Miner PrK feedback

[Anonymous]

Would any Miner prK parents be willing to share their feedback on the school year thus far?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My DD just started PK3 at Miner. We are IB. We are having a pretty good experience so far.

Pros: DD seems happy. She likes going to school, likes her teachers, talks about her friends there and there are no tears at drop off. The other parents -- at least the ones we have met -- seem nice. Her class is split about 50/50 in terms of SES and actually reflects the neighborhood demographically, which suits me perfectly. We observed the classroom in the afternoon once and the kids seemed engaged, were polite/well-behaved and the teachers had everything under control. It's sort of ridiculous that DC pays for my kid to have free breakfast and lunch, but it does, and it's awesome. No need to pack food, DD eats enough that she is not starving when she gets home (though not as much as if we packed lunch) and, bonus, she is getting less picky! The principal is awesome and super responsive. His job is very hard, he really cares/tries and it's obvious how much better Miner has been doing since he came on board. There's a brand new pre-K playground.

Cons: The school is pretty disorganized. Some teachers seem engaged, but I think most of them are just trying to keep their heads above water. The PTA tries, but there's very little engagement/continuity, since it's mostly run by ECE/K parents who then leave. (The head of fundraising -- who really seems to be trying -- is a PK3 parent who is IB for Brent, so...). It's a weird school and that's obvious at every meeting/school event: I described my DD's class; that's pretty much what the ECE is like overall. There's a little bit of diversity in K and a tiny bit in 1st. Then, from 2nd up, there is none. PTA meetings have the principal begging parents to send their kids to 4th grade and discussing the improvement in ELA scores to like 15% on grade level... and ECE parents bitching about non-organic playground surface materials and describing how the Lafayette PTA paid 100K to rip out theirs and replace it with some eco-friendly stuff. It sort of feels like a farce.

We actually got off the waitlist for two charters after the year had started and turned them down, because they weren't long terms solutions either and so the disruption didn't seem worth it. I expect to stay for next year (unless we happen to lottery into SWS or 2R), but -- just to be upfront about it -- we'll move a few blocks for K.

[Anonymous]

To where will you move on the Hill for K?

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP!

[Anonymous]

I’m a PK parent at Miner and we are very happy with the school. I echo the PP’s sentiments that the school seems somewhat disorganized, but my child is content there and I like the teachers and administration. They seem to be on the right track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To where will you move on the Hill for K?

Brent (would have to get lucky to afford a house of the size we need), Maury (small zone/high prices/our desire not to move further east than we are now will make this potentially tricky too) or L-T (I am confident we can find something that works in our price range).

[Anonymous]

How much outdoor time do the kids get?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do the kids get?

Not a parent, but I would say plenty. I live directly across the street from Miner and see/hear kids playing outside on the playground every morning and afternoon. It's one of the nicest things about my street--I get to see and hear kids playing all day long right outside my windows. In the evenings and on weekends neighborhood parents are out there using the playground as well (which seems to be a pretty nice playground compared to other ones around the city).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do the kids get?

Parent here. A fair amount. There were some minor issues for PKers before the new PK playground opened, but everything seems back to normal now. I will say their "too hot to play outside" threshold seems to be set a little lower than I would set it, but that's only an issue for a few days in a few months. Also, the three non-PK playgrounds and peace garden are all get a $1.5 million revamp this summer, which frankly I'm not sure they need, since they're pretty nice already. There's also a field. Basically, there is a fair amount of outdoor time and a TON of outdoor space compared to most other schools.

[Anonymous]

My good friend's child started PK3 there this year. He was at a private Pre-K/nursery school for two years before this and they were quite nervous about the transition. They are loving it so far. Her child is learning a lot and there is (probably due to the changing area) a group of engaged parents in her child's classroom that regularly meet for playdates and are involved. She mentioned that there is a new principal who is rumored to be creating positive changes at the school. She did tell me that because there are many low income families there that they provide free breakfast and lunch and also instruct the kids on how to brush their teeth. The kids in her child's classroom all have toothbrushes that they keep at school.