Two Rivers PK4 - Outdoor Space Concerns

[Anonymous]

Our daughter got into PK4 at Two Rivers 4th St. The school is along my commute, gets pretty stellar reviews for educational value, and I was reasonably impressed with the tour.

My main concern is the near total lack of outdoor exposure at TR4. She'd be moving from a quality daycare with a sizeable outdoor space - plants, sandbox, multiple playground areas - to a school with a single tiny playground that is completely metal and rubber and situated adjacent to a busy street. If she were a little older, I might feel differently, but at age 4 I can't shake the feeling that the daycare is a better setting even if it's not as education-oriented.

On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on the obvious long-term benefits of placing her in a high-performing school now, especially since our in-boundary school leaves a lot to be desired (including lack of outdoor space).

Any advice from folks who have little ones at TR4 and/or other folks who've faced a similar dilemma?

[Anonymous]

What is your plan if you keep her at private PreK this year and strike out in the lottery next year?

How will you feel enrolling your child in your IB school for k-5?

[Anonymous]

I would definitely feel ambivalent about enrolling in our IB (Whittier) for K - it's super convenient but the aging facilities and low test scores are major concerns. I know the school has some boosters here and I could see myself becoming an active parent & advocate, but I just don't trust that it would be a long-term solution.

Another complicating factor is that my second child is due in August. If we stay in the daycare, we have a higher probability - but not a guarantee - of moving the baby into their infant room when my mat leave ends. If we leave, that possibility gets much more remote, which means hunting for a nanny share or other care situation.

Too many factors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter got into PK4 at Two Rivers 4th St. The school is along my commute, gets pretty stellar reviews for educational value, and I was reasonably impressed with the tour.

My main concern is the near total lack of outdoor exposure at TR4. She'd be moving from a quality daycare with a sizeable outdoor space - plants, sandbox, multiple playground areas - to a school with a single tiny playground that is completely metal and rubber and situated adjacent to a busy street. If she were a little older, I might feel differently, but at age 4 I can't shake the feeling that the daycare is a better setting even if it's not as education-oriented.

On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on the obvious long-term benefits of placing her in a high-performing school now, especially since our in-boundary school leaves a lot to be desired (including lack of outdoor space).

Any advice from folks who have little ones at TR4 and/or other folks who've faced a similar dilemma?

Um. You just won the lottery. You're worrying over nothing.

Unless you plan to leave DC in the next couple of years or move to the burbs, take the spot. You have to think longer term than the daycare years!!! You'll be stuck in 2 years without a viable option, desperately listing TR4 again and never getting in.

[Anonymous]

I have several thoughts on this.

1. If you got into 2R, you must have had a pretty good lottery draw. Are you high on any other lists? If so, enroll in 2R now and see what happens the rest of the summer.

2. 2R seems to have a transfer policy between their campuses. Is the Young campus feasible for your commute? It has lots more green space, and might be an option for you in a year or two. Or you may love 4th Street and this concern would be moot.

3. It seems like you could have a conversation w/daycare about enrolling your infant separate and apart from the PK4 enrollment.

[Anonymous]

(OP here) Thanks for the thoughts!

1. We're maddeningly close on a couple of other schools but they've got waitlists that don't move much. Daycare has a 45 day notification period for dropping out which means if we wait it out we could end up pouring 1.5 months of tuition down the drain.

2. Young would be a major slog - it's not near our home or either of our work locations. I know if we stay w 2R through middle school it's something we'd have to deal with either way, but that seems far off right now.

3. The daycare waitlist is loooong. From talking with them it sounds like we'd start at the bottom if we try to enroll the new baby after my daughter departs.

[Anonymous]

(OP again) and thanks to the other commenters - I know we are very lucky to be choosing between (at least) two good options.

[Anonymous]

Eat the lost daycare tuition. That is a tiny price to pay for what you're getting.

[Anonymous]

As a parent of a rising 3rd grader in Cap Hill, I say take it. We chose a close by school where we walk every day and its been great on most levels, but as DD gets older, we are now concerned about academic rigor and middle school preparedness. We turned down a spot at 2R for 1st to stay put and are now back on the waiting list for 3rd. I imagine they find creative ways to get in their play time and as your kids get older, other things will be much more important.

Congrats! And its also early in the summer, so you will likely end up getting spots in your higher ranked schools as well.

[Anonymous]

I would go for Two Rivers and focus on the kids getting quality outdoor time in the afternoons and on weekends. I hear you on their playground space and I would feel similar reservations, but an opportunity to get into a great school is a hard one to pass on. I would definitely prioritize that over the daycare. If holding on to your daycare spot until the last minute and getting your infant in is an option just eat the extra cost; at least school will be free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(OP again) and thanks to the other commenters - I know we are very lucky to be choosing between (at least) two good options.

But you're not choosing between two good options. You're choosing between a nice option for one more year, and then no option at all, vs an option all the way up to 8th grade.

Sometimes I really do not understand the myopia of parents of very young children. They grow up, you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(OP again) and thanks to the other commenters - I know we are very lucky to be choosing between (at least) two good options.

But you're not choosing between two good options. You're choosing between a nice option for one more year, and then no option at all, vs an option all the way up to 8th grade.

Sometimes I really do not understand the myopia of parents of very young children. They grow up, you know.

Well, OP is choosing between a good option and an unknown. chances are she will get a good enough lottery numbet between K and 8th.

[Anonymous]

How bad is the outdoor space? (I've never seen it.) You describe Whittier's as bad but that's our IB school and we've gone to events there ... they have a playground for young kids, basketball court, etc. Really, compared to many charters, it's pretty good.

I understand wanting to secure the daycare space but Brightwood has lots of decent in-home daycare options and center based too. So, I think you'd be okay.

And, depending where you're waitlisted and what your numbers are, you are likely to get other offers (though, maybe no better in terms of outdoor space).

I do get it. I struggled choosing our top choice charter (for preK4) over our current one (preK3) only because the latter's facility isn't as nice. But in the end, realized that was a bit nuts.

[Anonymous]

Take it unless you are comfortable at Whittier or private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter got into PK4 at Two Rivers 4th St. The school is along my commute, gets pretty stellar reviews for educational value, and I was reasonably impressed with the tour.

My main concern is the near total lack of outdoor exposure at TR4. She'd be moving from a quality daycare with a sizeable outdoor space - plants, sandbox, multiple playground areas - to a school with a single tiny playground that is completely metal and rubber and situated adjacent to a busy street. If she were a little older, I might feel differently, but at age 4 I can't shake the feeling that the daycare is a better setting even if it's not as education-oriented.

On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on the obvious long-term benefits of placing her in a high-performing school now, especially since our in-boundary school leaves a lot to be desired (including lack of outdoor space).

Any advice from folks who have little ones at TR4 and/or other folks who've faced a similar dilemma?

At least back when we were trying to lottery into TR (soooo long ago; my kids are now in middle school and we never did get in) the school made good use of the Gallaudet outdoor facilities. Is that not still the case? It involves crossing FL, which isn't ideal, but Gallaudet has great fields.