Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enough already....we have room for two new 4th graders -excellent and welcome! Is it possible when somebody said they heard the principal say blah, blah, blah that that the situation was different then? We have room, we may need the budget, whatever - but the conspiracy theory stuff is tiresome.

All of you release the wl complainers please go back to some other thread.

No one begrudges the individual students, but if you are a parent waiting on the sidelines and hoping that it becomes more of an IB school, I think this could be relevant.

I really don't understand why people hope that Hearst becomes more of an IB school. What difference does it make? It is not like OOB students displace IB students since IB students have preference. Hearst has historically had low IB enrollment and, as far as I understand, the majority are OOB parents who have been instrumental in making Hearst a place the previously uninterested IB parents now want to attend. Hearst appears to have a great school community, with a number of OOB folks living relatively close to the school and making it a warm place to be. So why the hope that it becomes more IB?

Signed,

Prospective OOB Ward 4 parent who hopes to get in off the WL!

How about because two neighboring school districts are overflowing with capacity and the boundaries haven't been redrawn in decades, for starters? You can move IB if you would like! Or apply to charter schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enough already....we have room for two new 4th graders -excellent and welcome! Is it possible when somebody said they heard the principal say blah, blah, blah that that the situation was different then? We have room, we may need the budget, whatever - but the conspiracy theory stuff is tiresome.

All of you release the wl complainers please go back to some other thread.

No one begrudges the individual students, but if you are a parent waiting on the sidelines and hoping that it becomes more of an IB school, I think this could be relevant.

I really don't understand why people hope that Hearst becomes more of an IB school. What difference does it make? It is not like OOB students displace IB students since IB students have preference. Hearst has historically had low IB enrollment and, as far as I understand, the majority are OOB parents who have been instrumental in making Hearst a place the previously uninterested IB parents now want to attend. Hearst appears to have a great school community, with a number of OOB folks living relatively close to the school and making it a warm place to be. So why the hope that it becomes more IB?

Signed,

Prospective OOB Ward 4 parent who hopes to get in off the WL!

I totally understand the desire to increase the number of IB families at any school, and I support it.

But the growing animosity toward OOB students--yes, it's there--really is a concern for this Ward 4 parent. There's been a lot of great (but understated) promotion of Hearst and it looked like a nice alternative to our IB school, which is not my first choice for education only because it's dual language. We were also drawn to the small and diverse (!) community of families, but I honestly wouldn't want to take a chance that my kid would be perceived as unwanted or academically challenged just because we don't live in the neighborhood. It's about a 10 minute drive for us and I don't think Rock Creek Park would or should make much of a difference in ability to fit in and achieve.

I'm also impressed that the principal is attentive and responsive. I think IB families may be doing her and the school a disservice with so much focus on OOB numbers and the implication that she's making specific promises about it to IB families. Keep your focus on what makes the school great and try not to make that the impression of a gated community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but we also got into Hearst OOB and will be in 4th grade.

This is very curious because at a Hearst open house late last year the principal said that in order to maintain academic and social continuity, she would not accept any new OOB students after 3rd grade (she obviously has to take IB students at any time). Now I'm wondering what else might have changed? For example, she also said that in order to maintain their unique accredidation, that there could never be more than 20 kids in K. We are IB for K next year and this has me worried.

She told us at an open house earlier this year that she would not take anyone past 3rd grade too from OOB, saying that it is too hard for kids coming from schools to catch up.

Anyone know if the rumors about a PS3 for Fall 2015 are still circulating? Or any legitimate update on it?

8:22 here. We won't be playing catch up. Thanks for your concern.

Hi - you quoted me. No need for snark. I wasn't making a judgment, although you seem to have read it that way. I don't care either way. We are thrilled to be in Hearst. All I was doing was quoting Dr. B. At the Open House we attended, she specifically said she does not "take" new OOB kids after 3rd grade because, again, using her words, it would be too much for them to "catch up." Again, her words.

Anonymous wrote:Lets see.

1. Dr. B doesn't have discretion to refuse to accept IB kids arriving for K, regardless of class size or the date the student moves IB. Guess what happens if Hearst has 40 K students as of August 31 and a new student arrives to enroll on September 1?

2. Any OOB student entering 4th grade necessarily academically trails every student who attended Hearst for 3rd Grade, including those admitted OOB for 3rd Grade.

Why would you say this? OOB does not = academically inferior. My OOB child is in an excellent private and I am sure will be beyond a number of the children, IB and otherwise, who have been at Hearst from the beginning, given how DCPS academics are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enough already....we have room for two new 4th graders -excellent and welcome! Is it possible when somebody said they heard the principal say blah, blah, blah that that the situation was different then? We have room, we may need the budget, whatever - but the conspiracy theory stuff is tiresome.

All of you release the wl complainers please go back to some other thread.

No one begrudges the individual students, but if you are a parent waiting on the sidelines and hoping that it becomes more of an IB school, I think this could be relevant.

