APS Gunston Middle School

[Anonymous]

Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

[Anonymous]

At this point I’d be more concerned about elementary. Some elementary schools in that zone are much better for special needs than others.

My kid doesn’t go to gunston but I hear it’s decent as far as middle schools go. I am sending my ADHD/gifted kid (he’s not anxious though) next year and I feel fine about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At this point I’d be more concerned about elementary. Some elementary schools in that zone are much better for special needs than others.

My kid doesn’t go to gunston but I hear it’s decent as far as middle schools go. I am sending my ADHD/gifted kid (he’s not anxious though) next year and I feel fine about it.

This is OP. She’s at an option school for elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

Mom, you need to calm down. It is too early to start stressing about what Gunston might be like 7 years from now when you daughter might be there. Not something to worry about right now as the majority of staff could be completely different by then, not to mention the instructional programs APS will be using at that point. Focus your priorities on meeting your daughters needs right now and giving her the tools she needs to be as independent and successful as she can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

Mom, you need to calm down. It is too early to start stressing about what Gunston might be like 7 years from now when you daughter might be there. Not something to worry about right now as the majority of staff could be completely different by then, not to mention the instructional programs APS will be using at that point. Focus your priorities on meeting your daughters needs right now and giving her the tools she needs to be as independent and successful as she can.

This is OP. I don’t think it’s insane to choose a house based on what middle and high school your child will go to. Especially if she has special needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

Mom, you need to calm down. It is too early to start stressing about what Gunston might be like 7 years from now when you daughter might be there. Not something to worry about right now as the majority of staff could be completely different by then, not to mention the instructional programs APS will be using at that point. Focus your priorities on meeting your daughters needs right now and giving her the tools she needs to be as independent and successful as she can.

This is OP. I don’t think it’s insane to choose a house based on what middle and high school your child will go to. Especially if she has special needs.

Agreed - this is a totally reasonable thing to think about when looking at homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

Mom, you need to calm down. It is too early to start stressing about what Gunston might be like 7 years from now when you daughter might be there. Not something to worry about right now as the majority of staff could be completely different by then, not to mention the instructional programs APS will be using at that point. Focus your priorities on meeting your daughters needs right now and giving her the tools she needs to be as independent and successful as she can.

This is OP. I don’t think it’s insane to choose a house based on what middle and high school your child will go to. Especially if she has special needs.

Agreed - this is a totally reasonable thing to think about when looking at homes.

It’s reasonable to consider when house hunting as long as you keep in mind middle school boundaries will be redrawn before your kid gets to middle school. There’s a chance it will change especially if you are on an edge of a boundary.

[Anonymous]

I can’t speak for Gunston, but I can tell you I know several families that have struggled with solid support for their ADHD/anxiety – twice exceptional gifted the children at Williamsburg. Are any APS middle schools good with this?

[Anonymous]

Gunston is fine. You need to chill, lady. No wonder your daughter is stressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me about Gunston Middle School, please. My daughter is elementary now so it’s hard to know what she will need or what she’ll be like by middle school, but we are considering a move that would zone us for Gunston. She has some special needs (anxiety and maybe ADHD. Maybe ASD). She’s also gifted. Per neuropsych testing, not per her mom! But she’s 5 so I don’t know yet whether she’s into arts versus math versus English.

Mom, you need to calm down. It is too early to start stressing about what Gunston might be like 7 years from now when you daughter might be there. Not something to worry about right now as the majority of staff could be completely different by then, not to mention the instructional programs APS will be using at that point. Focus your priorities on meeting your daughters needs right now and giving her the tools she needs to be as independent and successful as she can.

This is OP. I don’t think it’s insane to choose a house based on what middle and high school your child will go to. Especially if she has special needs.

Agreed - this is a totally reasonable thing to think about when looking at homes.

It’s reasonable to consider when house hunting as long as you keep in mind middle school boundaries will be redrawn before your kid gets to middle school. There’s a chance it will change especially if you are on an edge of a boundary.

