AppleTree Public Charter preschool - candid opinions please.

[Anonymous]

I'm also surprised by your impression re: lack of art, and we're at CH. You walked down the alls and saw no student art?? I will look tomorrow but that sounds like a different Appletree than mine! One thing I will say though s tat they're very god about sending art home. I have seen such a great evolution of DD with her drawings and we've practically got a gallery of paintings at hoe, so they're definitely doing art regularly.

Did you ask about it on your tour? What was the school's answer?

[Anonymous]

I think the reason there is less art on the walls is because when the kids make art they are so excited to bring it home - as are their parents. Very little of it gets to stay in the classroom. I know they have a painting easel in every classroom. Kids are always painting pictures on it that have to do with that week's theme. We got a nice swamp painting the other week because "Some Dinosaurs live in Swamps!" I thought it was great.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar impression as PP on my tour last week, so I'm actually going back tonight w/ my husband in tow to get a second impression. I WANT to get a good feeling about Apple Tree b/c it is impossible to ignore the amazing praise about the program. I feel like I would be turning away something really special if I didn't send DS. Thanks for all your feedback.

[Anonymous]

Let us know what you think the 2nd time!

[Anonymous]

I love Appletree and have responded to various questions on this thread. But I also wanted to say PPs that its OK if you don't like it or don't think it's a good fit for your kid! You may not be missing anything if you are not into a more academic-focused preschool, even if it is play based. If you don't care if your kid learns numbers or letters yet and want more pure play, you should definitely do that. Appletree may not be for you - don't try to hard to love it. It's a great program but not every family is going to be wild about it.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP with doubts who went to a second open house tonight. I felt much better about all of my concerns after this second visit. The principal is so impressive and engaged. He seemed to know every kid by name, and everyone seems to love him. I also noticed much more art EVERYWHERE in the classrooms, and the principal assured me that art and music are woven throughout every day of the program. (I had concerns that these things would be lacking since they don't have "specials" the way an elementary school might have). I also feel better about the building after walking around a second time. Especially loved seeing how one classroom had hay on the carpet from an activity they were doing about farm life -- my DS was verrrry interested in this idea of putting hay on the floor. Haha!

I still feel like we're taking a gamble by passing up a DCPS which would go until 5th grade, but I think it's the right decision (especially since we're not wild about the DCPS option). We'll just play the lotto again next year. Sigh. Anyway, thanks again to everyone for their feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP with doubts who went to a second open house tonight. I felt much better about all of my concerns after this second visit. The principal is so impressive and engaged. He seemed to know every kid by name, and everyone seems to love him. I also noticed much more art EVERYWHERE in the classrooms, and the principal assured me that art and music are woven throughout every day of the program. (I had concerns that these things would be lacking since they don't have "specials" the way an elementary school might have). I also feel better about the building after walking around a second time. Especially loved seeing how one classroom had hay on the carpet from an activity they were doing about farm life -- my DS was verrrry interested in this idea of putting hay on the floor. Haha!

I still feel like we're taking a gamble by passing up a DCPS which would go until 5th grade, but I think it's the right decision (especially since we're not wild about the DCPS option). We'll just play the lotto again next year. Sigh. Anyway, thanks again to everyone for their feedback.

Did you visit CH tonight?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Last night.

[Anonymous]

I stumbled upon this thread in my search for information about Key Elementary lottery. I don't have a student at Appletree because my kids are too old, but I felt compelled to read this discussion after an experience I had recently. I am a pediatrician and I had an appointment with a young patient recently. I talked to the youngster about school and he told me he attended apple tree. I asked him what he was learning about and he was very excited to tell me about dinosaurs. But what really shocked me was the detail he went into. He said he was learning about tyrannosaurus rex - the "king of the dinosaurs" - who had sharp teeth because they were carnivores which means they eat other animals. I was absolutely blown away for a 4 year old to use such vocabulary. I had to check my computer to make sure I had his age correct because of how atypical it was! I mentioned it to his mother and she seemed totally unaffected because he speaks like this all the time.

