Cheverly parents: where do your children go to school?

[Anonymous]

We are considering moving to Cheverly after glowing reviews from friends about how close-knit, affordable, diverse and accessible to DC it is. We really love the area. But what about schools? I've read about the progress that Spellman Elementary is making. But do many parents send their children there? What do they think?

Or do most people choose private schools, and if so, which ones? I'm interested in hearing about elementary, middle as well as high school.

The school question is a huge dilemma. We've considered scrimping and saving to try to buy in a good public school district in MoCo. But I'm concerned about overcrowded schools and killer beltway traffic. Or do we move to Cheverly and pay for private school (if necessary) which may cost as much as (more possibly, with two kids) buying a home in a better school district? It's all so overwhelming.

Any advice? Many thanks.

[Anonymous]

We have friends who live in Cheverly and send their son to Friends School in College Park:
http://www.friendscommunityschool.org/

I don't know if they didn't like the public school but they really were happy with Friends.

[Anonymous]

New Hope Academy
Judith Hoyer Public Montessori School

[Anonymous]

Another shout out for New Hope Academy!

[Anonymous]

I would stay away from PG County. The politicians are all crooked and things will only get worse.

[Anonymous]

We have friends who are happy with St. Ambrose.

[Anonymous]

My kids attend Gladys Noon Spellman in grades K, 2 and 4. I think it is an excellent school! I actually know of more and more parents who are taking their kids out of the local Montessori and Immersion magnet schools to send them to Spellman because it has a great reputation. It is a Title I school and so gets a lot of extra funds for teaching staff and materials. There definitely are a lot of kids on Free and Reduced Meals, and a significant number of ESOL students. Even so, Spellman's test scores are really high. Yet I do not feel that they teach incessently to the test. My own children are in the advanced groups and I feel that the work they receeive is challenging and appropriate. My kids never tell me that they are bored!

The kids and teachers are friendly. Behavior issues are dealt with quicklly. There's a very active PTA. Administration is very responsive to parents, and the majority of the teachers are excellent. (As with any school, there are some teachers who aren't that great. but at least after 2nd grade they departmentalize so the teachers can specialize and kids get a variety of teachers).

The down side of Spellman is that it only goes to 6th grade, and the middle school Cheverly is slated for right now (Gholson) does not have a good reputation at all. Spellman got a wonderful new principal about 3 years ago; before that there was a really ineffective principal and the school was a mess. No one would consider it; now a lot of people are choosing it as their first choice.

Other schools in town are St Ambrose, which pulls more from out of the area, and JP Hoyer which is a public Montessori lottery school -- but is likely moving to a building in Landover next August. After the move they will likely have more room to expand and so chances of getting in might increase.

There's Goddard French Immersion up in Greenbelt; also availale by lottery.

Other private schools nearby include Friends, and a lot of famliies chose CHristian Family Montessori although they have move into DC I think so they aren't really that close anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would stay away from PG County. The politicians are all crooked and things will only get worse.

Oh, please politicians are crooked everywhere!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids attend Gladys Noon Spellman in grades K, 2 and 4. I think it is an excellent school! I actually know of more and more parents who are taking their kids out of the local Montessori and Immersion magnet schools to send them to Spellman because it has a great reputation. It is a Title I school and so gets a lot of extra funds for teaching staff and materials. There definitely are a lot of kids on Free and Reduced Meals, and a significant number of ESOL students. Even so, Spellman's test scores are really high. Yet I do not feel that they teach incessently to the test. My own children are in the advanced groups and I feel that the work they receeive is challenging and appropriate. My kids never tell me that they are bored!

The kids and teachers are friendly. Behavior issues are dealt with quicklly. There's a very active PTA. Administration is very responsive to parents, and the majority of the teachers are excellent. (As with any school, there are some teachers who aren't that great. but at least after 2nd grade they departmentalize so the teachers can specialize and kids get a variety of teachers).

The down side of Spellman is that it only goes to 6th grade, and the middle school Cheverly is slated for right now (Gholson) does not have a good reputation at all. Spellman got a wonderful new principal about 3 years ago; before that there was a really ineffective principal and the school was a mess. No one would consider it; now a lot of people are choosing it as their first choice.

Other schools in town are St Ambrose, which pulls more from out of the area, and JP Hoyer which is a public Montessori lottery school -- but is likely moving to a building in Landover next August. After the move they will likely have more room to expand and so chances of getting in might increase.

There's Goddard French Immersion up in Greenbelt; also availale by lottery.

Other private schools nearby include Friends, and a lot of famliies chose CHristian Family Montessori although they have move into DC I think so they aren't really that close anymore.

OP here. Thank you for the wealth of information. I'm really encouraged to hear about the progress at Spellman. And I am more than wiling to roll up my sleeves as a parent and pitch in. But what do cheverly parents do after elementary school? Private? Do they move somewhere with better public schools? I'd really like to find a community wherewe can plant roots for the long haul. Also, I've tried researching Hoyer, but haven't found much. It became Montessori only recently? Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. Thank you for the wealth of information. I'm really encouraged to hear about the progress at Spellman. And I am more than wiling to roll up my sleeves as a parent and pitch in. But what do cheverly parents do after elementary school? Private? Do they move somewhere with better public schools? I'd really like to find a community wherewe can plant roots for the long haul. Also, I've tried researching Hoyer, but haven't found much. It became Montessori only recently? Thanks again!

St. Ambrose (Catholic) goes to grade 8. New Hope Academy (private) goes to grade 12. Goddard French Immersion (lottery) is K-8. JP Hoyer Montessori (lottery) is currently preK3-6 (I think) but with their impending move to a new location should go through grade 8. Kids in the TAG program (Talented and Gifted) can attend the TAG program at Kenmore Middle School (Lottery and you need to be identified as TAG). Those schools are where most Cheverly kids I know attend middle school.

[Anonymous]

PP again. Friends Community School in College Park is grade k-8.

Ascension Lutheran in Landover is another k-8 school some kids go to.

[Anonymous]

Does Cheverly feed Eleanor Roosevelt HS?

That would be a decent HS option for a good student.

[Anonymous]

No, the high school for kids in the Cheverly area is Bladensburg High which is NOT generally considered to be a good school.

Roosevelt is a Science/Tech magnet school with entrance by competitive exam. The school pulls from the northern part of the county, and Chevery kids do go there if they test in and want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, the high school for kids in the Cheverly area is Bladensburg High which is NOT generally considered to be a good school.

Roosevelt is a Science/Tech magnet school with entrance by competitive exam. The school pulls from the northern part of the county, and Chevery kids do go there if they test in and want to.

Roosevelt is also a neighborhood high school for Greenbelt.

[Anonymous]

St. Ambrose is a wonderful school with a strong principal and dedicated staff. The student body and community feel like a family.