People base house-buying decisions on schools all the time. then complain when the school goes downhill.
Regardless, middle school is probably the least academically inconsistent across the district of all the grade levels in APS. What's more, it's only 3 years long. Biggest issue with middle school is social, no matter where you go.

[Anonymous]

My kid is at gunston (immersion), and we like it fine. Gunston is also the most over crowded APS MS, so as of now, students zoned for gunston get first dibs on neighborhood transfers.

[Anonymous]

I hate to say it, because with live walking distance, but everyone we know who has or has recently had a kid at Gunston is very unhappy, unless they were in Montessori or Immersion. This is especially true for parents of boys. There seem to be a fair number of rough boys in the school, and they drag better-behaved kids down with them. There is also no tracking except in math, and in, say, your English class it's not unusual to have kids ranging from a 3rd grade reading level to a college reading level. How do you deal with that as a teacher? It's tough. The new policies about not giving grades and not penalizing for late homework etc seem to have made things much worse. The principal is very nice, but the school could use new leadership... The people we know with boys in 5th grade are panicking over whether they should try their luck, move to private (if they can afford it), pray for HB, hope their are openings in other Arlington middle schools and drive their kids there, or move out of the zone... We know people who have done all of the above. We have a boy who is getting toward his middle school years, and we aren't even seriously considering Gunston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate to say it, because with live walking distance, but everyone we know who has or has recently had a kid at Gunston is very unhappy, unless they were in Montessori or Immersion. This is especially true for parents of boys. There seem to be a fair number of rough boys in the school, and they drag better-behaved kids down with them. There is also no tracking except in math, and in, say, your English class it's not unusual to have kids ranging from a 3rd grade reading level to a college reading level. How do you deal with that as a teacher? It's tough. The new policies about not giving grades and not penalizing for late homework etc seem to have made things much worse. The principal is very nice, but the school could use new leadership... The people we know with boys in 5th grade are panicking over whether they should try their luck, move to private (if they can afford it), pray for HB, hope their are openings in other Arlington middle schools and drive their kids there, or move out of the zone... We know people who have done all of the above. We have a boy who is getting toward his middle school years, and we aren't even seriously considering Gunston.

I'm a mom of a fifth grade boy and I am really excited for my child to go to Gunston. Every parent I know who has a kid in Gunston loves it. I have spoken to several kids who love it. The only student I know who doesn't love it is a girl (she just shrugs when I ask her about it).

I have heard some things I don't like, but they don't impact the students and families I know and I don't know anybody in the Montessori or immersion programs.

I guess we just know really different people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate to say it, because with live walking distance, but everyone we know who has or has recently had a kid at Gunston is very unhappy, unless they were in Montessori or Immersion. This is especially true for parents of boys. There seem to be a fair number of rough boys in the school, and they drag better-behaved kids down with them. There is also no tracking except in math, and in, say, your English class it's not unusual to have kids ranging from a 3rd grade reading level to a college reading level. How do you deal with that as a teacher? It's tough. The new policies about not giving grades and not penalizing for late homework etc seem to have made things much worse. The principal is very nice, but the school could use new leadership... The people we know with boys in 5th grade are panicking over whether they should try their luck, move to private (if they can afford it), pray for HB, hope their are openings in other Arlington middle schools and drive their kids there, or move out of the zone... We know people who have done all of the above. We have a boy who is getting toward his middle school years, and we aren't even seriously considering Gunston.

I'm a mom of a fifth grade boy and I am really excited for my child to go to Gunston. Every parent I know who has a kid in Gunston loves it. I have spoken to several kids who love it. The only student I know who doesn't love it is a girl (she just shrugs when I ask her about it).

I have heard some things I don't like, but they don't impact the students and families I know and I don't know anybody in the Montessori or immersion programs.

I guess we just know really different people.

Oh and with tracking there are the same problems at every other middle school in APS, even HBW (not to a third grade reading level there but the college-level readers are certainly bored and it's hard on the teachers). All middle schools have the same homework policies too.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. What are the plans to reduce overcrowding at Gunston? Will some of those kids be moved to another school?