Advice for new TJ Parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird because I have heard seniors and alums tell me learning Spanish well was worth the difficulty and they wouldn’t change a thing. Seriously…especially after traveling or doing study abroad they feel quite grateful for the rigor.

Then you haven't talked to very many TJ alums. The majority of kids taking Spanish stop taking Spanish after Spanish 3. Most other languages have decent participation to level 4 or AP.

what other languages have more than Spanish participation to level 4 or AP? None!! For a fact, AP spanish has most enrollment than any other AP world language.

As a percentage? I would guess almost all of them.

The only reason there are so many kids taking spanish is because it seemed like a good idea in 7th grade when they first picked a language, little did they know that their kid was going to go to TJ where spanish is a flustercuck.

Kids take Spanish because it is approchable and they can use it for conversations as opposed to say Latin.

That's why they pick it in 7th grade.

I have seen kids pick up Latin in 9th grade at TJ
I have seen kids pick up German in 9th at TJ
I have seen kids pick up Chinese in 9th at TJ
Nobody picks up spanish in 9th at TJ.

By the numbers: There was one small section of Spanish 1 this year, 7 sections of Spanish 2, 6 sections of Spanish 3, 1 section of Spanish 4 HN, and 2 combined sections of Spanish 5 HN/AP Span Lang.

So the drop-off is considerable after the 3 year requirement is out of the way. The other languages are smaller, but see a higher percentage of students continuing to level 4/5/AP. German and Latin usually only have a section (sometimes 2) of German/Latin 1, so the fact that such a high percentage of those students end up continuing on says something about the program/community there.

13 kids took the AP Latin exam this year, 25ish took German, 25ish took French, 50ish took Spanish Lang, and 55ish took Chinese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird because I have heard seniors and alums tell me learning Spanish well was worth the difficulty and they wouldn’t change a thing. Seriously…especially after traveling or doing study abroad they feel quite grateful for the rigor.

Then you haven't talked to very many TJ alums. The majority of kids taking Spanish stop taking Spanish after Spanish 3. Most other languages have decent participation to level 4 or AP.

what other languages have more than Spanish participation to level 4 or AP? None!! For a fact, AP spanish has most enrollment than any other AP world language.

As a percentage? I would guess almost all of them.

The only reason there are so many kids taking spanish is because it seemed like a good idea in 7th grade when they first picked a language, little did they know that their kid was going to go to TJ where spanish is a flustercuck.

Kids take Spanish because it is approchable and they can use it for conversations as opposed to say Latin.

That's why they pick it in 7th grade.

I have seen kids pick up Latin in 9th grade at TJ
I have seen kids pick up German in 9th at TJ
I have seen kids pick up Chinese in 9th at TJ
Nobody picks up spanish in 9th at TJ.

By the numbers: There was one small section of Spanish 1 this year, 7 sections of Spanish 2, 6 sections of Spanish 3, 1 section of Spanish 4 HN, and 2 combined sections of Spanish 5 HN/AP Span Lang.

So the drop-off is considerable after the 3 year requirement is out of the way. The other languages are smaller, but see a higher percentage of students continuing to level 4/5/AP. German and Latin usually only have a section (sometimes 2) of German/Latin 1, so the fact that such a high percentage of those students end up continuing on says something about the program/community there.

13 kids took the AP Latin exam this year, 25ish took German, 25ish took French, 50ish took Spanish Lang, and 55ish took Chinese.

Do you have a source for these numbers? Do you work at TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird because I have heard seniors and alums tell me learning Spanish well was worth the difficulty and they wouldn’t change a thing. Seriously…especially after traveling or doing study abroad they feel quite grateful for the rigor.

Then you haven't talked to very many TJ alums. The majority of kids taking Spanish stop taking Spanish after Spanish 3. Most other languages have decent participation to level 4 or AP.

what other languages have more than Spanish participation to level 4 or AP? None!! For a fact, AP spanish has most enrollment than any other AP world language.

As a percentage? I would guess almost all of them.

The only reason there are so many kids taking spanish is because it seemed like a good idea in 7th grade when they first picked a language, little did they know that their kid was going to go to TJ where spanish is a flustercuck.

Kids take Spanish because it is approchable and they can use it for conversations as opposed to say Latin.

That's why they pick it in 7th grade.

I have seen kids pick up Latin in 9th grade at TJ
I have seen kids pick up German in 9th at TJ
I have seen kids pick up Chinese in 9th at TJ
Nobody picks up spanish in 9th at TJ.

By the numbers: There was one small section of Spanish 1 this year, 7 sections of Spanish 2, 6 sections of Spanish 3, 1 section of Spanish 4 HN, and 2 combined sections of Spanish 5 HN/AP Span Lang.

