Elementary Schools in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There won't be any Bethesda residents attending Rosemary Hills in the next few years - will be all Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, and some Kensington. Regardless, I wouldn'y recommend it. We're going private b/c we want to avoid RH. Crowded, HUGE, and we get some pretty disturbing reports from neighbors who have or do send their kids there.

Lots of inaccuracies above from the PP - most importantly that RH is a problem. Check the archives, go to the school, ask other parents. Our child has had a great experience at RHPS - great teachers, great school environment, and a very active and enthusiastic parent community. The school is large in terms of grade cohort but not in terms of overall size; all the Bethesda area elementaries are in the 500-700 kid size, and I'd rather have 600 kids in K-2 than 600 kids in K-5 - there are no big kid bullies or age-inappropriate influences for the little ones. It is slightly more racially/ethnically/socioeconomically diverse than the other Bethesda elementaries, but fwiw all the parents I meet are yuppie professionals (not that this is necessarily a good thing!) DCUM seems to attract one particular poster who is constantly denigrating RHPS and whining about the bus routes, I'm guessing the previous post is hers.

My sister's children attend Carderock and there aren't anywhere near 500 students. It is a K-5 school and, I'd guess, around 300 students. Her children are very happy there and love their close-knit community. That is just one school but I'm sure there are many other good ones in Bethesda and nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There won't be any Bethesda residents attending Rosemary Hills in the next few years - will be all Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, and some Kensington. Regardless, I wouldn'y recommend it. We're going private b/c we want to avoid RH. Crowded, HUGE, and we get some pretty disturbing reports from neighbors who have or do send their kids there.

Lots of inaccuracies above from the PP - most importantly that RH is a problem. Check the archives, go to the school, ask other parents. Our child has had a great experience at RHPS - great teachers, great school environment, and a very active and enthusiastic parent community. The school is large in terms of grade cohort but not in terms of overall size; all the Bethesda area elementaries are in the 500-700 kid size, and I'd rather have 600 kids in K-2 than 600 kids in K-5 - there are no big kid bullies or age-inappropriate influences for the little ones. It is slightly more racially/ethnically/socioeconomically diverse than the other Bethesda elementaries, but fwiw all the parents I meet are yuppie professionals (not that this is necessarily a good thing!) DCUM seems to attract one particular poster who is constantly denigrating RHPS and whining about the bus routes, I'm guessing the previous post is hers.

Actually, I was that poster and I don't think I've ever posted about RH before - I don't have kids old enough to be in K and don't have a stake in it. I also did not use the word "problem." But there's nothing inaccurate about my statement that 1) our family is going private b/c we don't want to use RH, 2) that it is more crowded and bigger than we are comfortable with, and 3) we have heard troubling stories from several different neighbors who sent or do send kids there. Neighbors found them troubling as well. Some of those kids stayed at RH, some were moved. I can't judge whether it is worse or better than other local public schools, but it is more so than we would be happy with and think would be good for our kids. You're totally free to make your own decision - but don't denigrate ours just b/c it's different.

[Anonymous]

My sister's children attend Carderock and there aren't anywhere near 500 students. It is a K-5 school and, I'd guess, around 300 students. Her children are very happy there and love their close-knit community. That is just one school but I'm sure there are many other good ones in Bethesda and nearby.

I have a friend with kids at Carderock. Even though there is a smaller overall community, the class sizes are much larger due to the way that the student per class guidelines get cut off. My child who is in a Bethesda public elem school has never had more than 23 in his class. She couldn't believe that--I won't quote a number as I don't remember what she said but I believe it was closer to 28 kids in a class. (I'm sure someone here will correct me if I'm wrong!) Five + kids more in a classroom does make a difference...

[Anonymous]

Actually, I was that poster and I don't think I've ever posted about RH before - I don't have kids old enough to be in K and don't have a stake in it. I also did not use the word "problem." But there's nothing inaccurate about my statement that 1) our family is going private b/c we don't want to use RH, 2) that it is more crowded and bigger than we are comfortable with, and 3) we have heard troubling stories from several different neighbors who sent or do send kids there. Neighbors found them troubling as well. Some of those kids stayed at RH, some were moved. I can't judge whether it is worse or better than other local public schools, but it is more so than we would be happy with and think would be good for our kids. You're totally free to make your own decision - but don't denigrate ours just b/c it's different.

I'm not denigrating your decision. Put your kids in any school you like - but I absolutely will criticize you for engaging in deliberately vague fear-mongering about a school that you have had NO direct experience with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My sister's children attend Carderock and there aren't anywhere near 500 students. It is a K-5 school and, I'd guess, around 300 students. Her children are very happy there and love their close-knit community. That is just one school but I'm sure there are many other good ones in Bethesda and nearby.

I have a friend with kids at Carderock. Even though there is a smaller overall community, the class sizes are much larger due to the way that the student per class guidelines get cut off. My child who is in a Bethesda public elem school has never had more than 23 in his class. She couldn't believe that--I won't quote a number as I don't remember what she said but I believe it was closer to 28 kids in a class. (I'm sure someone here will correct me if I'm wrong!) Five + kids more in a classroom does make a difference...



Can't speak to your friend's experience, by my niece's are in different grades and one has 23 kids in class, the other has 21. (But, I believe the 1st grade may have larger classes.) Maybe it varies from year to year, I'm not sure.

