Tell me about Olney Schools
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Anonymous
| Tell me more about the Olney schools, the pros and cons and specifically which school your child attends. We're looking for an area with good schools but also where the community and parents are laid back, friendly, sense of community, etc. Our children are in elementary schools but hearing about the middle and high schools will also be helpful as we'll be there long-term. |
Anonymous
|
The only HS for Olney is Sherwood.
There are two MS: Rosa Parks and Farquahar. They're very comparable. Have you searched this forum already? There must be posts on the various schools. I think the schools in Olney, Brookeville and Sandy Spring are fairly comparable. There are slight demographic variations. Most folks will tell you their school is the best...and I think that demonstrates that folks seem to be happy at every school. Generally speaking, I don't think any of the schools are over-crowded (no portables). |
Anonymous
| I know some areas of Olney feed into Magrudar, and I'm pretty sure some feed into Blake. |
Anonymous
yes Cashell will feed into Magruder. And if you're zoned for Cloverly, you'll eventually hit the NEC - whether you're straight NEC (as in Briggs Chaney MS) or "round about" through Farquhar MS. Also, if you're close to Georgia Avenue (Old Baltimore and parts of Prince Philip - Hallowell), you're mostly likely in the NEC and zoned for Blake. |
Anonymous
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Cashell and a lovely are not considered Olney schools.
And if you're moving out this way, you don't want to live in the part that might be zoned for Blake. Buy in a neighborhood that feeds into Sherwood HS, and avoid Cashell. |
Anonymous
|
I'll bite, and I'll rank:
Belmont and Greenwood are the best. Olney and Brooke Grove are next. And I'd put Sherwood elementary at the bottom--even though it's still a perfectly fine school. Cashell is in Rockville, and Cloverly is way the heck over in Silver Spring. Honestly, everyone I know is happy with their Olney school, so I don't think you can go wrong. Folks will debate Rosa vs. Farquahar, but I think they are comparable (maybe the demographics are slightly different). Just make sure you buy into Sherwood HS. |
Anonymous
| Olney schools are all pretty comparable. Like the PP above mentioned, probably better to stick with the areas that feed into Rosa Parks/ Sherwood. Greenwood and Olney ES are on the larger side, but Olney ES does not have an before/after care program. Belmont is a smaller school and does have a before/after care on site. All of the schools have an active PTA and solid reputations. |
Anonymous
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I don't think you can rank the elementary schools in this area to be honest.
Sherwood ES, for example, pulls from some VERY different areas - as far up New Hampshire Ave, to where Brookeville extends (close to Howard County), up and down 108 btw Sandy Spring and parts closer to Howard, and then down NH (south) in Ashton. more "farming" communities - or homes on larger pieces of property that feed into Sherwood ES So the buses aren't packed and most kids get door-to-door service. The other schools - Belmont, for example, which has a great Bar T program - are in neighborhoods with homes that aren't that spaced out. So parents tend to know each other. very different feel Our daughter will be attending Farquhar, which is a fantastic school. Our son is still at Sherwood ES, and we've been pleased with it. It's a well run school with very strong parental support. Keep in mind that the Olney area is large, as it's surrounded by Brookeville, Ashton, and Sandy Spring. Most of those areas feed into Sherwood HS - with a few exceptions zoned for the NEC. Cloverly isn't too far out, however. It's just down New Hampshire Avenue. It's also a fantastic little school. I have friends with kids there and have not heard anything negative. It does, however, feed into the NEC. So kids will either attend Blake or Paint Branch as their home school. However, b/c it's a consortium school, students can also pick Springbrook. great schools backed by community - and without that "pressure cooker" feel
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Anonymous
What is NEC? |
Anonymous
Cashell is not in Olney, but it is a school that people who live in Olney are zoned for. http://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/CashellES.pdf |
Anonymous
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/nec/ |
Anonymous
| If you bother to move out to Olney, then move to a school zone that ultimately feeds into Sherwood HS. The variety of paths that get you there are fairly comparable. |
Anonymous
| Sherwood has gangs too! and drugs-you cannot escape! |
Anonymous
Who said anything about Sherwood being Utopia? My point is this: if you bother to move out to Olney and want your kids to build friendships from K-HS, then buy in a neighborhood that feeds into Sherwood instead of buying into Cashell. Otherwise, your kid ends up at a different HS than all the kids he plays sports with, goes to CCD with, etc. And in Sherwood vs. Magruder, Sherwood wins (by a lot). But Good Counsel trounces Sherwood. PS - Olney is more Catholic and conservative than I anticipated. It doesn't really impact our lives, but it's something I try to keep in mind when chatting about politics, etc. |
Anonymous
Good Counsel's academic program isn't variably different than Sherwood. They do however cover up their controversies much better. |