School Within School (SWS) worth a year in a swing space?

[Anonymous]

We are inbounds for Peabody/Watkins and entering the PK4 lottery this year. For PK3 we listed (in this order): (1) SWS, (2) Two Rivers 4th, (3) Two Rivers Young, (4) Peabody. We did not get into any of those options (waitlisted at Peabody in the 30s), but we knew that was a possibility and were okay with it because we were happy with our private daycare and, with a new baby, felt that having the same drop-off location would also be helpful.

This year, I'm planning to list the same 4 options for PK4; however, I wonder if SWS is really worth a year of swing space? I realize this can be hard to measure/quantify, but I suppose I'm just looking for input from current and prior families? I am loathe to commute all over the city with my kid (or have her on a bus for a long time), but perhaps it is worth it for the continued spot? And yes, I know that the chances of getting in are slim to begin with, but, if it is worth it, why not list it?

[Anonymous]

TRY isn't exactly a hop, skip and jump away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TRY isn't exactly a hop, skip and jump away

Op here, you are correct. But from my home, TRY is less than two miles while Cap Hill Montessori’s swing space is over three and a half miles. While these seem like insignificant differences, they do matter during rush hour. Plus, TRY is at least Capitol Hill adjacent while we still have no idea where SWS will be located. Maybe some CHM parents can comment about their experience in a swing space not in the Hill?

[Anonymous]

Have they announced where the swing space will be?

[Anonymous]

Just a note that SWS will actually be in a swing space for two years, not one. Still waiting to hear from DCPS about the swing space location (should know no later than mid February). It’s obviously a personal experience but we would do it on a heartbeat again if it meant we would get to be part of this amazing school and community.

[Anonymous]

If you really want SWS, you should list it first. The school is amazing enough that I'm sure the swing space won't matter.

[Anonymous]

As a side note - have SWS parents checked out the Maury renovation to see if that's the kind of thing you want? There are some quirks with Maury that you may want to avoid.

[Anonymous]

It would not be worth it to me if they end up with the CHML swing space, which has decimated the school. Commute has been up to an hour from the regular CHML location during rush hour. Half of some classrooms have left. Went to 140+ on the PL3 WL at last count... may have run through the whole thing.

SWS parents are lobbying heavily though and maybe DCPS has learned its lesson/there are more connected parents at SWS, so maybe they’ll get a different space that will be more workable.

You could always lottery again in K. Historically it’s been almost as easy to get in that year for non-sibs, although I did hear they have a large number of PK3 spots this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TRY isn't exactly a hop, skip and jump away

Op here, you are correct. But from my home, TRY is less than two miles while Cap Hill Montessori’s swing space is over three and a half miles. While these seem like insignificant differences, they do matter during rush hour. Plus, TRY is at least Capitol Hill adjacent while we still have no idea where SWS will be located. Maybe some CHM parents can comment about their experience in a swing space not in the Hill?

The commute from my house IB for LT is 10-15 minutes to TRY (mostly away from traffic) vs 45 minutes to CHML swing space. It’s really a terrible location from the Hill. DCPS really screwed CHML by treating it as a true citywide and discounting the actual residences of the enrolled students.

[Anonymous]

SWS's principal is actually hoping the school will swing to trailers; unclear where those trailers will be located. So if that doesn't bother you, go for it? Unclear how the kids will get PE indoors in that case. And as another posted said, construction will last two years, not one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWS's principal is actually hoping the school will swing to trailers; unclear where those trailers will be located. So if that doesn't bother you, go for it? Unclear how the kids will get PE indoors in that case. And as another posted said, construction will last two years, not one.

*poster, rather, not posted.

[Anonymous]

Where do you want to be for K-5? If you want SWS for those years, suck it up and put your kid on the bus.

If you will go to Peabody for K regardless, I’d find another option.

[Anonymous]

There are SWS parents that are talking about switching to their IB schools if the swing space location is not nearby.

I do think most of the benefit of SWS is in the younger grades; after that, it's so similar to other CH schools.

It's not clear to me that the commute for two years would be worth it; if it ends up nearby, then yes, go for it!

[Anonymous]

^^ There are plenty of SWS families who fled nearby DCPS schools after hitting upper grades. While Reggio is less of a distinctive factor in upper grades, a safe, supportive learning environment that isn’t dominated by discipline problems or full of below-level students is not just like lots of other schools on Capitol Hill, with just a few exceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWS's principal is actually hoping the school will swing to trailers; unclear where those trailers will be located. So if that doesn't bother you, go for it? Unclear how the kids will get PE indoors in that case. And as another posted said, construction will last two years, not one.

Of course he doesn’t want his school destroyed like CHML was. I think people seriously underestimate how terrible 1.5 hours/day on a bus is a for 3 year old if they think that could even remotely be doable for 2 years.