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Tell me about the "personality" of any of these schools: Mann, Layfayette, Janney, Murch
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Anonymous
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We are looking to purchase a new home in the northern part of NW DC and we would prefer to go the public school route for our kids, for elementary school at least. I can find some information the DC website regarding test scores etc. and also about the racial/ethnicity composition of schools, but I would like to know at little more about the 'personality' of these schools: Mann, Layfayette, Janney and Murch, and would value opinions on the following questions or on anything else that comes to mind.
* Which among these schools has the most 'international' students? I would like my kids to continue to experience the international diversity they are currently experiencing. They are also not from the U.S. but are not Spanish speaking (since I think otherwise Oyster might have made sense for us). * Do these schools have mostly working Mothers? I work full time and also travel with work. I would like to send my child to a school where most of the Moms also work outside the home. I have nothing against SAHMs but I don't want my kids to be in a situation where all of the other Moms can show up for a recital that is scheduled for 11am or never miss an event because they never travel, or teachers can send home a note requesting home baked cookies for the next day! It cannot happen in my life! * I value the little time we have togther as a family. I would like my kids to do most of their school work, well, in school! Do any of these schools have an "only reading for homework policy"? Or is there any one of these schools where with high probability sooner or later I be up late at night building a volcano? I just would like to spend our family time as a family, cooking together, reading together, or building a big big tower (like we did last night!). Whatever it is, I would rather not spend evenings struggling with 6 year olds to finish homework which seems to fall into either of two categories - important academic work that should not be attempted at the end of a long busy day or busy work. * Any of these schools have decent school lunches? i.e. no "chicken" nuggets, no hot dogs, no chocolate milk, and a real vegetable with every meal, etc. Or at any of these schools will most kids bring and actually eat their own lunches? I struggled too hard and breastfed for a long time, to just let my kids eat junk on a daily basis! Or am I crazy and should really just find a private school? |
Anonymous
| My kid went to Hyde in Georgetown (which was quite international BTW) so I can't tell you about these schools but I can tell you that DCPS lunch is terrible! Send lunch with them. |
Anonymous
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Murch is a mix of SAHMs and WOHMs, more of the latter. There is busywork homework in the lowest grades, starting in K.
You are indeed crazy if you imagine there would no chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza and choc. milk in a public elementary school in DC. But I agree -- send lunch. I'm not sure you'll find someone on DCUM who can accurately tell you which of these schools has the most international student body, just because it takes a lot of time to know the student bodies, and people tend not to attend more than one of these schools (for comparison purposes). A quick call to each head office?? |
Anonymous
Boarding school maybe? |
Anonymous
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I beleive Murch is among the most international schools in dc-- there were 40 something countries represented a couple of years ago in the student body. It may be in the 30s now. There is a Hall of Flags with all the nations represented in the school. It is one of my favorite things about the school.
The homework thing has not been a problem-- I think there is no homework in 1st grade across the board now. but the rule for 2nd was 20 minutes max. If your child does aftercare at Murch I think you can opt for them to do their homework there so it will not interfere with your nights on a daily basis. Most teachers recommend kids bring lunches- esp at younger grades. the dcps lunch is a travesty citywide. |
Anonymous
Doubt you'd find a private that meets all your criteria. That said, Oyster is arguably the most "international" public elementary school. Not just because of Spanish speakers. It's quite popular with World Bank/State Dept groups. Curious to hear where OP is from. Does DC seem so different? This is DC. Everybody "works". Many of the SAHMs were recently in corporate/consulting/political backgrounds. Luckily for slubs like me, these are the parents who get stuff done at school. Homework policy? Not sure where the disconnect is from activities with your kids and expereiences they're already having in school. Doesn't it depend on the teacher and the class makeup? Looks like you're stuck the old-fashioned way actually visiting the scools oin question |
Anonymous
| Murch is one of the most diverse public schools in DC. It has a substantial international population, owing both to diplomatic families, World Bank/IADB types, and "mixed" marriages. It also has a fair amount of socio-economic diversity, as well as geographic diveristy (aka out-of-boundary students). At any given time, the school has approximately 35-40 students in the ELL program. It has a good mix of "working" and "stay-at-home" parents (both mothers and fathers). |
Anonymous
| Actually, I have to disagree with 23:56 about the idea that "everyone works." I live in boundary for Mann, and have a good friend who's kids go there, and it sound like there are a number of SAHMs and at least some cattiness towards working moms. Also, sounds like it is not unusual for at least some of the kids to have their own blackberries. |
Anonymous
| Just second OP- her post could have been my dream school too. Alas, I have been looking for a long time and not found it, public or private. |
Anonymous
| FWIW, the charter schools all tend to offer very healthy lunches - but that's because they contract out and get to choose their vendor(s). |
Anonymous
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You can look on the DCPS site to see ethnic breakdown in each school, though not working parent and stay at home parent.
If you have the budget to move in boundaries, Oyster is actually the most diverse of these schools. It is 50/50 SPanish speakers and English speakers, and has a higher % of African American kids too. The neighborhood tends to have a lot of dual-income families too. Michelle Rhee sends her kids there-- and obviously she's a working parent. As for lunch...good luck. It's bad everywhere, but it's worth lobbying Rhee about that. After years of packing bag lunches for preschool, I don't mind providing my own healthy food anyway. |
Anonymous
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Oyster is great, however, if you're looking for a detached sfh, that will be an arm and a leg....
My kids don't eat school lunch, but my experience with charters in that regard was also bad |
Anonymous
Very true. I heard that some people buy or rent condos but don't really live there just so that they can be technically in boundaries. Don't know if the school has figured out how to crack down on that, but it says something about how intent on getting in some people are. Also read that when they were still in the Out-of-bounds lotterry system, people lined up out in the street for days. Good commentary on the school, but bad commentary on how few spots are available in high-quality public schools in DC. |