Kingsbury KEEP and other 4 year old options?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any experience with the KEEP program at Kingsbury (even a tour/discard as option experience)? I haven't really seen much info on here about it, or anywhere else, so I'm not clear the type of kid they typically serve. And other suggestions for the 4 year old year?

We are trying to assemble the list of schools to talk to/look at this fall for next year, when our child will be 4 (a year out from K). ADHDish issues, some social/peer issues, sensory issues/motor skills. More active than most kids, but no big acting out behaviors (for the moment anyway). Gets speech (mostly social/pragmatic) and OT now, but think the classroom support/environment matters more than those isolated services. One of those kids that wouldn't get kicked out of any random school and would survive, but wouldn't quite be getting the needed support and then would encounter far bigger issues in K than if some progress isn't made before then. Would almost certainly do better regardless of other differences in a smaller class than the standard 20 for 4 year olds.

Open to SN specific as well as "mainstream" with a focus on skills that might help (this will not be a child that politely greets teachers and then calmly and quietly plays on the floor during a school interview/playdate - "wow....active" is the comment we often get upon meeting new people - so I imagine that might not be the desired profile at some schools). Cognitively/academically on target (you know, to the extent you measure at 3).

Familiar with Maddux - that would be a hike, as well as logistically challenging, but is on the list. Currently in DCPS with an IEP. Not going well so far (from our perspective - school thinks it's just fine, but they've set the bar so low it would be hard not to be) so we want to make sure we are preparing options in case it's going similarly poorly as the year progresses.

[Anonymous]

Also a hike but there's the KTS preschool program in Rockville and the Lourie Center. You probably already have checked out St. Columba's. I've been on this forum for years and have never seen much discussion of Kingsbury. FWIW, there are families who make the trek from DC to attend Maddux.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked into your public option for preschool?

In terms of inclusive preschools, I would add NCRC in addition to St. Columba's.

[Anonymous]

Consider Bridges or Creative Minds (both DC charter schools). You have to lottery to get into them but both may work for PK4 and K.

[Anonymous]

My child goes to Kingsbury, not in the KEEP program. I think its a really excellent school and wish I had seriously considered it sooner rather than other SN schools. I'd recommend taking a look.