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(22 posts)

SPS enrollment letter

Started 2 years ago by jellyfish
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jellyfish
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Bummed with our child's K assignment. Ours sucks (I won't mention which school).

Does anyone attend Jane Addams in the NE quadrant, or heard anything about this school?

Thanks.

Posted 2 years ago #
SpeakLoud
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Interesting that all the North end (as in Admiral) schools have 20+ waiting lists and the South end (as in past the Morgan Junction) schools have none!
I'm sorry your not happy with your neighborhood school. I'm sure you are one of many :(

Posted 2 years ago #
Bonnie
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Never heard of that school. Sorry you're not happy.

Posted 2 years ago #
Que
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http://www.seattleschools.org/area/eso/SSR/main.xml

Speakloud, according to the above page, Gatewood also has a 20+ wait list, and it is south of the Morgan Junction. In fact, it looks like the only school without a waiting list at all is West Seattle Elementary, which is undergoing restructuring due to "No Child".

Posted 2 years ago #
JanS
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http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/janeaddams/

Posted 2 years ago #
Oliver
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How about everyone else? Did you request a school other than your reference school? Did it work out for siblings? Are you happy with the assignment. I'm trying to assess how the new plan has played out for WS. It sounds like, despite all the anxiety over which highschool people wanted, that everyone got their choice.

Posted 2 years ago #
Oliver
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P.S. - jellyfish, I'm guessing that the saveseattleschools blog has insightful information about jane addams from current families.

Posted 2 years ago #
luckymom30
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I would like to know what it is that makes one school better or more attractive than another school, is it the teachers or the current/future students? The location of the school? I just don't understand how a school can get any better if families keep choosing one school over another, what makes sense to me if the well performing students go to school with the students that are not performing very well than maybe everyone can learn with and from each other.

I can fully understand a parent making a perference to one particular school if they have other children attending that school and the chosen school is much closer to home.

Posted 2 years ago #
Oliver
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Good question and point luckymom. Personally, I don't give a lot of weight to a school's reputation as a "good" school. It all comes down to knowing your own values and your child's personality and learning style. I toured nearly every elementary school last year and felt that some of the really popular "good" schools were not good fits for my child. Since they are popular, they have very large class sizes and seemed to have a lot of kids staring out the window. In contrast, some other less-popular schools were pretty impressive and under the radar with smaller class sizes and really engaged kids. Teachers are certainly a big factor and at some of the less popular schools, I saw a lot of really good teachers dedicated to giving their kids a good education and their full attention. So I always encourage other parents to really take time to visit a school and get to know the community before making a judgment. Some of it is just a gut level reaction and how you feel there/how you think your child will fit in there.

Posted 2 years ago #
SpeakLoud
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Well that's all well and good but it dosn't matter anymore! This year in my opinion is probably the only year people will get into a school other than their refference school anyway-or an alternative which now also have waiting lists!

Posted 2 years ago #
WSB
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Also worth noting that because of the convoluted way the lines were drawn in some areas (as we covered, throughout the process), some people's true "neighborhood" school was NOT their default assignment. Happened to us. WSB HQ is blocks from Denny and Sealth but drawn into the zone for Madison/WSHS, three miles away.

Posted 2 years ago #
manolita
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I agree a school can be great but not a good fit for your child/family. Ours is Lafayette but both my kindergartener and first grader go to Alki. Our decision was made based on the fact that we liked the diversity and atmosphere at Alki, even though the WASL scores were higher at Lafayette. This fall we have yet another child starting kindergarten so we were assigned to Lafayette. Then we sent in the request for Alki and we got lucky enough to get in. We are truly satisfied.

Posted 2 years ago #
spana
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Jane Addams is about as far from West Seattle as you can get!

But I will say that though it is a new school and they are probably still figuring things out, the staff and teachers are really committed and excellent. It's an environmentally science focused curriculum and they supplemental science teacher staff too. I think it's fairly unpolished as a school at this stage, but pretty cool, too.

Posted 2 years ago #
jellyfish
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Spana, we decided to enroll our K child at JA. Are you a parent or teacher there? Though we love West Seattle, we may have to move in order to make the commute more reasonable. Are you doing this commute by any chance?

Thanks!

