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Relocating and looking at neighborhoods, schools
Apeyjo March 2, 2011
My family is possibly relocating to the Washington DC area this spring or summer. We will be traveling there for a house-hunting trip soon. I have no idea where to start, and want to narrow our home search to areas with good schools. Our daughter will enter Kindergarten this fall, and I'm looking for a school similar to the one she's in now, if possible. She's in a full-day dual-language program (Spanish & English, instruction in both) at a public elementary school for 4-year-olds. There are 3 teachers for 24 students. She also attended a wonderful Montessori preschool as a 3-year-old, so I'm open to that option as well.
My husband would like us to live close to public transportation, as he'll be working in DC. A safe neighborhood I can walk in around with my kids is important as well.
Any feedback on the best place to live with kids? Takoma Park? Silver Spring? Rockville? College Park? Or somewhere in Virginia? Anyone have experiences to share regarding elementary schools and preschools in those areas?
Looking to narrow my focus to "good school" neighborhoods before we start looking at homes.
ladonna8 April 18, 2011
The Brookland area in NE Washington, DC is actually a very nice, convenient, and family-friendly area. It is very comparable to Silver Spring and Takoma Park. Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School (www.ewstokes.org) is located in the heart of the neighborhood and has a full-time dual language immersion program starting from age 3 through the 6th grade. There are 2 teachers for every grade, a full-time school psychologist and floating learning specialist for each grade level.
I know that D.C. doesn't have the greatest reputation, but there are some wonderful pockets of the city that are very nice, safe, and you will save a lot of time and the wear and tear of commuting from the suburbs if you have a job in the city. Also, if you can afford it, Washington International School is a private school that offers dual language immersion through high school. It has two campuses that are located in some of the very best neighborhoods in the city. 69112
