BCC vs. W. Whitman and W. Churchill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BCC's campus looks more traditional to me (think British high schools). WJ and WW's campus look like street malls to be honest.

If your main concern is aesthetics, I guess. However, if it is the green space, amenities and newer facilities, BCC loses for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC's campus looks more traditional to me (think British high schools). WJ and WW's campus look like street malls to be honest.

If your main concern is aesthetics, I guess. However, if it is the green space, amenities and newer facilities, BCC loses for sure.

WJ is something like 20% over capacity whereas BCC is something like 20% under after their recent renovations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the feedback. How is the infrastructure at BCC? Do they have as much open space, green areas, sports opportunities as the other three schools mentioned? I am a single Mom of two, with only my income, so private is out of the question. Thus I also have a budget for purchasing real estate, so am trying to figure out the best option for us. Moving further out is not in my plan since I work downtown, thought I believe we will be working more from home.

I wouldn't describe BCC as having "open space." But there still all the typical HS sports opportunities. They've had to be creative with the land available, so they put the tennis courts above the parking structure, for example.

BCC just got an expansion. With Woodward siphoning off students from the area between it and BCC there is lots of room for expanding the boundaries east to help with DCC overcrowding too!

OP, How old are kids now? Woodward isn’t scheduled to open (and reduce crowding at WJ or elsewhere) until 2025, when current 7th graders are seniors.

Off the top of my head, BCC has the smallest number of students of these schools, WJ and Churchill, the most. The schools all have strong athletics and with large student populations, getting on some teams can be difficult, particularly at the biggest schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are all great schools. You won't go wrong with any of them. BCC may have a lower rating because it has a bigger population of lower socioeconomic families. The nice thing about BCC is that is has an IB program whereas the other schools you mentioned do not.

OP here - yes, thanks you, a friend of mine had her kids at BCC and liked the IB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of them are “great.” You are better off buying in a more affordable area and going to private school (where kids actually get to go to school). MCPS kid will be year+ behind.

OP here - do I sound like I can afford private for my kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the feedback. How is the infrastructure at BCC? Do they have as much open space, green areas, sports opportunities as the other three schools mentioned? I am a single Mom of two, with only my income, so private is out of the question. Thus I also have a budget for purchasing real estate, so am trying to figure out the best option for us. Moving further out is not in my plan since I work downtown, thought I believe we will be working more from home.

I wouldn't describe BCC as having "open space." But there still all the typical HS sports opportunities. They've had to be creative with the land available, so they put the tennis courts above the parking structure, for example.

BCC just got an expansion. With Woodward siphoning off students from the area between it and BCC there is lots of room for expanding the boundaries east to help with DCC overcrowding too!

OP, How old are kids now? Woodward isn’t scheduled to open (and reduce crowding at WJ or elsewhere) until 2025, when current 7th graders are seniors.

Off the top of my head, BCC has the smallest number of students of these schools, WJ and Churchill, the most. The schools all have strong athletics and with large student populations, getting on some teams can be difficult, particularly at the biggest schools.

OP here - 3rd grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the feedback. How is the infrastructure at BCC? Do they have as much open space, green areas, sports opportunities as the other three schools mentioned? I am a single Mom of two, with only my income, so private is out of the question. Thus I also have a budget for purchasing real estate, so am trying to figure out the best option for us. Moving further out is not in my plan since I work downtown, thought I believe we will be working more from home.

I wouldn't describe BCC as having "open space." But there still all the typical HS sports opportunities. They've had to be creative with the land available, so they put the tennis courts above the parking structure, for example.

BCC just got an expansion. With Woodward siphoning off students from the area between it and BCC there is lots of room for expanding the boundaries east to help with DCC overcrowding too!

OP, How old are kids now? Woodward isn’t scheduled to open (and reduce crowding at WJ or elsewhere) until 2025, when current 7th graders are seniors.

