Since this got bumped, I will chime in that our son has been there for 1.5 years and we've been impressed especially with the teaching staff and Montessori model, and the diverse student population. I'd definitely urge your friend to come to an open house/site visit if she can: http://shiningstarsdc.org/pcs/index.php/admissions/open-houses.

Bump

Any feedback on this school. Friend moving to dc, Asian. Single mum. Needs ps for ps schooler turning 3 in nov.

Have you scheduled your parent interview? Maybe you will find out more then.

Appletree was nice. Very structure and they make the parents participate. My child is heading to kindergarden. He can read, write and do basic counting. Shining Star is a mystery to us all. My son got in...no school supply list, no uniform notification, just a bunch of facebook messages "keeping me informed".

17:29 and 17:45 made really good points.

I thought all charters were intended for at risk children. It's only recently become popular with middle class parents east of the park. Nice, yes, but underpriveleged kids should benefit from charters first.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else disturbed by the fact that they want to target "at risk" children? Doesn't that mean they are trying to target a high proportion of FARMS kids?

Time for a pop quiz!

Marie Montessori developed her pioneering educational methods though her work which of the following groups of "at risk" children:

A. mentally handicapped children, then thought to be uneducable

B. children with severe behavior problems

C. the slum children inhabitants of a housing project in Rome

D. none of the above

E. all of the above

LOVE this! And the answer is D. All of the above.

What, exactly, is disturbing about trying to offer a free, high-quality education through a well-established (international) educational model to students who otherwise may not have the means to afford one?! Isn't that what PUBLIC education is supposed to do?! And aren't Charters exactly the place for educators to offer such alternatives? Not to mention the fact that by naming "FARM" students as a "disturbing" target population, you are placing blame and pointing to the CHILDREN as a negative element. Children are children - no matter what their families' socio-economic status is. It's easy to point fingers and write that way when you refer to a sub-group of children by use of an acronym. How about realizing that each and every one of those children whose PARENTS may qualify for free or reduced meals has a name of their own?! Children are not defined nor determined by whatever boxes their parents may check on their enrollment forms - each and every one has a potential genius waiting to be awakened within. That is what Montessori realized in her work and research, and why she was so successful with the "uneducable". And please, please stop to think for a second about the message you are sending YOUR OWN child when you project that kind of elitist attitude...

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else disturbed by the fact that they want to target "at risk" children? Doesn't that mean they are trying to target a high proportion of FARMS kids?

Time for a pop quiz!

Marie Montessori developed her pioneering educational methods though her work which of the following groups of "at risk" children:

A. mentally handicapped children, then thought to be uneducable

B. children with severe behavior problems

C. the slum children inhabitants of a housing project in Rome

D. none of the above

E. all of the above

No.

Anyone else disturbed by the fact that they want to target "at risk" children? Doesn't that mean they are trying to target a high proportion of FARMS kids?

My kids are going, but we live pretty close so were planning on walking. Hopefully at some of the summer events we can meet other parents and set up a carpool or listserve or something like that.

With regard to a carpool, my kids are going but we live pretty close to the school's permanent location, so I was planning on walking. I hope the temporary location is close to the permanent location. Hopefully we can get to know other parents and possibly start a carpool as we get to meet one another at the events in the summer. Not sure what drop-off/pick-up will be like on a Georgia Ave.