LAMB closing its existing campuses and consolidating to one campus

[Anonymous]

It's definitely not just one parent. I have personally heard from several other families that support the idea and imagine there are others. For whatever reason, there seems to be a fear of speaking up and out in this community, that given the attacks on said individual, may be justified. I'd hope we can get past the dislike for the messenger, hear the message, and give credit to the fact that she has put in a lot of effort to get the ball rolling on this.

From my understanding, the ask was for administrative support (i.e. getting the kids from the bus inside the school). AFTER it was learned that some schools also assist with the cost, that was thrown out as an option as well, particularly because an aid would need to be hired. Nor was the shuttle limited to Wards 6,7,and 8. Those were just the first parents to try to formally get it started, and believed to be the most impacted. Ideally, I would hope it could be an option for any student who needs it, regardless of ward. I really don't get the hostility on either side. Be for the shuttle, be against the shuttle, but act like adults ...This whole thread makes the LAMB "community" look like a disgusting sham! If we don't get it together, both "sides" will lose as this move still has to be approved, when we all have the potential to win!

Signed, Mom of 3 who wrote to the listserv
(Because I don't need to be anonymous to the LAMB community)

[Anonymous]

LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

Oh my goodness, why in the world would a MO family have any reason to "dislike" a whole group of SD families and vice versa? Just because they go to the other campus? That's like saying I don't like MV families because they go to another Spanish school. You know how ridiculous that sounds? I am very excited to have the two schools together. I like lots of families from SD. If there is a different culture (which is pretty minimal, if it exists), there isn't any reason they can't merge together. Remember, many families move back and forth between the campuses as their kids move grades, etc.

[Anonymous]

The halves and the halves mores! SD vs MO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

I do not think that they dislike each other, it is just that there are different needs and different communities. For example, one year ARRIBA funds were used to buy new playground equipment for the SD campus, some MO parents were not happy but they did not start a crusade to get the school to buy new equipment for the MO campus. SD campus has a part time nurse but somehow when the MO campus was renovated they failed to follow DCPS guidelines and the room that was allocated to be used for the school nurse does not meet the requirements and thus there is no nurse at MO campus. This year the summer camp is being held at the SD facility and vast majority of MO parents will send their kids somewhere else because of convenience, last year summer camp was at MO campus and lots of SD parents sent their kids somewhere else because it was more convenient. There is no hate, I agree with PP in the sense that the school effectively became two schools with two different sets of communities and needs. Now the idea of unifying both communities into one school is understandably upsetting to the community that feels that they have to relocate to a place that is not convenient for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

I do not think that they dislike each other, it is just that there are different needs and different communities. For example, one year ARRIBA funds were used to buy new playground equipment for the SD campus, some MO parents were not happy but they did not start a crusade to get the school to buy new equipment for the MO campus. SD campus has a part time nurse but somehow when the MO campus was renovated they failed to follow DCPS guidelines and the room that was allocated to be used for the school nurse does not meet the requirements and thus there is no nurse at MO campus. This year the summer camp is being held at the SD facility and vast majority of MO parents will send their kids somewhere else because of convenience, last year summer camp was at MO campus and lots of SD parents sent their kids somewhere else because it was more convenient. There is no hate, I agree with PP in the sense that the school effectively became two schools with two different sets of communities and needs. Now the idea of unifying both communities into one school is understandably upsetting to the community that feels that they have to relocate to a place that is not convenient for them.

Why?

Because one location = more community. One location brings cost savings - fewer administrators needed, reduced utility costs, cleaning fees, etc. And better overslight/QA of what's happening (theoretically anyway).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

I do not think that they dislike each other, it is just that there are different needs and different communities. For example, one year ARRIBA funds were used to buy new playground equipment for the SD campus, some MO parents were not happy but they did not start a crusade to get the school to buy new equipment for the MO campus. SD campus has a part time nurse but somehow when the MO campus was renovated they failed to follow DCPS guidelines and the room that was allocated to be used for the school nurse does not meet the requirements and thus there is no nurse at MO campus. This year the summer camp is being held at the SD facility and vast majority of MO parents will send their kids somewhere else because of convenience, last year summer camp was at MO campus and lots of SD parents sent their kids somewhere else because it was more convenient. There is no hate, I agree with PP in the sense that the school effectively became two schools with two different sets of communities and needs. Now the idea of unifying both communities into one school is understandably upsetting to the community that feels that they have to relocate to a place that is not convenient for them.

Why?

Because one location = more community. One location brings cost savings - fewer administrators needed, reduced utility costs, cleaning fees, etc. And better overslight/QA of what's happening (theoretically anyway).

There will be no cost savings to combine schools given the intense renovations that will need to happen over years.