So the drop-off is considerable after the 3 year requirement is out of the way. The other languages are smaller, but see a higher percentage of students continuing to level 4/5/AP. German and Latin usually only have a section (sometimes 2) of German/Latin 1, so the fact that such a high percentage of those students end up continuing on says something about the program/community there.

13 kids took the AP Latin exam this year, 25ish took German, 25ish took French, 50ish took Spanish Lang, and 55ish took Chinese.

Do you have a source for these numbers? Do you work at TJ?

They would have to to have this level of knowledge depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to TJ! I am a parent of a freshman and appreciated some of the advice I found on this site last year. Hoping to pay it forward.

1. Consider taking PE over the summer- it will allow your child to take either an elective or a history class.
2. History is not a required freshman course, but 4 years are needed. So, you can double up in future years or do PE over the summer.
3. Spanish and French are quite difficult at TJ. If your child was planning to take Spanish 3 at their base school, Spanish 2 is likely where he/she will land and even that may be a struggle. Consider switching to Russian, German, or Mandarin if there is an interest.

My kid is waitlisted but hopeful lol

I thought band could be taken as 8th period? My kid wants to do marching band . Are you saying they can't fit it in their schedule unless they do summer classes?

As for Spanish, he is currently in immersion so hopefully spanish would be okay...at their home school they would go in at spanish immersion 9 and then Spanish V. I thought I heard he goes directly to AP spanish at TJ, but maybe I misremembered

No, band is an actual class. 8th period is when all thr clubs meet at TJ. 8th period classes are ones th kid would do online I believe since classes don’t meet during the club times at TJ.

Marching band is a great experience and I highly recommend it. Most kids do take a summer class to make space for it. I suppose you could shift a different class into the 8th period slot (one that can be done virtually) but summer session seems the easier route.

Virtual VA PE is a good way to do that in an asynchronous manner. Also DD did the extra social studies class through Loudoun since they offer some Asynchronous summer classes and FCPS does not. She did have to get prior approval for it though from TJ.

Just to clarify a couple things PP mentioned -

Band is an actual class and very difficult to fit into your schedule all 4 years without taking summer classes (DS did PE the summer before 9th and is doing PE and Econ and Personal Finance this summer before 10th). Even with summer classes he considered dropping band so he could fit in another academic elective.

Marching band is not a class - it is an extracurricular. It begins 3 weeks before school starts. Rehearsals are 3 days a week after school, and then they play at 4-5 football games and 4-5 weekend competitions. It is really time consuming but some kids absolutely love it. My son is not one of those kids and likely won't do marching band this coming year.

I have not heard of an option to take classes virtually during 8th period. Clubs meet during that time. the kids must sign up for 8th period options in advance. If there isn't a club meeting that catches your kid's eye, there are options for study hall or you can also meet with teachers for extra help during that time.

Thanks for clarifying. He cant take any summer classes this year (he goes to sleepwalking camp, likely the last yr). He is in APS so they are currently taking world geo for HS credit and then is essentially in Spanish 4 (he would jump straight to AP ibelieve due to immersion, since there isnt a spanish 5 at Tj it seems ). So was hoping (if he gets off wait list) that those would help his schedule a bit.

Sleep away camp not walking ha ha

Your typo made me ROFL so hard i dunno why

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latin- a large group of TJ kids compete at the Virginia Latin convention. It’s a lot of fun- they spend the weekend in Richmond. There are so many activities involving Latin and I encourage everyone to consider it.

Summer PE is great for sophomore PE. Plan getting your drivers license early to get it done and out of the way. Freshman PE is hard.

At TJ, a lot of kids will take summer school because it is easier to get As. I know a lot of people prioritize vacations- but most of the kids I know do it over Christmas break because internships are super important too.

Do a sport at TJ. It helps if your kid socializes with upper classes.

Also- be prepared to volunteer a lot. The kids have so many activities and things don’t get done without parental involvement. It’s worth it!

As silly as this sounds, this is a high priority for us in addition to TJ academics. How competitive is to make football, basketball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin- a large group of TJ kids compete at the Virginia Latin convention. It’s a lot of fun- they spend the weekend in Richmond. There are so many activities involving Latin and I encourage everyone to consider it.

Summer PE is great for sophomore PE. Plan getting your drivers license early to get it done and out of the way. Freshman PE is hard.

At TJ, a lot of kids will take summer school because it is easier to get As. I know a lot of people prioritize vacations- but most of the kids I know do it over Christmas break because internships are super important too.

Do a sport at TJ. It helps if your kid socializes with upper classes.

