Did you leave a DCPS for North Arlington schools?

[Anonymous]

Any regrets? Particularly interested in JKLM students and the middle school options. What school did you leave and is there a demonstrable improvement at your new school? And what is your new school?

[Anonymous]

I have friends/co-workers that left NW (before elementary school) for neighborhoods that feed into Swanson Middle School. But kids aren't in middle school yet. Maybe someone will chime in.

[Anonymous]

We left after our eldest DC finished elementary at a NW school and before starting middle school. Eldest DC went to Swanson Middle and is now at W-L High, younger DC is at a N. Arl. elementary school. I came with a great deal of trepidation (I loved living in DC), but we were very unhappy with the middle school options in DC. No regrets AT ALL. NONE. NADA. ZILCH.

[Anonymous]

^^meant to add: We loved our DCPS elementary. We have been happy with our APS elementary, too, but I don't perceive it as being significantly superior to the DCPS elementary my children attended. (Some things are better, some things not, so on balance it's pretty much a wash.)

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

IB at W-L is open admission. No special application is required. They will tell you the same things about IB that you'll hear at other IB schools. It's a marketing pitch developed by the IBO, and largely geared towards parents, but not that many kids at W-L actually want to do the full IB diploma.

[Anonymous]

13:20 here. Yes, we left 5 years ago.

There are many on DCUM who will tell you that Williamsburg and Yorktown are head and shoulders above other schools in Arlington. All I can say is, we are extremely pleased with W-L. The principal is terrific, it's a great school community, our DC1 is very happy there. DC1 is not in the IB program, but does take some IB classes--the classes are open to non-IB students.

We also appreciate the economic and racial/ethnic diversity of W-L. There is much less of it at Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Swanson. That was a disappointment to us when DC1 was at Swanson.

We also were disappointed when the former principal at Swanson retired. We didn't like the new principal nearly as well. And Swanson is absolutely bursting at the seams. Overall, we thought DC1 got a good education at Swanson--he had some terrific teachers--but he wasn't super happy there. I think it was more about general middle school angst than the school itself, but DC1's opinion has rubbed off on DC2 (now in 5th grade), who now is not that excited about going there next year. We are now seriously considering Jefferson for DC2. We have several friends whose kids are/were there who speak very highly of it, and it now has a middle school IB program. Worth looking into IMO.

Of course, the other middle/high school option in N. Arlington is HB Woodlawn, although admission is by lottery and the chance of getting in for a N. Arlington kid isn't great.

The middle schools are all hosting open houses this month. Schedule here:

http://www.apsva.us/page/3030

Good luck. As I said above, I have come to really like living here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

IB at W-L is open admission. No special application is required. They will tell you the same things about IB that you'll hear at other IB schools. It's a marketing pitch developed by the IBO, and largely geared towards parents, but not that many kids at W-L actually want to do the full IB diploma.

The IB diploma track at W-L is not open admission, and there are strict grades and course requirements. Most in-bounds kids take AP classes with one or two IB electives. Transfer students must take a minimum of 3 IB classes a year. The AP program is very strong, as is the IB program. The two early admission Harvard bound seniors are not IB diploma candidates. There were about 50 IB diploma students last year, and the diploma pass rate is 95% at W-L.

[Anonymous]

Currently at Williamsburg, we find the school cold and distant - not very warm and welcoming with one exception being a lady in the admissions office. DC is managing but has been very disconnected to the school. Other parents have expressed similar feelings to us. We will go to TJ for second DC, heard better opinion on the social scene from friends. We heard good things about Swanson too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

IB at W-L is open admission. No special application is required. They will tell you the same things about IB that you'll hear at other IB schools. It's a marketing pitch developed by the IBO, and largely geared towards parents, but not that many kids at W-L actually want to do the full IB diploma.

The IB diploma track at W-L is not open admission, and there are strict grades and course requirements. Most in-bounds kids take AP classes with one or two IB electives. Transfer students must take a minimum of 3 IB classes a year. The AP program is very strong, as is the IB program. The two early admission Harvard bound seniors are not IB diploma candidates. There were about 50 IB diploma students last year, and the diploma pass rate is 95% at W-L.

