One of my children started at St Patricks in the nursery program abnd is now in the upper school. Another child started in K, having come from a very highly regarded and sought after preschool in Georgtown. I think the St Patricks' nursery program is better. In particular, what I liked was, in part, attributable to having access to the resources of a larger school but still being separate and secluded from the older students.

The playground is exceptional: large psaces, lots of age-appropriate equipement and structures for creative play. Very close to the nursery school doors.

The children have sepearate teachers for music and science and PE, which is wonderful. It helps them learn to transition in a very mild way (teachers ciome to them) that should help with the greater transitions of K.

There is a nice mix of play based learning and more structured learning. My child was an advanced reader and that was accomodated with ease but with absolutely no "fanfare."

the teachers are very warm and nuturing but the children are truly learning, and not just social skills. One of my favorite thinsg they do every year is hatch and raise baby chicks. Great experience for the children.

Overall, I thought the St Pats Nursery and PK program was more well rounded and inclusive of children at different stages of developemnt that the much lauded, pure preschool my other child attended.

I have no direct experience with StP's, but we looked at it and were impressed and have tons of friends there who love the school. It has a great reputation. If you're curious, you should definitely take a look.

NP here. Aside from the commuting issues, are there other thoughts on the St. Pats Nursery program? Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:If you live on the hill there are not many choices. A 20 minute drive is not that bad. You can drop off at 7:30 and there isn't bad traffic at 7 ish. There are so many people who commute a variety of distances to get to St Pats..it's a great school so yes worth the commute.

I live on the Hill, and my boyfriend (now DH) lived near St. Pats. There is no way that is a 20 minute drive in the best of circumstances. Early in the morning it would be decent, maybe, but in the afternoon? Forget it.

Our son has been at Aidan for the toddler program and is now in the Primary program. He (and we) like it very much and he seems to be thriving there. Some of the Primary teachers are more "old school" Montessori (a little stern, austere), some are more cuddly - just depends on who you get. Aidan is overall pretty hard core Montessori though, so if you are interested in this, I'd suggest taking a close look at the Montessori method and seeing if you think this would be a good fit for your child.

With respect to what I like least, I would say that, compared to other school experiences (based on what I've heard from friends with kids at other schools), Aidan is not very communicative. You will get weekly newsletters from the school overall telling you about school-wide events that week, etc., but don't expect a weekly email from teachers saying "this is what was going on this week in class" -- I think this is partly because each kid works at his or her own pace, so it's not as though the teacher can say, "Hey, this week we worked on character recognition" -- because not all kids will have worked on that task in a given week. We are fine with this -- and also regularly check in with our kid's teacher at drop-off or via e-mail, and she is always responsive -- but just in case you were expecting something more regularized, this is not the case at Aidan (at least it has not been our experience). YOu get a parent-teacher interview twice a year and an in-class observation twice a year -- and other than that, it is basically you on your own initiative contacting or checking in with the teacher.

In terms of the commute, the school is a very short (5 min) walk away from the Woodley Park metro stop (red line).

What is Aiden like. I have never heard of it.

I toured both and am having a hard time imagining how you can like both schools. They're totally, completely on opposite ends of the spectrum.

If you live on the hill there are not many choices. A 20 minute drive is not that bad. You can drop off at 7:30 and there isn't bad traffic at 7 ish. There are so many people who commute a variety of distances to get to St Pats..it's a great school so yes worth the commute.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you work out that way? Because I can't imagine that commute from the Hill every day unless you are going out there anyway. It would be miserable.

This. The #1 reason we turned down St. Pat's.

Ditto

10:12 - easy for YOU to say that you would not worry about commuting. Who in their right mind would want to slog across town from the Hill every day, through all of the downtown traffic?

Anonymous wrote:Do you work out that way? Because I can't imagine that commute from the Hill every day unless you are going out there anyway. It would be miserable.

This. The #1 reason we turned down St. Pat's.

when you say primary program what age do you mean? aidan has a primary program for 3-5 year olds and then a lower elementary program for 6-9 year olds.

Do you work out that way? Because I can't imagine that commute from the Hill every day unless you are going out there anyway. It would be miserable.

Hi-our children go to St. Pats and we love it. Kids go to the school from all over so I would not worry about commuting. It used to be a school just for Palisades kids but not anymore. They have a very nurturing environment but also the traditional stuff like weekly chapel..honor code...that sort of thing. Great aftercare also if you are looking for that. Hmm least about program..I really can't think of anything but maybe for Tiger parents, they put you in your place. Don't even think about asking how your child compares to others..they will tell you to relax and some parents don't like that. I actually needed to hear that and the fact is that my kids are thriving so maybe I needed to relax.

Would love feedback on Aidan's or St. Patrick's primary school programs from parents of currently enrolled students. What do you like most (or least) about the program? Also, does anyone commute from the Hill? Thanks!