Spanish Immersion Daycare/PreK/Elementary Schools
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SouthxSouthAmerica
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Hi!
Just moving back to DC with my 18 mo old who already has a good bit of Spanish vocabulary because my DH is from South America. Looking to grow his Spanish language and cultural education at daycare and preK and throughout his formal schooling. DC is a good place to do that! I’m a bit overwhelmed with the options when trying to think long term about where we may want to buy and what Spanish immersion schools will be available to us with the DC lottery vs VA or MD public schools. Hoping to connect with folks here who have navigated a similar path! 1. What are best Spanish immersion daycare options and are they as good in VA/MD as downtown DC where they are $2500/mo+? 2. Which public schools are best for Spanish immersion? And would a private school like WIS be worth it at an early age or only in high school ? 3. Are there good public options outside the city for when we inevitably move to the burbs, or should I be shopping DC real estate only? Gracias for any feedback!! |
Anonymous
| My daughter was in a great Spanish immersion in-home daycare in the Forest Glen area of Silver Spring (Buenos Amigos) but the waitlist is very long and it will be far from you. We paid $340 per week. Bambini in DC is great. |
Anonymous
| In Kalorama (NW DC) there are several Spanish-immersion daycares and there's also Oyster Adams Bilingual School. |
Anonymous
Thank you! Do you happen to remember names of any of the daycares in Kalorama area? I"m struggling to find options just by googling. |
Anonymous
FCPS and Arlington both have spanish emergency public schools. My DD is in Ft. Hunt Elementary's immersion program, and we love it! |
Anonymous
| Bambini Federal Triangle has openings right now (which rarely happens, but has happened due to delays in people getting back to offices downtown). It is spectacular. Our daughter is so well care for and has been there since 4 months old and will stay through pre-k 4. She is learning so much and seems to be making friends and advancing socially, emotionally, and developmentally so well. I can't say enough good things - we also have had no covid outbreaks in our class in 2.5 years! On most days we don't go to the office, but we don't mind the quick drive downtown and back home to drop her off. |
Anonymous
| Also, Mt Pleasant has a lot of bilingual families from all over, IDB families, some embassy folk, Salvadoran community - Bancroft is a bilingual elementary school that feeds to Deal and Wilson. |
Anonymous
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Regarding your question about public elementary schools in the 'burbs with Spanish immersion, Montgomery County has several options, but many have no guarantees based on where you live (they are lottery programs). TLDR: moving in-bounds for Oakland Terrace ES in Silver Spring/Kensington is your best bet for guaranteed Spanish immersion in MoCo (Rolling Terrace ES or Burnt Mills ES might be other options).
There are lottery-based Spanish immersion programs for incoming kindergartners at: Burnt Mills Rock Creek Forest William T. Page Any student can apply to these programs but there is a lot of demand and it's by lottery so there are no guarantees. Living in-bounds to the specific school does not help, except for I believe Burnt Mills. The elementary schools below have "two-way Spanish immersion" programs which are only open to students that live in-bounds for the schools, and the program is for all students at the school (except for students in upper grades that started before the program was implemented, that does not apply to you). - Brown Station - Kemp Mill - Oakland Terrace - Rolling Terrace - Washington Grove Unfortunately, I have heard concerning things about Brown Station (lots of disruptive behaviors), Kemp Mill (bad principal) and Washington Grove (bad principal). I don't know much about Rolling Terrace ES, but didn't love the neighborhood when I visited (you should form your own opinion). The principals at any of these schools could obviously change by the time your child gets there, but that's what I've heard about the current situations. There are also immersion programs at the middle school level in MCPS but I know very little about them. |
Anonymous
Bambini is absolutely amazing. |
Anonymous
| I recommend Waterfront Academy. It starts at 3, but goes to 8th grade. http://www.waterfrontacademy.org |
Anonymous
| Columbia Heights has a lot of inexpensive Spanish daycares (relative to Bambini), like CentroNia. There is Rosemount in Mt. Pleasant, which is really awesome. There are also a few hole in the wall options in Adams Morgan, like MESAC and Llave del Mundo. I think there are also a few up in 16th St Heights (Estrellitas?) |
Anonymous
| Little Flower Montessori on 16th Street NW near Columbia Heights/Mt. Pleasant is amazing. They take kids 2-6. |
Anonymous
| Everyone I know at Oakland Terrace is happy (we wish we were there too but had bought in a nearby neighborhood zoned for a different school before the two-way immersion was announced). There are several in-home daycares offering spanish nearby- I know families who have attended Buenos Amigos and Mis Primeros Pasitos, but there may be others. I thought there was a bilingual Montessori preschool closeby too but I'm blanking on the name now. |
Anonymous
| Semillitas at 15th/New Hampshire is outstanding - really warm, nurturing environment and so many happy kiddos. In between U St, Adams Morgan and Dupont. |
Anonymous
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I highly recommend Bambini too. Our child is also at the Federal Triangle location and we love it. We have been going there for over a year. They have other locations but they are harder to get into them because they are closer to where people live. This one is near offices but also close to the National Mall so the kids walk there to play outside. Before the pandemic it was very hard to get a spot at Bambini because it’s so well regarded.
There is a Saturday morning Argentine school that several friends have sent their kids. I don’t know much about it. https://www.escuelaargentina.org/ |