Another "safety" PK-3 question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is your child now? keeping them in daycare is a perfectly good backup option versus sending them to a school you don't really like that is geographically inconventient. The fact is that "free" PK is massively less convenient than a daycare that is always open. Also, if the school has bad aftercare, you might end up having to hire an after school babysitter who is just as expensive as daycare.

If you have a kid who is less than totally resiliant and cheerful, daycare can also just be a more appropriate environment. DCPS PK3s are not daycare (designed to keep kids happy and content) - they are school, with assessments, structured classes, benchmarking, tons of transitions, teachers without great understanding of 3 year olds. And most daycares will prep your kid for kindergarten just fine.

With a nanny 2 days/week. We interact with other 2/3 year olds pretty regularly, but I think by fall she'll want/need more constant interaction with peers and most of them will be in a program somewhere. I don't want to go back to work full-time just to put my kid in daycare. We have an infant too and I'd like to keep my part-time schedule a little longer, but so much depends on preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is your child now? keeping them in daycare is a perfectly good backup option versus sending them to a school you don't really like that is geographically inconventient. The fact is that "free" PK is massively less convenient than a daycare that is always open. Also, if the school has bad aftercare, you might end up having to hire an after school babysitter who is just as expensive as daycare.

If you have a kid who is less than totally resiliant and cheerful, daycare can also just be a more appropriate environment. DCPS PK3s are not daycare (designed to keep kids happy and content) - they are school, with assessments, structured classes, benchmarking, tons of transitions, teachers without great understanding of 3 year olds. And most daycares will prep your kid for kindergarten just fine.

With a nanny 2 days/week. We interact with other 2/3 year olds pretty regularly, but I think by fall she'll want/need more constant interaction with peers and most of them will be in a program somewhere. I don't want to go back to work full-time just to put my kid in daycare. We have an infant too and I'd like to keep my part-time schedule a little longer, but so much depends on preschool.

Thanks for your insight, by the way.

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between a school being a safety and worth a spot on your list.

I don't think SWWFS is a safety. But it is worth a spot on a list if the location works for you, because there's a chance they will accept some non-IB kids at pK3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HD Cooke - have friends who are happy with the preschool

Appletree Columbia Heights

Thomson or Cleveland might be worth a slot, if you have them to spare.

Where do you work? You could also put down Capital Hill Montessori at Logan, if one parent works on or near the Hill/Union Station

Thomson's open house wasn't great. The kids basically have recess in a parking garage and for a 3 year old the whole point of life is to play outside. We're going to the Cleveland open house next week. Appletree is out per my comment above. We work in Dupont and Chinatown so the hill unfortunately doesn't work.

But thanks very much, will look into HD Cooke further!

You understand that this is very common for city schools. Playgrounds on the roof top, crossing major roads to the public playground etc.
If you live in DuPont, and not willing to go off of a small range you do not have many options.

FYI - I do not think Cooke is a Safety. I think your best shot is SWW FS since the IB zone is pretty small (WRT residential living with children)

NP here. So do you think SWW FS is worth a spot on the list as a safety if you aren't IB?

NP. I would put it on your list but not assume it is a safety (ie that you will likely get in over the summer) - we are OOB and did not get in.

[Anonymous]

OP, a true "safety" school is a school that has gone through all or almost all of its PK3 waitlist in the past 1-2 years. The only schools I can think of that even come close to your location criteria and that are/were true safeties in the past 1-2 years are: Garrison, Langley, Walker-Jones.

There are several other schools that may or may not fill with IB kids and that take some OOB - these are not safeties, but you (may) have a chance at getting in OOB. Most of them filled up their PK3 classes, or nearly so, with IB kids last year. They include: SWWFS, Seaton, Van Ness, HD Cooke, Thomson, Cleveland.

[Anonymous]

Nothing in the corridor that you are looking at is a safety.

I am not even sure if all of IB for Ross gets in for PreK4 so if you are expecting a free PreK4 school for next year, you may need to make some sacrifices this year b/c as stressful as PreK3 lottery is, if you do not land something, PreK4 is more stressful as there are less spaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, a true "safety" school is a school that has gone through all or almost all of its PK3 waitlist in the past 1-2 years. The only schools I can think of that even come close to your location criteria and that are/were true safeties in the past 1-2 years are: Garrison, Langley, Walker-Jones.

