Thoughts on Petworth for a young family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's put it this way: even the Prince of Petworth fled Petworth to avoid the violence and bad schools.

"Even the prince "??

Many of us are far more hearty than he is. My kid can handle the routine stuff that happens at our EOTP.

I know. He should rename his blog "The Prince of North, North, North Cleveland Park."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

You're years out of date. Did you move to VA or WOTP 5 years ago?

Everyone doesn't leave for K and up. Not even all the higher SES parents, which is who I assume you are talking about. Did you miss the folks chiming in with kids in elementary grades? Get with the times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

This is actually not true for Shepherd. As someone with a kid in 1st grade, I know that the vast majority of my kid's classmates last year at Shepherd stayed on for 1st. There were a couple who left for private or a charter, but most plan to stay all the way through. We also have neighbors with kids in upper grades. Remember that Shepherd feeds to Deal, and parents are pretty happy overall, so there is less attrition perhaps than at some other EOTP schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

This is actually not true for Shepherd. As someone with a kid in 1st grade, I know that the vast majority of my kid's classmates last year at Shepherd stayed on for 1st. There were a couple who left for private or a charter, but most plan to stay all the way through. We also have neighbors with kids in upper grades. Remember that Shepherd feeds to Deal, and parents are pretty happy overall, so there is less attrition perhaps than at some other EOTP schools.

I love Shepherd ES, which seems like a really special place. But it's also NOT in Petworth. The question was about Petworth schools and thus far the only person to weigh in says that she WOULD'VE used their IB school, but didn't. Which...is not super helpful and also probably a little disingenuous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

Shepherd and West has always been one of the "good" schools EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

This is actually not true for Shepherd. As someone with a kid in 1st grade, I know that the vast majority of my kid's classmates last year at Shepherd stayed on for 1st. There were a couple who left for private or a charter, but most plan to stay all the way through. We also have neighbors with kids in upper grades. Remember that Shepherd feeds to Deal, and parents are pretty happy overall, so there is less attrition perhaps than at some other EOTP schools.

I love Shepherd ES, which seems like a really special place. But it's also NOT in Petworth. The question was about Petworth schools and thus far the only person to weigh in says that she WOULD'VE used their IB school, but didn't. Which...is not super helpful and also probably a little disingenuous.

PP. Yes I think I was responding to an earlier comment that "Most people grow up and move west, that is if they can afford it." I thought they were referring to all of EOTP; I couldn't tell, so I wanted to point out that this is not universally true on this side of town.

[Anonymous]

And becoming less true each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And becoming less true each year.

Word. Things are changing pretty rapidly in Petworth and many other EOTP neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:.... My kid can handle the routine stuff that happens at our EOTP.

How do you categorize routine items? Your 2nd grade girl getting pushed down by a classmate and the teacher explaining that there are "things happening at home?" How many times is it OK? Your child clearly not being challenged day to day as the teacher is covering material from 2 years ago b/c that is where the core of the class is?

Friends at Barnard, Bruce Monroe, West - all dealt with it through 2nd grade - only because they kept striking out with the lottery. Then they moved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

You're years out of date. Did you move to VA or WOTP 5 years ago?

Everyone doesn't leave for K and up. Not even all the higher SES parents, which is who I assume you are talking about. Did you miss the folks chiming in with kids in elementary grades? Get with the times.

Actually, I just left 3 months ago (for another region in the country). Of my DS's preschool class of 18 kids, exactly no one got a school through the lottery that they wanted to go to, and exactly no one stayed for their in bounds school. Everyone moved to the burbs or went private or left the region entirely. Eighteen kids. Who were all the kinds of families who loved being in the city, and would have stayed if they could have. Granted, this preschool was not in bounds for shepherd. Maybe that school is the exception. I'm not that familiar with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:.... My kid can handle the routine stuff that happens at our EOTP.

How do you categorize routine items? Your 2nd grade girl getting pushed down by a classmate and the teacher explaining that there are "things happening at home?" How many times is it OK? Your child clearly not being challenged day to day as the teacher is covering material from 2 years ago b/c that is where the core of the class is?

Friends at Barnard, Bruce Monroe, West - all dealt with it through 2nd grade - only because they kept striking out with the lottery. Then they moved.

Things like pushing or hitting. It's not like there are knife fights during recess or the Thunderdome during centers. The teachers take it seriously and the administration supports them.

My child is being challenged academically including pull outs for advanced work. I've seen "where the class is" at APTT meetings and my kid isn't the only advanced one.

Your friends must not be my friends because I have friends with kids in many grades above 2nd.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who moves into a neighborhood and calls himself the Prince of it is more likely than not a douche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

No one denies that there are waitlists for most of the NW schools EOTP for the preK programs. There are, however, no waitlists for K and beyond. Because everyone leaves then. Several years of heavy waitlists at all these schools in PK have not translated in any interest in staying for K in any of these schools. Sorry that you are still in the "my kids are 1 and 3 and i totally plan to stay here forever, even if i don't get into a charter school" phase.

You're years out of date. Did you move to VA or WOTP 5 years ago?

Everyone doesn't leave for K and up. Not even all the higher SES parents, which is who I assume you are talking about. Did you miss the folks chiming in with kids in elementary grades? Get with the times.

Actually, I just left 3 months ago (for another region in the country). Of my DS's preschool class of 18 kids, exactly no one got a school through the lottery that they wanted to go to, and exactly no one stayed for their in bounds school. Everyone moved to the burbs or went private or left the region entirely. Eighteen kids. Who were all the kinds of families who loved being in the city, and would have stayed if they could have. Granted, this preschool was not in bounds for shepherd. Maybe that school is the exception. I'm not that familiar with it.

I wonder what school this was? Yes, a different story from Shepherd, which even had IB kids waitlisted in the initial PK4 lottery this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of young families are moving into our safe and quiet EOTP neighborhood, and now send their kids to our IB, Shepherd. In fact, there was a double-digit waitlist of IB kids for the two PK3 classes this year. IB and OOB families (including many from Petworth) seem to coexist peacefully; there's not a big divide like there seems to be at some other schools. There's a great community feel overall within the school.

The schools and neighborhoods are not all the Wild West EOTP.

Shepherd and West has always been one of the "good" schools EOTP.

Yes, Shepherd is different (more so than West) because it is a historically middle class neighborhood and it (still) feeds to Deal/Wilson. Not sure how easy it is these days to get in OOB even in the upper grades, plus the commute from Petworth for anyone who works downtown would be prohibitive.