For folks w/ kids that started at new schools... Any big surprises?

[Anonymous]

Anything you weren't expecting for either the good or the bad about the school you settled on? I'm always curious after all the stressing over the lottery if people's perceptions match the reality.

[Anonymous]

Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

[Anonymous]

We started at MV8. With a whole new campus with 275 new students, the start was so smooth and great. Great planning and implementation from the principal and staff there.

DC is having a blast. Glad we took a chance with the new campus!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

[Anonymous]

Kids started at Bancroft in upper elementary and it went ok. Son cried and his teacher immediately consoled him which was a promising sign.

Daughter was nervous, but during pick up they both said they had a great day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

DCPS does something similar. K-12 starts at the beginning of the week and PS starts on Th/F depending on last name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

ITS families seem to have a lot of flexible families. So they aren’t as concerned. Remember, very few at risk kids go there, they are used to families they don’t care about petty issues like “annual leave”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

DCPS does something similar. K-12 starts at the beginning of the week and PS starts on Th/F depending on last name.

That’s a school-by-school thing not a DCPS thing. We’ve been at 2 and neither has done it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Is the breakfast thing just a temporary thing for this week? I hope it’s not all year long. Better for preK kids to have breakfast in their classrooms IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

ITS families seem to have a lot of flexible families. So they aren’t as concerned. Remember, very few at risk kids go there, they are used to families they don’t care about petty issues like “annual leave”

DCPS also have half day starts for ps3/pk4. This is not just for ITS, although certain families seem to pick in or blame the school. C’mon already. 18 hours of personal leave vs. paying for a year of preschool? No comparison.

Your tone and snark are unbecoming.

[Anonymous]

Veteran ITS family here.

Breakfast in the cafeteria for Pk3-4th is standard. Breakfast has never been in the rooms.

What isn’t standard this year is gathering everyone up in the cafeteria and the earlier start time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started at ITS and was kind of surprised they wanted the new Pk3 s to start in the crowded cafeteria with everyone on Monday. It seems like other schools do a short week for preschool.

Yeah, they did all start with breakfast in the same place at the same time rather than breakfast in the classrooms for littlest ones. But PK3-K still had short days for three days. I would rather separate breakfast but still full days.

Totally. Or just have preschoolers skip Monday. I would rather no day at all than three half days. ITS just devoured 18 hours of my annual leave.

ITS families seem to have a lot of flexible families. So they aren’t as concerned. Remember, very few at risk kids go there, they are used to families they don’t care about petty issues like “annual leave”

DCPS also have half day starts for ps3/pk4. This is not just for ITS, although certain families seem to pick in or blame the school. C’mon already. 18 hours of personal leave vs. paying for a year of preschool? No comparison.

Your tone and snark are unbecoming.

Ok no. I am not the PP you accuse of snark, but I agree ITS has too few at-risk kids and policies like this aren't helpful.

SOME DCPS have half day starts or have the class, but more and more have been settling on a Thursday start day through 3:15. So parents can use daycare Monday-Wednesday. It is much less a pain than having to pick up midday. And I can't think of any school that gives Kindergarten THREE half days. ITS' schedule is more of a pain to parents than any other school I know of. If you can think of any that are similar or worse, feel free to name them.

[Anonymous]

New to ITDS this year. I expected some type of short week/day or whatever for Prk. I hope they don't keep the 3 short days in the long term though. 1-2 to adjust maybe, and most Kindergartens in DC have done Prk or daycare so no need beyond maybe 1 half day. My kid would probably be more tired and cranky this week if it was all full days but, we would be better off job wise. The lack of after-care most of the week is a big factor for a LOT of families. The school generally seems open to making adjustments. So, hopefully they will start differently for little next year.
I do think not having the 15 minutes difference in start time has made mornings a bit more crazy. Perhaps it is just challenging/growing pains. Hopefully everyone will adjust and or they will find better options than a majorly over crowed cafeteria. Take a beat, offer to volunteer and help find better long term solutions..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to ITDS this year. I expected some type of short week/day or whatever for Prk. I hope they don't keep the 3 short days in the long term though. 1-2 to adjust maybe, and most Kindergartens in DC have done Prk or daycare so no need beyond maybe 1 half day. My kid would probably be more tired and cranky this week if it was all full days but, we would be better off job wise. The lack of after-care most of the week is a big factor for a LOT of families. The school generally seems open to making adjustments. So, hopefully they will start differently for little next year.
I do think not having the 15 minutes difference in start time has made mornings a bit more crazy. Perhaps it is just challenging/growing pains. Hopefully everyone will adjust and or they will find better options than a majorly over crowed cafeteria. Take a beat, offer to volunteer and help find better long term solutions..

Parents complain about it every year and they never change it. They don't want to acknowledge that over time they have become an outlier in this area.