13:20 again--I just yesterday heard about the W-L students admitted early to Harvard--terrific news!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

IB at W-L is open admission. No special application is required. They will tell you the same things about IB that you'll hear at other IB schools. It's a marketing pitch developed by the IBO, and largely geared towards parents, but not that many kids at W-L actually want to do the full IB diploma.

The IB diploma track at W-L is not open admission, and there are strict grades and course requirements. Most in-bounds kids take AP classes with one or two IB electives. Transfer students must take a minimum of 3 IB classes a year. The AP program is very strong, as is the IB program. The two early admission Harvard bound seniors are not IB diploma candidates. There were about 50 IB diploma students last year, and the diploma pass rate is 95% at W-L.

This is correct. I think the confusion is for in-bound versus out-of-bound students. If you live in the W-L district, you can take IB classes without pursuing the IB diploma, which is why it appears to be "open admission." If you live elsewhere in the county, you can transfer to W-L as an applicant to the IB program. These out-of-bound students are supposed to be pursuing an IB diploma and so have to take a minimum of 3 IB classes per year, as PP noted.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the info. If we take the plunge this year, DC 1 will do 2 years at an Arlington elementary before middle school starts. Hoping that will help with the move/ adjustment instead of being brand new the 1st day of middle school. I can't wait to visit Swanson this month. Everyone says good things about Swanson but that its packed. How does that play out? Any known plans to renovate/ expand Swanson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks PP. It sounds like you left at least 3-4 years ago. IF we fed into Deal MS (which is now fantastic), we would definitely stay in DC but alas we don't. Any feedback on Swanson vs Williamsburg MS and W-L vs Yorktown? I am leaning towards homes in the Swanson/ W-L pyramids but haven't visited all the schools yet. Very impressed w/ W-L after recent IB open house. Granted, that's assuming my kids get into the IB program but regardless seems like a wonderful school. Does Swanson have regular school tours like the other schools? Sorry to bombard you with questions. Making our school tours this month and next.

IB at W-L is open admission. No special application is required. They will tell you the same things about IB that you'll hear at other IB schools. It's a marketing pitch developed by the IBO, and largely geared towards parents, but not that many kids at W-L actually want to do the full IB diploma.

The IB diploma track at W-L is not open admission, and there are strict grades and course requirements. Most in-bounds kids take AP classes with one or two IB electives. Transfer students must take a minimum of 3 IB classes a year. The AP program is very strong, as is the IB program. The two early admission Harvard bound seniors are not IB diploma candidates. There were about 50 IB diploma students last year, and the diploma pass rate is 95% at W-L.

This is correct. I think the confusion is for in-bound versus out-of-bound students. If you live in the W-L district, you can take IB classes without pursuing the IB diploma, which is why it appears to be "open admission." If you live elsewhere in the county, you can transfer to W-L as an applicant to the IB program. These out-of-bound students are supposed to be pursuing an IB diploma and so have to take a minimum of 3 IB classes per year, as PP noted.

It's open admission if you are within the W-L boundary, most W-L students are in-boundary, and OP was talking about potentially buying within the W-L boundary ""if" her kid could get into IB. The point was that this is not something she'd need to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Got it- thanks PP. I was looking at the scenario of being IB for Yorktown and applying for the program. I love the feel of the W-L community after the tour and diversity is a huge plus for us (especially coming from DC with a large highly educated international community) so really leaning towards homes in the W-L.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got it- thanks PP. I was looking at the scenario of being IB for Yorktown and applying for the program. I love the feel of the W-L community after the tour and diversity is a huge plus for us (especially coming from DC with a large highly educated international community) so really leaning towards homes in the W-L.

W-L is a better option for you. I'm in the Yorktown boundary but would rather be in W-L for the same reasons you do, but that would require us finding a home we love as much as this one in W-L district. We are trying to figure out different options.