My understanding is that it will really look more like a responsive classroom with a lot of group work and projects. It will also hopefully include a lot of expeditionary work. Per pp comments, I fully expect this incredible administration and faculty to develop an amazing program.

They enjoy each other, they love their jobs, and the parent-community and involvement is second-to-none. That alone is reason to have faith in the program.

+1. Teachers are still figuring out how this is going to go in the upper grades. Pretty traditional-looking right now with a few nods to projects during the year. But it will evolve and the atmosphere of the school is still really nice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Families rarely leave SWS to attend another DC public/charter school. But when they do leave, it is because they wish the school was more academic or more 'traditional' in its school culture/demographics. Typically, everyone is fine with children not being pressed to read in pre-school or pre-k4. Come K, parents start to vary in their expectations re: a more academic focus.

I second this. You regularly hear of people leaving Maury and Watkins. Peabody churns a little. And, yes, several families have left Brent for perceived greener pastures (even prior to 5th grade). But not SWS. And, while we don't have firsthand experience, you also really don't hear people speak negatively about it around the Hill, which is rare for a school---someone always has an axe to grind. Of course, their grade footprint is small, but still. It also has very dedicated parents. We've made the rounds during fundraising season and SWS's auction is at or near the top.

Didn't SWS just start expanding above preschool so there isn't really any data for whether or not parents will like it in the older elementary grades? It seems like a good school to me, but it is a bit of an unknown for older students until there are actually some who go through the whole program.

Right, SWS has been adding a grade a year and will be at PS3-3rd grade next year. I think all of the upper elementary teachers there would tell you that they are still feeling out how to incorporate Reggio into a pretty rigid set of standards, and that they adhere to the standards before deferring to Reggio. That said, it still makes for a warmer, more project-based experience in the upper grades than you'd find at many schools without the R-E influence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Families rarely leave SWS to attend another DC public/charter school. But when they do leave, it is because they wish the school was more academic or more 'traditional' in its school culture/demographics. Typically, everyone is fine with children not being pressed to read in pre-school or pre-k4. Come K, parents start to vary in their expectations re: a more academic focus.

I second this. You regularly hear of people leaving Maury and Watkins. Peabody churns a little. And, yes, several families have left Brent for perceived greener pastures (even prior to 5th grade). But not SWS. And, while we don't have firsthand experience, you also really don't hear people speak negatively about it around the Hill, which is rare for a school---someone always has an axe to grind. Of course, their grade footprint is small, but still. It also has very dedicated parents. We've made the rounds during fundraising season and SWS's auction is at or near the top.

Didn't SWS just start expanding above preschool so there isn't really any data for whether or not parents will like it in the older elementary grades? It seems like a good school to me, but it is a bit of an unknown for older students until there are actually some who go through the whole program.

OP here. I really appreciate all the thoughtful comments on this thread. We're doing our diligence and asking a lot of tough questions of a lot of people, but these comments really help put the picture together. Thanks everyone.

OP, we decided to turn down a SWS spot last year so can't speak to what it was like to be at school there but the reasoning for our family was (1) I was nervous about going to a school where the upper grades didn't exist yet and (2) I just wasn't sure about R-E in upper grades. (3) I personally don't value visual arts that much, probably because I completely suck at them. If the school had been all about heavy music engagement, an hour of music a day, whatever, I totally would have gone for it.

That said, I was a Montessori til first grade child and I loved it and always thought that independent more child-centered learning was the way to go. I loved the school visit, the parental involvement, and the teachers were clearly topnotch. If you are weighing against other charters you should be aware it can be very difficult to find a charter with a lot of experienced strong teachers (unless that is the specific focus of the school, as it is as some.) If we had not gotten into our language immersion charter I think we probably would have gone to SWS after all. My friends who have children there really really enjoy it and their kids do seem to be getting pretty good academic foundations in the older grades.

OP, we had a child we pulled from SWS a few years back. Admittedly he is a child who wouldn't do well on Montessori either. He needs direction and I knew this going in but thought they could change him. It was prettyiserable for all involved, the school was great about it and we moved him into a more traditional school. He is (still) a child who needs directions told to him. I can't speak to older grades since this was before expansion.

To the PP about PIAs as benchmarking up to DCCAS. That isn't what they do and are given after DCCAS. While aligned with Common Core, they are a better guide to how the children are progressing rather than one snapshot like DCCAS.

If your #2 option is your IB school, I would go ahead and put SWS #1. If you get in, and decide it's not for you, you can always go to your neighborhood school in K.

Then why in the world are they taking the PIAs that are meant to benchmark up to the DC CAS? And what aren't parents being informed?

Please could pp elaborate a bit on when and how this was communicated and if the 2nd graders are taking any kind of standardized interim assessments at your school ( PIA or ANET ) By the way, why don't you just tell us the school

My understanding is that DCPS will not be administering CAS to Second Graders this year, in part, because it will be phased out next year. There are political and financial imperatives as well.

Anonymous wrote:I stand by my statement @ 13:41. And yes, I very much understand the distinction between not taking the test and taking the test and not having scores reported out to the public, as does our principal. Thanks.

I was confused by your statement. You referred to a CH elementary school. I assume that this is not SWS, or you would have said? If that's the case, then how is that relevant here, as a PP said that 2nd graders at SWS will in fact take it.

I stand by my statement @ 13:41. And yes, I very much understand the distinction between not taking the test and taking the test and not having scores reported out to the public, as does our principal. Thanks.

In response to the OP---we have a child at SWS, and another entering next year. I went to catholic schools and sat in rows and did worksheets, and I am not creative or artsy. So sometimes, I have to take a deep breath when I hear my child decribe some activities, or when I hear the Reggio approach being described, or see it in practice, because it is much more warm and fuzzy than who I am.

That said, my child is happy thriving, and is way more creative than I will ever be. And I do believe that this learning approach will translate into great problems solving skills, as well as an ablility to work well with others and a good deal of empathy.

If you really are focused on your child being academically ahead in the traditional ways that being ahead is measured by DCPS, this school may not be for you. If you can handle more than a little bit of touchy-feely and think about the long game, it is a wonderful place.

2nd graders take the CAS but the scores are not reported publicly like they are for 3rd grade, etc. I believe 2nd graders take the CAS in order to assess Impact for 3rd grade teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Some corrections

2nd graders at SWS will take the DCCAS this year. They have already been taking the paced interim assessments

Reggio approach has very rarely, almost never been applied beyond kindergarten. The move into the upper grades is experimental. All we have been told as parents in that the educational approach ( not curriculum) will be project-based ( not Expeditionary Learning, which is one kind of project-based approach ).

That means that SWS will of course have all the same standards and assessments as the rest of DCPS, but will approach those standards in a cross-disciplinary way organized around themes that have popped up from the children's interests and questions.

It is still very much a work in progress. But I am confident the excellent administration and teachers will end up crafting a top notch school all the way through 5th grade. Personally I chose SWS partly for the respectful and developmentally appropriate approach to early childhood education but also because they are some of the finest teachers I have seen anywhere around DCPS.

The principal at our Capitol Hill ES has communicated that 2d graders will not be taking the CAS this year.