Not sure how it got choosen for the Prez to visit?

Not many schools can beat that!

How many Ward Six schools has the President or the First family been to? I think it is pretty cool our kids think nothing of it that President This, or Secretary That comes to their school

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday by joining a painting project at a school on Capitol Hill.

On the federal holiday named for the slain civil rights leader, Obama brought his family to Stuart Hobson Middle School, where he and first lady Michelle Obama helped paint bright red apple characters on pillars in the lunchroom to encourage healthier eating.

Their daughters, Malia, 12, and Sasha, 9, sat separately at tables and worked on other painting projects.

Obama said King's legacy is also about service, in addition to his pursuit of justice and equality. Obama urged Americans to get out into their communities on Monday – a step he suggested would have special meaning after the Jan. 8 shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz.

"After a painful week where so many of us were focused on tragedy, it's good for us to remind ourselves of what this country is all about," he told reporters. "This kind of service project is what's best in us."

Monday also was Michelle Obama's 47th birthday. To mark it, the volunteers and others at the school – including the president and his daughters – sang the Stevie Wonder version of "Happy Birthday." The musician wrote it to honor King.

The first couple went to The Source, famous chef Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the Newseum, for a date night and birthday dinner Monday evening.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/mlk-day-of-service-obamas-volunteer_n_809956.html

Former Watkins family here. We left Watkins for the burbs a few years ago. We miss our life on the Hill, but not DCPS induced anxiety. MoCo isn't a panacea, but we immediately witnessed DD flourish in an orderly school with a natural feeder pattern we liked.

Imagine dinner with friends and not once mentioning how to navigate choppy waters of a school system. We respect those fighting the good fight, but in the end, it just wasn't for us.

Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, schools in DC will not be all consuming, and they won't foment the vitriol evident in this thread.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like DCPS hasn't been able to do what it takes to keep cohorts together through even what is considered a "top middle school".

Actually, this isn't altogether true. Deal's success in recent years has as much to do as much with the success of its feeders as it has with the quality and leadership of Deal itself. Stuart-Hobson, while part of an interesting concept 20 some years ago, may have been stifled by the cluster model in recent years. Eliot-Hine is following the Deal not the Stuart-Hobson feeding model. So maybe that bodes well for the future.

The pp was referring to "jumping in" within the Cluster schools. From Peabody to Watkins and then from Watkins to SH. Sounds like DCPS hasn't been able to do what it takes to keep cohorts together through even what is considered a "top middle school". Discouraging that they will be able to do it at Eliot Hine, however worthy a goal that is. DCPS has just got to do something dramatic and well thought out for once before the whole middle school scene goes charter

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake, the problem is not with families who choose not to "jump in". The problem is with dcps neglecting to fill the pool with water.

This is a nice analogy but I don't think the depiction is entirely deserved in the case of Eliot-Hine. I think DCPS moved fast to respond to community input and get it onto an IB track, which is what a survey among feeder schools and the community revealed would draw parents, quite possibly without much consultation of current parents, who fortunately saw the opportunity and went along with it. But this is not an overnight process; if it were it wouldn't be worth anything. But it's on the right track with a lot accomplished as it is. At this point, it is actually really mainly a matter of parents truly signing up and committing. I don't doubt there will be work left to do, but where will there not be?

I honestly wonder sometimes if the continued "now, this is what we want" and "that's another thing we want" isn't a bit of sour grapes against the Grey/Henderson team taking over. Or maybe it's the work of a plethora of education advocates in need of activism to show for to their members and supporters. Whatever the case may be, it's self-defeating to take it out on the back of what has become a good option for us all and is waiting to gain our support rather than our continued whining.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would Watkins families hold hands and jump in? What would it take to get Watkins parents to consider?

Watkins is only 26% in boundary right now. They can't even get Peabody students to "jump in" much and those that do, tend to trickle off around third grade. I remember having these very conversations on Peabody playground several years ago. "If we all just did it together..."

The let's all jump in idea is a really nice one, but it's never really worked. In the past, people moved to the suburbs. Now, as real estate issues make that more challenging, parents migrate their children to charters.

In the end, somebody's child has to be "first." It's one thing to do that on the elementary school level. It's quite another in middle school.

As long as dcps chooses ( and it is a choice, many many other urban school districts have them ) not to set up middle school magnet schools or even application schools, this problem of people not "jumping in" at middle school will continue. Right now, the charter schools are filling that niche, and so far,.dcps seems happy to let them. Make no mistake, the problem is not with families who choose not to "jump in". The problem is with dcps neglecting to fill the pool with water.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would Watkins families hold hands and jump in? What would it take to get Watkins parents to consider?

