Anonymous wrote:Good to hear that folks are happier with their neighborhoo schools. Who knows, in 5-10 years DC might be a greener, more environmentally conscious place with more kids actually walking or biking to schools near where they live, and without so much helter skelter school car commuting across the Park and across the city.

One can understand doing what you can for your kids if your neighborhood school doesn't meet your kids' needs. That said, barring traveling across town for specialty programs (e.g., immersion programs, Montessori), I really hope the scramble to lottery into schools outside of one's own neighborhood becomes unusual within the next decade. One can dream!

Good to hear that folks are happier with their neighborhoo schools. Who knows, in 5-10 years DC might be a greener, more environmentally conscious place with more kids actually walking or biking to schools near where they live, and without so much helter skelter school car commuting across the Park and across the city.

Anonymous wrote:On the Bancroft vs. OOB debate, I'd like to point out that many of my Mt. Pleasant friends whose kids go to Eaton or Hearst or a charter live on Hobart or Irving. Those kids were in bounds for HD Cooke up until this year, so parents opted to try to lottery elsewhere. Some of those parents actually tried to send their kids to HD Cooke when it returned to the neighborhood, but found it to be unwelcoming and hostile, with a disorganized aftercare program and odd dropoff practices (PS 3 and PS 4 kids were dropped off in the gymnasium and were at risk of being trampled by the largely unsupervised 4th & 5th graders).

We are at Cooke and are very happy. Terrific principal who is turning things around. Please stop disparaging our school when you gave up on it long ago before the change in administration.

Just a little more information about the Dual Language Program from Bancroft's website:

"Dual Language

Snapshot of Dual Language Education at Bancroft Elementary

Target Languages: English/Spanish

Participating Grades: K - 5th

Number of DL classrooms: 20

Subjects taught in Spanish: Reading, writing, math, science

Subjects taught in English: Reading, writing, math, social studies, art, music, PE.


Bancroft is a dual language (Spanish/English) elementary school. Starting in Kindergarten, students spend half of their academic class time each day working in English with one teacher and the other half working in Spanish with another teacher. There are two teachers in every classroom Kinder to 5th grade. A majority of Bancroft’s students are native Spanish speakers, and its student body as a whole includes children from many nationalities.

Bancroft’s early childhood classrooms have a lead teacher and an instructional aide. Classrooms include native speakers of both languages and are structured to expose all children to both languages so they can all be successful in the formal dual language program, which begins in Kindergarten.

Bancroft also offers one Pre-S classroom and one Pre-K classroom that are full-immersion Spanish.


What is Dual Language Education?

Dual Language Education (DLE) is an enriched educational program in which students learn academic subjects in two languages. DCPS Dual Language classrooms usually have a mix of English-dominant and Spanish-dominant students who work together to learn the grade level material in two languages—Spanish and English. Long-term studies of test results show that students in Dual Language programs tend to equal or exceed their peers who are learning in English only and they have the added benefit of having learned a second language! The long-term goals of all DCPS Dual

Language education programs are:

• Bilingualism

• Biliteracy

• High Academic Achievement

• Cultural Awareness & Appreciation


The Benefits of Bilingualism

Bilingual children:

• Show increased mental flexibility and stronger problem solving skills

• Are more willing and able to learn a 3rd language

• Generally score higher on verbal standardized test scores in English

• Maintain a strong sense of their own identity while developing a sensitivity towards other cultures

• Get a head start in competition for universities and jobs in a global economy



Frequently Asked Questions about Dual Language Education

My child doesn’t speak Spanish. How will s/he understand? Dual Language teachers are trained as both subject area and language teachers and help make lessons understandable by using hands-on learning, visual supports, interactive activities and by teaching subject areas thematically.

We don’t speak Spanish at home. Is that a problem? It is not necessary for the new language to be used at home. Dual Language teaching teams work together to make sure that your child is developing both their first and second languages from the early childhood grades and on.

How long will it take my child to learn Spanish? Although your child may begin speaking and understanding their new language within a couple of years, research has shown that it can take 4—7 years for students to develop full proficiency. This program requires a long term commitment from parents!

Will learning in two languages affect my child’s test scores? No, with your support at home your child should be able to do as well as peers in English-only classrooms and studies have shown that bilingual children often outperform their monolingual peers in time.

