Help! Need School Advice!

[Anonymous]

We just moved to DC from VA. We live in the Fort Totten area, and my son will start kindergarten next fall. I'm told (and I believe) that our neighborhood schools are BAD, so I'm looking at public charter schools. TOTALLY OVERWHELMED. Where does one even start? A major consideration for me as a single mom is accessibility. Also, I've gone to a great deal of effort to expose my son to Spanish from birth, and he understands quite a bit. I don't want to lose that. He's extremely bright (high IQ runs in the family), and is already reading books like Babar and doing basic math. He's very strong-willed and very slow to warm up to a new situation. A friend suggested that Montessori might be a good fit for him. He's not really into sports, but is very creative and loves music and the arts. And science. And math. And ...

I can't find anything on any site about gifted programs at any school. I'm a big believer in active learning - learning through play and hands-on experiences. Some of the websites use words like "rigorous academic environment" or similar, which makes me nervous.

DC Bilingual is VERY convenient, but will it be a good fit for him? LAMB sounds amazing, but we're about halfway between the two campuses, and either would be a drive. And is one campus better than the other? Am I overlooking something else fabulous in the neighborhood? Neighbors send their son to Bridges, which is apparently moving (or has just moved) next door to DC Bilingual. Their website sounds good, but no Spanish?

I keep going in circles and would appreciate any advice/opinions/etc. that anyone has to offer.

As a side note, my daughter will attend the same school. She's 20 months, so it will be awhile, but she's also very bright and is fully bilingual.

Thank you!!
Samantha

[Anonymous]

I have a feeling that you should strongly consider private schools and since the cost may be an issue, look into financial aid. Dual language charter schools like LAMB, DC bilingual and Mundo Verde are difficult to get into through the lottery and I don't think that they will meet your expectations.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to DC.

There are no "gifted" programs in dc which is why you can not find any information on them.

Since your oldest is entering K, LAMB is not an option b/c they only accept children through PreK.

Where do you work b/c unlike VA, DC does not have any school buses so you probably want something on our commuting path.

[Anonymous]

There isn't anything "fabulous" that you are overlooking. If your focus is bilingual and close to your residence, your best bet is to look at schools that meet those requirements and then lottery for them by listing them high on myschooldc. As PP is said LAMB is probably off the table for you if your son is entering K because they only accept 3 and 4 year olds.

I would also look at private schools as well in case your son doesn't get in anywhere you like. There are a few catholic schools in the city like Sacred Heart that run around $7k. If you need financial aid though you might have missed the deadlines because I think some of the privates require the application for aid to be submitted in December... though perhaps that is only for returning students.

Also FYI, when your daughter becomes school age you begin this process again. However you have a better chance at getting in a charter at PK3 because more slots are open at that time. If she gets into somewhere good, you can then use sibling preference and lottery your son to hopefully get him at the same school. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

LAMB doesn't take new kids at kindergarten so you can take that off your list.

[Anonymous]

The charters are so hard to get into, you should try to lottery into neighborhood schools that are better than yours but not impossible to get into out of bounds. And it's time to apply to private schools so you at least have an option. Or move.

[Anonymous]

Look at Bridges. The location will be good for you.

[Anonymous]

The new Bridged location is right in Ft Totten--you should check it out. They will be moving for next year.

[Anonymous]

In the absence of knowing where you work/the direction of your commute, I'd say:

DC Bilingual
Stokes (Spanish)
Bridges
Cap City
Takoma EC

[Anonymous]

For bilingual you might also check out some of the DCPS programs.

[Anonymous]

DC bilingual and Bridges are your best bets. Bridges can differentiate well and would be good for your son who is an early reader (not necessarily gifted, per se).

[Anonymous]

Where do you work/commute to? What's more important, commute or Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Getting into charters via the lottery is exactly that... a lottery. And all of the school you want everyone else wants and since you are trying to get a spot for a kindergartner there are very few lottery spots available as most of the classes are filled from the pk-4 kids. If you do not secure a lottery spot your only option will be your in-bound school unless you go private. So if it is in your budget you may want to apply to some private schools now for the fall. If you don't get into private or lottery into an acceptable charter, you can move in-bounds for any neighborhood school in August and they have to take you. Oyster in Woodley Park comes to mind for Spanish but it does not have pk-3, you would have to wait for pk-4.

[Anonymous]

OP, a few things:
1) DCPS really starts in PK3/PK4, which is to say your kid will be vying for very, very few spots available. It's akin to having your kid lottery into the 2nd grade.

2) Look at past waitlist lines to get a sense of how likely some of these choices will be.

3) Spend some time on http://www.myschooldc.org/ which will explain how it works and will give you info on each school.

4) Consider private if you don't get into any school you like. The reality is that parents do drive all over the city or move on behalf of their kids and the schools they want them to attend. I'm a little surprised that you hadn't thought of all this before selecting your housing.

[Anonymous]

I would but SELA on your lottery list. It is near by and people there are generally happy but not there for the long term as they are uncertain if the school will be around.