Looking for info on various Bethesda/CC/etc neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

Really happy with Rock Creek Forest in CC. Feels welcoming and inclusive. Not sure how the special needs program is, but judging from how supportive of diversity the school is, kids in the program will probably feel like part of the school community

[Anonymous]

OP, first try not to care about what cars people drive. Bethesda close to beltway (Luxmanor or Wyngate or Maplewood) are about 60-40 “fancy” cars vs regular cars (my guess). I couldn’t care less what other people choose to drive, but if that bothers you, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, first try not to care about what cars people drive. Bethesda close to beltway (Luxmanor or Wyngate or Maplewood) are about 60-40 “fancy” cars vs regular cars (my guess). I couldn’t care less what other people choose to drive, but if that bothers you, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

Sorry - was thinking Ashburton but typed Luxmanor. I don’t know the later as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, first try not to care about what cars people drive. Bethesda close to beltway (Luxmanor or Wyngate or Maplewood) are about 60-40 “fancy” cars vs regular cars (my guess). I couldn’t care less what other people choose to drive, but if that bothers you, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

It was just a shorthand of the type of values that do not match her own.
In Bethesda and Chevy Chase, there may be a few pockets where there are more people that she may click with, but at the school level she's going to find the same general vibe she hated at Janney, Murch, Hearst, or wherever she's coming from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn or Carderock Springs for lovely ES with strong SN elements.

Bannockburn Elementary school is not known for strong special needs elements, whatever that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area that feeds into Westbrook ES isn't quite as ritzy as Bethesda ES or Chevy Chase ES. Fewer Lexus and Volvo and more Honda and Subaru.

+1 So true. And not as many manicured lawns.

I think this school has a special program, kids are bused from other schools to this school for those services. Call the principal!

It is worth clarifying that there is very little benefit to being in a school with a special program if your child isn't in that program. Westbrook hosts the SESES program, which is the program that used to be called Emotional Disabilities. Nothing OP has said suggests SESES is the right placement, unless her child has issues with violence that were not mentioned.

You are so of base with what you wrote above about violence and the SESES program. You know nothing about the kids in that program if you think the kids are violent. You are disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area that feeds into Westbrook ES isn't quite as ritzy as Bethesda ES or Chevy Chase ES. Fewer Lexus and Volvo and more Honda and Subaru.

+1 So true. And not as many manicured lawns.

I think this school has a special program, kids are bused from other schools to this school for those services. Call the principal!

Westbrook E.S. is loaded with wealthy hypocritical snobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lived here a long time and if you want the most down to earth areas in and around Bethesda they would be in places adjacent to "North Bethesda"/Rockville or Kensington.

These neighborhoods include Ashburton or Wyngate where the houses are smaller and closer together. These neighborhoods have sidewalks which is really nice. They are near NIH so you get a lot of scientist families who are much for normal than the lobbyists.

North Bethesda and Kensington are also great places to live and there are more regular people there and less pressure. Also check out Garrett Park.

Any W-school feeder is going to have a level of academic pressure that many parents want to avoid. Wyngate has a ton of new builds and can be super cliquey. Ashburton, less so, but it's starting to trend that way.

Most "scientist families" can't afford the area, unless they have substantial financial help or a spouse who earns considerably more than what NIH pays.

-WJ grad who works at NIH and has no interest in living in Bethesda

You don't even live here. Half our neighbors work for NIH or are feds on government salaries. Both parents typically work, though. I don't think you could live here on one fed salary.

You're right, I don't live there. I grew up there, though, and know plenty who live there now. How many families who live there have family help when they buy, do you think?

Regardless, the academic pressure thing is real, even if it's "just" expressed as concern about their kids' peers and prioritizing living among scientists and physicians. That's... not typical, given only a third of Americans even have a bachelors degree.

I'm not saying they're terrible people, but the whole "down to earth" thing is really overplayed.

I don't think it's down to earth. It's more down to earth than other parts of Bethesda and since we're playing this game I not only live here after spending a few years with the kids in DC but grew up here. I don't disagree about the academic pressure. Some of those Ph.D scientist types are worse than the lobbyists.

Less snobby, how about that? It’s not down to earth. And yeah, scientists often have different reasons than lobbyists for not wanting their kids to attend school with poor kids. Still doesn’t make it okay.

