Gifted kids in DCPS (specifically Lafayette)

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS ES uses Junior Great Books with its advanced readers and that helps. It's only at schools where principals request it, you could ask the principal at Lafayette if he or she is familiar with the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our Capitol Hill DCPS lets my DD take math class w/ the grade ahead of her, provides her w/ an adaptive math app on which she works about 2 grades ahead, and sets all of her math apps to one grade ahead. It's actually been better than I've expected so far (she's young still).

That could never happen at Lafayette. Between the principal's general inflexibility and the scheduling difficulties from being a large school, kids are going to take the same class as their classmates, with no acceleration.

Wow. It’s when people say things like this that I realized that maybe I take my non-NW school for granted. Scheduling difficulties shouldn’t be any harder at a bigger school — you only need one class’s math instruction to be at a time when the kid a grade level down can attend. I would think that might be easier at a bigger school in some ways?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apply to BASIS for 5th grade.

Aren't middle schools a lot more flexible with class placements in general?
I'm also hitting a wall trying to get for my kid... anything out of their DCPS, but I'm hanging onto the hope that once in middle school, they can just get assessed and placed where they need to be for optimal growth. Am I deluded?

[Anonymous]

DCPS doesn’t cate about high achieving students. Most in the system are NOT on grade level and that is where DCPS puts it’s focus. You will need to supplement with tutors after school to keep your kid stimulated. Otherwise, charters or privates. Suburban programs offer more.

[Anonymous]

My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

Why didn’t you send them to Wilson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

Why didn’t you send them to Wilson?

Kid #1 really, really wanted an all-girls school.
We let kid #2 apply to private to be equitable. Plus Wilson has switched to 4x4 block scheduling which we're not thrilled about. And all his/her friends are all attending Catholic or private high schools. Most of the kids I know are going to attend Wilson. It just so happens that 5/5 of this kid's friends are going elsewhere. Certainly he/she would meet new friends but this plays into a 13 year old's decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

We’ve had the same experience, including with one at Wilson now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

This is OP. Thank you for this perspective (actually, thanks everyone for their perspectives). During elementary, did your kids feel challenged and engaged? If my kid were advanced but happy, I would be fine staying the course until Deal, but she's just bored and unhappy...I gotta just get through the next few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids started in a JKLM school and went to Deal. One of them is now at National Cathedral for high school and the second is starting at Sidwell in 9th in the fall.
We did the standard JKLM curriculum and then at Deal they were in the advanced math track. (one was 2 years up in math--Algebra in 7th, the other was a further year up--Algebra in 6th).
However, outside of math they followed the regular Deal curriculum and found it plenty challenging. The one at NCS made the transition without a hitch and I expect the second to do the same at Sidwell.
There are a LOT of very bright kids at Deal (and also at Wilson). Tons. Your bright (or gifted) kid will not be alone and will be challenged even with the regular curriculum.

This is OP. Thank you for this perspective (actually, thanks everyone for their perspectives). During elementary, did your kids feel challenged and engaged? If my kid were advanced but happy, I would be fine staying the course until Deal, but she's just bored and unhappy...I gotta just get through the next few years.

Was she bored and unhappy preCOVID?

[Anonymous]

Hopkins CTY

[Anonymous]

summer Hopkins CTY costs a bomb, $3,000 for a 3-week course. We can't afford that for two kids, so we....check out a lot of library books that support our kids interests and nudge their teachers who assign them harder reading materials. They use Khan Academy for extra math enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS ES uses Junior Great Books with its advanced readers and that helps. It's only at schools where principals request it, you could ask the principal at Lafayette if he or she is familiar with the program.

Which schools use Junior Great Books? Is there a list somewhere? Sounds like a great program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS ES uses Junior Great Books with its advanced readers and that helps. It's only at schools where principals request it, you could ask the principal at Lafayette if he or she is familiar with the program.

Which schools use Junior Great Books? Is there a list somewhere? Sounds like a great program.

Murch did when my DC was there years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you had a boy, I would have suggested that you call St. Anselm's Abbey School. They will make room for a gifted middle schooler on a rolling admissions basis.

. Sure, if you have 30k a year to give to them. Their Fi Aid isn’t too hot, not a big endowment.

St. Anselm's has $14 million endowment for 250 students.
$1.5 million a year in aid, roughly 45% of student body.
I think that's quite strong by any measure.