AppleTree Public Charter preschool - candid opinions please.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Our child has been admitted to the 3-yo program at Appletree, and we're wondering what people have to say about this program. Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

We're at LP and have been very happy this year. Wish it went to K. DC has learned so much and loves school. They do a really good job teaching the kids how to behave in school.

[Anonymous]

We LOVE it! Can't recommend it more highly. If only it went through to high school!

Our son has learned so much this year (PS3). His vocabulary has increased significantly, he is on the cusp of reading, he knows how to behave in the classroom, he's attentive and engaged and loves school. The teachers are amazing.

the only downside is that it ends after PS4 and I'm not sure if anything will be able to live up to the standards they have set!

[Anonymous]

For the Appletree Lincoln Park parent - are there lots of Maryland residents? We live in the neighborhood and routinely seek mothers doing morning dropoff in illegally parked and aggressively driving SUVs with Maryland plates. Makes me plenty mad.

[Anonymous]

We're at Lincoln Park and many of the kids in my son's class walk to school. I've never noticed Maryland plates at drop off time. We drive him to school in our small SUV, park legally, don't drive aggressively and have DC plates. Of the parents I've chatted to, most live fairly close to the school.

[Anonymous]

I live next to EW Stokes and McLeod Bethune PCS and also see lots of aggressive MD parents dropping kids off at school. I think the PCS system really needs to step up its efforts to enforce DC residency for DC schools!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Also, the school regularly communicates with parents asking them not to park illegally during drop off and pick up. Probably about once a month we get this information and I've also seen the staff addressing this individually when it happens (not that I've seen much illegal parking, nor have I ever seen anyone turning round in front of the building opposite which is something we are also warned against doing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Appletree Lincoln Park parent - are there lots of Maryland residents? We live in the neighborhood and routinely seek mothers doing morning dropoff in illegally parked and aggressively driving SUVs with Maryland plates. Makes me plenty mad.

There appear to be some -- just like at every other school on the east side of DC.

[Anonymous]

At Appletree Columbia Heights, currently in PS-3, and we adore it too. Wish it was a full elementary school, although then it would probably also be impossible to get into! Incredibly grateful it was an option for us, since we got shut out of everywhere else. DD is doing great, and they kept their promise to meet her where she was (which mattered to us, because she had been in PS-3 as a 2 and 3 yr old the year before in the state we moved from, so she was really ready for PK4). They do a great evaluation several times in the school year, a report card, and I can see both from what she talks about and their reports that she's learned a ton.

In Nov last year we mentioned snow and she said "Antartica is my favorite continent! There's snow there!" Us: "Where did you learn about Antartica?" DD: "At school. We learned about continents." "What other continents do you know?" "Africa, Asia, North America..." From a 3 yr old!!

Granted, now that they've moved onto bugs and archeology, she probably can't name any continents, but I was still plenty impressed!

[Anonymous]

Ugh. We had to show our drivers licenses to get our kid registered at the school. Aside from moving out of the district after school starts I can't even see how it could happen. I am there EVERY DAY and there are NOT multiple Maryland plates dropping kids off. In fact, I've never seen a single one. Go there during drop off or pick up and watch how many kids walk to school with their parents.

[Anonymous]

We've sent two kids through the CH location and had great experiences with both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Appletree Columbia Heights, currently in PS-3, and we adore it too. Wish it was a full elementary school, although then it would probably also be impossible to get into! Incredibly grateful it was an option for us, since we got shut out of everywhere else. DD is doing great, and they kept their promise to meet her where she was (which mattered to us, because she had been in PS-3 as a 2 and 3 yr old the year before in the state we moved from, so she was really ready for PK4). They do a great evaluation several times in the school year, a report card, and I can see both from what she talks about and their reports that she's learned a ton.

In Nov last year we mentioned snow and she said "Antartica is my favorite continent! There's snow there!" Us: "Where did you learn about Antartica?" DD: "At school. We learned about continents." "What other continents do you know?" "Africa, Asia, North America..." From a 3 yr old!!

Granted, now that they've moved onto bugs and archeology, she probably can't name any continents, but I was still plenty impressed!

I had the same conversation with my son! Now he tells me they are studying "Paleontology and Archeology".

[Anonymous]

I see the Maryland LP Appletree mothers at least a couple of times a week, but they're there early - about 7:40 am. Maybe that's why the local parents don't see them at drop-off? I've almost been hit more than once, driving the other way to take my kids to different schools.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure they are mothers? Several of the staff live in MD.

[Anonymous]

How do working parents deal with all the days off in the Apple Tree calendar? We were waitlisted, so it's probably a moot point for us anyway, but looking at the calendar really gave me pause. I understand the importance of professional development, but when you factor in a PD day once a month, spring break, and federal and DC holidays, (and of course unscheduled sick days for your kids that you have to take off work) with no camp or care options available, I just don't know how we would be able to swing that as two working parents.