Watkins is only 26% in boundary right now. They can't even get Peabody students to "jump in" much and those that do, tend to trickle off around third grade. I remember having these very conversations on Peabody playground several years ago. "If we all just did it together..."

The let's all jump in idea is a really nice one, but it's never really worked. In the past, people moved to the suburbs. Now, as real estate issues make that more challenging, parents migrate their children to charters.

In the end, somebody's child has to be "first." It's one thing to do that on the elementary school level. It's quite another in middle school.

It's important to realize people make all kinds of choices. Believing that everyone is moving to the suburbs or migrating to charters is self-defeating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would Watkins families hold hands and jump in? What would it take to get Watkins parents to consider?

Watkins is only 26% in boundary right now. They can't even get Peabody students to "jump in" much and those that do, tend to trickle off around third grade. I remember having these very conversations on Peabody playground several years ago. "If we all just did it together..."

The let's all jump in idea is a really nice one, but it's never really worked. In the past, people moved to the suburbs. Now, as real estate issues make that more challenging, parents migrate their children to charters.

In the end, somebody's child has to be "first." It's one thing to do that on the elementary school level. It's quite another in middle school.

Jump in to what? Watkins feeds to Stuart-Hobson. An anonymous poster wants to close SH and have Watkins parents feed to EH? I hope that more Watkins parents will stay at the cluster through SH. That the renovated building in 2013, the energy that Dawn Clemens brings to the Cluster, etc. will encourage a few more Watkins parents than typical to stay for SH. How many of the around 100 4th now 5th graders, generally make the move to SH? The capacity per grade level of the 2 schools is about the same, if everyone from the SH feeder schools (Watkins and 2 others) attended SH, it would be an intact cohort.

Anonymous wrote:Would Watkins families hold hands and jump in? What would it take to get Watkins parents to consider?

Watkins is only 26% in boundary right now. They can't even get Peabody students to "jump in" much and those that do, tend to trickle off around third grade. I remember having these very conversations on Peabody playground several years ago. "If we all just did it together..."

The let's all jump in idea is a really nice one, but it's never really worked. In the past, people moved to the suburbs. Now, as real estate issues make that more challenging, parents migrate their children to charters.

In the end, somebody's child has to be "first." It's one thing to do that on the elementary school level. It's quite another in middle school.

The problem with NOT providing lots of options inside the school is that it increases the gap between those who 'have' and those who don't 'have'; most out of school/private enrichment costs $$ which a lower income family might not be able to spare. A one-stop-shop for school increases the chance of children learning to play instruments, participate in after-school sports, and keeps them engaged in positive activity

(Sorry, that should be "reasons" and "life", too late in the day to avoid typos!)

Anonymous wrote:As for big school advocacy, we live in a big city, with clubs, sports, music, language, clubs, theaters and everything else within easy reach. So why the big push to have that all under one roof? In the 'burbs, or in a rural setting, I can see the logic behind the desire for a school that has it all. But when you live in a city that has it all, who needs all that at school?

I think that's a fair question and should make us all less worried about it not happening. But there are a couple of reason I would rather have it big. I think part of why I live in a city is because my expectations, not only academic but cultural and social, are higher. So it'll take a pretty big organization to satisfy my broad set of expectations, and those I have for my children. Also, I'm a working parent - by choice that is - and our family's quality of live and well-being hinges on opportunities to avoid shuttling children around and still satisfy my broad expectations. Besides, the "big city that has it all and hence who needs it all at school" is not a very equitable city.

But I like your statement and refreshing train of thought very much because it puts the finger on why I would like our middle school right here in our midst, back to back with DCYOP, and the huge sports ground of Eastern, four blocks each way to about where soccer practice takes place, barely one block to where the rec center and outdoor swimming pool are being rebuilt on 17th and Gale St NE, withing walking/biking distance to the Folger and Shakespeare educational facilities and CHAW, a few blocks to two public libraries, one block to the metro stop taking students to the top cultural attractions in one straight line, one block and two metro stops from the Deanwood swimming pool and Aquatic Gardens, not quite two blocks to the Anacostia watershed and Kingman Park area, within biking/walking distance to row boat landings, across the street from a skatepark, on a direct bus line to the Arboretum, throw in the golf course, and all this just a couple of blocks from home with still enough time to complete homework and throw some hoops.