Shining Stars Montessori in Brookland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is finishing up his first year in PK-3 at SSMA. We think it's a great school that we're happy to have him return to next year, and add his little sister to the mix the next year. I was nervous to send him there after reading the posts on DCUM, but we have found a great supportive school that has him reading his own bedtime stories as of about a month ago. I've found the parents to be active, but also a little more laid back than the collective voices at some other nearby charters. The PTO has raised over $100K this year, so families are supportive in that way too. If you live in Brookland, you can't beat the commute, but friends in Petworth and Bloomingdale don't seem to have any complaints about the commute either.

Can't speak to the Special Ed needs of others, but it's a very approachable and caring staff from every encounter I've had.

how?! What did you do?

Online fundraiser before the holidays. People asked family and friends to contribute as well, but the Gala w/ silent auction did well too, plus the PTO has done a handful of other small things, yard sale, etc.

Was the money raised earmarked - did that help garner donations and contributions?

[Anonymous]

New person - I THINK donations were matched, but don't remember the details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read the QSR from 2015.

There was supposed to be another one done before spring 2017 but the link on the DCPCSB website is broken.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/qualitative-site-review/2016-17-shining-stars-montessori-qsr

Did anyone get this report to work? Would like to read it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New person - I THINK donations were matched, but don't remember the details.

The $100,000 was before matching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New person - I THINK donations were matched, but don't remember the details.

The $100,000 was before matching.

either 50 or 100 is still amazing, and for those of us at similar sized schools with similar demographics, I'd wish you would share details of what you did to make it to that level

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is finishing up his first year in PK-3 at SSMA. We think it's a great school that we're happy to have him return to next year, and add his little sister to the mix the next year. I was nervous to send him there after reading the posts on DCUM, but we have found a great supportive school that has him reading his own bedtime stories as of about a month ago. I've found the parents to be active, but also a little more laid back than the collective voices at some other nearby charters. The PTO has raised over $100K this year, so families are supportive in that way too. If you live in Brookland, you can't beat the commute, but friends in Petworth and Bloomingdale don't seem to have any complaints about the commute either.

Can't speak to the Special Ed needs of others, but it's a very approachable and caring staff from every encounter I've had.

how?! What did you do?

Online fundraiser before the holidays. People asked family and friends to contribute as well, but the Gala w/ silent auction did well too, plus the PTO has done a handful of other small things, yard sale, etc.

Is this for real? Can anyone confirm?

[Anonymous]

That's about $1k per family on average. I find that very hard to believe unless the sources were much more diverse than families and friends, or some huge donors.

[Anonymous]

NP - It is real, some of the funds were matched so it is probably more like 60-70 before matching. Poeple who are able donated. My family gave over $1000. Some didn't give that much. But it adds up. There was a book fair too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - It is real, some of the funds were matched so it is probably more like 60-70 before matching. Poeple who are able donated. My family gave over $1000. Some didn't give that much. But it adds up. There was a book fair too.

What is the money going toward?

[Anonymous]

"Your gift to this campaign will help create a reading room & library. It will give teachers larger stipends to purchase in-classroom resources and provide scholarships to ensure that every child can benefit from the same educational opportunities. Your donation will help build programs dedicated to arts and culture, enable dynamic field trips for students, provide professional development for teachers, and much more."

Sounds like it was general fundraising, although as a parent I'd guess that some of it will go into repairs to the building. I never asked, but my guess is "scholarships" refers to added-cost after school activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the QSR from 2015.

There was supposed to be another one done before spring 2017 but the link on the DCPCSB website is broken.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/qualitative-site-review/2016-17-shining-stars-montessori-qsr

Did anyone get this report to work? Would like to read it!

The link is fixed.

[Anonymous]

" The QSR team scored 86% of observations as distinguished or proficient in the Classroom Environment domain, up substantially from 52% during the school’s last
QSR in February 2015." Wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:" The QSR team scored 86% of observations as distinguished or proficient in the Classroom Environment domain, up substantially from 52% during the school’s last
QSR in February 2015." Wow!

Congrats to SSMA. That's an amazing result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:" The QSR team scored 86% of observations as distinguished or proficient in the Classroom Environment domain, up substantially from 52% during the school’s last
QSR in February 2015." Wow!

The 2017 scores are pretty typical -- it must have been pretty bad in 2015.

[Anonymous]

Also "The QSR team scored 84% of observations as distinguished or proficient in the Instruction domain, a significant increase from 28% of observations as distinguished or proficient in this domain during the school’s last QSR in February 2015" That is impressive. Wonder what changed? Or was it an off week vs. on week?

Are these numbers the ones used for Tiers, or not?