Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School

The school is located in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, DC (Northwest, Ward 4). The street address is 5000 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011. The campus sits on a busy street and has arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure student safety. The school educates PreK3 through 5th grade and serves students from all DC wards and backgrounds.

Primary: PreK3, PreK4, Kindergarten; Lower Elementary: 1st–3rd grades; Upper Elementary: 4th–5th grades

Public charter school; Montessori education; bilingual English/Spanish language immersion

United States

School day begins with arrival windows: Elementary 8:00–8:15 a.m.; Primary 8:20–8:30 a.m. Primary dismissal at 3:00 p.m.; Elementary dismissal at 3:15 p.m. A BASE after‑school program is available for a fee.

Montessori curriculum with bilingual English–Spanish language immersion. LAMB follows Montessori multi-age classroom communities across Primary (PK3–Kindergarten) and Elementary (Lower and Upper Elementary for 1st–5th). The goal is for students to be fluent in both languages by 5th grade. All communities except PK3 receive classes in Spanish and English while learning core academic subjects. Primary—PK3 is Spanish-only; PK4 and Kindergarten are bilingual, with one language taught in the morning and one in the afternoon and one guide per language. Lower and Upper Elementary (1st–5th) provide instruction in both languages with two teachers per classroom.

Tier 1 status for nine consecutive years per the DC PCSB School Quality Report. Re-enrollment rate was 94.4% in the most recent year. LAMB has received multiple awards, including the 2019 School Choice Leadership Award, the 2017 Josephine Baker Award for Charter Excellence, and the 2015 Academic and Special Achievement Awards, plus recognition in 2012 as a Model Early Childhood Education Program.

The Mental Health Team at LAMB works to promote a positive school environment that supports healthy social-emotional and behavioral development for all students. Tier 1 services provide classroom-based social-emotional learning opportunities, ad hoc check-ins or lunch bunches, and consultation with parents and teachers about social-emotional/behavioral concerns, plus referrals to community-based mental health providers when needed. Tier 2 services offer targeted supports, including short-term small-group counseling for students with similar needs, classroom-based supports such as a daily Check-In/Check-Out, and Montessori-aligned behavior contracts, with ongoing teacher collaboration. Tier 3 services are available to students with IEPs and/or 504 Plans and include long-term individual or group counseling outside the classroom, in-class behavioral support, and continued teacher consultation. The school integrates social-emotional learning as part of its overall supports to meet universal and individual student needs.

The Special Education Team provides individualized special education services and related supports in accordance with IDEA. To obtain an IEP, a child must have one or more disabilities listed in IDEA and the disability must affect educational performance and require specialized instruction. The IEP sets learning goals and describes the services the school will provide, including accommodations, modifications, and inclusion in general education classes and activities. A 504 Plan outlines how the school will remove barriers for a student with a disability and includes specific accommodations, supports, or services and the person responsible for providing them. A 504 Plan requires the presence of a disability and its impact on learning in a general education setting.

An English Language Learner (ELL) is someone who does not speak English fluently or is still learning English. LAMB's dual-language program provides English-language instruction while developing proficiency in the student's home language. All English language learners are screened when they enroll, and results identify the right level of support for each student. Support may include pull-out, push-in, collaboration with classroom teachers, and accommodations to classroom and state assessments. Best practices include daily English practice, using pictures to connect new words to the home language, and introducing English terms with cognates.

The Mental Health Team promotes a positive school environment that supports healthy social-emotional and behavioral development for all students. Tier 1 services include classroom-based SEL opportunities, ad hoc check-ins, and consultation with parents and teachers about concerns, plus referrals to community-based mental health providers when needed. Tier 2 facilities targeted supports such as short-term counseling for students with similar needs, a daily Check-In/Check-Out system, and Montessori-aligned behavior contracts, with ongoing teacher collaboration. Tier 3 services provide long-term individual or group counseling outside the classroom and in-class behavioral support for students with IEPs or 504 Plans, along with continued teacher consultation. The framework aims to sustain students' mental wellbeing and coordinate with families as appropriate.

LAMB implements campus-safety policies for arrival and dismissal on a high-traffic street. The campus enforces a 10 mph speed limit, asks drivers to avoid phone use, and to be aware of students. A crossing guard assists at the intersection of 14th Street and Farragut, and students use designated crosswalks and sidewalks. Vehicles enter only through the 14th Street entrance and exit via the southeast alley or Piney Branch Road exits; safe and legal parking is required. Early-release procedures require prior notification to the front desk; signing out without supervision may incur a $25 fee, and elementary students may not return after 1:00 p.m. unless signed back in before 1:00 p.m.; late pickups incur a $25 fee.

Enrollment Preferences: LAMB participates in the My School DC admissions lottery and gives preferences for enrollment in the following order: 1. Children of staff members; 2) At-risk students (homeless, in the city's foster care system, receiving benefits like TANF and SNAP); 3) Siblings of currently-enrolled students; 4) Twins of students offered enrollment; 5) Siblings of students offered enrollment. Previously Enrolled Returning Students: Students previously enrolled in our school for at least one school year may be able to re-enroll in limited circumstances if they: moved out of the DC metro area, including Northern Virginia and Maryland; didn't leave to attend another school in the DC metro area; weren't away for more than one year; and are enrolled and back at LAMB before the City's annual count day (usually the first week in October). Re-enrollment is contingent on meeting these conditions and the availability of spots. Procedures: If a family meets these conditions, they must complete our Intent to Return form and include a letter confirming you met the conditions during your child's absence, the grade level your child would enter upon return, and re-enrollment paperwork including the DC residency verification form. If a student meets the requirements to re-enroll, they will be assessed and placed in the appropriate grade and may be moved to a different community based on academic, social, or emotional needs than they were in the previous school year when attending.

Tuition Assistance Due to Financial Need: LAMB offers limited partial and full scholarships to access BASE (in addition to the discount rate we offer to families who qualify for free and reduced lunch). To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the application at tinyurl.com/LAMBBASE and email BASE Coordinator Milagros Cairo at milagros@lambpcs.org after submitting. A scholarship review committee at LAMB determines any scholarships. Scholarships are awarded for a 3 month period of time and require verification of need every 3 months with the BASE Director/Coordinator and scholarship review committee.