Tuesday, June 15, 2010

We're In

Owen's New School

Back in November we started to investigate the schools on Capitol Hill to see where we should apply for a Pre-K program for Owen. We went to numerous open houses and school fairs, talked to other parents, and checked out test scores and various other metrics before finally submitting our application for the DC Public Schools Pre-K lottery in January. It didn't go so well. Owen was wait-listed unilaterally and when I began calling the various programs to ask about the likelihood that he might eventually get in, I was universally laughed at.

But now, after more months of phone calls, attending fundraisers, and some neighbors giving us the heads up that they added an additional class, we are happy to report that Owen is registered not in his first choice (that would be Peabody's SWS, #66 on the wait-list), or his second choice (Peabody Elementary, #159 on the wait-list), or even his third choice (Maury Elementary, #50 on the wait-list), but his fourth choice, Ludlow-Taylor (where he was only #19 on the wait-list).

The Peabody schools are more established, are attended by several of our neighbors' kids, and are conveniently located directly along my commute. Maury is attended by several daycare families we know, has a really active PTA and is only .49 miles from our house (and along Allen's bus route). Ludlow-Taylor is .67 miles from the house, is not on either of our commutes, requires yellow and green uniforms, and while above the DC averages, still has a ways to go on its test scores. However, their PTA is becomming more active, it's adopted a Emilia Reggio curriculum for its pre-school and pre-k classes, it has a full-time Spanish teacher, a partnership with the Fillmore Arts Center and possibly most important to Owen, it has a baseball field.

So Owen is now enrolled for the 2010-11 school year. We'll see how it goes, and hopefully we won't have to abandon the city for the suburbs for at least a little bit longer...

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