Moving to Cap Hill from out of state, tell me about Brent elementary
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Anonymous
| I searched and read all info I could about Brent on this forum since I am out of state and moving this summer but outside of long wait lists at PK level, how is the elementary school? What are strengths and weaknesses at K-4 level? Thanks |
Anonymous
|
OP, what is your housing budget? Are you looking to buy or rent?
A non-dumpy family-size house goes for well over $1 million, if you're lucky enough to find one. A smaller house in need of renovations is close to a million. Is that what you're looking to spend? Maybe if you tell us your housing budget and the ages of your kids, we cam advise you on which school districts to consider. But, in answer to your question, Brent is well-regarded and a great school. |
Anonymous
| I have two kids at Brent now, and have a child at the school for eight years. We love the school. The principal and the building are both good/fine. The specials (art, music, foreign language, PE) are very good. The school is small and quite orderly. The teachers are amazing. We have had so many fabulous classroom teachers. The student body is nice, mostly very well prepared/ at grade level. We have not had a problem with any of our kids being bullied. |
Anonymous
Seeking info about the strengths and weaknesses of five different grade levels is quite an ask. Teachers leave and are replaced. Cohorts can vary from classroom to classroom in terms of academics and behavior. The experience of a current Fourth Grader undoubtedly will vary from that in five years for a student now in K. You might want to reframe and narrow your questions. Also, you should search the Brentt website for info about the ongoing strategic planning process. More importantly, if you are able, come visit Brent and meet with the teachers. Now, gird yourself for posters who are about to inform you of all the reasons you shouldn't even consider moving into the Brent district. |
Anonymous
^^^ 
This isn't what OP asked about at all. You sound like the type who checks Zillow every 10 minutes to see what their home is worth. |
Anonymous
| Brent is wonderful. I think you'll love it. What grades are you looking at? |
Anonymous
I am a Hill resident with preschool age kids in a nearby district, who repeatly looks at Brent on-line home listings, as I've considered a move of my own. But the inventory is low and the prices are thru the roof. For people contemplating an out-of-town move into the Brent District, the cost of real estate may be highly relevant. I think most will agree, though, that Brent is an amazing school. If OP can afford to live inbounds, she should definitely consider it. |
Anonymous
| And the neighborhood is awesome for kids! I don't know where you're coming from, but Capitol Hill is a wonderful place to live and to experience some of the best that D.C. can offer. |
Anonymous
| OP didn't ask for advice regarding real estate matters. For all you know she has a house under contract as she is contemplating moving this summer, which is not far off. She is seeking specifics about Brent. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
But that isn't what the poster asked at all. The responses have nothing to do with the real estate climate on the Hill or anywhere else in DC |
Anonymous
| OP here-we are renting and it would be for K and 3rd grade. Any insight in to those 2 grades would be helpful. Thank you. |
Anonymous
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I don't know anything about 2nd grade, but K is a good time to transition into Brent because there are a lot of inbound kids going there for the first time who were shut out during the PK lottery.
The neighborhood is fantastic, lots of parks and kid activities. People are happy here and with Brent. |
Anonymous
There are three classrooms for both grade levels. Teachers essentially work as "teams" across grade level. Each grade level has experienced instructors, although two of the 3rd Grade instructors are relatively new to Brent. There is differentiationto accommodate differing learning styles and abilities. The upper grades have pullouts for students who are both advanced (e.g., a 3rd Grader can take math with 4th or even 5th Graders) and those who are striving to attain proficiency (Math Club is offered to students after school). It appears likely that there will be 3-4 aides whose time will be allocated among several classrooms/grade levels starting next year. The K classrooms each have a dedicated aide funded by DCPS. The rising Third Grade cohort is well-established and for the most part has been together since PK. As to K, there are about 40 risinijg K'ers currently at Bremt who will be joined by about 15 kids who were shut out of the lottery in 2013. Many of these kids found spots at nearby schools on the Hill for the past two years. There is a great deal of focus put on advancing the development of reading and writing skills at the K level, although formal "homework" was discontinued for K-2 about three years ago. Third Grade has nightly homework assignments for math, supplemented by weekly composition writing and bi-weekly vocabulary exercises. Mastery of multiplication and division math facts is imperative and students are introduced to fractions, dimensional measurements and other concepts, which are supplemented with online practice tools such as iXL and Xtramath which are monitored by teachers. Third Grade stidents are also expected to read a book of their choosing for at least 30 minutes each night. Some parents feel that there could be much greater degree of academic rigor at the Third Grade level. Brent utilizes Investigations Math, Reader's and Writer's Workshops, and Responsive Classroom. |
Anonymous
| IIRC about half of the rising K cohort now attending Brent have older sibs at the school. |