Oyster parents -- What do you love/hate about the school?

[Anonymous]

OP here -- barbs aside, thanks so much for the insightful information.

looks like (with recent developments) there won't be two aftercare programs from which to choose.

[Anonymous]

FYI many of the teachers and native Spanish students are Latin American. Many diplomat families' kids as well. It is not a glorified ESL program for hispanic immigrants, it is a bilingual program that aims to attract 50% native english speakers and 50% native spanish speakers.

[Anonymous]

...with the 50% English from Woodley Park calling the shots...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...with the 50% English from Woodley Park calling the shots...

Ha! What shots are those?

[Anonymous]

Except that you forget the native Spanish speakers who live in Woodley too. Easy labels rarely help.

[Anonymous]

You've both forgotten the in-boundary Adams Morgan families!

[Anonymous]

Hola!

[Anonymous]

OMG, a bunch of white middle class women with Spanish as a Second language. Fight the Fight.

[Anonymous]

OOPS!! Forgot the Spanish Nationals...not exactly Salvador, pardon ME.

[Anonymous]

Look up Oyster's demographics, and learn.

[Anonymous]

So how many play dates take place mixing the OOB Latinos and the IB families? You can't learn that from looking up demographics -- the school simply does not support mingling among different groups, as is evident by the continuing 2-tiered after school program. Business class and coach. While the free program may be in doubt and the community is addressing this due to budget cuts they are quick to soothe the special families pointing out that the OAC is still going to continue. How is that working out?

[Anonymous]

Oh no, again the obsession mixing things. As a Latino, and native Spanish speaker, and in boundary, I have experienced zero problems with play dates. The school is not my DC's caregiver - I am.

If your life here is so hard, would you consider leaving room for others? Muchas gracias de antemano.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how many play dates take place mixing the OOB Latinos and the IB families? You can't learn that from looking up demographics -- the school simply does not support mingling among different groups, as is evident by the continuing 2-tiered after school program. Business class and coach. While the free program may be in doubt and the community is addressing this due to budget cuts they are quick to soothe the special families pointing out that the OAC is still going to continue. How is that working out?

Business class, less than $300/ month, for great aftercare on top of FREE education? You know your DC is fortunate to attend one of DC's best schools thanks to taxpayer money, and with hundreds in the waitlist, don't you?

[Anonymous]

we have had a kid at Oyster K for a year and another going to K next year. We left a private montessori to go to Oyster and it was not a financial decision. We can afford private,

We chose Oyster because we think bilingual education will be terrific for our kids. Not just because they will be bilingual but because of the work their young brains will do in becoming bilingual.

We also like the idea of building up our local schools in DC. The city will only become truly integrated if more middle/upper class families go public. Otherwise it is socioeconomic apartheid.

And on some level I like walking the walk not just talking the talk on diversity and exposure to different cultures.

We haven't had many playdates with either anglos or latinos. But my daughter is very aware that there are people from different backgrounds in her class. A few African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Spanish (from Spain), SOuth Americans and then all the kids from mixed families with one parent bilingual.

I suppose as she gets older maybe the divide between the cultures will emerge. The only barrier I feel right now is that I don't speak Spanish (am learning) so it is hard for me to befriend the SPanish speakers. But that isn't just true for the lower-middle class Latinos. it is also true of the doctor from Argentina and the IMF employee from Spain. I am hoping as our family becomes more bilingual we will be better equipped to cross that barrier.

In all schools there are socioeconomic barriers. But I like to think that at Oyster it is not all divided along language lines.

As for the academics, I would venture to say that the education isn't quite on par with the Montessori. I preferred the Montessori approach to reading and math, whereas at Oyster there is a more traditional public school approach with lots of group chanting of "A is for Apple" sort of stuff. And I miss the Montessori use of beads and objects to learn math concepts.

But here is the thing: My kid learns a ton at home just from being with us and in a family that values critical thinking and curiosity about the world. We aren't the flash card type of family but we are just engaged in our surroundings and encourage our kids to ask questions and explore.

And knowing her brain is getting a serious workout from learning a new language (neurons firing like crazy up there!) I am ok with taking a small hit on the reading and math. And it is a small hit. After all: this is KINDERGARTEN. This is elementary school. At this age children spend more time becoming social beings. The major work (in my opinion) is done 0-5 and then in junior high/high/college.

The other thing is my child is SO HAPPY at Oyster. She has transformed from a kid who had a flat affect about school to one who is animated and excited about school.

These pluses are pretty compelling to me. ENough to pull my second kid out of private a year earlier than we had planned (and we really did love that private!)

[Anonymous]

Every white person says what the pp says, until middle school. It isn't going to be kindergarten forever.