Will Van Ness Elementary School be on the same level as Brent/Maury in 3 years?

[Anonymous]

On a recent play date my dc and a neighbor's dc, who attends another school, were arguing over which school is better. I found it entertaining to watch at 5 but am slightly disturbed by it on this board. In truth, it is a good (no great) thing if Van Ness can join the likes of other Hill elementary schools that families are excited about. I hope that it does. Not sure why, even in an anonymous forum, there is a desire to knock it down (e.g., families don't live in Yards Park, why would anyone stay there, not enough high ses families).

[Anonymous]

I suggest that you reread my post, which singles out the Yards and Canal Parks as amenties? Yes, Yards Park can be lovely in the warmer months, as is the skating rink during winter, but what about playgrounds and rec centers designed for younger children to use on a daily basis. Before long you will need to traverse the NJ Avenue overpass to use Garfield or Marion Park. DPR and Tommy Wells dropped the ball by not planning for a state of the art, kid friendly spray park in the neighborhood. And no, slippery granite stairs, metal grated and bolted circles with sharp edges are not particularly kid friendly.

[Anonymous]

No one is knocking a school that has been closed for eight years and has yet to be modernized. It will be interesting to watch this play out and hope that the efforts of those who moved into the neighborhood and have fought to reopen the school for several years are rewarded.

[Anonymous]

Where are the kids zoned for now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the kids zoned for now?

Amidon-Bowen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I think SWS is a better example, current city-wide draw notwithstanding.

On what do you base that dig on SWS ? Look at SWS demographics, which are virtually identical to Brent's (city-wide draw or not). Academic performance is tougher to compare as SWS doen't even have DC CAS testing grades yet. I'm confident based on DIBELS and other anecdotal evidence that Brent and SWS will be rate comparably when it's an apples to apples comparison.

Let's not forget Brent is currently borrowing SWS's science teacher on a development assignment and is coopting it's early childhood Reggio approach. Why don't you just stick to the topic at hand you troll.

I read that comment completely differently---at the very least, you are way too sensitive. I took it to mean that Van Ness, like SWS and not like Brent/Maury, will be starting from scratch, and therefore, it is closer in kind.

It's also pointless to compare demographics of SWS and Brent. Brent's are not changing. How the new classes at SWS shake out is still an unknown.

Original SWS commenter here and NOT a troll -- I meant that Van Ness will have the great opportunity to slowly build up the school and its culture, like SWS, instead of having to change the existing culture like Brent and Maury have. Not at all a dig at SWS (pp has VERY sensitive skin!), but a cheer/hope for another great elementary school on this side of town.

I'm an SWS parent and that other PP's reaction to your first post was just bizarre. Can't imagine how she got anything negative from your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the kids zoned for now?

Amidon-Bowen.

Do any families potentially IB for VN attend AB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think SWS is a better example, current city-wide draw notwithstanding.

On what do you base that dig on SWS ? Look at SWS demographics, which are virtually identical to Brent's (city-wide draw or not). Academic performance is tougher to compare as SWS doen't even have DC CAS testing grades yet. I'm confident based on DIBELS and other anecdotal evidence that Brent and SWS will be rate comparably when it's an apples to apples comparison.

Let's not forget Brent is currently borrowing SWS's science teacher on a development assignment and is coopting it's early childhood Reggio approach. Why don't you just stick to the topic at hand you troll.

I read that comment completely differently---at the very least, you are way too sensitive. I took it to mean that Van Ness, like SWS and not like Brent/Maury, will be starting from scratch, and therefore, it is closer in kind.

It's also pointless to compare demographics of SWS and Brent. Brent's are not changing. How the new classes at SWS shake out is still an unknown.

Original SWS commenter here and NOT a troll -- I meant that Van Ness will have the great opportunity to slowly build up the school and its culture, like SWS, instead of having to change the existing culture like Brent and Maury have. Not at all a dig at SWS (pp has VERY sensitive skin!), but a cheer/hope for another great elementary school on this side of town.

I'm an SWS parent and that other PP's reaction to your first post was just bizarre. Can't imagine how she got anything negative from your post.

I also don't get the strained comparison of Brent and SWS demographics. On the surface, the racial makeup amf FARMs rares are similar, but Brent is PS thru 5, with 360+ students. Right now SWS is only 200 students, with 1st and 2nd grades having been added by way of citywide lottery in the past two years. Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think SWS is a better example, current city-wide draw notwithstanding.

I don't know... Brent and SWS share a lot in common as far as demographics. Considering 5th at Brent is an afterthought, it's pretty much 3-4 grade as the difference.

