Meridian vs. Apple Tree Columbia Heights for PK

[Anonymous]

Hi all, our DS will be ready for PK3 in September. We live in Adams Morgan and are in boundary for Oyster-Adams. It doesn't offer PK3, and although it offers PK4, I think those spots go to native Spanish speakers or siblings, and we are neither. For the other DCPS near us (Marie Reed, HD Cooke, Bancroft, Tubman, SWW Francis Stevens, Garrison), it sounds like you need to be at least in boundary, if not in boundary plus sibling. So aside from private options (which we are also looking at, although it would be a stretch financially), I think the schools we have a chance of getting into are Meridian and Apple Tree Columbia Heights. Any thoughts on those, and which one you would rank higher? Are there options we are missing? I'm aware of community schools like Rosemount and Barbara Chambers, but am not sure how they work or how hard it is to get a spot. In case relevant, I bike to work in Foggy Bottom, and DW walks to work near Dupont Circle. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

I know more about Appletree and like it. You should also consider Stevens, which is new this year and doesn't have a boundary (there is an at-risk preference for some portion of the seats, but not all of them).

[Anonymous]

Consider Bethune 16th St. It’s Spanish immersion (since you’re OA) and we’re having a really amazing pre-k experience. I think people lump it in with Bethune Brookland or don’t know about it, so it doesn’t get a ton of competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider Bethune 16th St. It’s Spanish immersion (since you’re OA) and we’re having a really amazing pre-k experience. I think people lump it in with Bethune Brookland or don’t know about it, so it doesn’t get a ton of competition.

Glad you are having a good year. I hope the school is better now. But they had lots of quality issues and nepotism problems (both campuses). I think that’s the reason most people haven’t considered it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consider Bethune 16th St. It’s Spanish immersion (since you’re OA) and we’re having a really amazing pre-k experience. I think people lump it in with Bethune Brookland or don’t know about it, so it doesn’t get a ton of competition.

Glad you are having a good year. I hope the school is better now. But they had lots of quality issues and nepotism problems (both campuses). I think that’s the reason most people haven’t considered it.

Agreed, but there is a new principal (no more McKays at 16th St) and the feedback I’ve gotten from other parents is the quality is strong through 2nd, which is that campus’s terminal year. That tracks with what I’ve seen from the other teachers and administrators (at 16th). No idea how the expansion through fifth will go, but I HIGHLY doubt people have experience at both campuses and are just lumping both together. People bail on 16th St because they’re in bounds for a deal feeder that starts at K, they want a school with a DCI path, or they get nervous that they’ll finish second and be forced to the Brookland campus. I have friends with kids at DCB, Stokes, and MV and think the early grades at 16th are a lot more similar than different. And definitely better than Powell, West, and the other neighborhood schools parents are rallying behind. Again, that’s IN the classroom, I would love the supplemental programming that DCB or other schools offer.

[Anonymous]

I know a family at Apple Tree in CH, they say it's fine. It was their last choice in the lottery and they are just happy to not have to pay, but will be much happier once they start at their in-bound school.

Still worth a shot to put Garrison down. The chances of getting in out of bound and getting lower each year, but there's still a chance.

Agree with PP who said put Stevens.

I also know 2 families at Barbara Chambers and the LOVE it. They have been there since their kids were infants (in the Shaw location- moved to the CH location when they were 2, they are now three). You can probably just call and ask for info.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks to everyone for the helpful feedback on this.

[Anonymous]

I also live in Adams Morgan and looked at both schools last year for prek3. We ended up somewhere else completely, and I know in general people seem to prefer Appletree CH (based on waitlist/enrollment data), but my gut told me to go Meridian - seemed more play based, the classrooms have windows, and it has nicer facilities for example a gym to play when the weather is bad.

[Anonymous]

I've got a PK4 at Meridian (started at PS3) and we love it. Amazing family center, small class sizes, and my son loves being in his class. Surprised that there aren't more on the waitlist for them. I know they had spots open this year for PS3, they might have some spots open for next year too.

[Anonymous]

We matched with Meridian for PK 3(but are high up on some wait lists because we got a good number)

This is helpful feedback. My friend convinced me to not put CH Appletree because of the shootings in case we picked up our dear child late. Perhaps this was just fear mongering but I was deciding between Meridian and CH Appletree and this pushed me towards Meridian. (not that Meridian is in a perfect area either).

But there is not much out there about Meridian. We liked the location and the facilities.

They have a virtual open house on April 8 that we'll attend.

[Anonymous]

This is the PP- correction - we got a good number and we are low on certain waitlists

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We matched with Meridian for PK 3(but are high up on some wait lists because we got a good number)

This is helpful feedback. My friend convinced me to not put CH Appletree because of the shootings in case we picked up our dear child late. Perhaps this was just fear mongering but I was deciding between Meridian and CH Appletree and this pushed me towards Meridian. (not that Meridian is in a perfect area either).

But there is not much out there about Meridian. We liked the location and the facilities.

They have a virtual open house on April 8 that we'll attend.

We also just got a WL offer for Meridian, which I added post-lottery and hadn't visited before COVID struck...heard the facility is nice and it's a good location for us, so hoping for the best. Please keep us posted on anything you hear, I'll do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We matched with Meridian for PK 3(but are high up on some wait lists because we got a good number)

This is helpful feedback. My friend convinced me to not put CH Appletree because of the shootings in case we picked up our dear child late. Perhaps this was just fear mongering but I was deciding between Meridian and CH Appletree and this pushed me towards Meridian. (not that Meridian is in a perfect area either).

But there is not much out there about Meridian. We liked the location and the facilities.

They have a virtual open house on April 8 that we'll attend.

We also just got a WL offer for Meridian, which I added post-lottery and hadn't visited before COVID struck...heard the facility is nice and it's a good location for us, so hoping for the best. Please keep us posted on anything you hear, I'll do the same.

So some waitlists are already starting to move... interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We matched with Meridian for PK 3(but are high up on some wait lists because we got a good number)

This is helpful feedback. My friend convinced me to not put CH Appletree because of the shootings in case we picked up our dear child late. Perhaps this was just fear mongering but I was deciding between Meridian and CH Appletree and this pushed me towards Meridian. (not that Meridian is in a perfect area either).

But there is not much out there about Meridian. We liked the location and the facilities.

They have a virtual open house on April 8 that we'll attend.

We also just got a WL offer for Meridian, which I added post-lottery and hadn't visited before COVID struck...heard the facility is nice and it's a good location for us, so hoping for the best. Please keep us posted on anything you hear, I'll do the same.

This is the PP; I will absolutely share what I have learned. One critique that I have heard is that the school lunches/ food can be hit or miss health-wise but I am quite certain that is true for many schools. It is not a deal breaker because I can prepare his lunch.
We have a good K option (and potentially PK 4) so I am focused on what will my son's experience be like next year? what is the class size? how many teachers per class? how much outside time each day? what do they focus on the first few months to get the little ones excited about learning? etc.

[Anonymous]

Meridian PK 4 parent here - my son has been at Meridian since PK 3. Lunches do seem to be pretty healthy, and the kids are offered different fruits and vegetables outside of lunch time as snacks that he enjoys. Class sizes are pretty small (less than 20 or so in both PK3 and 4) with at least two teachers per class (and sometimes more). This year, he has two 30 minute recesses each day. I can't speak to specifics that they have in the curriculum to get them excited but I know he loves going back each day, so there's that.