Bells Mill Elementary School

As a student who went to Beverly Farms 1 year ago, I can tell how the experience went. First of all, in school there is absolutely no homework. Which in my opinion is very wrong and pathetic. Children don't learn much at school and teachers just don't stay intact with parents unless an event is/has happened. However, safety is not a concern for children and parents as they have a high/strict protocol. However, some teachers(Not all) don't handle bullying very well as they just tell the children to stop and they may or may not listen. Some staff also have trouble handling kids who don't behave well. Coming back to Family Engagement, parents don't even know what their child is learning about in school especially when they don't get graded papers back, emails, and homework.... The special education in this school is not bad as they give high support to the people who need help. Overall, the teaching part in Beverly Is not the best with a very average skill, but additional things are not that bad. Depending on your likes, I would just say Beverly Farms was a good but not outstanding school... and I would be neutral about it.

My children have gone to this school for many years, but over the past few years, there have been changes to the school that have significantly lowered my opinion of the school. The current principal clearly caters to the whims of white, wealthy parents. In the past, diversity was embraced, but now it is white-washed and ignored. Children used to learn about different cultures and traditions in their classrooms. Parent volunteers would come in share about different traditions in their cultures, kids would learn about the origins of the Hanukkah dreidel, they would do a craft for the Chinese New Year, and learn about why people celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Day of the Dead, or Diwali. However, that is gone now. There are no lanterns hanging for Chinese New Year. Children no longer celebrate Halloween by wearing costumes and participating in a parade. Kids no longer pass out cards spreading kindness on Valentine’s Day or do traditional holiday crafts, such as decorating boxes to collect Valentines. Classroom parties are on random days of the year and devoid of food (presumably because parents of wealthy kids think that their kids don’t need more sweets). This, of course, ignores the fact that cupcakes and candy are a treat for kids whose families who can’t afford them. These changes were supposedly made because Farmland is a diverse community and the school is trying to accommodate all families, but by ignoring cultural traditions, the opportunity to teach and embrace the traditions of others is lost. Kids are left to think that cultural traditions are things that you hide from others, because others may not like them. This year, they cancelled the open house for parents to come see what their kids do in the classroom during the school day. The announcement of the open house cancellation was made the day beforehand without explanation or consideration of the fact that some working parents took the day off work to come to the open house. They seem to assume that most parents who come to the open house don't work or have flexible work schedules. The school has a number of good teachers and overall, I have been happy with most of them. However, some of the good teachers have left to teach at other schools. The teachers are often the ones who have to announce and implement changes to school policies, and sometimes they seem to be left doing the dirty work of implementing policies and changes that are unlikely to be favorably received by parents at Farmland.

I would like to share my experience with the International German School at Washington DC. In my opinion, there were some areas that could be improved. I noticed occasional instances where professionalism among the staff could have been better maintained, including instances of raised voices. Additionally, there were a few incidents where some students displayed behavior that lacked respect towards adults. It would be beneficial for the school to focus on fostering a culture of respect.There were also occasions where certain staff members seemed to exhibit an attitude problem and treated support staff, such as custodians and lunchroom monitors, with a lack of respect. Clear guidelines for professional behavior and communication would greatly benefit the overall atmosphere.While the school charges a considerable tuition fee, I felt that the educational experience provided did not always meet the expectations set by the cost. Some students seemed to lack discipline and disregarded authority, which impacted the learning environment.It was noticeable that some teachers and principals were quite friendly with students, even during lunchtime. This blurred the lines of authority and created an unclear boundary between students and staff.I would caution prospective employees and parents to carefully consider their options before choosing this school. While I cannot speak to the motivations of the administration, I believe it is essential for them to prioritize both the financial aspect and the quality of education. It would be beneficial for the school to focus on establishing a more welcoming and supportive environment.In conclusion, I believe that the International German School at Washington DC has room for improvement in terms of staff professionalism, student behavior, and the overall educational experience. I hope that my feedback is taken constructively and contributes to the betterment of the school.

Exceptional school with a strong community. Teachers, faculty, and parents are extremely involved and students receive individual attention to meet all their needs. A rigorous academic environment along with so many opportunities to grow socially, morally and spiritually. Highly recommend.