Reply to Looking for feedback on 4th and 5th grade a Jamestown

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We are about to move into the Jamestown district and considering options for DC - to enroll at Jamestown or private school.  Would appreciate any feedback from parents of 4th or 5th graders about class sizes, quality of teachers (if there are any specific ones to ask for or to avoid), how your kid(s) have done developing emotionally and getting ready for MS, etc.

TIA![/quote]

I have a 4th grader at Jamestown and a 6th grader who attended there in fourth, so I have a lot of experience.

First, the faculty is just great. I'm familiar with the male teachers in fourth grade -- Mr. Scarano and Mr. Donovan.  They are phenomenal. Both are very into teaching their subjects -- Mr. Scarano was the type to come to every after school activity (plays, etc). I'm less familiar with the female teachers, but generally hear great things. The fifth grade team is all young, dedicated, motivating women. They are simply awesome.

Fourth grade is a huge step up academically from third. That's true across-the-board for ES, I think, but we definitely noticed it at Jamestown. Tests are harder and more about applying knowledge rather than reciting it. There is more reading, more projects, more homework. Math is done by clusters.

Fifth grade actually becomes easier on the homework front. The kids are in the trailers, but they're actually pretty nice. Roomier than the classrooms in the main building, a nicer bathroom. They can control temperature in the rooms.

Fourth and fifth graders at Jamestown have a lot of opportunities to do things: The school play is being cast right now (they're doing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). They can join chorus or band (strings or horns); both of those culminate in a trip to Hershey Park in May, when the school always wins top honors. There are enrichment courses, Girls on the Run, all sorts of other PTA activities.

It is crowded -- my dd's class now has 27 students, where in the past it was more like 21 or 22 (my older dd). So, part of me wishes you would stay away (hahahahaha). That makes for weird lunch times, etc.

Curriculum wise, fourth graders take a trip to Jamestown settlement and take swimming.

Hope this answers a few questions.

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