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Compare.aspx?tab=1&school=212%2C943#.UynfPE63IGk.email

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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It's hard for me to guess...like others have mentioned, most of the housing over there consists of 1-2 bedroom apartments and condos. will there be enough IB children (high SES especially) to sustain a school through grade 5?

Young high-SES families live in 2 BR condos. I know -- i was one.

For goodness sakes, where did anyone say it "never" happens? The point is that you are much more likely to find families in SFHs than 2 BR condos. That is all.

There are many rowhouses on the Hill with families in them that are only 2BR.

A SFH is not comparable to a high-rise, at least IMO. Aside from the Yards and Canal Park, the Navy Yard area is not particularly family friendly in terms of restaurants and other amenities. And yes, i know that Harris Teeter and a gym are coming, to be followed by Whole Foods several years down the road. Too many commuters, plus stadium traffic, and the Green Line is overwhelmed on game days. My fear is that developers will leave the neighborhood with all of the charm of Crystal City more high rises continue to spring up. I would much prefer Near Northeast (H Street/Atlas District) which also will have a Whole Foods and more interesting restaurant offerings.

Have you been to Yards Park in the summer? It's crowded with families on a nice day. We always see friends at the ice-skating rink in winter. Food options are growing, but for now Nando's has been great. I live north of the freeway but have spent lots of time with my kids in the general area.

Yes, well, I go there all the time, as do my friends. None of us live in the Navy Yard area. We mostly bike over from the Union Market-H Street areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think SWS is a better example, current city-wide draw notwithstanding.

I don't know... Brent and SWS share a lot in common as far as demographics. Considering 5th at Brent is an afterthought, it's pretty much 3-4 grade as the difference.

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Compare.aspx?tab=1&school=212%2C943#.UynfPE63IGk.email

Yup. And those 1st and 2nd graders are all former Peabody-Logan SWSers. It's only the preschooler and pre-K kids who were added by citywide lottery, and those are still mostly siblings and Hill kids. I agree the demographics are similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suggest that you reread my post, which singles out the Yards and Canal Parks as amenties? Yes, Yards Park can be lovely in the warmer months, as is the skating rink during winter, but what about playgrounds and rec centers designed for younger children to use on a daily basis. Before long you will need to traverse the NJ Avenue overpass to use Garfield or Marion Park. DPR and Tommy Wells dropped the ball by not planning for a state of the art, kid friendly spray park in the neighborhood. And no, slippery granite stairs, metal grated and bolted circles with sharp edges are not particularly kid friendly.

The skating rink is a spray park in the summer, btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think SWS is a better example, current city-wide draw notwithstanding.

On what do you base that dig on SWS ? Look at SWS demographics, which are virtually identical to Brent's (city-wide draw or not). Academic performance is tougher to compare as SWS doen't even have DC CAS testing grades yet. I'm confident based on DIBELS and other anecdotal evidence that Brent and SWS will be rate comparably when it's an apples to apples comparison.

Let's not forget Brent is currently borrowing SWS's science teacher on a development assignment and is coopting it's early childhood Reggio approach. Why don't you just stick to the topic at hand you troll.

I read that comment completely differently---at the very least, you are way too sensitive. I took it to mean that Van Ness, like SWS and not like Brent/Maury, will be starting from scratch, and therefore, it is closer in kind.

It's also pointless to compare demographics of SWS and Brent. Brent's are not changing. How the new classes at SWS shake out is still an unknown.

Original SWS commenter here and NOT a troll -- I meant that Van Ness will have the great opportunity to slowly build up the school and its culture, like SWS, instead of having to change the existing culture like Brent and Maury have. Not at all a dig at SWS (pp has VERY sensitive skin!), but a cheer/hope for another great elementary school on this side of town.

I'm an SWS parent and that other PP's reaction to your first post was just bizarre. Can't imagine how she got anything negative from your post.

I'm not sure how SWS is relevant to a discussion of Hill elementary schools at all. It is a citywide school and as legacy siblings dwindle, it is quite possible that the majority of its students will come from other neighborhoods. It just can't be compared to the situations of neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

A fountain in which children are allowed to frolic is not the equivalent of a spray park. Check out Lafayette, Chevy Chase, Palisades or even Lyon Village Spray Parks. Wards 2 and 6 are the only two that do not offer a spray park.

[Anonymous]

^ except for the fact that it is building up, grade by grade, to get to 5th, which is what has been mentioned for Van Ness (starting with only a few grades to begin with).