Help, I just found out that I am moving to DC in August!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're willing to go to Brookland, I'd also agree St Anthony's might be an option and the DCPS John Burroughs could be a good possibility.

+1 for St. Anthony. Very affordable (as far as DC private schools go) --@ $7k/year (this includes before/after care), can pay monthly.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much everyone, all very helpful suggestions. I hadn't looked much at Langley, the number of schools to research in a short period of time is kind of overwhelming. Will also look at St Anthony's which I hadn't heard of and sacred Heart and the other private schools mentioned. I think montessori is out for my son, doesn't really suit his learning style as he needs a lot of structure.
The IB school is Truesdale and I saw some not so great comments on these forums and test scored don't look great.
We will be there for a while so I would like to get him in one place and keep him there for at least a few years. West also is closeby. Anyone have any feedback on that?
I'll give bridges a call too, I didn't want to be a pest but if that is something people often do its worth a shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much everyone, all very helpful suggestions. I hadn't looked much at Langley, the number of schools to research in a short period of time is kind of overwhelming. Will also look at St Anthony's which I hadn't heard of and sacred Heart and the other private schools mentioned. I think montessori is out for my son, doesn't really suit his learning style as he needs a lot of structure.
The IB school is Truesdale and I saw some not so great comments on these forums and test scored don't look great.
We will be there for a while so I would like to get him in one place and keep him there for at least a few years. West also is closeby. Anyone have any feedback on that?
I'll give bridges a call too, I didn't want to be a pest but if that is something people often do its worth a shot.

Truesdell's test scores actually are pretty good for the demographics, and they have a great principal. They don't have a PTA though.

[Anonymous]

Calling Bridges to ask how much movement they anticipate is not being a pest.

Most public schools mentioned by PPs are going to be a longer shot than the ones you are already on the wait list for. Go meet the principal at Truesdell and make your own decision about it.

Or consider renting in a different part of town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much everyone, all very helpful suggestions. I hadn't looked much at Langley, the number of schools to research in a short period of time is kind of overwhelming. Will also look at St Anthony's which I hadn't heard of and sacred Heart and the other private schools mentioned. I think montessori is out for my son, doesn't really suit his learning style as he needs a lot of structure.
The IB school is Truesdale and I saw some not so great comments on these forums and test scored don't look great.
We will be there for a while so I would like to get him in one place and keep him there for at least a few years. West also is closeby. Anyone have any feedback on that?
I'll give bridges a call too, I didn't want to be a pest but if that is something people often do its worth a shot.

We've been happy at West, starting at PK. We're not at 3rd grade yet, but have spoken to parents from upper grades who have been happy with it. It is a title 1 school, so you'd have to be comfortable with that. There is an active PTA that you can reach out to.

I'm not sure what the waitlist looks like or if the data is even available on that.

[Anonymous]

We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much everyone, all very helpful suggestions. I hadn't looked much at Langley, the number of schools to research in a short period of time is kind of overwhelming. Will also look at St Anthony's which I hadn't heard of and sacred Heart and the other private schools mentioned. I think montessori is out for my son, doesn't really suit his learning style as he needs a lot of structure.
The IB school is Truesdale and I saw some not so great comments on these forums and test scored don't look great.
We will be there for a while so I would like to get him in one place and keep him there for at least a few years. West also is closeby. Anyone have any feedback on that?
I'll give bridges a call too, I didn't want to be a pest but if that is something people often do its worth a shot.

We've been happy at West, starting at PK. We're not at 3rd grade yet, but have spoken to parents from upper grades who have been happy with it. It is a title 1 school, so you'd have to be comfortable with that. There is an active PTA that you can reach out to.

I'm not sure what the waitlist looks like or if the data is even available on that.

West offered 5 OOB slots for 3rd this year -- how many applied and are on the wait list already is not publicly available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

No, I totally admit that I've never been inside, but the fenced in, dilapidated, hard-surface playground is discouraging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

A former employee of mine teaches at Truesdell, not sure what grade. She was mediocre, to put it mildly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

No, I totally admit that I've never been inside, but the fenced in, dilapidated, hard-surface playground is discouraging.

Is this OP? If you're just moving into the area, I don't think you can be that picky, or you're going to limit yourself to private schools, and there's no guarantee that you get accepted to one. Either that or move to a much nicer neighborhood, but it doesn't sound like that's on the table for you.

You might have better luck enrolling and pushing for changes that you want to see there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

No, I totally admit that I've never been inside, but the fenced in, dilapidated, hard-surface playground is discouraging.

Better than no playground, like some schools in this city (like Breakthrough)! And do you really want your school playground not to be fenced in? I think it's a must for the little ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

No, I totally admit that I've never been inside, but the fenced in, dilapidated, hard-surface playground is discouraging.

That seems like the kind of thing that would be relatively easy to fix. Even if you don't have a formal PTA, a group of parents could hit up the councilmember to get funding for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live near Truesdell, too, and I'm sorry to say that I would not send my child there. It just looks really depressing, and while aesthetics may count for very little, more often than not, such concerns appear to be justified.

If you find the aesthetics of Truesdell to be too much of a turn off, then you probably won't be interested in West. The people inside are great, but the building is not.

+1. And PP, have you ever been inside Truesdell? I have seen worse (the old Bridges building, where Breakthrough is going to be, for instance). We are likely going to be at Truesdell for PK3. The principal seems really great. I don't understand why the higher SES neighborhood parents aren't giving the school a chance, like they do for instance with Langley (whose scores are worse). Now entering in 3rd grade, for OP, may be a different matter, given that there won't be many (or any?) other kids of her demographic yet.

No, I totally admit that I've never been inside, but the fenced in, dilapidated, hard-surface playground is discouraging.

Better than no playground, like some schools in this city (like Breakthrough)! And do you really want your school playground not to be fenced in? I think it's a must for the little ones.

Have you seen it?