Camelot elementary

[Anonymous]

Can anyone weigh in on how they feel about Camelot Elementary in Annandale, VA? Do they like it? What are the kids like? how are the teachers? Is it a diverse school as far as different ethnicities?

[Anonymous]

my son attended his kindergarten year at Camelot. he loved the school, the teacher and his classmates. then we moved to Mclean area to get close to my office. he will be 3rd grade this Sep. to be very honest, I did not see too much difference between the schools -- both are very diversified. of course, I could not compare the academic part of them, because my son learned different things in each grade.

[Anonymous]

we were in-boundary for Fairhill and I considered trying for a transfer to Camelot because our very beloved daycare/preschool offers before and after-school care for students who go to Camelot. It looked like a decent school, with smaller class sizes than some of the other area elementaries. And if you can't get into SACC there, you can do the before and after-care at Carousel nearby, which is a big plus.

[Anonymous]

I am 07/20/2011 10:33 -- my son graduated (pre-school) from carousel as well after 2-yrs there. he loved Carousel so much. they had big pre-school graduation ceremony.

[Anonymous]

21:56 here - we loved it too! had to pull my daughter out because we moved out of the area (from FFX to ARL) and leaving Carousel was the ONLY downside of the move.

[Anonymous]

hi people, I live right near Carousel and is it really that great? I called to inquire about their daycare and no one ever called me back. Their website was also terrible and their voicemail sounded like an old answering machine. There is also a ton of construction going on there. All those things turned me off and I ended up applying to the Jewish Comm. Center for daycare.

Glad to hear ppl like Camelot. How big are the classes?

[Anonymous]

So, I know this is a few months old. But if you are still interested in knowing about Camelot.

Our DD is in K and we love it so far. The principal is really committed to small class sizes. There are about 20 in DDs K class.

Up until a few years ago it didn't have a GT (now AAP?) program, so they shipped all their GT kids to Mantua. That pulled down the test scores. So on paper, it worried me at first. Now they have a GT program in the school.

We love the community feeling and so far are very happy with it. Obviously, we're only in K. But I've talked to many parents in our neighborhood and, aside from small complaints about a PTA person here or there, everyone seems happy with the school as well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback. How is the diversity at the school? Are there a lot of poor hispanic kids that are transient? THat is what I have heard. Just curious. How is the GT program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the feedback. How is the diversity at the school? Are there a lot of poor hispanic kids that are transient? THat is what I have heard. Just curious. How is the GT program?

Check out the school's profile online:

http://commweb.fcps.edu/schoolprofile/profile.cfm?profile_id=086

Anonymous wrote:How is the diversity at the school? Are there a lot of poor hispanic kids that are transient?

2010-11:
Asian 94 (18.29%)
Black (Not Of Hispanic Origin) 34 (6.61%)
Hispanic 158 (30.74%)
White (Not Of Hispanic Origin) 195 (37.94%)
Other 33 (6.42%)

Anonymous wrote:How is the GT program?

72 students are in the Local Level IV program. However, not all 72 are Center-eligible. (It is not possible to determine the number/percentage of the Local Level IV students that are actually Center-eligible.)

In 2008-2009, of the 7 3rd graders found Center-eligible, 1 opted for the Center and the other 6 opted to stay at Camelot for Local Level IV services.
In 2009-2010, of the 3 3rd graders found Center-eligible, none opted for the Center and all 3 opted to stay at Camelot for Local Level IV services.

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/86789J2271B7/$FILE/AttachmentA.pdf

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids at Camelot and am extremely happy with the program. Classes are small (i.e. 19-24). Teachers are dedicated. My older child was AAP center eligible, but we chose to stay at Camelot for Local Level IV services due to the cozy feel at this school. (The teachers and specialists seem know all the children not just those in their classes. The school community feels tight-knit.) So far, we've been really happy with the AAP program, and I do not feel like my child is missing out on anything because we stayed at Camelot. Also, for those parents who work, the SACC staff at Camelot is wonderful. Given the smaller size of the school, the SACC wait list is not bad at all. We got in without issue.

[Anonymous]

Principal at Camelot used to be the AP at Wolftrap at Vienna. People really liked him and were sad to see him go but happy he got promoted.

The class sizes are a function of the school's demographics. Principals in other schools would like smaller classes too, but the schools with more ESOL and FRL students get additional resources,

Camelot is a really nice neighborhood. One factoid that people may not know is that, years ago, the Camelot neighborhood supported a move to Falls Church HS from Woodson HS because they wanted to keep the entire neighborhood in the same school pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Camelot is a really nice neighborhood. One factoid that people may not know is that, years ago, the Camelot neighborhood supported a move to Falls Church HS from Woodson HS because they wanted to keep the entire neighborhood in the same school pyramid.

ARGH! so mad about this NOW!