first grade and has come home for the past two days very happy, brimming with stories to tell about his friends, his teacher, what they’re learning, and excited to sit down and read with me and tell me about that books he read that day. That gives JH a thumbs up in my book.

[Anonymous]

I have two kids at MVCS and we love it.
If you're thinking of buying in Del Ray or Alexandria, look very closely at flood patterns!! Nothing worse than spending all that cash on a house and then having a flooded basement every time it rains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.


What grade is your child in?



2nd grade

I have no basis to doubt that it could be great for younger kids, or even older kids who have been there all along. But, I can say that when my son entered in 6th grade, he was unable to make any friends, despite trying really hard. The kids were not open to him, and the school didn't do much to help him. It was a miserable experience. We moved, and he has been able to make new friends in his new school district pretty easily. Honestly, my impression is that the older kids there are not an accepting and friendly group.

Are you talking about Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria? The school only goes up to 5th grade, so I don't understand this comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Another Jefferson-Houston family here! We are also so happy and couldn’t agree more that the perceptions are very outdated and indicative of bias (unconscious or conscious) from people that don’t actually send their kids to the school. Couldn’t agree more that ratings and test scores are a product of ACPS as a whole when it comes to the city’s FARM rate. That said, JH is incredibly diverse and the whole community is so engaged. The parents are very active, and we have an awesome PTA. My child has thrived and continues to thrive. He loves his friends and teachers and is above grade level in reading and math. He has benefited immensely from meeting so many kids from all backgrounds. What dual language is to MVCS, IB is to JH and the curriculum is really cool, especially if you come from a global mindset. The JH PTA is so active and involved with a goal of reaching all families. The recent kindergarten play date was awesome and the PTA does a good job of keeping parents updated through Facebook, regular email updates, and monthly meetings that teachers admin and the principal attends. The weekly newsletter from JH admin is really thorough and informative. The teachers are so dedicated and go above and beyond, (curated at time learning packets, an amazing book fair with a book signing from children’s book author LuLu Delacre) and our principal Dr. McCain has been really communicative, hosting numerous town halls and orientations for new families. Also agree that our friends at MVCS seem just as happy as we are, and any frustrations are with ACPS writ large. People who don’t go to JH should respect the school and community, and acknowledge their views are outdated and they don’t have a credible voice in how great the school is.


What grade is your child in?



2nd grade

I have no basis to doubt that it could be great for younger kids, or even older kids who have been there all along. But, I can say that when my son entered in 6th grade, he was unable to make any friends, despite trying really hard. The kids were not open to him, and the school didn't do much to help him. It was a miserable experience. We moved, and he has been able to make new friends in his new school district pretty easily. Honestly, my impression is that the older kids there are not an accepting and friendly group.

Are you talking about Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria? The school only goes up to 5th grade, so I don't understand this comment.

I think that person was talking about JH? They are K-8.