Atlanta Public Relocating and Atlanta Public Schools Dual-Immersion Program or Private Schools (Montgomery: apartment)

[onederwoman18]

We recently sold our home and are currently living in apartment in Buckhead near our kids private preschool while we look for new home. It’s an immersion school and they are on the Spanish track. However, Spanish goes until kindergarten, unfortunately. The girls are doing really well, despite some hiccups along the way. We could switch over to the French track and stay a little longer there. I personally like the small tight community but I wonder if the girls would prefer a larger environment with more extracurricular activities.

I hear some of the Buckhead public schools are offering dual immersion programs within their schools. Sarah Smith, E. Rivers, Garden Hills, Jackson (I think). Does anyone know anything about the program and about the schools in particular? They all offer Spanish.

The other option would be to relocate to Dekalb in Brookhaven and try to apply to Globe Academy and if we don’t get in then the girls can either go to Ashford Park elementary and take the German immersion program and keep applying to Globe and hope we get in at some point. I just don’t want them to lose their Spanish so I would have to supplement with after school activities. I hear Montgomery is another great elementary but I don’t think they offer foreign language. Unless it’s an enrichment after school class.

Other option would be to try to get into AIS. But we would be applying at kindergarten and I hear that is difficult. Does their advance background in Spanish make a difference in the application process? Also, paying that much for two kids to go to AIS makes my stomach hurt. I love everything they offer especially the Heritage language program for after school and the STEAM certification.

If we do move to Dekalb there is Cliff Valley which is a little more affordable private school, same as what we are paying now, actually. They don’t offer language as far as I know but it has a lot more extracurricular activities and sports. Again, I would have to spend money to supplement.

Any thoughts on the schools I mentioned. I’m mostly curious about the public schools because I never really looked into those until now and this new Dual Language Program within the schools. A little insight would be great.

[lastminutemom]

a little confused about your timing, but I recommend you visit the schools you are considering. Sometimes immersion looks different in public schools than say AIS.

Are you looking for next year? If so, you have missed the deadline for choice programs in DeKalb.

My nieces and nephews have learned a ton of language at Sarah Smith, but I don't think it is complete immersion.

Is the program at Ashford Park full school, or do children have to be selected to get in the German immersion program.

[onederwoman18]

My oldest is currently in 3k, so she will at least be staying put at her current immersion school to go on to 4k next year. But since the Spanish track ends at Kindergarten, and we are moving out of our apartment soon, I wanted to settle in a location for us to live that's in the right district if we decide to do public or charter.

So a few Atlanta Public schools are part of this new Dual Immersion Program (https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/domain/7412) and I was trying to see if anyone has their children enrolled in any of those schools as part of the Dual Immersion program to get a better understanding of how their day is structured.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by onederwoman18

We recently sold our home and are currently living in apartment in Buckhead near our kids private preschool while we look for new home. It’s an immersion school and they are on the Spanish track. However, Spanish goes until kindergarten, unfortunately. The girls are doing really well, despite some hiccups along the way. We could switch over to the French track and stay a little longer there. I personally like the small tight community but I wonder if the girls would prefer a larger environment with more extracurricular activities.

I hear some of the Buckhead public schools are offering dual immersion programs within their schools. Sarah Smith, E. Rivers, Garden Hills, Jackson (I think). Does anyone know anything about the program and about the schools in particular? They all offer Spanish.

Any thoughts on the schools I mentioned. I’m mostly curious about the public schools because I never really looked into those until now and this new Dual Language Program within the schools. A little insight would be great.

Our son is in the Spanish dual-immersion program at Bolton Academy in NW Atlanta (in the same cluster as Sarah Smith, Rivers, etc). Jackson does not have dual immersion, but Brandon does. Currently, the schools go to 2nd or 3rd grade, but they add a grade each year up to 5th grade.

While our son does learn stuff very quickly (making it hard to judge the program as a whole), the dual immersion curriculum has been great. At 6 years old, and 1.5 years into the program, he is now nearly-fluent in conversational Spanish. When we went to Mexico last month, he spent most of his time speaking Spanish to the people there, and they all remarked at how good his Spanish and accent were.

The program is a 50/50 program, where half their day is in only English, and half the day is in only Spanish. Anything reading and language based is in English, while math, science, and I think social studies are in Spanish. At least in our school, the Spanish teacher doesn't even speak English.

One thing to note...it might be difficult to transfer in. The waiting lists are usually long, and you have to start from the beginning. So, transferring into the 1st grade may not work.

[ATL Golfer]

We are in a dual immersion. I think it is dumb personally. Creates a school within the school and it brings out the worst in parents. Gotta love public schools and the parents constantly trying to get their kid out of gen pop. We are taking our child out of it next year. We have one kid in. One child not who is two yrs older. The older not in dual immersion is having an entirely better experience.

[onederwoman18]

A school within a school was kind of my concern. With her current school, everyone is part of the program and same with AIS and Globe.

What do you guys think of this plan: Move to Brookhaven and apply to Globe at kindergarten, and if my oldest doesn’t get in then stay at the current school which she would still be on the Spanish track? I believe after kindergarten they offer a trilingual track (need to confirm with admin), where they teach English and French and a little bit of Spanish. She’s pretty fluent in Spanish already since she’s been going for 3 years now.

Does anyone have kids that go to AIS and does financial aid? How does that work exactly?

[stoxdiamond]

Originally Posted by onederwoman18

Does anyone have kids that go to AIS and does financial aid? How does that work exactly?

AIS financial aid is entirely based on need. You give all your financial information to a third party that determines how much you can afford to pay.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

We are in a dual immersion. I think it is dumb personally. Creates a school within the school and it brings out the worst in parents. Gotta love public schools and the parents constantly trying to get their kid out of gen pop. We are taking our child out of it next year. We have one kid in. One child not who is two yrs older. The older not in dual immersion is having an entirely better experience.

What school are you in? We do not have that experience at all. How are they "not in gen pop"? They still have lunch and recess at the same time as the other classes their age. They still play together. They still have activities together. They're just in their own class, like everyone else. And we can't tell the difference between parents. I do realize who I am responding to here, and know to take it all with a grain of salt.

Originally Posted by onederwoman18

A school within a school was kind of my concern. With her current school, everyone is part of the program and same with AIS and Globe.

Our school does not feel like that at all.

[onederwoman18]

Ah, thank you for clarifying. Do either of you mind DMing me what school your child goes to and if they have native speakers? Also, how many years has this program been included at the school