Thompson Elementary

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Are there any Thompson parents out there who can share how they like the PK program? How is K and above? I plan to attend an open house but am interested in feedback on your experiences.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Thomson

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thomson

Do you have a child/children who go there or are you just the spelling police?

[Anonymous]

There is tons in the archives about this school, but you won't find it if you don't spell it correctly.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/356029.page#9157742

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/356029.page

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/535936.page

This one is old but has some 2016 comments http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/45/351049.page

[Anonymous]

Not the OP, but can anyone clarify if they offer after care for PK? I read somewhere they didn't. I've also read it's super hard to get in from OOB but haven't confirmed.

[Anonymous]

Yes they have aftercare for Pk. Yes it is difficult to get in OOB for Pk. I think this year only 2 or 3 Pk kids are OOB

[Anonymous]

I'm a current PK4 parent and have been happy with the school.

Academics: A few months ago, our PK teacher noticed that our daughter is ready to read and perform basic math skills. She has been pulling aside our daughter and a few other students during play time to hone these skills. I really appreciate this level of attention, and it's been delightful to see our daughter begin sounding out and recognizing words and to be able to do simple math problems.

Social/Emotional: Our daughter's first year had a rocky start with regards to relationships with the other children. Our teacher spent some time with her over the first few months on managing her temper and showing empathy, which had a visible impact. I believe our teacher really cares about the kids and puts a ton of energy into her work -- we are just so appreciative.

General: The faculty and staff are very warm and friendly. The school has received "reward" status from DCPS for the past few years, and our principle has been recognized as a high performer. It's a Title I school, so there are unusual "perks", like free lunch, mandatory teeth brushing after lunch, uniforms, etc. It's also an IB school, with a great curriculum coordinator, so I'm looking forward to the years ahead. The PK kids take field trips -- this year, so far, they've gone to the Botanical Gardens and to the Air and Space Museum (by Metro -- those brave teachers.). There are playgrounds on each building story that are semi-enclosed, parking garage style -- I like this set up, because the kids can play outside year-round, but I do miss the big outdoor playgrounds of my own childhood memories. There is roof-top garden that was revitalized last year with kale, potatoes, etc..

Concerns: The PTA is not particularly active, relative to other schools (which could be considered a plus, depending on where you stand on PTAs); after-school enrichment offerings are very limited, compared to WOTP schools; the music program could use a boost; and third grade test scores, while increasing, are not good (some high performers, many low performers -- guessing this is partly related to ESL population, since math scores are much higher than the English scores?). The last point is probably my biggest concern for longer term participation in the school. Right now, my view is that as long as a group of kiddos are doing super well on these new, tough PARCC exams, that says to me that they are getting the extra attention they need and are working at the same level as their peers in other schools. I really love so much about Thomson -- our daughter has been doing so well -- I want to make it work. I will revisit this last point as our kiddo progresses through the school -- fingers crossed.


Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

The stronger performance in math vs ELA is consistent among ELL and non-ELL students at Thomson. In fact the gap is 16% vs. 12%.

It's such a small school population - just a few kids one direction or the other can skew the data.

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, I just checked the Thomson PARCC scores on the Learn DC site (http://results.osse.dc.gov/school/326).

When filtering out ELL students, the English scores jump to 42%, and the math scores jump to 58% percent. For comparison, BASIS math = 60%, Yu Ying = 59% proficient (http://results.osse.dc.gov/state/DC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a current PK4 parent and have been happy with the school.

Academics: A few months ago, our PK teacher noticed that our daughter is ready to read and perform basic math skills. She has been pulling aside our daughter and a few other students during play time to hone these skills. I really appreciate this level of attention, and it's been delightful to see our daughter begin sounding out and recognizing words and to be able to do simple math problems.

Social/Emotional: Our daughter's first year had a rocky start with regards to relationships with the other children. Our teacher spent some time with her over the first few months on managing her temper and showing empathy, which had a visible impact. I believe our teacher really cares about the kids and puts a ton of energy into her work -- we are just so appreciative.

General: The faculty and staff are very warm and friendly. The school has received "reward" status from DCPS for the past few years, and our principle has been recognized as a high performer. It's a Title I school, so there are unusual "perks", like free lunch, mandatory teeth brushing after lunch, uniforms, etc. It's also an IB school, with a great curriculum coordinator, so I'm looking forward to the years ahead. The PK kids take field trips -- this year, so far, they've gone to the Botanical Gardens and to the Air and Space Museum (by Metro -- those brave teachers.). There are playgrounds on each building story that are semi-enclosed, parking garage style -- I like this set up, because the kids can play outside year-round, but I do miss the big outdoor playgrounds of my own childhood memories. There is roof-top garden that was revitalized last year with kale, potatoes, etc..

Concerns: The PTA is not particularly active, relative to other schools (which could be considered a plus, depending on where you stand on PTAs); after-school enrichment offerings are very limited, compared to WOTP schools; the music program could use a boost; and third grade test scores, while increasing, are not good (some high performers, many low performers -- guessing this is partly related to ESL population, since math scores are much higher than the English scores?). The last point is probably my biggest concern for longer term participation in the school. Right now, my view is that as long as a group of kiddos are doing super well on these new, tough PARCC exams, that says to me that they are getting the extra attention they need and are working at the same level as their peers in other schools. I really love so much about Thomson -- our daughter has been doing so well -- I want to make it work. I will revisit this last point as our kiddo progresses through the school -- fingers crossed.


Hope this helps.

I would not worry so much. 50% of the school is composed of English Language Learners, and Thomson has the added challenge of working with both native-Spanish and native-Chinese speakers. If you drill down the information, it is this population that is bringing down the overall test scores: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2015_Equity_Report_DCPS%20School_Thomson%20ES_1.pdf. Your child will probably do just fine. Also, the median growth percentile is reassuring. There were more kids scoring in the 4/5 this testing year compared with the last, and the school was recognized for it.

[Anonymous]

We live in boundary. We have 2 children at Thomson ES in lower grades. They love it. It all starts at the top and the principal is fantastic. She is caring. She lead by example and is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She supports her staff which is visible in a very low staff turnover! The teachers are fantastic. Both teachers in kindergarten are amazing. They both have an assistant and an ESL teacher. 3 adults in the room. A big shout out to Ms. Gu in PK4. She is just wonderful with kids at that age. Anything else you need to know?
Yes, the PTA is slow and just starting.
Yes, it is hard to get in if you are OOB.