Need Recommendations/Insights re Top DC Publics

[Anonymous]

We are being transferred to DC for a year from the midwest, and looking for a good option for first grade. My daughter is in a relatively progressive statewide gifted program and loves it/is absolutely in her element (as compared to preschool which was challenging but very traditional): very into math and science, very academically oriented kid. She is reading well, spelling, adding and subtracting two digit numbers, does multiplication and division. We will need to rent a house. Concerned about which schools will make her feel comfortable and challenged, and further her love of learning. Also would like a solid afterschool program. I know Janney, Lafayette and Oyster tend to top the list. Interested in the differences between them.

[Anonymous]

Hyde was great; liked the people , the community, the location

[Anonymous]

Janney, Lafayette, Key, Mann, and Murch. If she really enjoys an academic challenge, you might also consider Oyster (Spanish Immersion) or Washington Yu Ying (Chinese Immersion). OTOH, it might not be worth it if you're only looking at one year.

[Anonymous]

Isn't Janney going to be a construction site next year?

[Anonymous]

Welcome. I'm an Oyster parent and a huge believer in the place but it wouldn't be my choice for just one year unless that year was pre-k. It tends to be a tight community, and all of the other kids will have had Spanish in K, which could be frustrating to your child.

DCPS doesn't have "gifted" programs per se, but the top performing schools do a good job of differentiating exercises for kids who have advanced skills.

If I were in your position, I would consider Hyde. The neighborhood is lovely and although there is good community support for the school, there are more families passing through, and more kids who know what it's like to be "the new kid." There are international families, foreign service people, etc. Lafayette and Janney are great schools but one of the things that makes them good-- very cohesive neighborhoods and school-based communities-- would make them tougher for a relative outsider than Hyde.

Hyde also has a Reading and Writing Workshop method that might be of interest to you, especially coming out of a gifted program.

[Anonymous]

You should consider Brent Elementary on Capitol Hill. It is a small school with excellent teachers and involved parents. There is lots of individual attention..(although you won't find formal gifted and talented programs at the DC public schools).

The neighborhood can't be beat. Walkable, metro access, parks/playgrounds, great gyms, restaurants, arts programs, Eastern Market. All of the FREE Smithsonian Museums are within walking distance ( there's your academic enrichment program right there!). You can also walk to the Nationals Park to see major league baseball.

www.brentelementary.org

[Anonymous]

you might try to apply to a selection of the good charter schools, because that will free you up to live anywhere in the city.

[Anonymous]

Lafayette.

Oyster's Spanish program would be too challenging and not worth the transition and the investment for one year.

[Anonymous]

Lafayette. Love the community spirit.

[Anonymous]

Consider Bethesda. Depending on where you find a house, it may feel more urban than Chevy Chase (Lafayette) or AU Park (Janney) and MoCo schools are probably more in line with what your DC is used to.

DCPS doesn't have any gifted programs. Your DC will certainly have lots of gifted classmates at Lafayette or Janney, but there's no tracking or differentiated curriculum.

Within DC, you might also look at Mann. It's a small school that has an ongoing relationship with American University's education department. I think you hear less about it because it's less than half the size of Janney/Lafayette which means fewer people talk it up (and there are fewer OOB slots, but that's not an issue for you).

[Anonymous]

Wow, a year in DC. If I were you, I would want to balance the school setting with a home setting that will give the best DC living experience for a child. All of the museums are free, the zoo is free. There are great government buildings to see and tour. There are great neighborhoods with restaurants and shops. You will want access to all of this to be easy. It is only 1 year of school and if she is gifted, this will not set her back. Think of it like a year of enrichment with a focus on the nation's capital. There are plenty of schools in DCPS that will be just fine. Lafayette, Janney, Oyster, Mann, Murch, Hyde, Stoddert, Capital Hill Cluster School, Ross and more. Also charter but you would need to apply now and you don't have a dc address yet. I would look for a place to live that is close in, close to metro/metrobus and in a school district that has a solid reputation. Enjoy DC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are being transferred to DC for a year from the midwest, and looking for a good option for first grade. My daughter is in a relatively progressive statewide gifted program and loves it/is absolutely in her element (as compared to preschool which was challenging but very traditional): very into math and science, very academically oriented kid. She is reading well, spelling, adding and subtracting two digit numbers, does multiplication and division. We will need to rent a house. Concerned about which schools will make her feel comfortable and challenged, and further her love of learning. Also would like a solid afterschool program. I know Janney, Lafayette and Oyster tend to top the list. Interested in the differences between them.

If you also need a solid aftercare program, I would put Mann at the top of your list.

I would not consider either Janney or Oyster for the following reasons:
Janney is beginning a major renovation in April 2010 and will be under construction for the entire school year. Given this, I would not consider it.
Oyster is full Spanish language immersion. It also has 2 options for aftercare. 1 that is more expensive, higher quality and fills up fast and the 2nd that is more like free play.

Murch, Key, Eaton and Hyde are other Upper NW schools that you might want to consider.

I am not familiar enough with the schools near Capital Hill to comment. Also, I think it would be really hard for you to get into one of the high demand charters given that you do not yet have a DC address. The lotteries for these are in March and most of them only have spots available at entry / expansion years of which 1st grade is not.

[Anonymous]

Other up and coming schools on Capitol Hill are Brent and Maury. The Hill is a great place to live. No one has big back yards so the local parks are full of kids and it is so easy to meet people. Very walkable and feels like a small town within a city. Eastern Market has reopened and it a wonderful center. Check it out. I think the Capitol Hill Cluster School has an after care program at the Peabody Campus (pre-k and k). It used to be that the kids from Watkins campus (1st-4th grade) took a bus to Peabody for aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Yes, LOVE the Capitol Hill parks! We don't live on the Hill, but visit all the time for the great walking atmosphere.

As for the charters, I would call each of the top charters and explain your situation and ask what you need to do. I've heard of charters being able to work with people who were moving to the area. I'm sure there's some paperwork that will need to be exchanged but that's not a big deal. You could enter the lotteries now and the actual enrolment paperwork isn't due until some time in August, right before school. You'd be here by then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lafayette. Love the community spirit.

Second this.
http://www.lafayettehsa.org/

Here is the link to Lafayette's Aftercare program.
http://lapprogram.org/about/