update on DCJCC?

[khgordon]

I have read the old posts on the DCJCC, and it seems like most of the concerns were related to a former director, who left last year. Does anyone -- particularly any current parent -- have an update on the preschool program there? We are thinking about sending our daughter in the fall. Quick responses would be great; we have to make up our minds very soon.

(Apologies for cross-posting; I put this in the "general schools discussion" thread before realized there was a specific preschool thread as well.)

[Anonymous]

I dont send my child there, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed with the quality of care. Just this past Friday there was an accident at Stead that required an ambulance to show up. I believe the child was ok. But there was a fair amount of blood.

[Anonymous]

PP -- If you don't send your child there, just curious how do you know the accident was related to a child at the JCC? Stead is a public park and the JCC is not the only place that uses it for outdoor time. please know that I'm not trying to be confrontational with this post. We were also planning to send our child there in the fall so I'm just digging a little deeper to try to figure out what the truth is. obviously, if this is true it really concerns me.

[Anonymous]

i am a J parent. this was not my child, but as I understand it, he was injured ( in the head), paramedics and parents were called. paramedics treated the child at the scene. the parent opted to take the child the ER personally (ie the child did not go in ambulance). the child was not concussed and released from hospital same day.


i've thought about this and i decided i am not upset about it. this is the first accident of this caliber since our child has been at the school two years (and that includes all of the summer camps that they run). i just think these things happen sometimes when kids are playing on the playground. several members of my family are elementary school teachers and they all have had experiences like this. i've seen something like this happen to a 2yo whose mom is quite vigilant.

the ONLY thing that gives me pause about this incident is that there were 4 JCC classes on the playground at the time. it might make sense for the J to consider a new policy about how many kids they allow in the playground at the same time. 4 might be too many, too chaotic. but i was one of the first beautiful spring days we've had, so i can see why the teachers wanted to let the kids play outside.


i assume that the previous poster is a parent or nanny who attends stead park with her kids/charges.

[khgordon]

Hi J parent,

Thanks for this informed post. How do you like the preschool, in general?

Thanks. Also, why does everyone on this forum post anonymously? I've never experienced that before on parent forums in other cities.

[Anonymous]

Not OP, but also potential DC JCC parent here. Two concerns: 1) the director indicated on our tour that no more than 2 classes at a time are allowed to go to the park--was this "rule" broken b/c of the good weather? 2) Previous threads indicated that several DC JCC teachers (not all) when on the playground do not observe the children playing, but rather spend time socializing and chatting with each other. When I observed the teachers at Stead, I also found that several DC JCC teachers were talking with each other, facing each other, and not looking at the children.

That being said, I agree with one of the PPs that accidents do happen even and will not necessarily turn down DC's spot b/c of this incident.

Does anyone know what the director's/school's response to this incident was? I hope that there will be stricter enforcement of the 2 classes at at time rule and that the teachers will be monitored for clumping.

[Anonymous]

Accidents do happen, but what was troubling about this accident was that the child was standing on the middle part of the seesaw horsing around while 4 other kids were riding the seesaw. It was obvious that at that age, the child was very likely to fall off and none of the teachers saw it, or saw it and didn't think anything of it. It's one thing to fall off the monkey bars because a child slips; it's another to be clearly using equipment improperly and not be supervised.

[Anonymous]

PP here who made the comment about the incident. I was on the playground at the time and while I didnt see the accident happen, it wasnt hard to figure out what occured. It appears that the child was standing up in the middle of the teeter totter as other kids were riding it up and down. The child lost balance and fell down hurting themself. I only brought this up, because my greatest conern with the JCC, which we were also considering, is that over the years I have seen a general lack of attention and interaction on the playground. I caveat this by saying that I have also witnessed some very good teachers. Ones that walk around and play and interact, but in many cases I witness the teachers chatting among themselves and checking their cell phones.

Friday was an especially chaotic day. The playground was especially crowded both with JCC kids and kids from the neighborhood, so I can understand how things can get a little confusing out there, but not 15 minuties after the accident, anothe JCC child was up on the teeter totter doing the same thing. I realize these teachers are young and inexperienced, but I would hope that they would be smart enough with that many kids on the playground to official divide up the playground into areas of coverage.

I cannot comment on the quality of the school itself or its academics, but watching them on the playground has always made me pause.

[Anonymous]

I'm a JCC parent; my child is in that class. You have got to be joking if you think that kids don't get hurt at playgrounds regardless of whether they're with parents, nannies, good teachers, or inattentive ones. The teachers have to look out for about six kids each, and even if you're hustling around, a kid can get into a bad situation before you have a chance to stop it.