I am for two schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

I do not think that they dislike each other, it is just that there are different needs and different communities. For example, one year ARRIBA funds were used to buy new playground equipment for the SD campus, some MO parents were not happy but they did not start a crusade to get the school to buy new equipment for the MO campus. SD campus has a part time nurse but somehow when the MO campus was renovated they failed to follow DCPS guidelines and the room that was allocated to be used for the school nurse does not meet the requirements and thus there is no nurse at MO campus. This year the summer camp is being held at the SD facility and vast majority of MO parents will send their kids somewhere else because of convenience, last year summer camp was at MO campus and lots of SD parents sent their kids somewhere else because it was more convenient. There is no hate, I agree with PP in the sense that the school effectively became two schools with two different sets of communities and needs. Now the idea of unifying both communities into one school is understandably upsetting to the community that feels that they have to relocate to a place that is not convenient for them.

Why?

Because one location = more community. One location brings cost savings - fewer administrators needed, reduced utility costs, cleaning fees, etc. And better overslight/QA of what's happening (theoretically anyway).

There will be no cost savings to combine schools given the intense renovations that will need to happen over years.

I am for two schools.

The school's horizon is 10-20 years. And they only have SD for 3 more years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent here, there is no "unified" LAMB community, the fact of the matter is that the school is divided and each campus has its own culture and community hence the conflicting arguments and desires on this board. Few parents who start preschool in MO campus get to know parents who start in the SD campus and if they do it is only when their kids go to 4th grade so that would be 6 years after they started at LAMB

Why are they trying to "unify" tie schools then? Seems like the Missouri people really dislike the SD people and vice versa.

I do not think that they dislike each other, it is just that there are different needs and different communities. For example, one year ARRIBA funds were used to buy new playground equipment for the SD campus, some MO parents were not happy but they did not start a crusade to get the school to buy new equipment for the MO campus. SD campus has a part time nurse but somehow when the MO campus was renovated they failed to follow DCPS guidelines and the room that was allocated to be used for the school nurse does not meet the requirements and thus there is no nurse at MO campus. This year the summer camp is being held at the SD facility and vast majority of MO parents will send their kids somewhere else because of convenience, last year summer camp was at MO campus and lots of SD parents sent their kids somewhere else because it was more convenient. There is no hate, I agree with PP in the sense that the school effectively became two schools with two different sets of communities and needs. Now the idea of unifying both communities into one school is understandably upsetting to the community that feels that they have to relocate to a place that is not convenient for them.

Why?

Because one location = more community. One location brings cost savings - fewer administrators needed, reduced utility costs, cleaning fees, etc. And better overslight/QA of what's happening (theoretically anyway).

There will be no cost savings to combine schools given the intense renovations that will need to happen over years.

I am for two schools.

The school's horizon is 10-20 years. And they only have SD for 3 more years.

That lease can be easily renewed. they said that at the meeting.

[Anonymous]

Does both school ever come together and do things as one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does both school ever come together and do things as one?

Yes - there have been several joint (and separate) meetings about the sexual assault situation and its aftermath.

And there is a joint performance each spring. All the upper elementary students wind up at one campus, so they 'graduate' together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does both school ever come together and do things as one?

Yes - there have been several joint (and separate) meetings about the sexual assault situation and its aftermath.

And there is a joint performance each spring. All the upper elementary students wind up at one campus, so they 'graduate' together.

I just joined this past year and I was pleasantly surprised by how the school felt unified and didn't feel like 2 campuses being addressed differently. All the coffee hours and events generally take place at each campus and at the joint events, like winter festival everyone is friendly and gets along just fine. Every time there is teacher appreciation or special event, it is coordinated at both campuses. The ED and principal are seen roaming the halls of both campuses and I never felt like I was at a secondary campus. I imagine creating that equal feeling is not easy to do and I think Lamb has done a great job. This is the only negative thread I've seen (dealing with a negative situation other than the assault).

I definitely see a benefit to having a unified campus and I hope that the shuttle can work out so everyone can be pleased.

p.s. We are at SD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does both school ever come together and do things as one?

Yes - there have been several joint (and separate) meetings about the sexual assault situation and its aftermath.

And there is a joint performance each spring. All the upper elementary students wind up at one campus, so they 'graduate' together.

I just joined this past year and I was pleasantly surprised by how the school felt unified and didn't feel like 2 campuses being addressed differently. All the coffee hours and events generally take place at each campus and at the joint events, like winter festival everyone is friendly and gets along just fine. Every time there is teacher appreciation or special event, it is coordinated at both campuses. The ED and principal are seen roaming the halls of both campuses and I never felt like I was at a secondary campus. I imagine creating that equal feeling is not easy to do and I think Lamb has done a great job. This is the only negative thread I've seen (dealing with a negative situation other than the assault).

I definitely see a benefit to having a unified campus and I hope that the shuttle can work out so everyone can be pleased.

p.s. We are at SD

Honestly the time this all happens, given the inevitable delays, nearly every family now at LAMB will be gone. Save for younger sibings of this year's K students.

[Anonymous]

I think you are right. Read through the minutes of the meeting. I don't think the Kingsbury move will ever happen. If it does it will be something like 2029.