Obviously something great is happening over there, and I thought I would share that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stumbled upon this thread in my search for information about Key Elementary lottery. I don't have a student at Appletree because my kids are too old, but I felt compelled to read this discussion after an experience I had recently. I am a pediatrician and I had an appointment with a young patient recently. I talked to the youngster about school and he told me he attended apple tree. I asked him what he was learning about and he was very excited to tell me about dinosaurs. But what really shocked me was the detail he went into. He said he was learning about tyrannosaurus rex - the "king of the dinosaurs" - who had sharp teeth because they were carnivores which means they eat other animals. I was absolutely blown away for a 4 year old to use such vocabulary. I had to check my computer to make sure I had his age correct because of how atypical it was! I mentioned it to his mother and she seemed totally unaffected because he speaks like this all the time.

Obviously something great is happening over there, and I thought I would share that.

That's awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Appletree Lincoln Park parent - are there lots of Maryland residents? We live in the neighborhood and routinely seek mothers doing morning dropoff in illegally parked and aggressively driving SUVs with Maryland plates. Makes me plenty mad.

There appear to be some -- just like at every other school on the east side of DC.

No, not every other school. Some (especially the good ones that have no trouble filling seats and no reason to cheat) take the residency requirement very seriously.

[Anonymous]

For goodness sakes, I live in NE Cap Hill and HATE the MD commuters (have been almost hit many times while on foot) and residency cheats (have children in DCPS and DSPCS). I have a child at Appletree and do not think that drivers with MD plates on 12th street have any bearing on the educational programming at Appletree. It is a very good school, with some very disgruntled neighbors, who shouldn't be upset with the school, but should be upset with the process by which new schools sites are chosen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stumbled upon this thread in my search for information about Key Elementary lottery. I don't have a student at Appletree because my kids are too old, but I felt compelled to read this discussion after an experience I had recently. I am a pediatrician and I had an appointment with a young patient recently. I talked to the youngster about school and he told me he attended apple tree. I asked him what he was learning about and he was very excited to tell me about dinosaurs. But what really shocked me was the detail he went into. He said he was learning about tyrannosaurus rex - the "king of the dinosaurs" - who had sharp teeth because they were carnivores which means they eat other animals. I was absolutely blown away for a 4 year old to use such vocabulary. I had to check my computer to make sure I had his age correct because of how atypical it was! I mentioned it to his mother and she seemed totally unaffected because he speaks like this all the time.

Obviously something great is happening over there, and I thought I would share that.

That's awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Yup, I think my DD is so extra advanced, then I go in her Appletree classroom and hear most of her classmates using the same advanced language. Which, is actually really cool to experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stumbled upon this thread in my search for information about Key Elementary lottery. I don't have a student at Appletree because my kids are too old, but I felt compelled to read this discussion after an experience I had recently. I am a pediatrician and I had an appointment with a young patient recently. I talked to the youngster about school and he told me he attended apple tree. I asked him what he was learning about and he was very excited to tell me about dinosaurs. But what really shocked me was the detail he went into. He said he was learning about tyrannosaurus rex - the "king of the dinosaurs" - who had sharp teeth because they were carnivores which means they eat other animals. I was absolutely blown away for a 4 year old to use such vocabulary. I had to check my computer to make sure I had his age correct because of how atypical it was! I mentioned it to his mother and she seemed totally unaffected because he speaks like this all the time.

Obviously something great is happening over there, and I thought I would share that.

Wow! I'm pretty sure you are not my child's doctor (because he primarily uses paper records and wouldn't have checked on the computer) but my son (also at Appletree) had an almost identical experience with his pediatrician and dinosaurs. (He's also only three). Doctor had toy dinosaurs in his office and my son discussed them all with him, told him names etc.

[Anonymous]

Can any current or recent Appletree CH parents comment on their lateness and absence policies? I've heard stories about kids not being allowed to come to school for the day if they arrive late. I want my kids to respect school, and we try very hard to get them out the door on time, but as a working parent, the idea that we're always one 5-minute delay away from having to find backup childcare for a day is terrifying to me.