Blair CAP vs. Whitman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that’s sad. Blair has so much to offer.

But with costs. I'm glad it's there for those who want it, but it's not for everyone.

That was our reason for declining it. If we lived in Silver Spring or another closer neighborhood accepting CAP would have been a no-brainer for our Eastern kid. But we're too far away and on balance the trade-offs in commuting time, lack of a magnet activity bus that drops off near us, and not having friends from our home HS cluster going to either Blair magnet tipped the balance towards the home HS. Our Eastern kid has been super lonely on weekends without any neighborhood friends, and we can't keep doing that for another four years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not choosing RMIB for the same commute/community aspects you point out about CAP, OP. We live close to Blair, and our Eastern 8th grader has decided he wants to continue with his friends/program at CAP.

As for the science - they are putting kids into AP Physics at Blair as freshmen, which I think seems crazy. But I guess they'll have a cohort? They can't possibly be ready for that as 14/15 year olds, right?!?! Is that happening at other schools? Why the rush? The Bio-Chem-Physics pathway just seems more sensible.

I don't understand why Blair puts them in AP Physics but not AP Government NSL (which as a magnet course could be taught both to magnet standards and to the AP Government NSL test, which is not that hard). It doesn't look like Blair even offers AP Government NSL to anyone. I wish the Blair website were better -- I can't find a course bulletin so got this info off the general MCPS page for Blair classes:

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/SchoolCourseCatalogs/School/04757/top

I also don't understand the AP Physics for 9th graders. There's plenty of time to get to AP Physics. My RMIB kid and my W school kid both took AP Physics I as sophomores after taking honors chem and honors bio as freshmen while taking algebra 2 -- I don't see a need to rush it before that. Strange.

Yes, they offer AP NSL to 9th grade and both CAP and STEM kids have the option of signing up. Mine took it last year.

Your kid took AP NSL as a ninth grader? What program was he in?

Whitman kids who do AP history track take NSL in 9th.

Well, I think it is somewhat common in this area in schools other than Blair. But the PP says their DC took it in ninth grade in Blair; hence the question. I have heard that Blair social studies department does not allow ninth graders to take AP courses.

The prescribed sequence for CAP is Hons USH, AP NSL, AP World History; For the magnet, it is Hons USH, Hons or AP NSL, Hons or AP World History. For the other programs, it is similar: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhscoursebulletin/social-studies.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Update - given that my child insists on going to CAP, I am going to let him make the decision. If it doesn't work out, we will go back to our home school. I learned a lot from this thread. I truly appreciate everyone's input!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Update - given that my child insists on going to CAP, I am going to let him make the decision. If it doesn't work out, we will go back to our home school. I learned a lot from this thread. I truly appreciate everyone's input!

Our kiddo also decided CAP and Blair both sound great and accepted over the other programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Update - given that my child insists on going to CAP, I am going to let him make the decision. If it doesn't work out, we will go back to our home school. I learned a lot from this thread. I truly appreciate everyone's input!

Our kiddo also decided CAP and Blair both sound great and accepted over the other programs.

congrats! Best of luck!