Also- be prepared to volunteer a lot. The kids have so many activities and things don’t get done without parental involvement. It’s worth it!

As silly as this sounds, this is a high priority for us in addition to TJ academics. How competitive is to make football, basketball?

Football is not hard. The cut is more of a nudge.
Basketball is a bit tougher. There is a cut.

[Anonymous]

Lacrosse (guys and gals teams) is a lot of fun at TJ — really nice group of kids on both teams. Someone who has played well on elite/club teams can make varsity as a freshman which is great; also a complete beginner can start at JV and learn the game.

The 4th history class — there are some semester-length electives that a lot of TJ seniors take which are really interesting and more niche than the AP courses. It’s worth waiting to fill that social studies credit; no need to rush to take a summer class or check a box.

[Anonymous]

TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

I hear French is starting to drift towards Spanish.

No doubt. There are kids at TJ that crush everything.
This is not and had not been the majority of TJ student with Spanish, not now nor under the previous merit-based admission process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

Having a high aptitude for learning languages and having the time to do all of the extra work required for Spanish are 2 different things. The Spanish classes have a lot of homework. Other classes have a lot of homework, projects, & tests (especially freshman year IBET projects). Having 10 pages of writing Spanish sentences as homework is unnecessary at a school where the students are there because they want to focus on STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin- a large group of TJ kids compete at the Virginia Latin convention. It’s a lot of fun- they spend the weekend in Richmond. There are so many activities involving Latin and I encourage everyone to consider it.

Summer PE is great for sophomore PE. Plan getting your drivers license early to get it done and out of the way. Freshman PE is hard.

At TJ, a lot of kids will take summer school because it is easier to get As. I know a lot of people prioritize vacations- but most of the kids I know do it over Christmas break because internships are super important too.

Do a sport at TJ. It helps if your kid socializes with upper classes.

Also- be prepared to volunteer a lot. The kids have so many activities and things don’t get done without parental involvement. It’s worth it!

As silly as this sounds, this is a high priority for us in addition to TJ academics. How competitive is to make football, basketball?

Football is not hard. The cut is more of a nudge.
Basketball is a bit tougher. There is a cut.

Thank you! This is helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

Having a high aptitude for learning languages and having the time to do all of the extra work required for Spanish are 2 different things. The Spanish classes have a lot of homework. Other classes have a lot of homework, projects, & tests (especially freshman year IBET projects). Having 10 pages of writing Spanish sentences as homework is unnecessary at a school where the students are there because they want to focus on STEM.

So that’s the rub: you value foreign languages less than the STEM courses and therefore don’t think kids should have to work hard in those classes. Sure, TJ is a STEM magnet, but foreign language is still considered a core high school course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

I'd love to hear more about a kid that crushed Spanish. My kid had fluent Spanish speakers in his class and they couldn't keep up. It's one thing to speak Spanish and it's another to understand the exact rules of formal, European grammar for Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

Having a high aptitude for learning languages and having the time to do all of the extra work required for Spanish are 2 different things. The Spanish classes have a lot of homework. Other classes have a lot of homework, projects, & tests (especially freshman year IBET projects). Having 10 pages of writing Spanish sentences as homework is unnecessary at a school where the students are there because they want to focus on STEM.

So that’s the rub: you value foreign languages less than the STEM courses and therefore don’t think kids should have to work hard in those classes. Sure, TJ is a STEM magnet, but foreign language is still considered a core high school course.

Foreign language is considered an elective, that is why students are able to take the class pass/fail.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/se119.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has AP French. It’s a good class, too.
Also, you realize there are kids at TJ who do really well in Spanish, right?
BTW There’s an interesting correlation between students who are strong at learning languages and strong at math. TJ has a good number of students who have high aptitudes in both. I think you could also say students who put the time in studying and practicing the concepts do well.

Having a high aptitude for learning languages and having the time to do all of the extra work required for Spanish are 2 different things. The Spanish classes have a lot of homework. Other classes have a lot of homework, projects, & tests (especially freshman year IBET projects). Having 10 pages of writing Spanish sentences as homework is unnecessary at a school where the students are there because they want to focus on STEM.

So that’s the rub: you value foreign languages less than the STEM courses and therefore don’t think kids should have to work hard in those classes. Sure, TJ is a STEM magnet, but foreign language is still considered a core high school course.

Foreign language is considered an elective, that is why students are able to take the class pass/fail.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/se119.pdf

Also, you are correct. I value learning a foreign language at TJ less than the STEM classes. Students can use Duolingo or any number of other sources to learn Spanish. They only have the option to take TJ specific STEM courses (that aren’t available at any other high school) while at TJ. Spanish isn’t “special” at TJ, it just requires significantly more time to complete all of the homework.