New to DCI at middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anybody have experiences of not being part of any of the feeder schools and becoming part of the DCI community at 6th grade?

[Anonymous]

But I thought there weren't even enough spots for all those feeders!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But I thought there weren't even enough spots for all those feeders!

That will be the potential in the future but not yet.

[Anonymous]

We were in the same situation two years ago. Child made new friends easily enough, found her locker, classes, activities she likes. The problems we've encountered at DCI haven't been related to not having come up through a feeder. The school doesn't push kids who work at grade level, writing instruction is weak, and language instruction isn't as good as what we get at a weekend heritage school in MD We supplement more at home and out school as much as we did in the upper grades of elementary school. We hire a writing tutor once a week with another family. DCI is just OK, certainly not great but it's what we can afford, so we make the best of it.

What are your concerns?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were in the same situation two years ago. Child made new friends easily enough, found her locker, classes, activities she likes. The problems we've encountered at DCI haven't been related to not having come up through a feeder. The school doesn't push kids who work at grade level, writing instruction is weak, and language instruction isn't as good as what we get at a weekend heritage school in MD We supplement more at home and out school as much as we did in the upper grades of elementary school. We hire a writing tutor once a week with another family. DCI is just OK, certainly not great but it's what we can afford, so we make the best of it.

What are your concerns?

Yikes, what language track are you on?

[Anonymous]

Chinese.

Talk to DCI families whose kids are strong students (not just on the Chinese track).The IB Diploma for all system at DCI definitely isn't designed to challenge the most able students, other than perhaps for math (DCI does track for math now). But the school isn't bad, you just have to find more challenge for your kids outside school if they can work above grade level. I'd wager that's true for every DC public MS other than BASIS (where language instruction isn't a strong suit).

No secret that there are DCI families quietly hiring writing tutors, using weekend language programs in the burbs, and sending their kids to Concordia immersion camps in Minnesota in the summers. What else can you expect when DCI doesn't track for humanities and there really aren't families enrolling their children who mainly speak Chinese or French at home? We don't know any.

[Anonymous]

I hear you, and I agree that many of us are limited in our options for schools. But it’s junior high and high school, it feels like a pretty basic requirement that the school challenge your child, at whatever level they are (aside from the profoundly gifted that just need individualized work). We a few years until middle school still, but I just have a hard time getting my head around settling for middling academics in the years leading up to college.

[Anonymous]

My kid is diligent but no genius. He earns straight As at DCI without breaking a sweat. So we enrolled him in a challenging summer program for writing.

Socially, you don't need to worry about kids having made their friendships years ago in the feeders if you're new to DCI. At our feeder, half of my kid's classmates peeled off for BASIS or Washington Latin after 4th grade, including his half dozen closest friends.

He made new friends in 5th grade at our feeder, and will probably make a bunch of new ones in 7th back in the building at DCI full-time.

[Anonymous]

To PP, what “challenging summer program for writing” did you enroll in? Just curious because my child definitely needs this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear you, and I agree that many of us are limited in our options for schools. But it’s junior high and high school, it feels like a pretty basic requirement that the school challenge your child, at whatever level they are (aside from the profoundly gifted that just need individualized work). We a few years until middle school still, but I just have a hard time getting my head around settling for middling academics in the years leading up to college.

DC public charter schools just weren't set up to provide your UMC kid with the sort of academic rigor a strong suburban MS would. They're designed to help close the achievement gap. Best to get your head around middling academics in the public system, or the prospect of moving, going private, or hoping for a BASIS spot.

[Anonymous]

DCI provides an OK middle school education, that's it. If you're coming out of a higher-performing ES than one of the DCI feeders, you're probably going to need to scale back your expectations of academics. Hint: YuYing students routinely post the lowest PARCC scores for white kids in the city. Their Mandarin isn't thought to knock it out of the park either.

As PPs have noted, DCI isn't a bad school. It's decent all around, just not set up to push advanced students in any subject other than maybe math. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Please don't invest too much in the postings of our resident malcontent who claims to know about writing tutors, poor Chinese, etc. He/She is the biggest critic of DCI on this forum, yet still keeps his/her child/children in the school. So exhausting and unfair to new parents!
My child graduated this year and had a stellar experience and multiple offers from great universities.
The DCI IB for All model is perhaps the single biggest educational equity opportunity in this city for a diverse group of learners.
Middle school is a time when kids branch out and start forming new friend groups, so your child will make friends quickly and won't suffer from not having been in a feeder. He/She will enjoy learning Chinese at a beginner level and have plenty of time to become proficient (not saying bilingual).
The high school program is wonderful, because the students get a solid preparation for the DP program from their years in the MYP program. The DP program is VERY rigorous, and your child will be beyond prepared for postsecondary education.
Please know that your child will be welcomed, included, and have opportunities to grow and learn far beyond most schools. Welcome!!!!

[Anonymous]

PP - was your child from a feeder? And as for the rigor of the DP program - how did the exams go for your student and can you share some examples (or similar schools) to where your child was accepted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't invest too much in the postings of our resident malcontent who claims to know about writing tutors, poor Chinese, etc. He/She is the biggest critic of DCI on this forum, yet still keeps his/her child/children in the school. So exhausting and unfair to new parents!
My child graduated this year and had a stellar experience and multiple offers from great universities.
The DCI IB for All model is perhaps the single biggest educational equity opportunity in this city for a diverse group of learners.
Middle school is a time when kids branch out and start forming new friend groups, so your child will make friends quickly and won't suffer from not having been in a feeder. He/She will enjoy learning Chinese at a beginner level and have plenty of time to become proficient (not saying bilingual).
The high school program is wonderful, because the students get a solid preparation for the DP program from their years in the MYP program. The DP program is VERY rigorous, and your child will be beyond prepared for postsecondary education.
Please know that your child will be welcomed, included, and have opportunities to grow and learn far beyond most schools. Welcome!!!!

NP.

The person you are referring to is definitely not the biggest DCI critic. I know because I am. I’m not going to comment anymore on this thread - I just want to make sure you’re aware that the people who have had horrible experiences with DCI are plentiful.

[Anonymous]

We’re a middle of the road DCI family. The program has been OK for middle school but we don’t plan to stay for HS. We just don’t have enough confidence in the leadership. You get tired of admins and booster parents claiming that the DCI IB Diploma program is first-rate when it’s obviously not.