DCI?

[Anonymous]

We are choosing between a charter we love that doesn't have a feeder and a DCI feeder. Are there any current DCI parents out there who can tell me a little more about what the school is like? Although having a feeder is a draw, I'm also not sure how I feel about a middle school/high school with 1,400 students. Is there a strong sense of community? Do you feel like your child gets sufficient attention, that there is good communication from the administration, etc.? Any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

DCI only has about 500 kids now. There are only kids in 6th-9th.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't Deal have 1,400 just for middle school alone?

[Anonymous]

The new building on Walter Reed's campus (Delano Hall) looks impressive. State of the art.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new building on Walter Reed's campus (Delano Hall) looks impressive. State of the art.

Really? I drive by everyday and it's a massive construction site; maybe the blue prints?

[Anonymous]

Isn't it the really big suburban high schools that strut about their sense of community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new building on Walter Reed's campus (Delano Hall) looks impressive. State of the art.

Really? I drive by everyday and it's a massive construction site; maybe the blue prints?

The building that will be DCI is an existing one that is being repurposed. I biked past it last weekend and it does look really nice. There were signs out front which is how I knew it was going to be DCI (I was biking on Aspen St - if you drive down Georgia, you wouldn't be able to see it).

[Anonymous]

DCI will need to figure out how to integrate feeder and non feeder in order to reach the capacity it needs financially.

They should look to other schools and see what lessons they learned has Middle School challenges than elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new building on Walter Reed's campus (Delano Hall) looks impressive. State of the art.

Really? I drive by everyday and it's a massive construction site; maybe the blue prints?

The building that will be DCI is an existing one that is being repurposed. I biked past it last weekend and it does look really nice. There were signs out front which is how I knew it was going to be DCI (I was biking on Aspen St - if you drive down Georgia, you wouldn't be able to see it).

I go down Aspen as well to enter the park and my observations remain the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new building on Walter Reed's campus (Delano Hall) looks impressive. State of the art.

Really? I drive by everyday and it's a massive construction site; maybe the blue prints?

The building that will be DCI is an existing one that is being repurposed. I biked past it last weekend and it does look really nice. There were signs out front which is how I knew it was going to be DCI (I was biking on Aspen St - if you drive down Georgia, you wouldn't be able to see it).

I go down Aspen as well to enter the park and my observations remain the same.

Do you not see the large existing building there? That's fine if you don't think it's nice, but it does exist -- quite a bit more advanced than just blueprints. I don't understand your comments unless you're just trying to be willfully obtuse or engage in alternative facts.

[Anonymous]

I think if you got into a DCI feeder, you might as well jump for joy. We have a spot in a DCI feeder and a spot in an incredibly coveted school and are choosing the DCI feeder. Our reasoning is as follows:

(1) middle school/high school options are slim. I don't want to take the chance and hope for a spot at Latin (which meh). Our inbounds is terrible.

(2) language. If this is important, DCI feeders are the only way to go. None of the DCPS language schools have anywhere near as good a combo of interesting curriculum, language support, and feeder with language support.

I think it will only get harder and harder to get a good spot in a school. Really think about it.

[Anonymous]

Disagree with 9:06. DCI hasn't proven itself yet. Might grow to be great but too early to say at this point. Lots of challenges ahead but if your DC is young you have lots of time. Can't understand all the praise heaped on a school which hasn't even produced a graduating class yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree with 9:06. DCI hasn't proven itself yet. Might grow to be great but too early to say at this point. Lots of challenges ahead but if your DC is young you have lots of time. Can't understand all the praise heaped on a school which hasn't even produced a graduating class yet.

Don't they have 9th graders now? Because that would suggest kids having finished MS if so. Nobody has received an IB diploma yet, but it seems like there should be some information available about the MS. Did they already do their travels abroad? Are they continuing to study their 2nd languages? Are they enjoying school?

We're at a DCI feeder which we love. By the time we get to DCI they will have the new permanent building, which - for better or worse - seems to make an enormous difference in terms of student attraction & retention and other characteristics. I guess its easier to turn your focus to academic and operational concerns when your facilities problems have been solved. They don't need to have graduated 12th graders for our family to be excited about 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree with 9:06. DCI hasn't proven itself yet. Might grow to be great but too early to say at this point. Lots of challenges ahead but if your DC is young you have lots of time. Can't understand all the praise heaped on a school which hasn't even produced a graduating class yet.

The curriculum and IB program is very strong. Maybe some understanding of that would help you understand.

Secondly, parents putting their kids in immersion programs are dedicated for the most part. It is HARD to teach your kid a foreign language. I trust these parents will push the school in the right direction.

Also why trash a school before it has done anything wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disagree with 9:06. DCI hasn't proven itself yet. Might grow to be great but too early to say at this point. Lots of challenges ahead but if your DC is young you have lots of time. Can't understand all the praise heaped on a school which hasn't even produced a graduating class yet.

The curriculum and IB program is very strong. Maybe some understanding of that would help you understand.

Secondly, parents putting their kids in immersion programs are dedicated for the most part. It is HARD to teach your kid a foreign language. I trust these parents will push the school in the right direction.

Also why trash a school before it has done anything wrong?

NP. But noting in the above was 'trashing' DCI.

DCI has set a high bar for itself -- IB is a serious curriculum, and they have said they will offer both the IB diploma and IB career program for kids who don't want to go to a 4-year college. The student body is very diverse and also high needs (56% economically disadvantaged). Meeting all of those students' needs would be a big challenge for any school, and especially for one that's still growing -- the first class of MV students haven't even arrived yet.