There are several other schools that may or may not fill with IB kids and that take some OOB - these are not safeties, but you (may) have a chance at getting in OOB. Most of them filled up their PK3 classes, or nearly so, with IB kids last year. They include: SWWFS, Seaton, Van Ness, HD Cooke, Thomson, Cleveland.

If the OP will not send her child to AP CH or Thomson - do you think she is going to Walker Jones?

[Anonymous]

Nope. But that doesn't mean that W-J isn't the answer to her question.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like OP's preferences mean she is resigning herself to paying for private or keeping her kids out of preschool next year unless she gets a very good lottery draw.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why you dislike Garrison. Their PK program seems terrific and it is close by. Most families there are really happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, a true "safety" school is a school that has gone through all or almost all of its PK3 waitlist in the past 1-2 years. The only schools I can think of that even come close to your location criteria and that are/were true safeties in the past 1-2 years are: Garrison, Langley, Walker-Jones.

There are several other schools that may or may not fill with IB kids and that take some OOB - these are not safeties, but you (may) have a chance at getting in OOB. Most of them filled up their PK3 classes, or nearly so, with IB kids last year. They include: SWWFS, Seaton, Van Ness, HD Cooke, Thomson, Cleveland.

I think Langley is still a safety, although less each year. If they add a classroom this year, then it's definitely safe. If you can go that far east I would definitely consider it. I went to the open house and it seems like a really sweet little school. Tons of outdoor space, a gardening program, AND a really nice gym for indoor PE. It's on our list.

[Anonymous]

I think if you are unable or unwilling to drive, there are very few public options open to you.

[Anonymous]

Also - if you think your child needs more structure moving forward you need to act really quickly on private.

JCC we move when people get acceptances to private / lottery. But you need to apply now if you want to get in to any of the programs

[Anonymous]

When I was in high school (granted this was years ago), I saw a prostitute shot in the alley behind my house. On the other side of the alley was Ross. It was still considered to be a sought-after, pretty affluent neighborhood even with the increased crime compared to now.

The was some illegal activity involving a gun in front of Ludlow-Taylor on the Hill a few years ago. Apparently it was just a coincidence that it was by a school.

If you want to live in a city there's going to be crime.

On the other hand DCPS failed to flag and then deal with a grown adult with a massive criminal (felony) record to include 3 1/2 years in fed pen who they put with my child in a 1:1 position. Thank goodness red flags were raised by us and the teacher and we got my kid out of the situation. This was at a VERY highly regarded school in a "good" neighborhood that people routinely buy houses in bounds in order to attend.

In other words, it's a city, crime is around, and you can always assume you know who the "bad guys" are. They might be the very ones inside the building who are the worst treat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, a true "safety" school is a school that has gone through all or almost all of its PK3 waitlist in the past 1-2 years. The only schools I can think of that even come close to your location criteria and that are/were true safeties in the past 1-2 years are: Garrison, Langley, Walker-Jones.

There are several other schools that may or may not fill with IB kids and that take some OOB - these are not safeties, but you (may) have a chance at getting in OOB. Most of them filled up their PK3 classes, or nearly so, with IB kids last year. They include: SWWFS, Seaton, Van Ness, HD Cooke, Thomson, Cleveland.

I think Langley is still a safety, although less each year. If they add a classroom this year, then it's definitely safe. If you can go that far east I would definitely consider it. I went to the open house and it seems like a really sweet little school. Tons of outdoor space, a gardening program, AND a really nice gym for indoor PE. It's on our list.

Langley is ABSOLUTELY, HANDS DOWN, a "safety school", in the sense that you'll likely get in. Every year Bloomingdale parents get together and say that they will send their kids there but virtually none of them do.

I don't mean that in a negative sense, since I've been very impressed by the principal but very few of the families responsible for the baby boom around Langley send their kids there. Also, it's not at all convenient for OP.

But Seaton is. Last year was the first year that Seaton actually had a waitlist and they still went through it significantly. So yes, apply to Seaton.