Moving from Madrid, Spain to Chicago - Elementary and Middle Schools HELP! (Addison: best neighborhood, neighborhoods)

[meganwilliams1974]

Hi - we are a South African/British family moving to Chicago in July. I desperately need help on schools. We have 10 and 11 year old boys who I think will go into grade 5 and grade 6 for the 2017/2018 school year. Will one need to go to an Elementary school and the other to a Middle school? Do any public schools do both (grade 5 and 6)? If the 10 year old goes to an elementary school will there be a natural progression to a middle school with the same kids? We are looking to live in Near North Side/Lincoln Park/Lake View area - the schools I was looking at are Blaine Elementary School, Burley Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy, Haines Elementary School - any feedback on these schools? What middle schools should I look at?? What else do I need to know? THANKS in advance!

[chicagobear]

Look at Ogden School on the Gold Coast.

[meganwilliams1974]

Originally Posted by chicagobear

Look at Ogden School on the Gold Coast.

Thanks will do!

[Clark&Addison]

In Chicago, there are no middle schools, all elementary schools are k-8, so luckily you only have to worry about finding one school.

Of the schools you mentioned, Blaine, Burley, and Lincoln are all really good neighborhood schools. Hawthorne is good as well, but it is a magnet school so you will need to apply and be accepted via lottery to get in. No sure how you came up with Haines, it is a good school but it's in China Town and almost entirely asian students. Nothing wrong with that, just an outlier compared to the other schools/neighborhoods you mentioned.

If you like the Lakeview/Lincoln Park area, Bell, Coonley, Audubon, Hamilton, Nettlehorst, Alcott, and Mayer are all good elementary schools. Really the only ones I would avoid in the area are Jahn and Greely.

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by meganwilliams1974

Hi - we are a South African/British family moving to Chicago in July. I desperately need help on schools. We have 10 and 11 year old boys who I think will go into grade 5 and grade 6 for the 2017/2018 school year. Will one need to go to an Elementary school and the other to a Middle school? Do any public schools do both (grade 5 and 6)? If the 10 year old goes to an elementary school will there be a natural progression to a middle school with the same kids? We are looking to live in Near North Side/Lincoln Park/Lake View area - the schools I was looking at are Blaine Elementary School, Burley Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy, Haines Elementary School - any feedback on these schools? What middle schools should I look at?? What else do I need to know? THANKS in advance!

I can vouch for Blaine, it is a great school (I don't have kids but all of my neighbors do and they love it). Target this Area:
West: Ashland
East: Racine
North: Irving Park
South Addison

[Vlajos]

I know some south africans that send their kids to Coonley. It's a great school. Definitely add it to your list.

[meganwilliams1974]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

I can vouch for Blaine, it is a great school (I don't have kids but all of my neighbors do and they love it). Target this Area:
West: Ashland
East: Racine
North: Irving Park
South Addison

When you say target this area, are those roads which are in the Blaine zone?

THANKS YOU!

[meganwilliams1974]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I know some south africans that send their kids to Coonley. It's a great school. Definitely add it to your list.

Thanks!!! I don´t suppose you want to put them in touch with me?

[compactspace]

I'd suggest Gold Coast north of Oak Street. That puts you into the draw area for Ogden Elementary, which has an International Baccalaureate program from K-8. It also puts you into the draw area for Lincoln Park High School, which is the best non-selective high school in the city. It has a test-in International Baccalaureate program for years 9-12.

Alternatively, look into the draw area for Lincoln Elementary, which I believe is another very good elementary-middle school: higher ranked than Ogden but without the IB program. And if you're in the boundary for Lincoln Elementary then you're inside the boundary for LPHS.

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by meganwilliams1974

When you say target this area, are those roads which are in the Blaine zone?

THANKS YOU!

Go on Google maps and draw a box using those 4 streets. Irving Park is the northern boundary. Addison is the southern boundary, Racine is the eastern boundary. Ashland is the western boundary. I believe the is saying to live in that box. I'm pretty sure that area all feeds into Blaine.

Others have mentioned some other good schools nearby, but Blaine is one of the best neighborhood schools in the city. That's a nice area as well. Wrigley Field is just east of Racine, so keep that in mind if that's something that may bother you. I lived in the area for 6 years and it didn't bother me much, but to each their own.