Specifically on-topic contributors to the Drew boundary issue only please -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

You are not the only parent attached to her child’s school. Boundaries have to change occasionally and seldom does anyone like it. Lots of families have gone through it, and lots of families will go through it. Throwing up examples of why “your” school is special and shouldn’t be touched does not endear your cause to anyone, and only serves to highlight how out of touch you are with boundary considerations as a whole.

Look, I was just responding to PP’s completely rude and out of line comment about our community. I never said other schools didn’t also cherish their community. And your constant assumptions and snide remarks do not welcome the community you are trying so hard to win over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

You are not the only parent attached to her child’s school. Boundaries have to change occasionally and seldom does anyone like it. Lots of families have gone through it, and lots of families will go through it. Throwing up examples of why “your” school is special and shouldn’t be touched does not endear your cause to anyone, and only serves to highlight how out of touch you are with boundary considerations as a whole.

Look, I was just responding to PP’s completely rude and out of line comment about our community. I never said other schools didn’t also cherish their community. And your constant assumptions and snide remarks do not welcome the community you are trying so hard to win over.

This was my first post on this topic, and I am not a parent of students at any of the schools involved in this Battle Royale.

[Anonymous]

Just to suggest that I think that regardless of what neighborhood we're in or from what angle we enter this debate, we should all collectively push for a more generous grandfather clause -- 4th grade at least, if not younger, to lessen the immediate impact.

[Anonymous]

Someone should start a new thread on the grandfathering. I personally think they need to just rip the bandaid and move on. They didn't even grandfather 8th graders in the middle school thing. Why are we thinking about this for elementary? I feel 100% different about HS. For HS, I think you should be able to finish where you start if you want to. But for everything else? Eh. And yes, I have a kid in the game here on this one and I still feel this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to suggest that I think that regardless of what neighborhood we're in or from what angle we enter this debate, we should all collectively push for a more generous grandfather clause -- 4th grade at least, if not younger, to lessen the immediate impact.

No, we don't have the space for that. It's a boundary change, not a jail term. Perspective, please. It will be okay. Kids are very resilient. We should let them flex those adaptability muscles more when they are young, lest they fall apart at the smallest challenge later in life, and there will be plenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

That argument would work a lot better for you if parts of your community hadn't spent months posting sample communications that highlighted issues like wanting to protect property values and not wanting to be zoned to lower performing schools. Not a great way to make friends with other neighborhoods that could be part of a future community. Did you really think that people not currently zoned to Henry wouldn't see those messages going out?

I live north of Columbia Pike and have never seen anything remotely resembling what you say. I’ve never seen that on Patrick Henry Friends, moms of south Arlington or the 22204 listserve.

In fact, the only messages I’ve seen like that are on Fairlington’s Facebook page. About how Columbia Heights is their “rival” in all this and how they need to team up with Nauck to bring in Columbia Heights and to keep out of Drew and how their property values will go down. I’ve screenshot the whole thread, by the way.

Well they are not wrong in "rivals" statement. There is even a map APS has with arrows pointing to both CH and Fairlington so yeah at this point I think it down between those two neighborhoods. The few comments on housing prices were shot down as something that isn't really an issue. Everyone in Fairlington didn't think this would happen to them so most of them are new and trying to figure out what it all means if it happens. So of course Housing prices are going to be something at least one person brings up. And I believe the comment about housing was more along the lines of not being able to go to the walkable school as opposed to being zoned for Drew.

I have also seen some comments on here from CH parents that say things like "I would rather send my kid to Randolph than Drew" OR comments on AEM that are equally as gross.

People are going to read into things and make assumptions about what people are feeling and some people are going to be down right racists but that doesn't mean that everyone in that community thinks or feels the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

[Anonymous]

Drew/Nauck PP here, have posted above but not in several pages. It seems Henry parents are a large presence on this thread now, I assume some of you are south of the pike. Some have objected to nasty comments. Just know that there is at least one of us here from Drew who wants to build community with whoever does get sent to our school. I'm not making any of those comments. And many of my neighbors feel the same.

Also, our multicultural night is standing room only too. The potluck table is jammed and people have to eat in shifts. Give it a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

Can we please drop this “give me a brand new school” drivel about Henry? If you look at the SAWG proceedings it was very much NOT like that. But, whatever fits your nasty narrative, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drew/Nauck PP here, have posted above but not in several pages. It seems Henry parents are a large presence on this thread now, I assume some of you are south of the pike. Some have objected to nasty comments. Just know that there is at least one of us here from Drew who wants to build community with whoever does get sent to our school. I'm not making any of those comments. And many of my neighbors feel the same.

Also, our multicultural night is standing room only too. The potluck table is jammed and people have to eat in shifts. Give it a chance.

Thank you. It really horrifies me to have so many of our neighbors assume we have bad intentions. I’m also sorry for the push-pull Drew is in itself. I look forward to potentially being a part of your community. I bet all of us would love to hear more about it. Are you a graded program parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

Can we please drop this “give me a brand new school” drivel about Henry? If you look at the SAWG proceedings it was very much NOT like that. But, whatever fits your nasty narrative, I guess.

