Great Falls Elementary School?

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on this school? What I know: It's Japanese immersion and is rated a 9/10 on GreatSchools.org. It doesn't look that great from outside....
I'm totally clueless. Help please.

[Anonymous]

I don't have kids there but lots of my friends do, and they like it a lot. There is a school based GT program, I think, although other GF kids go to the GT center at Colvin Run. Tons of parental involvement--lots of active SAHMs in GF. The school just did a big renovation. Maybe you could call the school and ask for the names of some people on the PTA who would be glad to answer your specific questions.

[Anonymous]

thanks! this is quite helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on this school? What I know: It's Japanese immersion and is rated a 9/10 on GreatSchools.org. It doesn't look that great from outside....
I'm totally clueless. Help please.

Class size problems can result from the Japanese immersion program. Middle school GT is at Kilmer on Gallows road in Vienna going towards Dun Loring. Better to buy in western Mclean for Spring Hill- no JIP and AAP[GT] middle schoolers can go to Longfellow.

[Anonymous]

They might be getting rid of the immersion programs in the new budget though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Class size problems can result from the Japanese immersion program. Middle school GT is at Kilmer on Gallows road in Vienna going towards Dun Loring. Better to buy in western Mclean for Spring Hill- no JIP and AAP[GT] middle schoolers can go to Longfellow.

Interesting advice. Spring Hill has close to 1000 students, so it's the last place I'd steer someone concerned about big schools or large class sizes. And Longfellow, which is in the middle of a big renovation, is bursting at the seams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Class size problems can result from the Japanese immersion program. Middle school GT is at Kilmer on Gallows road in Vienna going towards Dun Loring. Better to buy in western Mclean for Spring Hill- no JIP and AAP[GT] middle schoolers can go to Longfellow.

Interesting advice. Spring Hill has close to 1000 students, so it's the last place I'd steer someone concerned about big schools or large class sizes. And Longfellow, which is in the middle of a big renovation, is bursting at the seams.

The larger the school the better since staff is allocated by ratio [enrollment] and there is more room to play. A small school might have 2 sections per grade and will take bigger hits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The larger the school the better since staff is allocated by ratio [enrollment] and there is more room to play. A small school might have 2 sections per grade and will take bigger hits.

OTOH, the principal and other teachers might actually know your child's name, and some of the schools that are very crowded don't actually have more space to play than the less crowded schools.

Speaking personally, I would never send my child to Spring Hill ES. It's just too big and there are better public school options in the county.

[Anonymous]

Some of the local level IV GT classes at Spring Hill are quite large, nearly 30 kids per class in grade 3 this year.

[Anonymous]

Spring Hill may be big, but the staff definitely know the children well. There may be 950+ kids there, but it rarely feels like the school is that big (except maybe when you're looking for a parking space).

Teachers who didn't even have my child as a student in their class know her name, as does the principal. There is a wonderful community feel to the school as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spring Hill may be big, but the staff definitely know the children well. There may be 950+ kids there, but it rarely feels like the school is that big (except maybe when you're looking for a parking space).

Teachers who didn't even have my child as a student in their class know her name, as does the principal. There is a wonderful community feel to the school as well.

Spring Hill is already over 100 students over capacity and is projected to have over 1,000 students by 2012. That's bigger than Cooper Middle. Since I don't have a pair of the same rose-colored glasses you seem to be wearing, thanks but no thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spring Hill may be big, but the staff definitely know the children well. There may be 950+ kids there, but it rarely feels like the school is that big (except maybe when you're looking for a parking space).

Teachers who didn't even have my child as a student in their class know her name, as does the principal. There is a wonderful community feel to the school as well.

Spring Hill is already over 100 students over capacity and is projected to have over 1,000 students by 2012. That's bigger than Cooper Middle. Since I don't have a pair of the same rose-colored glasses you seem to be wearing, thanks but no thanks.

NP, 12:11 - Do you have a child at Spring Hill or did you pull a child out because of the size? We are in disctrict for SH. Moved here for the schools... and concerned about the size. I am intersted to learn more about actual experiences there. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spring Hill may be big, but the staff definitely know the children well. There may be 950+ kids there, but it rarely feels like the school is that big (except maybe when you're looking for a parking space).

Teachers who didn't even have my child as a student in their class know her name, as does the principal. There is a wonderful community feel to the school as well.

Spring Hill is already over 100 students over capacity and is projected to have over 1,000 students by 2012. That's bigger than Cooper Middle. Since I don't have a pair of the same rose-colored glasses you seem to be wearing, thanks but no thanks.

I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, I simply posted about my own personal experiences with the school. The only time I was concerned about the size was when they had to add an extra kindergarten right before school started -- apparently the economy caused a lot of people to re-evaluate paying for private K -- but the school handled it as well as they could.

As the PP asked, "Do you have a child at Spring Hill or did you pull a child out because of the size?" If not, then I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spring Hill may be big, but the staff definitely know the children well. There may be 950+ kids there, but it rarely feels like the school is that big (except maybe when you're looking for a parking space).

Teachers who didn't even have my child as a student in their class know her name, as does the principal. There is a wonderful community feel to the school as well.

Spring Hill is already over 100 students over capacity and is projected to have over 1,000 students by 2012. That's bigger than Cooper Middle. Since I don't have a pair of the same rose-colored glasses you seem to be wearing, thanks but no thanks.

I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, I simply posted about my own personal experiences with the school. The only time I was concerned about the size was when they had to add an extra kindergarten right before school started -- apparently the economy caused a lot of people to re-evaluate paying for private K -- but the school handled it as well as they could.

As the PP asked, "Do you have a child at Spring Hill or did you pull a child out because of the size?" If not, then I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.

Room to play did not mean playground. It meant flexibility in setting up classrooms. Go to a budget and read staffing ratio formulas. If a school has 4 teachers for 2 grades it is more difficult than 7-8 for 2 grades. The level 4 classes might have 30 but that can happen anywhere. Level 4 is far more fluid than a French or Spanish or Japanese Immersion classroom. Each require a teacher per grade for 1/2 day even if there are less than 20 students. What budget do you think those staff are from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, I simply posted about my own personal experiences with the school. The only time I was concerned about the size was when they had to add an extra kindergarten right before school started -- apparently the economy caused a lot of people to re-evaluate paying for private K -- but the school handled it as well as they could.

As the PP asked, "Do you have a child at Spring Hill or did you pull a child out because of the size?" If not, then I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.

Do you have a child at Great Falls or Kilmer? If not, I'm not sure YOU have any basis to recommend Spring Hill or Longfellow, according to your own logic.

I investigated the schools thoroughly and knew I did not want to send my child to a 1000-student elementary school. I'm happy for you that your child is so memorable that lots of people at SH know her name, but you can't convince me that the odds of this being the case for most students would not be greater at a smaller school.