I really don't understand why people hope that Hearst becomes more of an IB school. What difference does it make? It is not like OOB students displace IB students since IB students have preference. Hearst has historically had low IB enrollment and, as far as I understand, the majority are OOB parents who have been instrumental in making Hearst a place the previously uninterested IB parents now want to attend. Hearst appears to have a great school community, with a number of OOB folks living relatively close to the school and making it a warm place to be. So why the hope that it becomes more IB?

Signed,

Prospective OOB Ward 4 parent who hopes to get in off the WL!

Lets see.

1. Dr. B doesn't have discretion to refuse to accept IB kids arriving for K, regardless of class size or the date the student moves IB. Guess what happens if Hearst has 40 K students as of August 31 and a new student arrives to enroll on September 1?

2. Any OOB student entering 4th grade necessarily academically trails every student who attended Hearst for 3rd Grade, including those admitted OOB for 3rd Grade.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like Dr. B has an ego which is fond of writing checks that she won't be able to cash.

That is a bit harsh, no? Let's see what the explanation might be. Although the first post did not address the OOB after 2nd issue, maybe she will come back or a parent will post? Let's see.

Sounds like Dr. B has an ego which is fond of writing checks that she won't be able to cash.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but we also got into Hearst OOB and will be in 4th grade.

This is very curious because at a Hearst open house late last year the principal said that in order to maintain academic and social continuity, she would not accept any new OOB students after 3rd grade (she obviously has to take IB students at any time). Now I'm wondering what else might have changed? For example, she also said that in order to maintain their unique accredidation, that there could never be more than 20 kids in K. We are IB for K next year and this has me worried.

She told us at an open house earlier this year that she would not take anyone past 3rd grade too from OOB, saying that it is too hard for kids coming from schools to catch up.

Anyone know if the rumors about a PS3 for Fall 2015 are still circulating? Or any legitimate update on it?

8:22 here. We won't be playing catch up. Thanks for your concern.

Maybe not you, but some students have needed to catch up. That is why the Principal herself said it in the past.

Anonymous wrote:Enough already....we have room for two new 4th graders -excellent and welcome! Is it possible when somebody said they heard the principal say blah, blah, blah that that the situation was different then? We have room, we may need the budget, whatever - but the conspiracy theory stuff is tiresome.

All of you release the wl complainers please go back to some other thread.

No one begrudges the individual students, but if you are a parent waiting on the sidelines and hoping that it becomes more of an IB school, I think this could be relevant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but we also got into Hearst OOB and will be in 4th grade.

This is very curious because at a Hearst open house late last year the principal said that in order to maintain academic and social continuity, she would not accept any new OOB students after 3rd grade (she obviously has to take IB students at any time). Now I'm wondering what else might have changed? For example, she also said that in order to maintain their unique accredidation, that there could never be more than 20 kids in K. We are IB for K next year and this has me worried.

She told us at an open house earlier this year that she would not take anyone past 3rd grade too from OOB, saying that it is too hard for kids coming from schools to catch up.

Anyone know if the rumors about a PS3 for Fall 2015 are still circulating? Or any legitimate update on it?

8:22 here. We won't be playing catch up. Thanks for your concern.

Enough already....we have room for two new 4th graders -excellent and welcome! Is it possible when somebody said they heard the principal say blah, blah, blah that that the situation was different then? We have room, we may need the budget, whatever - but the conspiracy theory stuff is tiresome.

All of you release the wl complainers please go back to some other thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the cap on PreK, which would necessitate adding a third class if there are 41 kids, but 10:27 was addressing the situation in K as if it was a simple matter to hire an additional teacher and add an additional class in July or August in the event 45 IB kids were enrolled.

They must have a contingency plan for this, Dr. B? Or someone from the PTA? I think families contemplating joining from IB would like to know this information.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, great answer from the principal. I am pretty impressed. I am, however, a little disturbed by what seems like a little animosity towards OOB students. I never really sensed this to be an issue being that Hearst has always been a mixed crowd. I am starting to fear that as more IB families start enrolling; this negative attitude will get worse as they may get territorial start showing the bad feelings like what I see is beginning to happen with Hardy.

Animosity? Get real. The principal said she would not take any OOB students after 3rd grade out of concern they would not be able to keep up with students (IB AND OOB) who have attended Hearst since K. Now she is talking about budget issues? Everyone knows that head count impacts budget. That is not news. Something else is going on here. We need to see the full lottery results.

I agree, I think it is still unanswered why she said she would not take any kids past 2nd grade, and yet has done just that. She did know before about head count, etc., that is not a new bit of information, should why would that change things?

Anonymous wrote:Wow, great answer from the principal. I am pretty impressed. I am, however, a little disturbed by what seems like a little animosity towards OOB students. I never really sensed this to be an issue being that Hearst has always been a mixed crowd. I am starting to fear that as more IB families start enrolling; this negative attitude will get worse as they may get territorial start showing the bad feelings like what I see is beginning to happen with Hardy.

Animosity? Get real. The principal said she would not take any OOB students after 3rd grade out of concern they would not be able to keep up with students (IB AND OOB) who have attended Hearst since K. Now she is talking about budget issues? Everyone knows that head count impacts budget. That is not news. Something else is going on here. We need to see the full lottery results.