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My child attended Lowell for two wonderful years of pre-primary, a magical kindergarten year, and a foundation-building and productive first grade. Beyond that, it was uneven-to-poor teaching and inconsistent administration. We left before the sixth grade, leaving very good friends and a great community of very diverse and committed families behind. We loved it there, but did not see the sense in 'settling.' Lowell continues to be an early years specialist, even as it plans to expand to eighth grade with a new head of school. If Lowell would follow basic organizational principles of shoring up their core strengths, and get the 2-6 grades right, they could surely blossom as a top early years school.
My son attends Lowell's Junior Kindergarten program. Every aspect of the school has been a delight. The teaching staff carry heavy credentials from top schools. The administration is supportive, progressive and in touch with the parent community. The student:teacher ratio is outstanding. The campus looks like a Spanish style resort located on 8 acres of rolling hills. The school borders the Rock Creek Park, making it's impressive grounds seem even bigger. Lowell truly embodies the spirit of progressive education. I feel as though my son is being grown and nurtured, not just taught. I've looked at many schools and considered several options. In my opinon, Lowell rivals all the best schools in Washington for academics and beats the others hands down for their commitment to the emotional development of their sudents.
Both my children attended Lowell for the magical pre-primary and early elementary years. The Lowell way treats the children with regard and teaches parents how to give choices and describe without too much praise or criticism. These children become great writers and are able to look you in the eye and reply with a well-developed response, which reflects their healthy self-esteem. The school suffered from a long-time inflexible head who made decisions she liked, rather than those that were best for the school. This is changing with the new head. She is repairing problems of uneven quality of teachers, and a slack academic curriculum. Both my children left by third grade. The children do go on to highly selective schools including Maret, Sidwell, GDS, Holton Arms. There have also been many high-needs children attending Lowell in the past, which take a lot of missing resources. Very close parent body.
Lowell's strength is its Pre-Primary program for three-year-olds and four-year-olds. I strongly recommend Lowell for Pre-Primary. Beyond Pre-Primary, Lowell becomes a different school in terms of the teacher quality and overall educational experience especially in 3rd - 6th. The school tends to progress students to the next grade even if age/grade appropriate skills have not been mastered. It becomes the next teacher's challenge. Parent/teacher and parent/administration communication could be improved. Lowell tends to attract a high number of families with special needs children. However, the school does not have the resources to support these students. Most graduates of Lowell do not attend highly selective independent schools (e.g., St. Albans, NCS, GDS, Sidwell, Potomac). Lowell is strong in promoting diversity (e.g., ethnical, economic, lifestyle, religious), which is highly reflected in its faculty and student body. Parent involvement is also strong. While extracurricular activities are lacking (especially organized sports), Lowell's summer camp is wonderful.
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