Off the top of my head, BCC has the smallest number of students of these schools, WJ and Churchill, the most. The schools all have strong athletics and with large student populations, getting on some teams can be difficult, particularly at the biggest schools.

OP here - 3rd grade

Op, I am also a single mom w/ 2 kids who chose BCc cluster. We live walking distance to metro in an older smaller house. As a single parent with 1 car it’s been very helpful to have my kids be able to get around independently without me driving all the time. IN ES, CCES has a GT center and ChCh/Bethesda is close to the middle school magnets that we took advantage of.

If your kids are in 2nd grade or younger, consider that some areas in Bethesda and Chevy Chase your child will be in a K-2, 3-5 pairing. Many like the idea of all younger kids at RHPS but it does create extra logistics.

There are many other threads on BCC. Personally, I choose it because it was academically just as good as Whitman, Churchill, wj, etc. but it is slightly more diverse racially and socio-economically.

Don’t listen to the troll above who says BCC will be rezoned to include parts of the DCC. That will not happen and is a racist dog-whistle.

[Anonymous]

Talk of rezoning is a "racist dog whistle". Give it a rest, lady. Not EVERYTHING is racist. IB only matters if you kid is in the program. Oh no, is that racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the feedback. How is the infrastructure at BCC? Do they have as much open space, green areas, sports opportunities as the other three schools mentioned? I am a single Mom of two, with only my income, so private is out of the question. Thus I also have a budget for purchasing real estate, so am trying to figure out the best option for us. Moving further out is not in my plan since I work downtown, thought I believe we will be working more from home.

I wouldn't describe BCC as having "open space." But there still all the typical HS sports opportunities. They've had to be creative with the land available, so they put the tennis courts above the parking structure, for example.

BCC just got an expansion. With Woodward siphoning off students from the area between it and BCC there is lots of room for expanding the boundaries east to help with DCC overcrowding too!

OP, How old are kids now? Woodward isn’t scheduled to open (and reduce crowding at WJ or elsewhere) until 2025, when current 7th graders are seniors.

Off the top of my head, BCC has the smallest number of students of these schools, WJ and Churchill, the most. The schools all have strong athletics and with large student populations, getting on some teams can be difficult, particularly at the biggest schools.

OP here - 3rd grade

Op, I am also a single mom w/ 2 kids who chose BCc cluster. We live walking distance to metro in an older smaller house. As a single parent with 1 car it’s been very helpful to have my kids be able to get around independently without me driving all the time. IN ES, CCES has a GT center and ChCh/Bethesda is close to the middle school magnets that we took advantage of.

If your kids are in 2nd grade or younger, consider that some areas in Bethesda and Chevy Chase your child will be in a K-2, 3-5 pairing. Many like the idea of all younger kids at RHPS but it does create extra logistics.

There are many other threads on BCC. Personally, I choose it because it was academically just as good as Whitman, Churchill, wj, etc. but it is slightly more diverse racially and socio-economically.

Don’t listen to the troll above who says BCC will be rezoned to include parts of the DCC. That will not happen and is a racist dog-whistle.

OP here - thank you. Could you tell me how the ES/middle schools were? Were you happy with them? My kids are in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Westland is terrible, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

I'm definitely going to start referring to the schools as W. Whitman, W. Churchill, W. Johnson, and ... huh. Thomas W.?

I'm also thinking about W. Mill and W. Heaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm definitely going to start referring to the schools as W. Whitman, W. Churchill, W. Johnson, and ... huh. Thomas W.?

I'm also thinking about W. Mill and W. Heaton.

Great, no one asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BCC's campus looks more traditional to me (think British high schools). WJ and WW's campus look like street malls to be honest.

British person here. No BCC is like a traditional US high school. A traditional UK school would either be Victorian (red brick) or 60's concrete and glass. Know your architecture type before you comment!

[Anonymous]

OP go for the best schools in the best district - Pyle and Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP go for the best schools in the best district - Pyle and Whitman.

What characteristics of these schools make them the best, in your opinion? (Not the OP.)