Can my child start the Dual Language program at any age? It is recommended that children enter the Dual Language program no later than 1st grade so that they can build language skills in the early grades. "

I bolded a few points that may make a Dual Language program less appropriate for some - I am not against bilingual education but dislike the idea that it is good for all kids.

I have a LD - it was very difficult for me to read aloud in English and also to listen to and write what someone else said. I had years of tutoring from Kingsbury. Spoken foreign language classes were always an enormous struggle - thank god for Latin as I don't know how I would have satisfied FL requirements without it and even then I did not do well. I worry that one or both of my children could have a similar LD but even if they do not I do not feel up to the challenge of a Dual Language program.

And I friends down the block who aren't interested in Bancroft as the have a bilingual household but the second language is not Spanish and they think adding a third language into the mix would be too confusing. We are both long-time Mt. Pleasant residents who are involved in the community.

I know this has already been said but it really bugs me that so many Bancroft parents are so judgmental of Mt. Pleasant families who send kids OOB to other schools. There are many things that go into such a decision and it is upsetting to think that people think that we (a) supportive of the Mt. Pleasant community, and/or (b) are racist/classist/elitist.

Please don't make assumptions about my family - bi-lingual education is not a good fit for everyone. And there could be plenty of other factors you know nothing about.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still deafening silence on the great efforts around the planned Eaton renovation.

I know virtually nothing about the renovation efforts, but since you keep asking I'll share the few morsels I do know. David Grosso put together criteria for prioritizing modernizations and then allocated funding in line with those priorities. I don't know the details, but Eaton's modernization was apparently delayed for two years. I don't know off the top of my head when those two years began or when they end. But, someone up thread posted something about 2017 which is coincidentally two years from now. So, maybe the modernization is now expected in 2017. If so, nobody could tell you about what is being planned because at this point, nothing would be planned.

A PP claimed there had been lots of meetings and other great efforts in connection with a renovation of Eaton. And normally a renovation process would start with the teachers, principal, HSA, parents and community representatives identifying priorities and preferences, long before preliminary budgets are drawn up and architects start work on concept designs. Such priorities might include indoor play/gym space separate from the lunch room, a new library, light-filled rather than dark common spaces, community gathering space, etc., and be informed by a review of what peer schools have done. Or maybe Eaton is just waiting passively as usual for DCPS to tell it what will do unilaterally. But as another PP suggested, the reference to efforts underway may have been just vaporware to shut down discussion at this point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a pretty vigorous discussion going on right now about indoor/outdoor cats. Seems like the neighborhood discussion is still there.

Definitely agree with you on the too many advertisements. I'm so done with hearing about Cake Pops that I avoid the store out of principle.

I think if someone posted "I'm going out to buy a gas-powered lead blower- any recommendations?" You would gets tons of "neighborhood" postings.

I am glad you like CP, but I was happy to leave it behind. My building was awful but I hated the neighborhood as well. I could tell more anecdotes but I think that those would not be helpful to others.

haha, yes, the leaf blower discussions!

now on my very active EOTP listserve, never a discussion of flower garden heists or a leaf blower bans, etc. So glad to be EOTP!

EOTP, but insisting on schools WOTP.

Im the poster who lived in the Cat Lady Condo. I also don't send my children to schools WOTP and instead to a charter. I honestly had such a bad experience at CP that I could not deal with the unfriendly people for school either. Happy EOTP.

You do realize that Eaton is a majority OOB school, don't you? Was your family at Eaton?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a pretty vigorous discussion going on right now about indoor/outdoor cats. Seems like the neighborhood discussion is still there.

Definitely agree with you on the too many advertisements. I'm so done with hearing about Cake Pops that I avoid the store out of principle.

I think if someone posted "I'm going out to buy a gas-powered lead blower- any recommendations?" You would gets tons of "neighborhood" postings.

I am glad you like CP, but I was happy to leave it behind. My building was awful but I hated the neighborhood as well. I could tell more anecdotes but I think that those would not be helpful to others.

haha, yes, the leaf blower discussions!

now on my very active EOTP listserve, never a discussion of flower garden heists or a leaf blower bans, etc. So glad to be EOTP!

EOTP, but insisting on schools WOTP.

Im the poster who lived in the Cat Lady Condo. I also don't send my children to schools WOTP and instead to a charter. I honestly had such a bad experience at CP that I could not deal with the unfriendly people for school either. Happy EOTP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a pretty vigorous discussion going on right now about indoor/outdoor cats. Seems like the neighborhood discussion is still there.

