Skinny on Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan
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Anonymous
| Just went to the orientation for Cap Hill Montessori and there were many no-shows (about 30 or so), meaning they are disqualified and lost their spot. So, there is definitely going to be movement on the wait list. The orientation was great and you can tell that the principal and teachers really cared about their students and the quality of education. Amongst the crowd, I felt there was a great amount of diversity too! |
Anonymous
| I would love to get more feedback on this school. I have heard some people rave about how great it is, and others seem to have complaints. We are considering applying next year, since it is super convenient to work and Montessori seems like it would work well for my child. We went to the open house and did not find it useful--too many people and no real chance to ask questions and get a feel for the school. |
Anonymous
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I actually didn't go to the open house and took a chance in the ranking… We are lucky to have been matched as they indicated that there were 1,000 people on the wait list. When the principal asked the parents in the crowd who had siblings already attending the school to stand, it felt like more than half. Honestly, I think you will be lucky to get in.
In terms of quality, the principal had a very warm demeanor. The teachers were engaging and were open to any questions after the orientation. It is structured using the montessori method (one-on-one teaching), but still with exams. I really respected how they strategically bring in the PK3 kids. On August 25th, all former students attend and then in September, they slowly bring in each PK3 student at different times so they don't feel overwhelmed. In addition, the location right next to Union Station is great, it doesn't feel like it's on a major road or placed in a strange neighborhood surrounded by sketchy streets. It also looks like they built a brand new playground. Looking forward to sending my son there! |
Anonymous
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Most schools phase in PK3 the same way. I agree it is a good idea, but nothing unique about Logan.
Lots of info has been shared already if you search for it. I don't want to rain on the parade. If you are happy and excited about the school, that's great. We were there once too. But by January we knew it wasn't the right choice. Logan does have some great staff who drive the school. Unfortunately, the principal is not one of them. |
Anonymous
| Strange neighborhood and sketchy streets? You don't get out of your NW bubble often, do you? Was this your first time on Capitol Hill? |
Anonymous
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Original poster here… Could you tell us about your experience with the school/principal?
I actually live in Northeast and I guess I was just referring to the recent shooting outside of Ludlow and even at my son's daycare which has a mile high wait list, there is a homeless shelter next to it with drunks and drug addicts loitering around the playground. I was commenting that it's next to busy Union Station which has daytime foot traffic… No need to get snarky. |
Anonymous
That comment made me laugh too! Our daycare is a block away and I have never felt uncomfortable. I would steer clean of the NW bubble too. I heard they are shootings by that "sketchy" zoo. 
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Anonymous
I steer clear of NW because it's full of people who can't exist anywhere but NW. |
Anonymous
| Wasn't Logan the school that had that awful incident where a three-year-old was punished by making them sit alone in the cafeteria? |
Anonymous
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DD attended CHM@L from PK3 until we moved away. She had a great educational experience and loved every day there. She started reading on her own at the beginning of the PK4 year and hasn't looked back.
The principal is a nice enough guy, but he is not really the driver of the school; the lead teacher and certain clique of parents actually run the school. This is a good and a bad thing. Last year's DC CAS scores were not good, especially the math. They also got rid of a fairly weak elementary teacher. |
Anonymous
That is why it wasn't on my list for this year. I will never forget that thread on DCUM. I have heard that the principal is not good. He seems really focused on the expansion, but not necessarily on meeting the needs of the kids who are there. I have heard that a kid's experience at the school is based on the teacher they get. |
Anonymous
| Our son is in his first year there, and we are very happy. |
Anonymous
Isn't that the case with most schools? |
Anonymous
This is news to me. Can you link me to that thread? I can't find it. |
Anonymous
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What is up with the abysmal test scores? I generally try to look beyond or inside of test scores to figure out what is really going on so I appreciate any insight from people with kids there. Is it simply that because of the Montessori approach the students don't know how to approach a paper and pencil test? Or are there real gaps in reading and math skills in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th ( ? ) grade levels?
Should we expect the same less than stellar testing from SWS because of their non-traditional educational approach |