If aftercare is a concern, MV had later aftercare than YY

We had this choice a couple of years ago and despite originally having a strong preference for Spanish (I speak it, though as a non-native, and my kids had a foundation in it from their nanny) we chose Yu Ying for the following reasons: We felt more confident in the school's administration/organization (granted, MV was just starting out, so that might be as big of a factor now), the facilities: Yu Ying has 2 great playgrounds as well as a nature center and woodlands on site they kids take advantage of throughout the day and aftercare (I understand MV has a new, permanent location now but still does not have an onsite playground or green space), the aftercare program itself which we use seemed higher quality with more interesting options, and the fact that Mandarin would be a much harder language to learn later in life than Spanish. My kids have a lot of continued exposure to Spanish and hope to study it as another language when they move on to DCI. I also didn't like that grade levels in the early childhood years were combined at MV (we had friends who left the school because of this, not sure if they still do it). I also prefer the IB curriculum and Yu Ying is actually, as another commenter noted, a very green school so there didn't seem to be much of a difference between the schools there. We have been thrilled with Yu Ying and so glad we made the decision we did, but both options are great schools so chances are no matter what you choose you too will be happy with your choice. The good news is they both will end up at DCI!

We had this choice as well this year and chose MV largely because it appears to provide a more holistic immersion experience. This decision was in spite of family ties to China. I'm was a tough call.

Although we did have both on the lotto application, we listed Yy before mv and got in(hence not listed for mv). As a parent, I really loved Yy for many reasons listed above but also because the administrators I interacted with were smart, organized and professional. I didn't see anything else like it at other schools I visited, and it gave me a sense of confidence that the school would address my child's needs well. I hope it lives up; will be PK3.

Anonymous wrote:Do you care about sustainability?

FYI, it's not as well known, but Yu Ying is a Green School. It's been recognized by the Department of Education (or Energy?) as such. I believe MV was honored as such in the same announcement. But YY's Green School function is not as widely known. In the PYP they have one unit a year on Sharing the Planet.

These were the 2 schools I fell in love with the most when I first started looking at DC schools. And yet, even though I know what I loved about them through visits and curricula and what I could gather of school culture, I can NOT imagine not having a strong preference for one over the other. They are both great schools, but I loved them for really different aspects, and I honestly don't get it when people post questions like this. What is important to you OP? Do you really not care which language? The school cultures are different - visit YY as soon as possible because as much as I love both, they are quite different. We were clear which we'd pick if we had the choice, but we would have been thrilled with either.

We chose YY and Mandarin but live within walking distance to MV. Neither is spoken at home but we really want Mandarin since DC is 1/2 Asian and our family has very close ties to Asia. His grandparents and cousins live there and speak Mandarin as well as another Asian language and English. Mandarin is the language to know in Asia currently catching up to English.

YY has more Asian and part Asian kids than any other school in DC, public or private, which appealed to us as a mix race family.

We love YY. Great school with a very nice community. MV seems similar.

I would pick the school based on which language you want.

MV.

More central location, welcoming community, sustainability AND experiential learning. All positives.

I chose MV. I thought Spanish woukd be easier to support at home and if my kids don't end up becoming fluent I figured a little Spanish is more useful than a little Manderin (recognizing that fluent Manderin is super useful). But both are great schools.

Anonymous wrote:Did you attend the open houses?

I did for MV and not for YY. I never thought that this would really be an option....I guess I will need to visit YY. I heard that they didn't do tours during school hours though...

We had this choice and chose YY. The program is unique, in my opinion. We have been very happy with the school - nice kids, nice parents, beautiful campus, and our child is happy and learning a lot.

Do you care about sustainability? Do you like experiential learning? Would you rather support Spanish learning or mandarin learning? Which do you think would be more beneficial? What was the feeling that you got at each school? They are actually very different; I can't imagine not having a preference on any of these issues.

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i have thought that this would be an option, but the way both schools WL are moving I might have a chance. Commute is the about the same for me, and neither spanish or mandarin are spoken at home. Which would you choose?

In that situation, I would choose neither.

Did you attend the open houses?

Never in a million years would i have thought that this would be an option, but the way both schools WL are moving I might have a chance. Commute is the about the same for me, and neither spanish or mandarin are spoken at home. Which would you choose?