[Anonymous]

How do you get "fear-mongering" from that, 14:44? You're the only one getting extreme here. And no one is going to share particular families' specific stories, so I think "deliberately vague" is a bit much. Why so accusatory/defensive?

[Anonymous]

How do you get "fear-mongering" from that, 14:44? You're the only one getting extreme here. And no one is going to share particular families' specific stories, so I think "deliberately vague" is a bit much. Why so accusatory/defensive?

I'm not asking for names, dates, and incident reports - but when a PP to repeatedly talk about "disturbing stories" and "troubling stories" without giving even the slightest details, particularly when she is referencing a school she has never had any direct experience with - yes I think it's absolutely fair to call that fear-mongering. If the PP wants to give any more information about what she heard, third-hand, about RHPS, I'd love to hear it - my kids go there, and if there are disturbing or troubling things going on there, I have never heard about them before.

[Anonymous]

"Repeatedly" talk about disturbing stories? I used the word once. I honestly don't understand why my comment has you so worked up. I think you've read several of my terms to be judgemental, when they were not intended that way. For that, I apologize.

You're not going to bully me into giving up my neighbors. I'm just thrilled you aren't one of them.

[Anonymous]

PP, the snide comment does nothing to add to your credibility.

My point was simply that it's inappropriate to slam a school and make, yes, vague accusations about it without any direct experience or without the benefit of clarifying what you understand, based on third hand information, to be the problem. I have plenty of opinions on schools that I don't know, but I don't troll the private school forum to say I have heard disturbing things about, say, Landon. It wouldn't be fair, since I don't have any direct information myself, and it wouldn't be terribly helpful to parents of prospective students. Same goes for your commentary on RHPS.

And as for asking you to "out" your neighbors, please. No one asked for any such thing. But as a parent at this school, I and surely others would like to know what it is you have heard that is so "troubling" and "disturbing" (phrases you have used in each of your posts). What does this entail: are you talking abuse? bullying? bad teaching? or is it just the inevitable issue of "long" bus rides and a few low-income kids?

[Anonymous]

The most disturbing thing to many is that children are being pulled out of their communities to go to that school in the first place. I don't care what specific "stories" there are (I've not heard any).

It's just sickening that so many in the local Rosemary Hills community insist on pushing to keep this project going;

a project that reaches deeper and deeper into the lives of families from other communities throughout the county for the sake of their "metrics. Perhaps it's worse - for the sake of keeping their own children from having to get drowned out by a sea of children from their own Rosemary Hills community (ie. Paddington Square and others). Come on. You know I'm right. Admit it.

[Anonymous]

Let's not scare the OP but be very clear that what is happening with what is called the BCC cluster is a de facto East/ West divide starting at the k - Elementary levels. If you look at projected demographics you will see an increased percentage of Farms and Esol students for K, Elementary and Middle school levels east of Wisconsin Avenue. You will also see a sharp contrast with what these same numbers are for schools West of Wisconsin Avenue. This contrast was sharpened recently by a push from East Bethesda parents to remove their K-2 students from Rosemary Hills and move them to Bethesda Elementary while removing "Eastern" residents who were going to East Bethesda 3-5.

There is wide controversy as to the benefits, consequences and motivations for this process. In the long run, it will benefit the real estate market on the western side of Wisconsin Avenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not pick a school that is slated for renovation. Two years of dust, noise, safety concerns.....etc. The physical environment is very important to me. Some people don't mind portables, but I do. I also know that teachers do not like them so portables have an affect on their morale. I would also pick Carderock or Seven Locks. Renovated schools also get the technology from MCPS (I never understood the rationale behind it). Old schools have to raise money for technology.

Even though Seven Locks is in Bethesda, it is part of the Churchill Cluster. The MS is Cabin John.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please elaborate on the bullying problem at wood acres? I have seen that mentioned on these boards before and find it confusing how an elementary school has more bullying than other schools. Is it that the school administration refuses to address bullying issues? Or are the different grades mixed together more often to cause big kid bullying? I'm not doubting, just curious what the institutional difference seems to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone please elaborate on the bullying problem at wood acres? I have seen that mentioned on these boards before and find it confusing how an elementary school has more bullying than other schools. Is it that the school administration refuses to address bullying issues? Or are the different grades mixed together more often to cause big kid bullying? I'm not doubting, just curious what the institutional difference seems to be.

It may be because Wood Acres is so big. But, it seems to me that anytime there is bullying, especially at the elementary school level, it is ultimately because the adults in charge aren't supervising and dealing with the bullies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually, I was that poster and I don't think I've ever posted about RH before - I don't have kids old enough to be in K and don't have a stake in it. I also did not use the word "problem." But there's nothing inaccurate about my statement that 1) our family is going private b/c we don't want to use RH, 2) that it is more crowded and bigger than we are comfortable with, and 3) we have heard troubling stories from several different neighbors who sent or do send kids there. Neighbors found them troubling as well. Some of those kids stayed at RH, some were moved. I can't judge whether it is worse or better than other local public schools, but it is more so than we would be happy with and think would be good for our kids. You're totally free to make your own decision - but don't denigrate ours just b/c it's different.

I'm not denigrating your decision. Put your kids in any school you like - but I absolutely will criticize you for engaging in deliberately vague fear-mongering about a school that you have had NO direct experience with.

Anybody is allowed to express their views. All posts are anonymous, including yours. You are trying to intimidate a poster who wrote something about one of the schools that you did not agree about (Rosemary Hills?). Stop doing that.