Last week there was a collective sigh as Hill parents found out the results of the DCPS lotteries. Well, actually the sighs were pretty quiet, especially from those who were hoping their young scholars would be able to attend the Montessori at Logan (the program that was formerly located at Watkins Elementary School) as the numbers rolled in. There were 373 (!) applications for 46 seats in the preschool, and 134 applications for 7 seats in Pre-K. Does this sound like the Harvard admissions rate to you too? If you’re new to the neighborhood and hoped to get your 2nd grader in to the classrooms where all learning is called “work” (these kids will be ready to join the workaholics here in DC), forget it; there were no openings in the higher grades.
Q: How would you describe the environment of Montessori classes?
A: The Montessori program has grown by one primary (ages 3-6) class in the last 5 years (about 20 kids in the class). There simply is no space to grow at Watkins. Last year’s waiting list was almost 400 for 3 year olds and another 100 or so for 4 year olds. The application numbers were even higher this year. I wasn’t sure how it would go, given the fact that we weren’t listed in the lottery under our “brand” name (the program was listed as “Montessori at Logan,” not Watkins Montessori) and given we’re losing our affiliation with the Cluster.
A: In primary (ages 3-6) classrooms, classrooms are very quiet, as children tend to work independently. Kids choose their work, so they are working on subjects and materials that interest them. I love that Montessori gives equal attention to the emotional and social development as well as the academic development of children. I feel like the teachers are teaching my whole child … In Elementary (ages 6-12), the classrooms are not so quiet, as kids are working in teams, helping each other and again, learning to operate in social circles. The focus on social and emotional continues and kids have the opportunity to drive the content of the class by what interests them.
I really hope that the Montessori program works with the immediate community to be a good neighbor. In light of the fact that there is no inbounds preference for this school, many in the area around the school are feeling downtrodden. We are just outside boundaries for Peabody, and we’ve waited patiently for something to go into the Logan space that would benefit our children. Now we will have added traffic issues in our neighborhood because only a fraction of the kids that go to the school actually live within walking distance. And now with a middle school in the plans I hope there is some thought to the impact on the congestion here. I hope that at least the school would seek out a partnership with the community to rehab the playground and keep it available for neighborhood use (much like the JO Wilson model).