How has Hardy drawn inbound families?

[Anonymous]

I have heard that the principal is trying to make a big outreach effort. What are some of the things she is doing? What works?

[Anonymous]

I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

Then go inside, and take a look at the gym and basketball court , which is one of the largest in the whole city, and just renovated. Almost twice in size than the Macomb St Basketball court of St Albans to say one...

None of the current and prospective parents is embarrassed by the sports and soccer court. This is a downtown/mid-town school facilities in the most expensive DC estate area (Georgetown). The small parking area serves the needs of the school teachers who would otherwise have to pay the on-street parking fee (and allows the school to retain several bright teachers who drive to work) . The field is perfectly adequate for athletic and soccer practice. You did not mention the tennis court.

IB families are looking and seeing things beyond the soccer field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

So where do you propose this field be installed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

+1 to all of the above.

But especially the part in bold, which is the real story. This was Deal some many years ago, Janney, Murch, Lafeyette, all of those schools too. Eventually all of the well-educated IB families want it, and there is no more room for OOB.

Unfortunately this does not describe any of the MS boundary areas east of the park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

+1 to all of the above.

But especially the part in bold, which is the real story. This was Deal some many years ago, Janney, Murch, Lafeyette, all of those schools too. Eventually all of the well-educated IB families want it, and there is no more room for OOB.

Unfortunately this does not describe any of the MS boundary areas east of the park.

And why would east of the park incomes matter to IB families for a Georgetown school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

The parking lot is not used for flea markets. It is used by school teachers and administrators (Georgetown has a 2 hrs limit parking for non residents).

The City rents it out on Sundays for the flea market.

[Anonymous]

This field poster is a loon. The sports are already part of the school. They have it figured out. Relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

So where do you propose this field be installed?

I would think that, in order to attract more families to Hardy, the DCPS admin had better get Hardy playing rights at Jelleff rec center across the street, pronto. Deal's fields aren't exactly a sports megaplex, but why would any kid who's sporty want to play on Hardy's toddler field?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

The parking lot is not used for flea markets. It is used by school teachers and administrators (Georgetown has a 2 hrs limit parking for non residents).

The City rents it out on Sundays for the flea market.

Lots of public schools don't provide off street parking. The streets around John Eaton are all resident-zoned, for example. Given the limited space, I would think the right decision is for student recreation facilities to take precedence over administrators' convenience. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised at what is DCPS' priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This field poster is a loon. The sports are already part of the school. They have it figured out. Relax.

Ha! How many times have we heard over the years to "calm down, DCPS has it all figured out"?

So please enlighten us, what do the Hardy teams use as their home fields and practice fields?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think having a principal who does/cares about outreach is a good first step. Offering music, foreign language, extracurriculars/sports and especially an enrichment program matter too. But honestly what seems to be working is that there is a school that

a) has room for lots more in-bounds kids
b) is a destination school for elementaries that have a growing in-bound percentage
c) has a boundary with a very high-income and highly-educated population

and the families can no longer get into Deal out of bounds

To attract IB families, Hardy also has to address its athletic facilities issues, particularly fields. I was walking by there this weekend. Most of the school yard seems to have been given over to a parking lot that is used for flea markets. The playing field, if you can call it that, is a kind of "mini-me" embarrassing imitation that is 25-30% the size of a regulation soccer field.

Then go inside, and take a look at the gym and basketball court , which is one of the largest in the whole city, and just renovated. Almost twice in size than the Macomb St Basketball court of St Albans to say one...

None of the current and prospective parents is embarrassed by the sports and soccer court. This is a downtown/mid-town school facilities in the most expensive DC estate area (Georgetown). The small parking area serves the needs of the school teachers who would otherwise have to pay the on-street parking fee (and allows the school to retain several bright teachers who drive to work) . The field is perfectly adequate for athletic and soccer practice. You did not mention the tennis court.

IB families are looking and seeing things beyond the soccer field.

?? St Albans isn't on Macomb Street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This field poster is a loon. The sports are already part of the school. They have it figured out. Relax.

Ha! How many times have we heard over the years to "calm down, DCPS has it all figured out"?

So please enlighten us, what do the Hardy teams use as their home fields and practice fields?

Why don't you call the school and find out? Better yet ask when the next home baseball game is and go watch. You aren't this helpless are you?

[Anonymous]

I think the fields/sports poster is a little batty, but it IS important to some parents whose kids are into sports to have decent on-site (or close to on-site) facilities whenever possible. It's not a completely stupid concern, although his/her insufferably entitled attitude makes it seem so.

It IS a shame that the city apparently sold Jellef field rights to Maret (which paid for field restoration) and another private school or two without being forced to make allowances for neighborhood public school use. I work a block away from the field, and see that it is frequently empty during the school day.

And the tennis court at Hardy is/was beautiful, but they don't maintain it or seem to have a tennis team. Why has the net been broken for 6 months? Appearances matter; community support matters. (Neighborhood players used this court all the time on weekends, and it's been out of commission for a really long time.)