Reply to Feedback on Barrett?

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "Feedback on Barrett?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You should only go to a choice school if you are interested in the choice that school offers. There will be information sessions coming up usually in February and March where you can learn more about those schools (and neighborhood schools too.) I don’t have kids at Barrett but I’ve heard generally good things but it is diverse and many in DCUMland run from that.[/quote]

And you should also only accept a seat in a choice school if you intend to stay.  Don't take it away from someone who may want or need it more and plans to be here, please.
Your child's K-2 experience will be very good at Barrett.  It's kindergarten...[/quote]

I'm legit confused. If all APS elementary schools are good...why would one "need" a choice school more than another? I want to set my child up for success and give her the best too. Early education is often the most important time. [/quote]

They’re all “good” but they don’t all cater to the same audience. Your kid will be fine at Barrett, but the class isn’t going to be going at the same pace as one at Jamestown or Discovery. The curriculum is the same but the pace and depth of instruction is not. You don’t teach a class of English learners the same way you would teach a class of UMC/rich kids who all went to preschool. [/quote]

Playing devil's advocate here and out of a genuine interest to understand given this is not an area of expertise - if a class goes at a slower pace, aren't they automatically behind and not covering as much material? So come third/fourth/fifth grade a kid from Barrett - low income or not - wouldn't have learned the same material, at an appropriate pace, as peers from another higher income public school?

Feels like conflicting opinions on here - which I know is normal - with some saying its ALL the same for the first several years and others acknowledging it's really not, but that essentially "dont worry she'll be OK". [/quote]

As a parent of 2 who went through a high FRL elementary and compared notes with a lot of friends at other schools, including those who moved away during elementary to other elementary schools in Arlington:  you will cover the material.  The material covered will include all the same standards and basics needed for the tests and moving on.  You won't have as many interesting projects and fancy school events and school plays or musicals.  You won't have as many after-school enrichment programs sponsored by the PTA.  Class won't feel as fast-paced and may be less engaging.  But it's just kindergarten and a few years of early elementary; and even if you stayed through 5th grade, your kid will be well-prepared for middle school and not behind classmates from other schools.  Advocate for your kids if you think they aren't getting what they need - don't let them get overlooked if they're not at the bottom and not identified "gifted."  Otherwise, chill out.  Other than learning Spanish in an immersion program, there is little difference at the K-2 level across schools.[/quote]

Thank you! Ugh, I hadn't even thought about this whole "gifted" status - now I need to google that ;) [/quote]
Don't stress over it.  Just communicate with the teachers and go from there.  "Gifted" identification really doesn't mean much instruction-wise, especially that early on.  And it means nothing in "art."  We're high school now; but I believe APS has implemented programs at the high FRL elementaries to increase its identification of gifted students because they want to identify more gifted English language learners.  I'd recommend compiling questions for the parent teacher conferences - you can ask how your child's skills compare to the typical classmate/age group; ask if there's anything your child particularly stands out in - if yes, ask if it's worth evaluating for gifted identification.  One of my kids' kindergarten teacher volunteered that they should be evaluated during kindergarten for math; but I wouldn't typically expect a lot of that at that age.  And ultimately, the math evened out in later elementary grades.  It's more helpful for class placements going into middle school.

In all honesty, I've been pretty active in APS since my kids started 10 years ago and I've never heard any complaints about Barrett.  They used to have a cool science program with NASA.  I don't know if that's still a thing.

My advice is to stick with Barrett, be involved, and use the time there to learn about your kid and their strengths and weaknesses and learning preferences.  Then you'll be well-informed as you enroll them in their next school when you move.

Good luck![/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics