Reply to AppleTree Open Houses: Did you attend today (or earlier this year)?

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Reply to "AppleTree Open Houses: Did you attend today (or earlier this year)?"

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[quote=Anonymous]I attended yesterday's CH session.  I also thought the folks running the open house were not the greatest presenters.  And I was disappointed that I did not meet actually staff (as OP said they were all central office folks) or kids.  But I was impressed by the work in the PK3 rooms.  They were writing their names, letters, numbers, etc..  Unlike others here, I guess I think solid academics even at PK3 is a good thing.  Folks can disagree on that.

Here are the rest of my notes for what they are worth (they are not comprehensive since some stuff I knew already -- calm down spot, sit and watch chair, etc):

*  Nice class ratios.  3 adults to 20 kids
*  Before care starts at 7:30, but you can drop off kids at 8am without it.
*  Extended day lasts until 6pm.  Is extension of school day with curriculum aligned to main part of day.  Another 30 minute recess, reading time, centers, etc..
*  Do offer a summer school available to all kids.  Only for 4 weeks though and with a one week break in between.
*  Do require a school “uniform” (just specific colours for shirts, pants, and then sneakers)
*  They sort kids by age even within grade.  So youngest kids in PK3 are in one room, the middle in the next, and the oldest in the last.
*  30 minute recess each day.  Small play area in back.  Only one class (20 kids) may use it at a time.  They also make use of Girard Park, which is a short distance down the street, for the older kids.
*  First Friday of each month is off, plus holidays.  Spring break is always the week of Easter plus Easter Monday.  
*  Lots of data and they share it all with parents.  Talked about how they could tell you which letters each kid knew, etc..  Parent-Teacher conference every 9 weeks.
*  Very low teacher tenure: average of 3 years.  Go off to graduate school, to jobs at other schools, etc..  Sounds like all charters have a lot of turnover.  More than DCPS.
* Drop off:  do have 5 parking spaces (and “a good relationship with the parking police”) for quick drop-offs and pick-ups.
*  Said they would have 100 slots.  Went deep into their waitlist last year, but are hoping with common lottery to not be calling a lot of people in September.[/quote]

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