Definitely agree with you on the too many advertisements. I'm so done with hearing about Cake Pops that I avoid the store out of principle.

I think if someone posted "I'm going out to buy a gas-powered lead blower- any recommendations?" You would gets tons of "neighborhood" postings.

I am glad you like CP, but I was happy to leave it behind. My building was awful but I hated the neighborhood as well. I could tell more anecdotes but I think that those would not be helpful to others.

haha, yes, the leaf blower discussions!

now on my very active EOTP listserve, never a discussion of flower garden heists or a leaf blower bans, etc. So glad to be EOTP!

EOTP, but insisting on schools WOTP.

nope, lovely small eotp charter. At some point an eotp private is likely though I hope not. The only time I got back to cp (or, really, wotp) is to visit our buddies at the CP Yes organic who were always so wonderful to us. My kids know all their names.

Anonymous wrote:Still deafening silence on the great efforts around the planned Eaton renovation.

I know virtually nothing about the renovation efforts, but since you keep asking I'll share the few morsels I do know. David Grosso put together criteria for prioritizing modernizations and then allocated funding in line with those priorities. I don't know the details, but Eaton's modernization was apparently delayed for two years. I don't know off the top of my head when those two years began or when they end. But, someone up thread posted something about 2017 which is coincidentally two years from now. So, maybe the modernization is now expected in 2017. If so, nobody could tell you about what is being planned because at this point, nothing would be planned.

Does Eaton have a SEM Program?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a pretty vigorous discussion going on right now about indoor/outdoor cats. Seems like the neighborhood discussion is still there.

Definitely agree with you on the too many advertisements. I'm so done with hearing about Cake Pops that I avoid the store out of principle.

I think if someone posted "I'm going out to buy a gas-powered lead blower- any recommendations?" You would gets tons of "neighborhood" postings.

I am glad you like CP, but I was happy to leave it behind. My building was awful but I hated the neighborhood as well. I could tell more anecdotes but I think that those would not be helpful to others.

haha, yes, the leaf blower discussions!

now on my very active EOTP listserve, never a discussion of flower garden heists or a leaf blower bans, etc. So glad to be EOTP!

EOTP, but insisting on schools WOTP.

Anonymous wrote:There is a pretty vigorous discussion going on right now about indoor/outdoor cats. Seems like the neighborhood discussion is still there.

Definitely agree with you on the too many advertisements. I'm so done with hearing about Cake Pops that I avoid the store out of principle.

I think if someone posted "I'm going out to buy a gas-powered lead blower- any recommendations?" You would gets tons of "neighborhood" postings.

I am glad you like CP, but I was happy to leave it behind. My building was awful but I hated the neighborhood as well. I could tell more anecdotes but I think that those would not be helpful to others.

haha, yes, the leaf blower discussions!

now on my very active EOTP listserve, never a discussion of flower garden heists or a leaf blower bans, etc. So glad to be EOTP!

Still deafening silence on the great efforts around the planned Eaton renovation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former CP apartment-dweller here. Check out the CP listserv some time. The Lee parents who post here seem halfway sane in comparison.

As also a former cp apartment dweller, I agree with you on the listserve being nuts (remember the flower thief browhaha!) and CP being rather unfriendly for families who can't afford SFHs. But Lee parents are lovely. IMO, the parent community is one of the best things about Lee (behind the teachers and admin). It's mostly made up of middle-class families from the center of the city (and East or SE) and so a pretty down-to-earth bunch trying to find a way to afford to stay in the city close to their jobs. Families we lost to immersion schools this year (always a big draw) come back to the schoolfor social events because of the bonds formed last year were that strong.

How was your experience in Cleveland Park unfriendly? Did you join any of the community organizations and have a bad experience?

Also former Cleveland Park condo dweller. I was in a small building with lots of 30 year olds that adored my (loud) babies, but, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, while moms at MaComb park were nice enough, they were not interested in getting to know my family or setting up playdates with my toddler. At least twice I was part of a chatting group of moms who had all just met and who ended up setting up playdates without me after we had the "oh, where to you live" conversation. I guess I don't blame them for wanting to spend their time with people in their own economic bracket, but it was disheartening to be left out. Our new EOTP neighborhood is much more welcoming. Not one neighbor playdate in 4 years in CP, we've lived here just 8 months been to several.