Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its because these other parents didn't want to pay more for their houses.

Jealous? Got a cheap house and great school while you've spent a million on a house under the water... Ahhh living the dream!

+1. For the part about cheap houses and great schools and now we can afford the ivy. LOL!

Anonymous wrote:Its because these other parents didn't want to pay more for their houses.

Jealous? Got a cheap house and great school while you've spent a million on a house under the water... Ahhh living the dream!

Anonymous wrote:It's because they bought into the smoke and mirrors of sending their kids to low income schools masked as immersion and magnets... If they lived in DC and were told that Anacostia High School would prepare their kids for Julliard, they would send their kids there too...

The local school for me is low income

It's because they bought into the smoke and mirrors of sending their kids to low income schools masked as immersion and magnets... If they lived in DC and were told that Anacostia High School would prepare their kids for Julliard, they would send their kids there too...

Its because these other parents didn't want to pay more for their houses.

Anonymous wrote:i like it because it's so different from english, tonal and pictogram. I hope it's stretching their brains in ways that are easier now than when they are older. Spanish, for instance, is close enough to English that I think it'll be easier to pick up the basics later on. (though I don't understand why french immersion and not spanish...seems more useful.)

and why alternative programs? if the local school is dismal, maybe we want an alternative. Especially if we otherwise like our house and neighbors. I might not be helping my neighborhood school by using alternatives, but the neighborhood is also more stable by our remaining here. Not our situation but I know a lot of people stuck underwater on their mortgages so they can't easily move.

Lastly, when it comes to school when there's only one flavor, and each child is different, some don't fit well, and then what? Decide they are failures at 8 years old?

1. "Pick up the basics" is one thing; fluency is another. Immersion confers fluency, in most cases (certainly in my kids' cases). Early is better w/regard to language learning.
2. Why French and not Spanish immersion? Because that is the lottery that worked out. In the public school lottery system, you do not get a choice, and in our view immersion is good regardless of which language you are learning.

RE language immersion, because learning a second language fluently in childhood is a fantastic thing. Google benefits of immersion and you'll understand why we chose it.

RE magnets, because the status quo can be iffy. See, e.g. Sligo Middle School (in our case).

If we lived in Bethesda or Potomac, we would be far less focused on magnets and immersion than we are. But this is our situation, and we've made it work.

Anonymous wrote:I am interested in language immersion because knowing a second language is one of the very few ways scientifically proven to increase your brainpower, openness, etc! It's probably not going to have an effect on dd's career or anything like that.

This. There are many cognitive benefits for being bilingual. At least if they start before 10. Google the actual studies.

I am interested in language immersion because knowing a second language is one of the very few ways scientifically proven to increase your brainpower, openness, etc! It's probably not going to have an effect on dd's career or anything like that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wannabe hippies.....

Actually, helicoptering parents is about the polar opposite of the Hippie culture. Would you care to elaborate on your comment? Because it makes no sense on the face of it.

Doubt that poster is capable of elaborating on it. Too bad his mono-language kids are going to be the serfs of the 21st century economy.

Serfs? Really , why stoop to that level?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wannabe hippies.....

Actually, helicoptering parents is about the polar opposite of the Hippie culture. Would you care to elaborate on your comment? Because it makes no sense on the face of it.

Doubt that poster is capable of elaborating on it. Too bad his mono-language kids are going to be the serfs of the 21st century economy.

Anonymous wrote:Wannabe hippies.....

Actually, helicoptering parents is about the polar opposite of the Hippie culture. Would you care to elaborate on your comment? Because it makes no sense on the face of it.

Wannabe hippies.....

Anonymous wrote:And nice to see some parents have already decided that their kids are going to work for some multi-national Fortune 500 companies with emerging interests in China....

I think most of you are frustrated that you are middle class SAHM's, with nothing else to do other then worry about this stuff and are jealous of those who can send their kids to school with "Prep, Arms, and Country Day Schools" in their names.... And forgot to name your kids Chase and Avery.

Not at all. DC is taking Mandarin, but it doesn't particularly matter to me what if anything he does with it in the future. What he does in his future life is his own decision, all I'm doing is throwing a bunch of diverse tools and skills at him, which may have future potential, and seeing what sticks. If he were to later on move to Argentina and become a motorcycle mechanic / beach bum / painter / whatever and never touch Mandarin again - as long as he's able to make a living and be happy with whatever he's doing, I'm happy. At the moment, he's having fun with Mandarin - in fact, he's made a few mini comic books, written entirely in Mandarin. Plus, he's taking Latin, he's also already had Spanish and German classes (and will likely have more in the future), as well as some exposure to Italian. The more robust and diverse a linguistic foundation earlier on in life, the better - plenty of evidence out there that shows that.

(And, no, I'm not a SAHM, and no, I don't particularly care where "Chase" or "Avery" go to school, nor who they are...)

MoCo let my immersion kid do math two years ahead, then DC went to a middle school magnet. Would I let DC trade places with the Tea-BAGGER's kid in private school? No way!