We are a MV k family, and have our concerns about staying. The school is inconsistent with communications - you hear of a lot of events and activities yet don't know if your child is reading at grade level, or on target for the year.

The expedition this fall was lengthy- but did it teach DC fundamentals of reading and writing? Not convinced.

The math program seems to be working. We can see how DC is absorbing new ideas.

The administration won't be very helpful if you face challenges. A lot will depend on which teachers are retained for first grade - and there are no guarantees.

Our k class has had weak teaching all year although it has improved since January. Within our class there are multiple families considering changes in the fall, from both native speakers and non-Spanish households.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes but DCPS isn't taking anyone who isn't out of one of their immersion elementary schools into the McFarland immersion program.

I don't think that's true.

They didn't guarantee spots from outside the language feeders. But they were considering giving preference to in bound families who could test in language proficiency.

Did you see somewhere that they filled with language feeder students?

They said at one of the meetings that there was no plan to allow testing in - students had to come from a DCPS immersion program.

That when McFarland was a neighborhood school others could come but not necessarily join that program. Hopefully this evolves.

Anonymous wrote:Yes but DCPS isn't taking anyone who isn't out of one of their immersion elementary schools into the McFarland immersion program.

I don't think that's true.

They didn't guarantee spots from outside the language feeders. But they were considering giving preference to in bound families who could test in language proficiency.

Did you see somewhere that they filled with language feeder students?

Yes but DCPS isn't taking anyone who isn't out of one of their immersion elementary schools into the McFarland immersion program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

There's a new DCPS immersion middle school that will be open by then. But really we are not committed to doing immersion in one language all the way through h.s. wouldn't middle school be a time to take up a third language in a mainstream public? But that's just our personal preference. We like the language aspect now but not wedded to it for the long haul.

+1. The DCPS will be open this fall in fact. And it's half as far from my house as DCI. Both potentially good options, so MV (and other feeder school) parent's needs to be so smug. This isn't a zero sum game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

Why not?

I'm just intrigued by the concept of a "DCPS charter school."

I think it's because MV gets dci at middle school (and dcps gets nothing). But IMO, DCI is about the same as nothing. I', hanging my hat on CMI and ITS and the TBA Montessori middle. Down with chrombooks!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

Why not?

I'm just intrigued by the concept of a "DCPS charter school."

I'm only responding because this thread is already back at the top. There is nothing to suggest the nasty posters are at MV. That is Particularly true of the person on a tirade about starting MV in 1st grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

Whoah, more MV nastiness. Glad we turned down the school last year.

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

It really looks like one crazy parent who's attacking the OP and everyone else trying to come to her aid. I don't even think everyone here is at MV (I know my family isn't) but the nasty tone of her messages is reprehensible, especially in light of the OP merely trying to acquire information.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We (amazingly) are likely to get in for 1st grade next year. I didn't even visit because I thought the chances of us getting in were probably slim to none.

Now that I'm here, what would it be like for my child that has some (but not bilingual) Spanish to enter at this grade level?

Way to set your kid up for failure! I guess it's more important for you to brag to your coworkers that your kid goes to an immersion school than actually, you know, doing what's best for your child. Best of luck to your kid. They'll need it.

It's Spanish, not Chinese. There are a lot of resources OP can utilize to help her DC acclimate. Settle down.

I'm detecting a bit of racism here. It's just Spanish right? I mean the cleaning lady speaks it. Can't be that hard.

Only if you've got a chip on your shoulder and are actively looking to be offended.

Spanish shares an alphabet with English. The pronunciation is straightforward. The grammar is straightforward. English is 40% latin-based. Spanish is the second most-common language in the U.S., which means library resources, TV shows and networks, product instructions, and even actual people who speak Spanish are all pretty easy to find - probably in your library, on your TV and computer, in the grocery store, and on your own street. Ubiquity lends itself to practicality. If OP wants to help her DC "catch" up, she's fortunate in that resources are easily available towards that end.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You bumped this thread for that?

I concur! And I'm pretty sure the nasty person in this thread isn't a MV parent. We're a pretty nice bunch. Really. Verdad.
Ok back to the real world.

They probably envy the commute. We also live near MV, can roll out of bed and walk there in five minutes, and attend another DCI feeder and much as we love our school, I feel a pang of envy driving by MV every morning and afternoon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You bumped this thread for that?

I concur! And I'm pretty sure the nasty person in this thread isn't a MV parent. We're a pretty nice bunch. Really. Verdad.
Ok back to the real world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

There's a new DCPS immersion middle school that will be open by then. But really we are not committed to doing immersion in one language all the way through h.s. wouldn't middle school be a time to take up a third language in a mainstream public? But that's just our personal preference. We like the language aspect now but not wedded to it for the long haul.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! We live close to MV but so glad my kids are at a DCPS charter nearby with dual language. Parents at MV, so nasty! I'm sure this is just a small subset, but please people, control yourselves!

You won't be so glad when it's middle school time.

Why not?