APS- Nottingham

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

Definitely agree as a longtime NES parent. And it’s not that they aren’t nice – but they are super duper cliquey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

Definitely agree as a longtime NES parent. And it’s not that they aren’t nice – but they are super duper cliquey.

There have been some serious Nottingham PTA issues in the past. I'm not involved anymore; so hopefully it's all in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

Another longtime parent here who sadly agrees with this. I dutifully pay my dues but no longer want to be involved with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

Shade!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

Shade!

You mean there are a lot of nice shady trees over on that side of the neighborhood, I'm sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

Shade!

Not sure what this means, but that’s where most of the pta moms live. In that part of the Nottingham district. They are neighborhood friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

Definitely agree as a longtime NES parent. And it’s not that they aren’t nice – but they are super duper cliquey.

You mean the same people who are doing everything for at least their second year because no one else was willing to step up and volunteer? It’s not surprising that after working closely together for all this time, they have become close friends. I am not part of the board but know about half of them from other contexts, and none of them have been unfriendly, but I also don’t expect to be invited on their girls weekends and there’s nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

Lol the funny thing is that there’s no real difference between any of these North Arlington schools except maybe that Jamestown has more truly rich kids. The same conversations going on now have been going on for decades.

I can assure all of you that, ten years from now, you’re going to laugh about your petty little elementary school concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

If you lived there and were already friends with them, you might be on the board right now. It happened that way because they couldn’t get volunteers to fill all of the required board positions, so the people who had already agreed to volunteer convinced friends to volunteer with them (which I know only because I am friends with one of them and was also asked to volunteer, even though in don’t live in that neighborhood - I’m not on the board, though, because I declined). It’s a little tiresome to see people who aren’t willing to volunteer anonymously trash the ones who are willing to step up for such stupid reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

Shade!

Not sure what this means, but that’s where most of the pta moms live. In that part of the Nottingham district. They are neighborhood friends.

The PP was “shading” aka calling out the moms on those streets as cliquey in a very passive aggressive way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

If you lived there and were already friends with them, you might be on the board right now. It happened that way because they couldn’t get volunteers to fill all of the required board positions, so the people who had already agreed to volunteer convinced friends to volunteer with them (which I know only because I am friends with one of them and was also asked to volunteer, even though in don’t live in that neighborhood - I’m not on the board, though, because I declined). It’s a little tiresome to see people who aren’t willing to volunteer anonymously trash the ones who are willing to step up for such stupid reasons.

Actual story:

I, new and pleasant Larla willing to help, show up to a PTA-sponsored event and everyone ignores me even after I make an effort to introduce myself and be friendly. The PTA crew all stands around talking to each other about things that I don't know what they're talking about. In an enclosed circle where even if I wanted to stand there and listen it would be awkward to do so. An activity that I am supposed to be running with someone, the woman walks away and leaves me there to do it alone with zero explanation while chatting with her PTA buds extensively and eventually just leaves entirely and says nothing to me about leaving. As if I do not exist.

So no after things like that, people don't want to volunteer.

It might be tiresome to hear such stupid reasons and yet this is why they can't find anyone beyond their circle to do things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

If you lived there and were already friends with them, you might be on the board right now. It happened that way because they couldn’t get volunteers to fill all of the required board positions, so the people who had already agreed to volunteer convinced friends to volunteer with them (which I know only because I am friends with one of them and was also asked to volunteer, even though in don’t live in that neighborhood - I’m not on the board, though, because I declined). It’s a little tiresome to see people who aren’t willing to volunteer anonymously trash the ones who are willing to step up for such stupid reasons.

We are in a different elementary, but I can tell you people say the same things about our PTA. When you’re spending 10+ hours volunteering a week with the same people we are going to become close to them, period. Plus I’m going to recruit someone to do a PTA job. No one else wants to do, why wouldn’t I ask my friend to I already know, trust and enjoy spending time with? I found the people that are accusing PTAs of being cliquey are those who never volunteer for anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Nottingham, but did not have any special needs to consider. Last year was a rough school year, no thanks to APS policies during the pandemic. The N. Arlington elementaries are all very similar, so not sure I’d agree with the “Nottingham or bust” poster, but it is a nice school with caring teachers and an involved community. Some of the parents can be a little much, but there are all sorts and you can find your people.

Nottingham and Tuckahoe have a better parent community than Discovery. Partly due to Discovery being a newer school (less time to build traditions, community) and partly to COVID putting a halt to most events.

I think Discovery parents would disagree. Discovery has been around a while now and the parents I know there have been lovely, involved, and concerned about schools beyond their own.

I am one, and that's my opinion.

Nottingham parent scene is cliquey.

I haven’t found this to be true at all except for the current year’s pta.

They are nice individually, but as a group very very cliquey. Maybe if I lived on Potomac/Pokomoke it would be better.

If you lived there and were already friends with them, you might be on the board right now. It happened that way because they couldn’t get volunteers to fill all of the required board positions, so the people who had already agreed to volunteer convinced friends to volunteer with them (which I know only because I am friends with one of them and was also asked to volunteer, even though in don’t live in that neighborhood - I’m not on the board, though, because I declined). It’s a little tiresome to see people who aren’t willing to volunteer anonymously trash the ones who are willing to step up for such stupid reasons.

We are in a different elementary, but I can tell you people say the same things about our PTA. When you’re spending 10+ hours volunteering a week with the same people we are going to become close to them, period. Plus I’m going to recruit someone to do a PTA job. No one else wants to do, why wouldn’t I ask my friend to I already know, trust and enjoy spending time with? I found the people that are accusing PTAs of being cliquey are those who never volunteer for anything.

Really? Read the story above. No one is begrudging anyone being close. I totally get what you are saying. However, if you have a known problem recruiting new people get some self-awareness as a group and be friendly and inclusive of new people who do show up to your events and meetings.