Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Einstein has a lot of high performing kids.

They do. And as one of the OTES parents on the thread, the earlier comment is laughable. I should forego the chance for my kids to become fluent in another language so they can avoid socioeconomic diversity? That's what it comes down to, PP, and you know it. One of the things our family loves about OTES is the range of diversity it includes. I went to a W school as a kid, so I know what that brand of "diversity" looks like. No, thanks.

I don't think you can go wrong with Flora Singer, OP, and if you like your neighbors, I'm not sure I would move. Seeing my Kindergartner excited to learn Spanish is pretty amazing, though, and I am so, so grateful for the opportunity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flora Singer has been an amazing experience for our two kids. School has a fantastic leader, great culture and develops both empathy and excellence among its students. Highly recommended.

OP here- thanks so much! I've heard great things about Flora Singer and am getting more and more motivated to stay. Can you tell me a little bit more about examples of how you have seen the school foster this culture, and how they develop empathy and excellence? I have heard they have excellent teachers, too. Examples help me visualize what this all means concretely. I hope the principle is still there when it is our turn to go. What have you heard about the assistant principal? I have heard good things, but wanted to confirm.

New poster here. Flora Singer has always done a character curriculum and recently switched over to a newer program. The social emotional learning component is now embedded into the classrooms more, which I think is a big positive. Kids who have done good deeds get recognized each day on the morning announcements "turtle tales" so character is recognized daily. I have two kids at Singer. The teachers have been almost universally wonderful. The principal and assistant principal are both excellent... great with kids and good at communicating with parents. One of my kids is special needs and I think the principal went above and beyond at recommending programs for him and making sure he is accommodated and thriving. I highly recommend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Einstein has a lot of high performing kids.

They do. And as one of the OTES parents on the thread, the earlier comment is laughable. I should forego the chance for my kids to become fluent in another language so they can avoid socioeconomic diversity? That's what it comes down to, PP, and you know it. One of the things our family loves about OTES is the range of diversity it includes. I went to a W school as a kid, so I know what that brand of "diversity" looks like. No, thanks.

I don't think you can go wrong with Flora Singer, OP, and if you like your neighbors, I'm not sure I would move. Seeing my Kindergartner excited to learn Spanish is pretty amazing, though, and I am so, so grateful for the opportunity.

Things have changed in the decades and decades and decades since you were a kid.

You might actually like your former school if you still owned a house in that neighborhood. But then you couldn't come on this board and make disparaging comments like that. Who knows. Glad you've found happiness at your school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Einstein has a lot of high performing kids.

They do. And as one of the OTES parents on the thread, the earlier comment is laughable. I should forego the chance for my kids to become fluent in another language so they can avoid socioeconomic diversity? That's what it comes down to, PP, and you know it. One of the things our family loves about OTES is the range of diversity it includes. I went to a W school as a kid, so I know what that brand of "diversity" looks like. No, thanks.

I don't think you can go wrong with Flora Singer, OP, and if you like your neighbors, I'm not sure I would move. Seeing my Kindergartner excited to learn Spanish is pretty amazing, though, and I am so, so grateful for the opportunity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Einstein has a lot of high performing kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are one of the rare families who hated Flora Singer. We left for Forest Knolls which was fabulous. Consider adding FKES to your list.

OP here- Thank you all for your info! Good to hear about other recommendations as well. Regarding the comment above, what was the difference between Forest Knolls and Flora Singer?

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flora Singer has been an amazing experience for our two kids. School has a fantastic leader, great culture and develops both empathy and excellence among its students. Highly recommended.

OP here- thanks so much! I've heard great things about Flora Singer and am getting more and more motivated to stay. Can you tell me a little bit more about examples of how you have seen the school foster this culture, and how they develop empathy and excellence? I have heard they have excellent teachers, too. Examples help me visualize what this all means concretely. I hope the principle is still there when it is our turn to go. What have you heard about the assistant principal? I have heard good things, but wanted to confirm.

Anonymous wrote:As cool as the OT immersion program sounds, in the long run, your child will get a better education from RCF/Silver Creek/BCC. Just compare the avg SAT score at BCC vs Einstein. Plus with BCC at ~32% Black/Hispanic BCC will also provide you with the diversity many on this board crave.

Anonymous wrote:Flora Singer has been an amazing experience for our two kids. School has a fantastic leader, great culture and develops both empathy and excellence among its students. Highly recommended.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RCF no longer goes to BCC. This just in from the board. Do not choose rcf for the high school feeder program. Assume you will go back to your home high school.

This is not true. Please stop spreading disinformation.

This is true, unfortunately.
—-
The Montgomery County Board of Education has proposed amendments to Board Policy JEE, Student Transfers, and is seeking public comment on the amendments.

Currently students who have completed an elementary school immersion program may complete a Notice of Intent form to continue to the aligned middle school immersion program. Under the prior policy language, students attending middle school on a COSA were granted an automatic articulation to a high school in the same feeder pattern. Students attending middle school immersion programs were permitted to articulate to the high school within the feeder pattern of the middle school that housed the immersion program in accordance with the language that permitted students attending middle school on a COSA to articulate to the feeder high school.

Under the draft policy recommended by the Policy Management Committee and tentatively acted upon by the full Board, the automatic articulation will no longer be an option starting with students who enter 6th grade in the 2020-2021 school year. The “grandfathering provision” enables students who entered middle school with the expectation that they would be able to articulate to the high school in the feeder program to articulate as planned.

MCPS does not offer a high school immersion program. Students who wish to attend a high school other than their home school may apply for a COSA under any applicable provision of Policy JEE, Student Transfers or they may apply to attend countywide programs, regional programs, or other programs specifically identified by the superintendent of schools. More information about those programs may be found at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/schoolchoice/

Additional highlights of the Board's amendments include the following topics:

unique hardships that may qualify students for transfers based on family circumstances;
extenuating circumstances related to the medical, emotional, or social well-being of a student;
clarification of the provision for receiving a transfer based on a sibling's school of attendance;
conditions for approving transfers of children of staff members;
academic transfers for high school students; and
Draft Board Policy JEE is now available for public comment until December 15, 2019. https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/rsq9fj00dpls38/

Anonymous wrote:We are one of the rare families who hated Flora Singer. We left for Forest Knolls which was fabulous. Consider adding FKES to your list.