trying to choose between Haycock, Mantua and Archer ES--any feedback?

[Anonymous]

Friends of ours are moving into the area and are looking at homes in these three districts. They want to be close to a center because oldest child will be attending but the other two are still too young and they want them all to go to the same school, whether in GT or not. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Haycock or Archer -- Mantua may be affected secondarily (at MS and HS levels) by the Annandale boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

I would say they are all good. Haycock will get you less house for the money, and Louise archer is closer to metro than mantua. I know Louise archer is an excellent school with great teachers both in and out of the center, and an active PTA. I have no first hand knowledge on the other schools

[Anonymous]

Haycock is also very close to metro. The school and some neighborhoods are within walking distance.

[Anonymous]

If money is no object...I would say Haycock. A house slated for Haycock can be within walking distance of the West Falls Church metro and all that Falls Church City has to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If money is no object...I would say Haycock. A house slated for Haycock can be within walking distance of the West Falls Church metro and all that Falls Church City has to offer.

A house in the Haycock boundaries could also be within walking/biking distance of the shops/cafes in East Falls Church and/or the shopping strip at Williamsburg Blvd.

[Anonymous]

To summarize: all good schools...hackock closer to dc, housing costs higher per sq foot...mantua further from metro, uncertain hs and ms boundaries...lousie archer less expensive per sq foot, Vienna is a friendly walkable community (in town), also close to metro.

[Anonymous]

Just be aware of MS and HS centers and pyramids.

I am most familiar with Mantua (our center) and Archer.

Many kids who go to Mantua as the center, not as their base school, are in the Jackson/Falls Church pyramid. Others are in the Frost/Woodson pyramid. But I think the Annandale boundary issues that a PP referred to will only have an effect on the Wakefield Forest neighborhood.

Many kids who have Archer as their ES center have Jackson as their MS center. For some parents this is no big deal, but for other parents this is a big deal.

[Anonymous]

I think the original question was for the base school. Children whose base school is Louise Archer will go to Jackson, then madison.

[Anonymous]

Haycock is in a great location - close to Arlington, City of Falls Church, McLean, WFC/EFC metro. I've heard people rave about Archer, too, but it can be a pain to get out of that area even to Tysons. It's not really walking distance to the Vienna Metro, either.

Don't know much about Mantua. I think that area is mostly 70s, Brady Bunch-style suburbia.

[Anonymous]

Mantua feeds into Frost and Woodson, which is one of the best high school pyramids in Fairfax County. Like the previous poster said, there are lots of 70s era homes. Mostly contemporary ranch, split levels. Some of the mid century modern homes are very popular these days, especially for people that dislike the faux-colonial neighborhood developments that define newer parts of Northern Virginia.

Mantua is virtually next door to Woodson, so I don't imagine neighborhoods there will be affected by the Annandale boundary study, which makes no mention of Mantua.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mantua feeds into Frost and Woodson, which is one of the best high school pyramids in Fairfax County. Like the previous poster said, there are lots of 70s era homes. Mostly contemporary ranch, split levels. Some of the mid century modern homes are very popular these days, especially for people that dislike the faux-colonial neighborhood developments that define newer parts of Northern Virginia.

Mantua is virtually next door to Woodson, so I don't imagine neighborhoods there will be affected by the Annandale boundary study, which makes no mention of Mantua.

This makes the Mantua area sound more architecturally distinctive than it is. It's just the split-level version of suburbia from the 1960s, no more or less "faux" than the neighborhoods that were built later.

[Anonymous]

I think the original question was for the base school. Children whose base school is Louise Archer will go to Jackson, then madison.

Wrong.
Children who attend Louise Archer as their base school will go to Thoreau MS. If they are in the AAP Center, they can choose to go to Jackson instead of Thoreau. Then it's Madison for HS.

[Anonymous]

Pp that is correct...I meant is gt middle school is Jackson. Many parents are choosing Thoreau instead

[Anonymous]

My children attend Mantua, one is in the center the other isn't in 2nd grade yet. The school has a lot of positive qualities, but I regret spending all the money to buy a house here and wish we had explored other options. The school is great if your child is lucky enough not to have any of the few horrible teachers or any of the horrible kids in their class. The administration turns a blind eye to both of these situations and many kids in this school are not just miserable - they miss out on key instructional time as well. I would certainly consider other options.