Balancing PGCPS lottery and searching for private schools
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akbevan
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Hi all-
I could really use advice from those more knowledgeable on how you managed the 'moving toward school' years. We live in Laurel and would like to consider both public lottery and private. For public: Goddard French Immersion (like everyone else, this is my first choice - I would love it b/c I grew up in French Immersion in Canada, land of great public education) Goddard Montessori Hoyer Montessori I'd really like to pursue the lottery seriously but I also realize it's kind of a nightmare. And of course you also have to pursue (just as seriously, knowing the length of those wait lists) the privates - going to open houses, applying, etc. We're thinking about the following for private: Bowie Montessori Children's House Friends Community St. Jerome Fairhaven St. Mary of the Mills Holy Trinity Episcopal I'd love suggestions for others if you think I'm missing good ones. So I guess my question is, from those who have been through this, how you balance your attention, your time, the application processes, the wait list wait, etc. I'd love to gather info on this so I don't feel so panicked at the thought of it. Thanks all in advance for opinions and insights. |
Anonymous
| Maybe Paint Branch Montessori as well? |
akbevan
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| I'll add it to the list - thank you! My only concern with that one is that I believe it's K-6, which dumps your kid out into a question mark situation just in time for dreaded middle school, which I feel like is the worst of all for PGCPS. |
Anonymous
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The lottery is actually pretty easy to navigate. I think you need to go to your local elementary school and get your child registered so he/she has a number. Then you can just fill out the lottery online, and wait for the news.
The problem is that the lottery takes place well after many private schools' deadline for application. So it is a nerve wracking time. Montessori starts enrolling 3 years olds half day, but the French immersion starts with grade K. I wouldn't worry too much about middle school yet. Is the middle school situation really bad out in Laurel? |
Anonymous
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There's not much to pursue in the lottery. You just enter. You can't boost your chances in any way.
As PP said, you have to basically apply and commit to a private school in the meantime if you are not ok with the non-lottery options though or you'll miss out on spots there. We've done the lottery every year for 2 kids - missed out on Montessori for both all eligible years, missed out on French Immersion for both for K, missed out on TAG center for GWES and then just gave up. Eldest was at a parochial school until missing out on TAG center and is now at an independent school. Littlest is at our neighborhood kindergarten and doing ok, but coming from the private school experiences with the older one, we've been really saddened by the total lack of communication between school and home. The website is never updated, no school newsletter gets home, a 5 year old is expected to accurately relay information about dress down days as nothing ever comes home about them. We get a lunch menu, that's pretty much it. The younger one is doing fine in K, but she can already read and do math so she's basically there for socialization and learning how to be in a really structured school environment. I'm not sure how we'd feel about it if she actually needed to learn to read and write. We like the teacher, but the class size is huge and there is no aide. We're kind of biding time with her until the TAG lottery as we'll assume she'll qualify based on what the teacher said. If she also gets waitlisted for center, we'll likely shift her into the same independent as her sister. I think you basically should check out your neighborhood school and see if it is palatable to you. Enter the lottery every year, but do the private school tours and actually apply and get a seat at one of them for PK or Kinder so you have an option if you are 200 on the waitlist for lottery. Be aware that Fairhaven is a Sudbury model school. You aren't likely going to be ok with Fairhaven and also someplace like St. Jerome's as they are philosophically on pretty opposite ends of the spectrum. Holy Redeemer could also go on your list as a school to visit and you might also look at Sandy Spring Friends, though the price tag there is much higher than the others you mention. Mater Amoris is also in that neck of the woods if you are on the West side of Laurel. Depending on where you are in Laurel, you might also look at some of the privates closer to Baltimore too if you are not commuting in to DC. |
Anonymous
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OP here - Thanks for the additional recommendations on schools and the details on the process. I think our local elementary is such that I'm not sure I'm ok with it for Kindergarten and Grade 1 to be able to do TAG, so it probably would be a matter of applying for the lottery once for K and otherwise abandoning charter in favour of private. I think you're pretty spot on re: the spectrum issue of Fairhaven and St. Jerome's....the more I read about Fairhaven the more I wonder if it's too out there for me, but I'm not sure. I grew up in a great public school system and got a great education and just want the same for my child (within a reasonable dollar amt. - not sure if we can swing Sandy Spring Friends though it looks wonderful). We are not the least bit religious but willing to go Catholic if that's what "best within our budget" means even though, to me (not intending offense), it seems highly rigid in some respects. If Fairhaven would work for my child, I'd go with it in a heartbeat. Fortunately we're considering these questions well in advance, so we have lots of time to think....though perhaps because we're so far in advance, I'm considering a wide range of types of schools, still not knowing which will be the best fit - I'm guessing that will become more clear.
Thank you again! |
Anonymous
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Montessori in the county is address based, so you don't qualify for both Goddard Montessori and Hoyer Montessori. Given your address is Laurel I'm guessing it's Goddard Montessori. Hoyer is for central PGCPS.
I've heard very good things about Bond Mill if you are in that section of Laurel. |
Anonymous
Thank you for that info! I had no idea. Down to 2 options then...we are in old town Laurel (so the ES is Laurel Elementary). Some people say it's ok. I'm not sure...I don't think it's ok enough. |
Anonymous
| I would definitely look at Mater Amoris then. It would be a bit of a drive, but it is not as astronomically expensive as SSFS. The families we've known there have been really happy with the school. Friends Community might also be a good fit and probably a similar drive time from Old Town Laurel once traffic is factored in. If Fairhaven looks appealing at all and you're not Catholic, the parochial schools are probably going to feel very rigid to you, as you mentioned. |
Anonymous
| If you check out Fairhaven, I'd be sure to ask them about how much supervision kindergarteners get and what they do if a kid has problems reading. |
Anonymous
You can go private, or homeschool, for Grades K and 1, and have your child tested for TAG identification on a Saturday in February, usually. You do't need to be in public school to get tested for TAG... and you can apply for the lotery in April or whenever. Just FYI. |
Anonymous
OP here - I had no idea that this was the case - thank you for sharing this! Gives us another v. viable option. Thanks also to others who have expressed opinions and given insights on the range of schools we're considering. To be honest, I am borderline too cynical re: Fairhaven. More excited by something like St. Jerome's for its classical roots, despite the conservatism, uniforms, etc. We'll see. In many ways Friends and Montessori seem the best middle way for us - will definitely check out Mater Amoris as well as Bowie Children's House and Friends Community (which is pushing our budget but probably doable). College Park/Hyattsville *is* better for us b/c DH and I both work downtown...but good/right school is more important than the inconvenience of rearranging schedules, etc. |
Anonymous
The kids in our public elementary school all wear uniforms. Is this not a county wide thing? |
Anonymous
| nope, it's a school by school thing. Several of the highest performing elementary schools have no uniform. |
Anonymous
| It's something that is decided by a vote of the parents. Schools and PTAs that want one circulate a memo and need to get 75% buy in in order to become a uniform school. |