Whatever it "was" is immaterial. It's what it is, now, and I haven't seen one ounce of compromise or outreach from Henry parents. Just refusal to accept any ounce of responsibility for the proposed map. Selfish as they come.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

Can we please drop this “give me a brand new school” drivel about Henry? If you look at the SAWG proceedings it was very much NOT like that. But, whatever fits your nasty narrative, I guess.

+1. PP you are so consumed with hate you refuse to listen to what really happened. No one at Henry advocated for a new school. We wanted a build on to the current Henry building. It’s all documented in the first and second working groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

Can we please drop this “give me a brand new school” drivel about Henry? If you look at the SAWG proceedings it was very much NOT like that. But, whatever fits your nasty narrative, I guess.

Whatever it "was" is immaterial. It's what it is, now, and I haven't seen one ounce of compromise or outreach from Henry parents. Just refusal to accept any ounce of responsibility for the proposed map. Selfish as they come.

Let me guess, you’re a south fairlington parent.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Unless you are willing to believe that the school is actually a tight knit community that would mourn the loss of a third of the school. Or that you believe that the wealthier units north of the pike might feel badly about leaving behind the poorer units south. And that they feel strongly enough about that they would have opposed the new school if they really thought that was what would happen.

I do not doubt that it would be hard to lose some of your community when a school is split up. I don't think that missing piece will last longer than a year and probably not even that.

I don't think that you have to live in the same neighborhood as your classmates in order to have a tight knit community. Living in Nauck there are a lot of people that go to a lot of different schools. Guess what? We have a tight knit community at our school. We may not see friends walking around the neighborhood, but it isn't hard to call someone and have them meet you at the park. We also join sports teams and boyscouts with people from school. So between play dates and organized activities my kid hangs out with his school friends multiple days a week.

Then we get the added bonus of having friends from the neighborhood . So we always have a buddy at the park.

Granted this makes for HUGE birthday guest lists. But lack of community is something I have never felt.

You are just proving PP’s point. One-third of our school community will no longer go to our school and do not live in the same neighborhood. So they will neither be classmates nor neighborhood friends. 50 years of community between north and south Columbia Pike gone.

If the only thing holding a community together is common attendance at an elementary school, which students only attend for six years and that many in the community have no children attending at all, I question how strong a community you have even with that common elementary school.

You know, go away. Seriously. You’ve never been to our school. Never been to our standing room only Hispanic heritage night, or to our international night where you can hardly walk down the halls it’s so crowded. You weren’t there when our beloved principal died suddenly during spring break and the kids found out that Monday. You are there now when they are told only some of them might be moving. Really, you are a nasty person.

DP here. Henry is a great school. That community is fantastic. Other schools also have very crowded and fun international nights and very engaged and active hispanic parent groups. What happened to the Henry principal was tragic and I'm sure it was traumatic for all involved. I do not live in a Henry Zone or in any of the areas that could be moved to Drew. I would be very sad if my elementary school student had to change schools in the middle of his time there. But boundaries are long term. In 5 years the schools will be filled with different students and families. Someone is going to have to sacrifice and change. I am not the PP who mentioned negative communications, but I did see a message months ago urging parents to contact both boards saying that that they did not want to be moved from Henry which has strong ratings to adjacent schools that had inferior ratings and that they had paid a premium to live in the Henry zone. I do not know how far or how widely that message was spread--but it was out there.

Look, I get it. Everyone loves their own school community and doesn’t want change. But I can’t stand by and listen to these vile, nasty, untrue comments about my community. Like I said, I’m not on every possible listserv but I’ve never seen that messaging from the Henry community. I’m not saying it didn’t happen on another listserve, but it certainly wasn’t on any school or PTA email. But also like I said, I’ve seen the same message on Fairlington’s Facebook page. I’m just saying that that type of message doesn’t represent our community as a whole, just like I’m sure Abington parents will say negative comments never went out on their listserve and that the comments on Fairlington’s Facebook page does not represent them as a whole. Somehow Henry has been made the bad guy in this and it is unfair and not deserved. Enough.

No, it's not enough. Henry parents still don't seem to understand that drawing boundaries is a political exercise with consequences. If you value community, your neighbors, and political decorum, then you must believe in compromise. But Henry, has sacrificed nothing, compromised on nothing, given nothing, offered nothing. Change everything but us, is your message. Give us a brand new school to relieve our crowded old one but change nothing else. Jus to gimme gimme gimme. If you won't be part of a larger solution than you are part of the problem. You don't seem able to see that, or perhaps your high regard for yourselves is preventing you from doing so.

Can we please drop this “give me a brand new school” drivel about Henry? If you look at the SAWG proceedings it was very much NOT like that. But, whatever fits your nasty narrative, I guess.

Whatever it "was" is immaterial. It's what it is, now, and I haven't seen one ounce of compromise or outreach from Henry parents. Just refusal to accept any ounce of responsibility for the proposed map. Selfish as they come.

Why would any parent “outreach” to such nastiness? Who do you represent?

[Anonymous]

I just want to point out that I don't think that this nastiness is coming from Drew parents. There was a post on AEM from the Drew PTA president that specifically said they didn't want to get into that side of things they just wanted folks to realize Drew could be amazing too.

On another note, I am frustrated that NBC4 did the rezoning and only focused on the inclusion of Columbia Heights. They did not talk to anyone from Drew or Henry/Fleet.