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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed.  Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year.  But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around.  We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives.  Affordability is an issue.  We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!).  We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative.  We are also Christian but not Catholic.  I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us).  Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades.  I actually don't have a good sense of this.  Do religious/parochial schools do more of this?  My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her.  I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor.  Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school.  We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment.  I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why.  I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point.  I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc.  (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks![/quote]

Huge mistake

Academic to catch up to public hard.

Religious privates better than MCPS Hahahahahaha

You are not an “academic family” .
Especially if you are considering an religious school 
[/quote]

What are you trying to say? This doesn’t sound like your first language but just some basic declarative sentences with punctuation would be helpful.[/quote]

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