Longfellow SO Golden Ticket to TJ - is this true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

School board elections are coming up. Ask the candidates why longfellow students have this program, but not any other kids in the county. I plan on it as do the parents struggling to prop up a once a week program at our MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

School board elections are coming up. Ask the candidates why longfellow students have this program, but not any other kids in the county. I plan on it as do the parents struggling to prop up a once a week program at our MS

What do you think they will tell you?

Are you going to persuade them to stop SO altogether?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

School board elections are coming up. Ask the candidates why longfellow students have this program, but not any other kids in the county. I plan on it as do the parents struggling to prop up a once a week program at our MS

Most decent schools in FCPS have their own SO teams, which need to be sponsored by an in-school teacher. So not sure how this kinda question could come up in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

School board elections are coming up. Ask the candidates why longfellow students have this program, but not any other kids in the county. I plan on it as do the parents struggling to prop up a once a week program at our MS

Most decent schools in FCPS have their own SO teams, which need to be sponsored by an in-school teacher. So not sure how this kinda question could come up in the first place.

With PTA support. If all schools can't offer comparable programs, why are certain schools allowed to retain them? The fact that FCPS employees are the sponsors makes it worse. Supposedly we have one Fairfax or whatever they're calling it, so make the offerings comparable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

School board elections are coming up. Ask the candidates why longfellow students have this program, but not any other kids in the county. I plan on it as do the parents struggling to prop up a once a week program at our MS

Most decent schools in FCPS have their own SO teams, which need to be sponsored by an in-school teacher. So not sure how this kinda question could come up in the first place.

With PTA support. If all schools can't offer comparable programs, why are certain schools allowed to retain them? The fact that FCPS employees are the sponsors makes it worse. Supposedly we have one Fairfax or whatever they're calling it, so make the offerings comparable

SO is an after-school program sponsored by school, has nothing to with PTA. LMS has tons of successful programs such as Quiz bowl, Mathcount, Science Bowl, Debate, Game programming etc. etc. which are all top-notch in the state. LMS SO has no peer in the state simple because it is a highly selective program and needs commitment from kids and parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

As well as previous years. McLean high is also a great school and has a Band lots of LMS kids love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

As well as previous years. McLean high is also a great school and has a Band lots of LMS kids love.

And some of them also got rejected by TJ. They will do well at McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

Who is “they”? Is FCPS investing more money in the SO program at Longfellow, or is there more support from parent or teacher volunteers? If the former, that seems unfair, but if it’s the latter it would be crazy to try and prevent that from happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

As well as previous years. McLean high is also a great school and has a Band lots of LMS kids love.

I wouldn’t underestimate the impact of the MIT-bound McLean senior who won 7th place nationally this year in the Regeneron talent search and was on the school’s winning “It’s Academic” teams. Sends a strong message to families in that community that kids graduating from high schools other than TJ can do extremely well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

As well as previous years. McLean high is also a great school and has a Band lots of LMS kids love.

I wouldn’t underestimate the impact of the MIT-bound McLean senior who won 7th place nationally this year in the Regeneron talent search and was on the school’s winning “It’s Academic” teams. Sends a strong message to families in that community that kids graduating from high schools other than TJ can do extremely well.

True. It is a shame that no TJ kid went into STS national final (top 50) in 2023. A big slap in the face. This honor could have been TJ's if this McLean senior were not rejected by TJ back in 2019.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?

That SO is a golden ticket for TJ, presumably

I know I heard that all the top SO kids from Longfellow got into TJ.

It’s not true.

FYI, some top kids in LMS SO team chose not to commit to TJ this year simply because local McLean High is 2nd to the best and has a stunning college admission success this year.

As well as previous years. McLean high is also a great school and has a Band lots of LMS kids love.

I wouldn’t underestimate the impact of the MIT-bound McLean senior who won 7th place nationally this year in the Regeneron talent search and was on the school’s winning “It’s Academic” teams. Sends a strong message to families in that community that kids graduating from high schools other than TJ can do extremely well.

True. It is a shame that no TJ kid went into STS national final (top 50) in 2023. A big slap in the face. This honor could have been TJ's if this McLean senior were not rejected by TJ back in 2019.

I have no idea if this student even applied to TJ - he reportedly has many interests and some of them may not have been compatible with attending TJ - but if he did and was turned down his subsequent successes in HS illustrate the maxim that when one door closes another one opens. We’re very lucky to have had him at MHS.