[Anonymous]

Please let's all try to be helpful here. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Chevy Chase/parts of Silver Spring and Kensington feed into RHPS fir grades K to 2. The school is HUGE, hundreds of kids per grade with a cold Principal. The lunch room is LOUD and crazy like a zoo with adults screaming to be heard on megaphones. I heard the Principal might be retiring.
There is an autism program but nothing for other disabilities.

RHPS then split into two (depending on where you live) NCC or CCES. CCES has a huge gifted and talented program that feeds in from all over the county. That is the program the Principal cares about because it wins her awards and she is nuts with a massive ago. If you have a special needs kid, they will get ignored. They will not get the services they need.

Add to the fact that the CCES gifted and talented program expanded and almost swallowed the entire school two years ago. So what you have at CCES are kids who don’t live close by and parents who are not involved in the school because of distance and it is temporary so they don’t volunteer. It does not feel like a community school.

Add to that, As a previous poster mentioned, 90% of the Chevy Chase neighborhood sends their kids to private. The neighborhood has a disconnect because kids don’t know each other.

That is the scoop on RHPS/CCES. As far as MCPS in general goes, if your student has dyslexia/dysgraphia/AHHD, run! The system does not recognize the disorders. They killed phonics years ago which is essential for Dyslexic kids. Your kid will need to be in a private school to get what they need. I learned the hard way. Sorry this post is so long. Good luck to you!

[Anonymous]

We're at the ES with one of the highest (if not the highest) median income in MCPS (Burning Tree -- because there are only SFHs in the zone), and even there you don't see that many luxury cars. Student pick-up will be Acura MDXs and well-equipped Toyota Siennas, but no Lexus SUVs that I can recall. Not even a lot of Teslas. There are Priuses and Subarus though. I don't think the crowd is that flashy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chevy Chase/parts of Silver Spring and Kensington feed into RHPS fir grades K to 2. The school is HUGE, hundreds of kids per grade with a cold Principal. The lunch room is LOUD and crazy like a zoo with adults screaming to be heard on megaphones. I heard the Principal might be retiring.
There is an autism program but nothing for other disabilities.

RHPS then split into two (depending on where you live) NCC or CCES. CCES has a huge gifted and talented program that feeds in from all over the county. That is the program the Principal cares about because it wins her awards and she is nuts with a massive ago. If you have a special needs kid, they will get ignored. They will not get the services they need.

Add to the fact that the CCES gifted and talented program expanded and almost swallowed the entire school two years ago. So what you have at CCES are kids who don’t live close by and parents who are not involved in the school because of distance and it is temporary so they don’t volunteer. It does not feel like a community school.

Add to that, As a previous poster mentioned, 90% of the Chevy Chase neighborhood sends their kids to private. The neighborhood has a disconnect because kids don’t know each other.

That is the scoop on RHPS/CCES. As far as MCPS in general goes, if your student has dyslexia/dysgraphia/AHHD, run! The system does not recognize the disorders. They killed phonics years ago which is essential for Dyslexic kids. Your kid will need to be in a private school to get what they need. I learned the hard way. Sorry this post is so long. Good luck to you!

The special needs people at CCES are disgusting. Truly bad people. Unethical and should lose their jobs but - see above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at the ES with one of the highest (if not the highest) median income in MCPS (Burning Tree -- because there are only SFHs in the zone), and even there you don't see that many luxury cars. Student pick-up will be Acura MDXs and well-equipped Toyota Siennas, but no Lexus SUVs that I can recall. Not even a lot of Teslas. There are Priuses and Subarus though. I don't think the crowd is that flashy.

That school is probably less stuck up than some of the others.

[Anonymous]

The 2E middle school in Silver Spring is Brooke Lee (now with a name change?) And the 2E high school is Northwood. The schools aren't wealthy, but they are lovely, full. of engaged students and excellent teachers. In our experience. If your child qualified for the Asperger's program instead they'd be shipped back west to Wooten? And Tilden? From what I've heard, SSIMS has a better track record with SN than Takoma Park MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered Silver Spring/Takoma Park?

We have, and it seems like a lovely area in terms of people/diversity, but were advised against it due to my special needs kid and the school options there. However, if the schools are good for neurotypical kids and otherwise fits our needs, we could look into loans for private school I guess. Are there specific neighborhoods you are thinking of?

Why?

Because people who can afford both don’t want to live on the poor side for the rest of their lives. It is ok being the value pick just don’t pretend that you appeal to non-value shoppers