pros and cons of Lafayette

[Anonymous]

We are moving to Chevy Chase DC this month. Anyone open to sharing what they like about Lafayette? What is challenging there? We would love to get a sense of what to expect. Some folks on our street send their kids to private school - I was surprised to hear this since it is always ranked so high.

thank you!

[Anonymous]

I will be new and enrolling a 5th grader...I will wait to hear what others say!

[Anonymous]

Here's a thread from 2 days ago about Lafayette http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/617417.page

[Anonymous]

sounds like parents are very happy there!

[Anonymous]

OP I have two kids there. We are very happy. Objectively I'd say the pros and cons are the following:

Pros:
High-achieving cohort
Specials include arts, "peace" (ethics/anti-bullying), Spanish, technology etc., loads of after school activities
Some formal differentiation (math pullouts, specialized reading groups) but all students reevaluated regularly so no one is tracked.
Wonderful teachers
Amazing building
Highly involved parents
Wonderful community of families, very welcoming

Cons:
Large- among the largest if not the largest ES in DC.
Diversity- Still around 70% white
Beholden to DCPS!- at the end of the day the school is a DCPS school, so suffers from the issues of the school system. Changes in curriculum, budget fights etc.
Newish principal who has brought changes, and some parents and teachers don't like those changes (I think this will be a non issue as of next year)

I wonder if your neighbors kids are all at Blessed Sacrament? That's the Catholic school on the circle. It's basically a neighborhood school as well and if you are Catholic and want to be part of that community and that feeder system, I can see why people attend.

[Anonymous]

i second the list of pros and cons but...would add there is a decent size group of unhappy parents and teachers. the building is large new and tidy but very institutional looking- (i know it is a school) but a little stark and cold for my tastes.

[Anonymous]

You mention that you're surprised at the neighbors who send their kids to private school. There are many school options in this area and many parents with the means to send their kids to private school. While Lafayette is excellent, some parents prefer religious schools. I know plenty of people who didn't even look at Lafayette and just sent their kids to Blessed Sacrament/NPS/Sidwell because that's where they went or that was the environment they wanted for their children. Other parents choose other schools for similar reasons.

Lafayette is a good place and it will be nice for your 5th grader to meet his or her cohort before they head to Deal next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i second the list of pros and cons but...would add there is a decent size group of unhappy parents and teachers. the building is large new and tidy but very institutional looking- (i know it is a school) but a little stark and cold for my tastes.

You could probably say that every school in the city -- public, charter, private -- has a "decent size group of unhappy parents and teachers." It's hardly limited to Lafayette (and no, I don't have any kids there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mention that you're surprised at the neighbors who send their kids to private school. There are many school options in this area and many parents with the means to send their kids to private school. While Lafayette is excellent, some parents prefer religious schools. I know plenty of people who didn't even look at Lafayette and just sent their kids to Blessed Sacrament/NPS/Sidwell because that's where they went or that was the environment they wanted for their children. Other parents choose other schools for similar reasons.

Lafayette is a good place and it will be nice for your 5th grader to meet his or her cohort before they head to Deal next year.

I think this is a very good point. It will really make the transition to Deal easier and more fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I have two kids there. We are very happy. Objectively I'd say the pros and cons are the following:

Pros:
High-achieving cohort
Specials include arts, "peace" (ethics/anti-bullying), Spanish, technology etc., loads of after school activities
Some formal differentiation (math pullouts, specialized reading groups) but all students reevaluated regularly so no one is tracked.
Wonderful teachers
Amazing building
Highly involved parents
Wonderful community of families, very welcoming

Cons:
Large- among the largest if not the largest ES in DC.
Diversity- Still around 70% white
Beholden to DCPS!- at the end of the day the school is a DCPS school, so suffers from the issues of the school system. Changes in curriculum, budget fights etc.
Newish principal who has brought changes, and some parents and teachers don't like those changes (I think this will be a non issue as of next year)

I wonder if your neighbors kids are all at Blessed Sacrament? That's the Catholic school on the circle. It's basically a neighborhood school as well and if you are Catholic and want to be part of that community and that feeder system, I can see why people attend.

What will change next year? You sound like you know about some changes! Is it just certain parents "graduating"? Will some teachers be moving on? Combo? Share!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I have two kids there. We are very happy. Objectively I'd say the pros and cons are the following:

Pros:
High-achieving cohort
Specials include arts, "peace" (ethics/anti-bullying), Spanish, technology etc., loads of after school activities
Some formal differentiation (math pullouts, specialized reading groups) but all students reevaluated regularly so no one is tracked.
Wonderful teachers
Amazing building
Highly involved parents
Wonderful community of families, very welcoming

Cons:
Large- among the largest if not the largest ES in DC.
Diversity- Still around 70% white
Beholden to DCPS!- at the end of the day the school is a DCPS school, so suffers from the issues of the school system. Changes in curriculum, budget fights etc.
Newish principal who has brought changes, and some parents and teachers don't like those changes (I think this will be a non issue as of next year)

I wonder if your neighbors kids are all at Blessed Sacrament? That's the Catholic school on the circle. It's basically a neighborhood school as well and if you are Catholic and want to be part of that community and that feeder system, I can see why people attend.

What will change next year? You sound like you know about some changes! Is it just certain parents "graduating"? Will some teachers be moving on? Combo? Share!

No inside info! Mostly I think it's the graduating effect. I also think the school has undergone such enormous changes in the last 3 years, and next year will be the first normal year in some time. No new principal, no construction.

[Anonymous]

The new P has shaken things up- she replace a long time principal that gave a lot of creative license to the teachers and the new one is all about the numbers and stats. This will change things and make the school more test crazy and well all the things that go with that but....because parents are so involved - students have a great support system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You mention that you're surprised at the neighbors who send their kids to private school. There are many school options in this area and many parents with the means to send their kids to private school. While Lafayette is excellent, some parents prefer religious schools. I know plenty of people who didn't even look at Lafayette and just sent their kids to Blessed Sacrament/NPS/Sidwell because that's where they went or that was the environment they wanted for their children. Other parents choose other schools for similar reasons.

Lafayette is a good place and it will be nice for your 5th grader to meet his or her cohort before they head to Deal next year.

I think this is a very good point. It will really make the transition to Deal easier and more fun.

Nothing fun about going to Deal. Don't believe the hype.

[Anonymous]

Oh stop. Deal is a great school and kids love it. Both my kids are learning a ton there and have had amazing teachers. Don't believe the haters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh stop. Deal is a great school and kids love it. Both my kids are learning a ton there and have had amazing teachers. Don't believe the haters!

I am a private school parent, but literally everyone I know whose kids have gone to Deal over the past 3-4 years or who are there now have had a great experience. I have met the head of school who is simply second to none in terms of school leadership.