Belle View Elem

[Anonymous]

I have looked into this school (we are looking at a house in this neighborhood in FFX Alexandria) and am worried about its test scores and great schools ranking. Does anyone know anything about this school, the West Potomac pyramid? We are leaving old town because we are in a horrible elementary school. While I'm more open to a mixed up middle or high school, I'd like to find a decently achieving elementary school that is nurturing and not over run with discipline issues (which our current zoned school is).

So, any opinions on Belle View or Belle Haven?

[Anonymous]

You will run into the same problems in that area that you did in Alexandria City.

As a fellow City resident, here are your choices:

Move there and do private schools or move farther down the Parkway to Waynewood and hope the high school gets a little better before you get there or pick private.

stay in the City and go to Lyles-Crouch for elementary and then go private

stay in the City and go private

Move to N. Arlington anywhere

Move to S. Arlington and be choosy about the neighborhood and school

Move to Fairfax County farther out.

[Anonymous]

I'm actually OK with a mixed performing high school. We live right by a mostly empty k-8 school that I toured and found wanting, so that spurred this search.

I actually want to avoid the pressure cooker intensity of a Yorktown or McLean or Marshall high school. We are pretty laid back, but I seriously worry about cultivating a safe environment for those early years. I don't worry about middle and high school as much.

[Anonymous]

You can find discipline issues on the FCPS school report card:

http://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:2::::0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID:202

[Anonymous]

My son's best friend attends that school, and has been subject to bullying behavior that I find disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Can you explain what behavior was occurring that was so worrisome?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will run into the same problems in that area that you did in Alexandria City.

As a fellow City resident, here are your choices:

Move there and do private schools or move farther down the Parkway to Waynewood and hope the high school gets a little better before you get there or pick private.

stay in the City and go to Lyles-Crouch for elementary and then go private

stay in the City and go private

Move to N. Arlington anywhere

Move to S. Arlington and be choosy about the neighborhood and school

Move to Fairfax County farther out.

Not true at all. Belle View is much higher achieving than most of the ACPS schools.

[Anonymous]

We did not get a good feeling from the orientation and choose private school instead. We will likely move before middle school. Quite a few children in the neighborhood go to private but the family we know that attends Belle View for K seem to like it.

[Anonymous]

OP--please do not rely on anonymous opinions or a website that only crunches test scores. Go make an appointment and see the school for yourself. Listen to how teachers talk to the students. Look at what kinds of activities the kids are doing. Do the kids seem happy? Do the adults seem happy working there? Talk with Mr. Kuntz, the principal. He is a smart guy who cares about the students.

Bottom line--see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Can you explain what behavior was occurring that was so worrisome?

I'm sorry, I really don't feel I should with specificity in this forum. It was not physical violence, but rather, put downs, verbal torments, and acts to isolate the child.

[Anonymous]

Not true at all. Belle View is much higher achieving than most of the ACPS schools.

Not true. For 2013, Belle View was ranked no. 903 in the state of VA. Maury in ACPS was no. 184, Lyles Crouch was 153, Barrett was 282, MacArthur was 604, Mason was 590, Cora Kelly was 556, John adams was 815, Polk was 780, Mt. Vernon was 833.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not true at all. Belle View is much higher achieving than most of the ACPS schools.

Not true. For 2013, Belle View was ranked no. 903 in the state of VA. Maury in ACPS was no. 184, Lyles Crouch was 153, Barrett was 282, MacArthur was 604, Mason was 590, Cora Kelly was 556, John adams was 815, Polk was 780, Mt. Vernon was 833.

Source, please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not true at all. Belle View is much higher achieving than most of the ACPS schools.

Not true. For 2013, Belle View was ranked no. 903 in the state of VA. Maury in ACPS was no. 184, Lyles Crouch was 153, Barrett was 282, MacArthur was 604, Mason was 590, Cora Kelly was 556, John adams was 815, Polk was 780, Mt. Vernon was 833.

Your school digger cites are worthless. No one pays any attention to it, just the constant stream out of ACPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not true at all. Belle View is much higher achieving than most of the ACPS schools.

Not true. For 2013, Belle View was ranked no. 903 in the state of VA. Maury in ACPS was no. 184, Lyles Crouch was 153, Barrett was 282, MacArthur was 604, Mason was 590, Cora Kelly was 556, John adams was 815, Polk was 780, Mt. Vernon was 833.

Belle View is not performing well. We opted to stay put in ACPS and send our kids to Lyles-Crouch over Belle View. We know other families who send their kids to St. Marys or St Stephens. The Villamay folks who send their kids to Belle View seem to think its super, but the test scores don't lie. Stay in ACPS and transfer or move further down to Waynewood or Stratford Landing zones where schools are performing better. And the PP is correct that many of the ACPS elementaries are outperforming FFX County schools in Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP--please do not rely on anonymous opinions or a website that only crunches test scores. Go make an appointment and see the school for yourself. Listen to how teachers talk to the students. Look at what kinds of activities the kids are doing. Do the kids seem happy? Do the adults seem happy working there? Talk with Mr. Kuntz, the principal. He is a smart guy who cares about the students.

Bottom line--see for yourself.

Tours are overrated. I did tours of our local ACPS schools before my kid enrolled and I learned almost nothing during the tour. The principals are nice enough, and you can peak into a couple classes but beyond that, you can't really learn much on the very short tour and discussion with the Principal. Better to talk to former parents of kids from the schools one is interested in.