DCPS Playground Use

[Anonymous]

PP here - 2nd to last paragraph should say "This problem could have been addressed by prohibiting all non-school children at the playground unless they are accompanied by an adult."

Also, my 4-year-old's preschool has aftercare, and they go to a public non-school playground nearby, which they share with neighborhood kids. This works just fine. I'm not sure why Bancroft aftercare folks couldn't handle this.

[Anonymous]

Does your preschooler's school have up to 240 kids on the playground, from 3 year olds to 5th graders, in an aftercare program that is strapped (understaffed) thanks to declining funding from DCPS?

[Anonymous]

13:37 poster here. The school probably has about 80 kids on the preschool playground, which is easily 1/3 the size of Bancroft's enormous group of playgrounds.

I'm sorry to hear that the aftercare is underfunded. That's terrible news, although it supports my decision not to send my children to Bancroft.

[Anonymous]

They are not enforcing the policy. My spouse picks up DC and they use the playground until 4 or 5. So do two other families in my Dc's class. No one has said anything to them.

[Anonymous]

Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

Loose a child due to disorder and you'll drive away families even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

I think that is just not true. There have been plenty of posters on DCUM who are desperate to get into Bancroft IB, and annoyed that sibling preference trumps IB for language schools. Immersion and dual language schools are the hottest ticket in town, in case you haven't been paying attention. Nobody in their right mind (I realize that does eliminate a few) is going to pass up their IB school JUST because they couldn't use the tot lot until 6 pm.

[Anonymous]

You also drive away families for jumping on anyone for critiquing the school.

[Anonymous]

I love your optimism! Is your plan to lottery into a highly coveted charter, or to go private? A different DCPS?

Go ahead and turn up your nose at Bancroft. There will be scores of kids willing to take your spot, I guarantee, including plenty of IB families.

Signed - NOT a Bancroft parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

I think that is just not true. There have been plenty of posters on DCUM who are desperate to get into Bancroft IB, and annoyed that sibling preference trumps IB for language schools. Immersion and dual language schools are the hottest ticket in town, in case you haven't been paying attention. Nobody in their right mind (I realize that does eliminate a few) is going to pass up their IB school JUST because they couldn't use the tot lot until 6 pm.

Really? Why are there so many higher SES Mt. Pleasant families at charters? Being IB for Bancroft and choosing Mundo Verde instead isn't exactly a vote of confidence. Immersion schools seem to be popular when they're dual-language by design, as opposed to by default, and the test scores show it.

[Anonymous]

The grounds are under the purview of the head of the school. Group can get permits from fields or other elements of the park with their approval.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

I think that is just not true. There have been plenty of posters on DCUM who are desperate to get into Bancroft IB, and annoyed that sibling preference trumps IB for language schools. Immersion and dual language schools are the hottest ticket in town, in case you haven't been paying attention. Nobody in their right mind (I realize that does eliminate a few) is going to pass up their IB school JUST because they couldn't use the tot lot until 6 pm.

Really? Why are there so many higher SES Mt. Pleasant families at charters? Being IB for Bancroft and choosing Mundo Verde instead isn't exactly a vote of confidence. Immersion schools seem to be popular when they're dual-language by design, as opposed to by default, and the test scores show it.

Shoot, I could be IB for Janney, and I would choose Mundo Verde. Unfortunately today's Mt. P babies won't be able to get into MV when they're old enough unless they already have siblings there. I predict that lots of IB families will be thanking their lucky stars that they have a workable option come lottery time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutting out the families of young children seems like a strategic mis-step. These are people in the neighborhood for whom Bancroft would be the IB option. If you actually want them to consider the school, then making them and their toddlers feel welcome in the tot lot would go along way. It's not like Bancroft is highly desirable among the higher SES families within its boundaries. Lock them out from the get-go and you are just increasing the odds they will never bother to cross the threshold later when looking at ES for their children.

I think that is just not true. There have been plenty of posters on DCUM who are desperate to get into Bancroft IB, and annoyed that sibling preference trumps IB for language schools. Immersion and dual language schools are the hottest ticket in town, in case you haven't been paying attention. Nobody in their right mind (I realize that does eliminate a few) is going to pass up their IB school JUST because they couldn't use the tot lot until 6 pm.

Really? Why are there so many higher SES Mt. Pleasant families at charters? Being IB for Bancroft and choosing Mundo Verde instead isn't exactly a vote of confidence. Immersion schools seem to be popular when they're dual-language by design, as opposed to by default, and the test scores show it.

Shoot, I could be IB for Janney, and I would choose Mundo Verde. Unfortunately today's Mt. P babies won't be able to get into MV when they're old enough unless they already have siblings there. I predict that lots of IB families will be thanking their lucky stars that they have a workable option come lottery time.

Easy to say now, but we're talking about families who went with MV before it even opened. The incubator space didn't even have space for meetings or a cafeteria. There was NO place to play. It was a huge pain to get there. There was no security at all - just a leap of faith. Hindsight is 20/20, yes it was a good decision, but at the time Bancroft was just around the corner and a sure thing with lots of indoor and outdoor space, no worries about funding... Still picked a brand new total unknown.

[Anonymous]

Bancroft is 52 percent IB. Obviously someone is sending their child there....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bancroft is 52 percent IB. Obviously someone is sending their child there....

True, and since it's 83% FARMS and 59% ELL, it's probably not Mt. Pleasant homeowners.