I can't count the number of times my brother and I managed to get ourselves sent to the emergency room by climbing onto the wrong parts of the jungle gyms as kids and hurling ourselves off. Nothing our stay-at-home mother could have done about it, even with a 2-1 ratio.

That child is fine. I saw him this morning, happily sitting with his teacher and reading a storybook. His parents are not upset at JCC from what I can tell, nor should they be.

I'm amused by the number of posters who are either not at the school or didn't see it but feel qualified to comment.

[[e-mail]]

Hi everyone,

My name is Sarah Rabin Spira, and I'm the director of the Washington DCJCC. I'd like to contribute more information to the posts listed and appreciate everyone's comments, concerns and support.

The see-saw at the park is one of the new kinds which is on springs, rather than a fulcrum, and has a center platform for children to stand and balance. On Friday afternoon, there was a child on that part who fell off and hurt his head. His teacher applied a compress and saw a need for stitches. She called 911 and the school, and another teacher called the child’s parents. Our assistant security director, camp director and I all came to the park to assist. When the EMTs arrived, they determined the child did not have a concussion but would need stitches on his forehead. The child’s father came and chose to take him to Georgetown Hospital.

When I checked in with the family on Saturday, they said that Georgetown admitted him immediately and used a glue (instead of stitches) to take care of him. The child is fine and in good spirits, and the parents thanked us for how we handled it at the park. We also sent a note within the hour to the entire school letting them know about it and our response, and the parents who responded were also grateful for the actions, communication and transparency.

While we usually limit the number of classes at the park in the mornings, we did have four classes at the park that afternoon. I allowed this because the class sizes were smaller than normal, even for the afternoons, and it was indeed the first school day of nice weather in a while. We had an extra teacher at the park to help with the group. We have reviewed our procedures for going outside, and I will continue to make sure they are enforced for the highest safety for our children. Despite the design of the see-saw, which encourages standing on the middle platform, I will ask my teachers to not allow its use without a teacher standing immediately next to it. I monitor the park, dropping by often, so that I can feel confident about the children's care. If teachers are "clumping," thank you for letting me know. I will address it with my staff.

While accidents can and do happen, we should try to prevent them and also make sure that our response is quick, effective and caring. All of our teachers are certified in First Aid and CPR and carry First Aid kits and emergency contact forms with them.

If you have any questions, please call or email me: [phone], [e-mail]

Thank you,
Sarah

[Anonymous]

Thanks for weighing in, Sarah. It's good to see that you monitor these boards!

[Anonymous]

As a parent in the neighborhood who uses the park often, I would recommend that the DCJCC have a policy that the "teachers" not use their cell phones when at the park. I often see the teachers chatting on teh cell phones for long periods of time when they should be supervising the 6+ kids they each watch. I know its hard to watch that many kids or even one child and not have an acccident but frankly, taking extra steps to ensure better overall safety is the best way to go. I never use my phone when I am at the playground, and actively walk around and play with my children -- hoping to minimize any risks to my child or others. I would hope (and do see) other parents do this as well. Hopefully this incident with prompt a little more vigilance on the part of the teachers, but I do note that it was great to see they handled the accident calmly and swiftly.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP that it's fantastic to see a director so aware and responsive to the local community. I can only hope that the teachers themselves would be so aware as well.

Also agree with a PP that the director should implement a cell phone ban (the teachers must understand that playground time is teaching outside, not a break from the classroom!) and that ALL the teachers take it upon themselves to interact with the children at Stead. The teachers ought to know that their behavior reflects upon their school and that, as this thread attests, they are being observed and judged by the general public.

[[e-mail]]

It's Sarah Rabin Spira again. Our policy on cell phone use is that they are to be used for emergencies, to communicate with parents or to call the school (if urgent) only. If teachers are not following this policy, then I will take care of it. Thank you for letting me know.

[Anonymous]

You people will find that the director will tell you just about anything to keep the wool over your eyes...not upset eh?

Just wait until it's your child with his head split open and with his blood quenching the pavement and we'll see just how happy you are.

Yes they practice taking out 4 or 5 classes at once...on occasion you'll find all of the classes at the park. The great weather had nothing to do with it. They keep this practice even during the winter.

This school is a joke...You WILL find a moment to take it seriously after it is too late and you've enrolled...I promise you that...Then again, with great risk always comes the potential for great reward eh?

LOL