Reply to Lottery Swami Checking in for MSDC Season

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Where will my kid end up, Swami?

Pk3, inbound is Noyes

Stokes Spanish Brookland
Mundo Verde 8th St
DC Bilingual
Lee Montessori
Inspired Teaching 
Bethune Brookland
CMI
SSMA
Burroughs
Langdon Montessori
Langdon Elementary
Noyes
[/quote]

We’re also IB for Noyes.  After visiting, we dropped a number of the schools you have listed off our list. Bethune, for example - totally disorganized and gave conflicting info about some of the basics. Was very impressed by Noyes principal and don’t feel like we need to avoid it all costs. I’m curious about your ranking - priority language? Or Montessori? Or tier/star score? I’m not seeing a pattern. Have you visited everywhere?

FWIW, here’s our current thinking-

Inspired 
Lee (most likely, still on the fence about Montessori)
Burroughs 
Langdon ES
Noyes 
[/quote]

I have not visited all of these yet, still working through the open houses so this list will probably change.  I must have visited Bethune on a good day because I was impressed with the staff and liked the classrooms.  I still need to visit Noyes, but have only heard good things lately so I am happy about that.

As far as ranking, I like language immersion if we can get in for prek3.  I know it’s completely different, but I also really like Montessori for early childhood education and I think my child would be fine in any of these schools.  Location is a big factor for me.  Ideally I’d like to be able to walk to the school.  DCB and CMI are on the way to work.

Did you like Burroughs and Langdon more than Noyes?[/quote]

Gotcha. Thanks. For some reason I find it helpful to know how others approach this process. I haven’t been to Burroughs or Langdon yet. Commute is also a factor for us and honestly Langdon is a bit out of the way, but I chatted with some folks from there at the DC lottery fair in December and like what I’ve read about it, plus the rankings. DH thinks we should not list it but I’m not willing to let it go yet. Burroughs I spoke with teacher and admin at in December, as well as several very happy parents in the neighborhood, and we really like the STEM focus. Rankings there are also superior to Noyes, though I get the impression that Noyes has the potential to get there in a few years if enough parents are willing to commit to the school. I think the enrollment numbers there are challenging. I do really like the idea of our neighborhood school. Of course the charters we’re lotterying for are in the neighborhood, but not the same thing.

Interesting about Bethune. I really wanted to like it there. Maybe I just visited on an off day. [/quote]

I know families who have had very mixed experiences with Bethune.  There is always one thing that's left a sour taste in my mouth about them.  We briefly considered it when they had a later birthday cutoff, but decided we didn't want the full day program for our late birthday kid.  I was surprised by and not so excited by their uniform specifics.  The handbook has nearly two pages on what the uniforms needed to look like, including skirt length for girls.  (two inches below fingertip length for anyone interested) We don't go to a uniform-wearing school.  Is that sort of thing common? [/quote]

Yes, it is common in the area, although our school (Langley) has never been fussy about preschool uniforms and allows free choice of tights, sweatshirts, accessories, etc.  I found that I liked it-- it creates a visual environment that is less busy and DD enjoyed the freedom from fashion.[/quote]

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