Jamestown Elementary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington Parent, so I’ll bite.

What are the “big 3” private schools ?

+1. I was wondering the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington Parent, so I’ll bite.

What are the “big 3” private schools ?

+1. I was wondering the same thing.

Sidwell, National Cathedral School, and St. Albans

Obviously the “big 3” are all in DC. In VA the “top” but not “big 3” schools often mentioned most are Potomac (McLean) and St Stephens/St Agnes (Alexandria) but there are others as well.

The “big 3” are fairly exclusive but they mostly have cachet because they’ve attracted various political families over the years. No doubt they are great but there are plenty of other top tier private schools in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington Parent, so I’ll bite.

What are the “big 3” private schools ?

+1. I was wondering the same thing.

Sidwell, National Cathedral School, and St. Albans

Obviously the “big 3” are all in DC. In VA the “top” but not “big 3” schools often mentioned most are Potomac (McLean) and St Stephens/St Agnes (Alexandria) but there are others as well.

The “big 3” are fairly exclusive but they mostly have cachet because they’ve attracted various political families over the years. No doubt they are great but there are plenty of other top tier private schools in the DC area.

I used to work across from Sidwell - secret service there all the time.

[Anonymous]

Is Jamestown the elementary where the PTA has an operating budget and a separate budget for capital projects?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Jamestown the elementary where the PTA has an operating budget and a separate budget for capital projects?

There money market account has more $ than some South Arlington PTAs combined!!

http://jamestownpta.org/financial-information/

[Anonymous]

I happen to know that the PTA and parents really take care of the teachers too! My friend used to teach there and her "Teacher Appreciation Gifts" were things like a gift certificate to Rose's Luxury and tickets to the Kennedy Center. She got gift cards to Lululemon, Nordstrom, Kendra Scott, etc for holidays. Georgetown Cupcakes on her birthday. I was so envious!! At my school, I get a little potted plant and a starbucks card for Teacher Appreciation.

So they know how to retain their teachers too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Jamestown the elementary where the PTA has an operating budget and a separate budget for capital projects?

There money market account has more $ than some South Arlington PTAs combined!!

http://jamestownpta.org/financial-information/

This is true and reflects that it’s a rich public school.

But it’s worth pointing out, to the obnoxious PP who felt the need to say she was wealthy in italics, and that Jamestown parents are apparently just as wealthy as private school families, that even a 125K PTA budget works out to something like an extra 300 dollars per student (plus the 20k per student every public in Arlington spends). Private schools receive, and spend, 40K per student before donations and fundraising.

Anyway Jamestown is a great public school but I actually think there are a number of parents there with a real superiority complex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jamestown has been the Arlington public elementary school of choice for the rich for decades. That won't be changing any time soon. Its test score are off the charts because its population is very wealthy and very privileged. It is severely lacking in diversity and has a reputation for being super snooty. Any North Arlington public elementary school provides an equally solid education without all of that.

And there are also south Arlington schools that offer "an equally solid education without all of that" and with diversity that is absent from most (almost all) north Arlington elementary schools.

Diversity isn't inherently a virtue.

And some South Arlington schools aren't very diverse at all. They're majority Hispanic, for example.

The irony is Yorktown HS's demographics most closely match those of Arlington County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jamestown is essentially a private school for parents who can’t quite afford the real thing. The school auction takes place at Washington Golf every year and the parents try to outdo each other with gross displays of money. The dads tend to be 10-15 years older than the wives, and the wives are vapid and catty. We moved to get away from that scene.

Trust me, they can afford the real thing. What keeps them there is the excellent academics and teachers. Most of the families/kids I know that go there love it.

Oh. My. God.

Jamestown is a public school like any other. And trust me, most of them can’t afford 40K per kid for 13 years, and if they could without cutting back, they would in a heartbeat.

No, it isn't and hasn't been for a long time. It's the one school in Arlington where I do think that many of the families could pretty easily go private if they wanted. I personally know several families there whose parents make millions of dollars a year. You really don't see that anywhere else in Arlington public elementary schools. It's why we didn't send our kids there. Honestly.

I don’t doubt that you know several families there who make in the seven figures, and that is quite unique for public school. But what you fail to grasp is how unbelievably common that is at the 40K privates! Honestly our HHI is that high (well into 7 figures) and we feel average / comfortable at our kids 40K private,
(not a big 3!) compared to all those with significant family money or 8 figure incomes.

My point is I think it’s embarrassing to act like a public school is “essentially a private school”. No. No, it is not. Ridiculous!

How do I put this? I'm wealthy. Most of the families I know put their kids in private. And, yes, the ones I know are wealthy. But they're no wealthier than the Jamestown parents who I also know.

And Jamestown is probably a better school than a non-Big 3 private anyway.

Our DC went through Jamestown from K to 5th grade and then went to a Big 3 private where he easily fit in academically. And in some areas - particularly math and Spanish - he was ahead.

Many JES families save their money and don't put their kids into private until middle or high school.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids went there K-5. It is a great school with a very nice community. It is not very racially diverse, but there have always been a good number of families who are with an embassy who bring a bit of cultural diversity. There are also a good number of military families.

I did not find the school to be snooty at all. There were maybe one handful of families I didn’t care for, but everyone was incredibly welcoming.

I love the new principal who has been there the past few years. She is so kind and warm. One of my kids has an IEP and I found the school to be great with inclusion. Every grade has an inclusion classroom that is co-taught with a general Ed and a special Ed teacher. This helped my child get back on grade level and be prepared for middle school.

The auction used to make a lot of money, but honestly, it was a few really wealthy families who paid the big dollars. The items that raised the most money were backyard bbq or taco fiesta type of events that maybe 100 people could buy tickets for at the auction. Those events raised big dollars overall for the auction, but were not crazy expensive for the individuals buying tickets. And they built community with more opportunities to meet parents.

If you have a chance to buy a house, the neighborhoods here are lovely. I enjoy the age diversity and getting to know my older neighbors. I also love Gulf Branch Nature Center for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jamestown has been the Arlington public elementary school of choice for the rich for decades. That won't be changing any time soon. Its test score are off the charts because its population is very wealthy and very privileged. It is severely lacking in diversity and has a reputation for being super snooty. Any North Arlington public elementary school provides an equally solid education without all of that.

And there are also south Arlington schools that offer "an equally solid education without all of that" and with diversity that is absent from most (almost all) north Arlington elementary schools.

Diversity isn't inherently a virtue.

And some South Arlington schools aren't very diverse at all. They're majority Hispanic, for example.

The irony is Yorktown HS's demographics most closely match those of Arlington County.

Arlington County, but not APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Jamestown the elementary where the PTA has an operating budget and a separate budget for capital projects?

There money market account has more $ than some South Arlington PTAs combined!!

http://jamestownpta.org/financial-information/

It's a lot of money, but it's not any more than, say, Key Immersion. https://www.keypta.org/your-pta/treasurers-page

[Anonymous]

Do any Jamestown planning units go to W&L, or are they all Yorktown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do any Jamestown planning units go to W&L, or are they all Yorktown?

All Yorktown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I happen to know that the PTA and parents really take care of the teachers too! My friend used to teach there and her "Teacher Appreciation Gifts" were things like a gift certificate to Rose's Luxury and tickets to the Kennedy Center. She got gift cards to Lululemon, Nordstrom, Kendra Scott, etc for holidays. Georgetown Cupcakes on her birthday. I was so envious!! At my school, I get a little potted plant and a starbucks card for Teacher Appreciation.

So they know how to retain their teachers too!

I was preschool room mom with a Jamestown teacher and she implied that the N Arlington parents are a little “extra” at Teacher Appreciation week