Rosemary Hills ES vs. Rock Creek Forest ES

[Anonymous]

We are house shopping in the parts of Silver Spring that feed into BCC and are wondering whether we should be favoring one of these elementary schools over the other. My kids are 3 and 1 and we hope to buy in the next year or two. I have read lots of threads about both schools, but none comparing the two. I understand that the potential downsides of Rosemary Hills are big classes & having to take a bus to NCC for upper-elementary. Downside of Rock Creek Forest is that there may be some sort of divide between the "neighborhood" and "immersion" kids and/or parents. Is either one generally considered to be better, though? Any other pros/cons to the schools or the neighborhoods around them? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Both lovely schools! The kids don't really mind the "division" between immersion and English, it's mostly parents venting their angst about it! Rosemary hills is nice too, great that its for the lower grades. Ur looking at a nice area!

[Anonymous]

I can't compare them for you, but have a child at RCFES (neighborhood). I think the principal there is very good. RCFES will be in a holding school for the next year and a half while the school is rebuilt. Your children would be able to start school in a brand new building.

[Anonymous]

One thing to consider with RH is the age spread of your children, and whether or not they will ever be in the same elementary school. Some people prefer to have their kids at the same school, and if your older child will be in 3rd grade when your younger child starts kindergarten, they won't be in the same school if you choose RH.

[Anonymous]

I had kids at RCF until last year and know numerous people and RHPS. They are both great schools in really nice communities. Look for a house that you love and don't worry too much. Either way you will be fine.

[Anonymous]

A couple of things about both schools.

Rock Creek Forest is being rebuilt with an expected Jan 2015 completion date.
Rosemary Hills is also up for modernization with a 2021 completion date.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/PDF/MP14CH4_BCC.pdf

[Anonymous]

My oldest completed RHPS last year and it was a wonderful environment. Intensely involved parents, nice down-to-earth staff, and really good to keep the little ones little for a few more years. I doubt there is any difference between the two schools in terms of each individual kid's learning, but I assume that there is a slightly different feel because of the size / age range / immersion / neighborhood distinctions. RHPS is whiter and richer than I imagined it would be, but definitely not a snobby or race-conscious environment at all thank god. The great thing about both schools is how easy they are to reach if you work in DC - I used to zip up 16th to volunteer at lunchtime and go back to my office without a problem.

[Anonymous]

I live in that area and would caution you that there are major boundary fights at stake. There will be a new middle school, and a lot of nasty comments arose out of that. There was a Gazette article talking about the have and have-nots in BCC. I personally find it shameful that homes east of Connecticut with a median value of $750k would be viewed as have-nots. I do think both communities are lovely and both schools are good. But, I think buyers should go into purchasers with eyes wide open: 1) it may not be zoned for BCC, certainly not Westland if your kids are younger, and 2) RCFES is county-wide lottery if you want immersion. Ditto for the comment about immersion and non-immersion kids being less isolated. I've heard from current parents that it used to be problem, but it has really improved.

[Anonymous]

we love RHPS and will be at NCC. We were thrilled with the K experience. NCC is a great neighborhood. Feeding into CCRA pool is a nice perk. We are glad our kids will walk to NCC in a few years. I know some RCF parents live very close to the boundary. Everyone seems happy enough. No one is saying that our neighborhoods will be kicked out of BCC as someone implied. The question is who will go to the new middle school when it is built

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the helpful responses! I knew that Rosemary Hills & Rock Creek Forest were both probably going to the new middle school rather than Westland, but I thought the plan was that the new m.s. would still feed into BCC. Is that even in question? If so, what other high school is on the table? I knew they change elementary/middle boundaries sometimes, but I thought it was rare for high school boundaries to change in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

No there is zero talk of these neighborhoods being zoned out of BCC. The drama over the new middle school came via the neighborhood where it will be sited in South Kensington. The objections were utterly ridiculous, and the neighborhood association's attempts to fight it in court have been tossed out. The new middle school is an added plus in my view - my older child will have to spend ages on a bus to Westland (which is basically in the Whitman district geographically) whereas my younger child should be a 5 min drive to the new one when it opens.

As for the other stuff about class warfare, the PP exaggerates. Sure, I realize that within part of tony Chevy Chase Village or the Town of, there may be those that look down upon the less posh parts of this area. Who cares? The whole thing is obscene on some level, as the PP suggests - nothing in this area is low-rent. And I never see a single drop of this attitude among the kids or the parents at either RHPS or NCC (and I'm sure the same is true for RCF.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No there is zero talk of these neighborhoods being zoned out of BCC. The drama over the new middle school came via the neighborhood where it will be sited in South Kensington. The objections were utterly ridiculous, and the neighborhood association's attempts to fight it in court have been tossed out. The new middle school is an added plus in my view - my older child will have to spend ages on a bus to Westland (which is basically in the Whitman district geographically) whereas my younger child should be a 5 min drive to the new one when it opens.

As for the other stuff about class warfare, the PP exaggerates. Sure, I realize that within part of tony Chevy Chase Village or the Town of, there may be those that look down upon the less posh parts of this area. Who cares? The whole thing is obscene on some level, as the PP suggests - nothing in this area is low-rent. And I never see a single drop of this attitude among the kids or the parents at either RHPS or NCC (and I'm sure the same is true for RCF.)

Agree on all points, though I would add I haven't heard any class warfare stuff from the people I know in the Town of CC.

[Anonymous]

I live in Chevy Chase Section 8. I never feel looked down on by those in more expensive neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Nobody knows who will go to which MS. The only kids guaranteed Westland are those who can walk (I think that is a mile radius, or maybe slightly more at the HS level). Otherwise, MCPS will establish the boundaries. It is possible that kids east of Connecticut will end up at Westland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody knows who will go to which MS. The only kids guaranteed Westland are those who can walk (I think that is a mile radius, or maybe slightly more at the HS level). Otherwise, MCPS will establish the boundaries. It is possible that kids east of Connecticut will end up at Westland.

I agree there are no guarantees-- I know people who are walking distance to Westland who go to Pyle-- but I find it hard to believe kids east of Connecticut would go to Westland (I'd expect most kids east of Wisconsin to go to the new school for that matter). In any case, I don't think it matters for purpose of house hunting because I don't think there's any reason to believe the new MS will be significantly better or worse than Westland.