What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Eastern open house this weekend and thought it was really nice. For the average or slightly above average student who wants a classic, comprehensive high school experience with all the school spirit and traditions, it seemed great.

The staff was surprised at how many people showed up to the tour.

My DC is in 6th, but I'm interested in learning more about their IB program too. We may attend EdFest just to get some basic information before tours next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Eastern open house this weekend and thought it was really nice. For the average or slightly above average student who wants a classic, comprehensive high school experience with all the school spirit and traditions, it seemed great.

The staff was surprised at how many people showed up to the tour.

I have a 6th grader at one of the Eastern feeders, and they are very smart and I have no doubt they’d get into either Banneker or McKinley Tech, and possibly Walls, but Eastern seems more appealing to be for the part above. It’s a big traditional HS building with great sports fields and teams. I haven’t delved into it all too deeply yet, but I’ve followed the IB program a bit and it seems to be growing. And of course there’s the huge added benefit of it being the most local choice.

[Anonymous]

I liked the Eastern tour a lot and plan to have it on our lottery list in case DC strikes out at the application schools. As someone IB for Dunbar, I'm very pleased to see that Eastern seems to be pretty accessible in the lottery. We can't all go to application schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if it doesnt have lockers, where do kids put all their stuff for sports and everything?

The lack of lockers is a real bummer - BASIS definitely wins on that front (even if walls building more “charming”)! Kids haul around absurdly heavy backpacks all day long (plus a sports bag). Not cool, not fun.

Kids don’t carry their sports bags around all day. They leave them on the first floor. If the only reason you aren’t applying to Walls is lack of lockers, then that’s absurd or you have really great high school options.

The reason thr building is so crowded is because DCPS makes the school take more kids than initially planned. So think about it this way- if Walls went back to being 500 kids, 1/6 of thr kids there wouldn’t have gotten in. I’d rather have a crowded school that can allow in an extra 100 students in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if it doesnt have lockers, where do kids put all their stuff for sports and everything?

The lack of lockers is a real bummer - BASIS definitely wins on that front (even if walls building more “charming”)! Kids haul around absurdly heavy backpacks all day long (plus a sports bag). Not cool, not fun.

LOCKERS. Their absence isn't ideal, but the fact that kids can leave their athletic gear and other stuff lying around all day and still find it exactly where they put it at the end of the day says something about the school. It's a school full of nerds who aren't going to risk their academic career by doing anything that could be interpreted as a petty crime.

FACILITIES. Some teachers have to share classrooms, which seems ridiculous. Not having athletic facilities is a gigantic pain if your kid is on a team that has to travel 45 minutes every day to RFK for practice.

ADMINISTRATION. Meh. Not awful, but not much better than mediocre. The principal advocates far more for DCPS than the students, who deserve so much more.

COHORTS: Honestly the best thing about Walls. The kids are high-achieving but supportive of each other, there isn't really any bullying, and it's a great environment for peers, especially for the more impressionable kids.