Getting ready for Deal MS after HRCS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

If the student is coming from a HRCS- I am assuming not a school that feeds DCI. The rest of the HRCS have a big spread of PARCC performance - the child would be used to having kids in the classroom who are scoring 1s and 2s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

Patience, grasshopper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

If the student is coming from a HRCS- I am assuming not a school that feeds DCI. The rest of the HRCS have a big spread of PARCC performance - the child would be used to having kids in the classroom who are scoring 1s and 2s.

DCI feeders also have large spreads. So does Deal. What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

My son went from Capital City Charter School to Deal. No issues whatsoever. He made friends immediately. There were definitely kids that knew each other, but that didn't mean anything.

I made friends with my son's friends' parents. They all had a closer bond from elementary school. They were also very nice. It was kinda funny b/c they had lots of perceptions of kids based on elementary school. The reputations of kids followed them as far as the parents were concerned. Not necessarily a good thing.

[Anonymous]

We were in-bound for a Deal feeder, but my DD had some medical issues which were better met in a small private elementary, so she came to Deal only knowing one child from the neighborhood well. First 3 months were tough, but then she found her group and added to it each year. Loved her Deal experience and thrived there. To make it through those first months, we made sure to keep her connected to other outside activities where she had friends, or where everyone was making new friends. Also, initially she tried to stay in touch with kids from old school. I think having navigated that challenge in 6th grade actually made the transition to college easier.

[Anonymous]

So if you're coming from a Charter school and move in bounds for Deal, do you have to do the lottery? If not, when should you apply?

[Anonymous]

If a student lives IB for a DCPS school, they can go to that school - their neighborhood school - by right. No lottery, no application, just enroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a student lives IB for a DCPS school, they can go to that school - their neighborhood school - by right. No lottery, no application, just enroll.

Correct. Also, they student could have always lived in-bound for Deal and opted for charter for various reasons. I have at least a dozen friends at our charter that live IB for Deal both WOTP and EOTP.

[Anonymous]

What is the official date to start enrollment for next August?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the official date to start enrollment for next August?

It will be in April. The earlier you do it - the better it is for the school so they can plan.

[Anonymous]

My kid went from charter to Deal last year. He did RISE and Khan Academy 6th grade math the summer after 5th so he could test into 7th grade math. It’s true the other kids will know more kids than yours will but the fresh start was nice for mine. There are a fair number of kids coming from charters/privates or who have just moved into the neighborhood. Generally the kids quickly make new friends on their team and in after school clubs. If your kid is shy or has social skills problems you should definitely encourage clubs several times a week - if one isn’t a good fit try another one. Don’t worry too much about parent relationships - it’s not as crucial in MS as it is in ES.

Deal is a pretty nice place without a lot of drama.

[Anonymous]

hi OP, we are in this exact situation: in a charter, going to Deal next year. for 6th grade. We are in 16th Street Heights... any chance you are too? if so I'd love to connect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

Deal tracks for both, much more subtle for English and you wouldn't know about it if it doesn't affect you so stop the snark

I think you are approaching this in an unhelpful way with your child, especially since Deal only tracks for math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prepare your child to have no friends for the first couple of months of school. The kids are very cliquey with their elementary school friends. Also if your child is in a higher reading and math group, she/he will have to wait 3 weeks before they track by ability. Depending on your child, this might be upsetting to be in with the slower kids.

Try to get your child into Rise summer camp so they won’t be as overwhelmed by the size.

The school is focused on teaching kids a growth mindset. I think the kids can learn to handle this truly minor "inconvenience" with grace.

You can roll your eyes all you want and feed me the latest academic buzzwords, you clearly are coming from a DCPS feeder. Other schools differentiate earlier. If a student is coming from a school that has had differentiation for a couple of years and is placed in a math class with a student who isn't strong in math, for example struggles with 0 x 2, it will be a shock. If said student is placed in a class were another student scores a 350 on a reading inventory when DC scores 1400, it will be a shock. I say this because it has been a shock for my child. I had to convince DC to hang in until they tracked students. This may not apply to you but it might to others.

Deal tracks for both, much more subtle for English and you wouldn't know about it if it doesn't affect you so stop the snark

I think you are approaching this in an unhelpful way with your child, especially since Deal only tracks for math.

Please explain the "subtle" ELA tracking. Seriously, I have an straight A student in advanced math (Geometry) who had 11th grade level lexile scores in 6th grade. I am unaware of any ELA tracking.