Lowell- anyone applying this year?

[Anonymous]

I have not been able to attend the tours or open house, so I just have the packet to go by at the moment...anyone attend and have feedback to share? This would be for K. I do hope to visit myself, of course!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not been able to attend the tours or open house, so I just have the packet to go by at the moment...anyone attend and have feedback to share? This would be for K. I do hope to visit myself, of course!

Lowell had a very run down feel when we visited.

With this economy, I see Lowell as one of those schools scrambling for students. I'm just not sure it would be worth the money, unless you truly have no public school options.

[Anonymous]

Since the OP asked for opinions from current parents, I hope that I can post a few thoughts without being nastily labelled a booster as has happened on some other threads recently. We love Lowell and the education it is providing our kids and the type of kids it is teaching our kids to be. In considering whether Lowell is the right fit for your child and your family, I think the most important thing to consider is whether the educational philosophy is one that you are comfortable with. The key aspect of the philosophy as I see it (and I'm certainly not an educational expert) is that the child is given a substantial amount of choice and also a substantial amount of responsibility for their own learning process. It is not all about a standardized test or a grade but is all about learning the things you need to learn in life. That learning includes not only the substance of how to read or how to add decimals, but also things like how to plan a project on your own or how to behave in a group discussing a reading assignment. Socially, the school community is very warm and non-pretentious and very diverse. It bothers me how some on this Board disparage a school that follows a different approach to learning or lacks a certain snob appeal. I absolutely agree that Lowell is not the school for everyone but it is certainly worth the money to us and to the many families that attend there. I have no doubt that my girls are being well-educated and are learning to love to learn rather than viewing school as an unpleasant chore.

With respect to the "run down" comment, I don't know specifically what you are referring to. The campus is spacious and from a kid's perspective has everything that is needed. The main building is an old one of course and there are fancier school buildings out there, so if that is what you are basing your school decisions on, then you might not pick Lowell.

[Anonymous]

I toured Lowell and loved it. I thought that the facilities were comparable to all the top schools. It was totally renovated, had full music, art, dance, and an indoor pool. They also had smart boards and macs like the others. Plus, the kids get their own computers. I loved the diversity of the families and natural surroundings. I saw one small buiding in need of some sprucing up, but I also saw an old crusty building at Sidwell and we know what folks think of tthem. Kudos to Lowell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not been able to attend the tours or open house, so I just have the packet to go by at the moment...anyone attend and have feedback to share? This would be for K. I do hope to visit myself, of course!

Lowell had a very run down feel when we visited.

With this economy, I see Lowell as one of those schools scrambling for students. I'm just not sure it would be worth the money, unless you truly have no public school options.

I'm the parent of a former Lowell student.

For those looking to provide their children with a progressive education in a small environment, Lowell is almost certainly without peer. There are other progressive schools in the area, but I believe most have a high school attached, which defintely changes the feel. (Lowell will likely have 7th-8th grades in place by the time that is relevant for your child, but I don't think that will dramatically shift the focus.)

I think most people who disparage Lowell just don't get it. That's fine--there are schools for everyone's taste out there. But if you are looking for a progressive education for your child (there are other threads explaining what this means if you are not sure), if you want him or her to be part of an extraordinarily diverse student body--not just racially, but in terms of family types and especially (and unusually, for Washington) economically--that honors and celebrates differences, and if you want him or her to be exposed to a curriculum where art, music, drama and dance are seen as critical to understanding who we are and how we experience the world, you owe it to your kid to look at Lowell.

Finally, let me point out that last year's sixth grade class from Lowell went on to Georgetown Day (five students out of a graduating class of about 20 kids!), Sidwell, Maret, Landon, Bullis, Field, Sandy Spring, etc. While I don't believe the primary value of a Lowell education is that it will qualify you to go someplace else later, I do think it's noteworthy that these other schools find Lowell graduates attractive. Presumably they know something. I'd encourage you to find out what it is.