Posted 2 years ago #
jellyfish
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luckymom30 -- to answer your question, there are several factors that parents consider in choosing which school is a better fit for their child. The school we were assigned to does not happen to be in West Seattle, and was #7 on my choice list -- the mission of the school changed around March, so we included it on our list with the wrong impression about this particular school.

Things I look for in a good school: strong PTA, since this indicates a committed/invested parent population & extra funds for after-school programs and supplemental education; varied program, with both traditional academics & exposure to the arts; safe environment, with a low number of expulsions and no gun crime or gang activity; low staff turn-over and generally positive staff & parent comments. The most important thing is that it feels like an exciting place to learn, both welcoming and joyous. I don't want to send my kid to hell, so that any potential love of learning is squashed from the get-go.

Test scores and "reputation" are not important to me, but I do want to hear generally positive comments from parents and teachers. If lots of parents tell me that their kid loves a given school & are happy & thriving, I will consider that particular school for my child.

Posted 2 years ago #
jellyfish
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Oliver, I'm very familiar with that blog. Thanks for the input!

Posted 2 years ago #
Bonnie
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Test scores are not very important to me either. Lafayette has Spectrum. Of course their scores will be higher.

Posted 2 years ago #
GenHillOne
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Wow, jellyfish, #7? Was your reference school not on your list? Obviously your prerogative...just trying to wrap my head around the process. Good on you, Bonnie; interpretation of the test scores is so important and they are not always the ultimate source.

Posted 2 years ago #
jellyfish
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My reference school was taken off the list when I applied for option schools & a few non-option schools (including Schmitz Park, Lafayette, Gatewood) during Open Enrollment. My child was placed at #27 on the waiting list at Pathfinder. Because we actually got into one of our schools on the Open Choice enrollment form (a school that changed its mission statement in March, something we didn't know until we were assigned), we no longer have our reference school as an option.

Posted 2 years ago #
DBurns
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First I want to commend you, jellyfish, for taking parenting so seriously. School is an important part of our kid's lives and it is definitely worth doing your research, paying attention and being an active participant in this community where your kids spend so much of their time. If only everyone cared so much...!

My message to you is to also try to keep it all in perspective. I have a middle schooler and high schooler and they have had generally great academic experiences here in West Seattle (and now Burien for HS). But school is just one part of their life, and like we, as adults, strive to keep a work/life balance, so should we for our kids. Commuting to Kindergarten seems like a bit much - I understand (and again, appreciate) your desire to place your child in the school that you feel best matches your family, I just hate to see your family time get cut into in this way. Not sure if I'm really articulating, and I really do not mean this as criticism - just another perspective. I did see that you mentioned thinking about moving close to your school so obviously yo have thought about this as well. Just want to put it out there that, especially as they get older and more involved and more social, their activities, school events, and much of their socializing will be done out of West Seattle and that will also include the commute!

I truly hope that you have a wonderful Kindergarten year - it's exciting and I remember it like it was yesterday! But my wonderful, bright, intelligent 9th grade daughter would say that it was "totally not very important in my life, Mommm" and I just want you to remember that you have a long time of making these kind of serious, sensitive life decisions for your precious little ones!!
Best of luck!!

Posted 2 years ago #
jellyfish
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Thanks, DBurns. I understand what you're saying, and it's good advice. We will eventually move to avoid the commute. I'm probably a little obsessed about our school choice b/c this is my oldest child, and it does feel like our kindergarten choice will place him on some trajectory for at least the next 6-9 years. However, I appreciate comments from more experienced parents & will work on viewing the whole thing with a more perspective!

Posted 2 years ago #
WSAC
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Jellyfish, I know it seems hard to imagine now but waiting lists do move...even Pathfinder's. Our daughter was placed in a school that just didn't suit her in Kindergarden and she was 22 on Pathfinder's wait list. She got in 6 months later and we all love the school, even more than we expected. Other children on the wait list had been assigned elsewhere and were settled when they were offered a place, moved over the summer or whatever. These lists do move so you might like to give it some time before you pack your bags. However, I'd certainly rather commute than have my daughter back at her first school so I completely understand your point of view. Test scores are one thing but a genuine love of learning and community just can't be found on a worksheet.

Posted 2 years ago #