Want to get some community insights on Marshall HS.

[Anonymous]

I would love to get some insights on Marshall -- the good, the bad, the ugly.
We have been in FCPS for one year. The transition was smooth, with a lot of support from the staff with course selection and summer classes. But I'm finding the courses to be....really lame. My kid seems under-challenged (and in honors). Electives seem like blow-off courses. While in 10th grade she has yet to get any meaningful writing assignments or writing feedback. Many courses seem like a lot of menial tasks to recite information or practice things she already knows (in HPE in particular, but also in a lot of the Math practice stuff).
People keep telling me IB is going to be amazing -- but that isn't until Junior year and I worry she will be bored to tears from now until then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to get some insights on Marshall -- the good, the bad, the ugly.
We have been in FCPS for one year. The transition was smooth, with a lot of support from the staff with course selection and summer classes. But I'm finding the courses to be....really lame. My kid seems under-challenged (and in honors). Electives seem like blow-off courses. While in 10th grade she has yet to get any meaningful writing assignments or writing feedback. Many courses seem like a lot of menial tasks to recite information or practice things she already knows (in HPE in particular, but also in a lot of the Math practice stuff).
People keep telling me IB is going to be amazing -- but that isn't until Junior year and I worry she will be bored to tears from now until then.

It has been 2 weeks….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to get some insights on Marshall -- the good, the bad, the ugly.
We have been in FCPS for one year. The transition was smooth, with a lot of support from the staff with course selection and summer classes. But I'm finding the courses to be....really lame. My kid seems under-challenged (and in honors). Electives seem like blow-off courses. While in 10th grade she has yet to get any meaningful writing assignments or writing feedback. Many courses seem like a lot of menial tasks to recite information or practice things she already knows (in HPE in particular, but also in a lot of the Math practice stuff).
People keep telling me IB is going to be amazing -- but that isn't until Junior year and I worry she will be bored to tears from now until then.

[Anonymous]

In the 9 days of school your child hasn't done enough work to complete the application for Yale? I definitely recommend spending the long weekend emailing each and every teacher your thoughts on what they should have done for the first 9 days. Then your next post will be that your child will have a long-term sub and you're not sure why.

[Anonymous]

This is consistent across all the “top” FCPS high schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is consistent across all the “top” FCPS high schools

Not so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the 9 days of school your child hasn't done enough work to complete the application for Yale? I definitely recommend spending the long weekend emailing each and every teacher your thoughts on what they should have done for the first 9 days. Then your next post will be that your child will have a long-term sub and you're not sure why.

Oh stop. They asked a legit question. Stop being so bitter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to get some insights on Marshall -- the good, the bad, the ugly.
We have been in FCPS for one year. The transition was smooth, with a lot of support from the staff with course selection and summer classes. But I'm finding the courses to be....really lame. My kid seems under-challenged (and in honors). Electives seem like blow-off courses. While in 10th grade she has yet to get any meaningful writing assignments or writing feedback. Many courses seem like a lot of menial tasks to recite information or practice things she already knows (in HPE in particular, but also in a lot of the Math practice stuff).
People keep telling me IB is going to be amazing -- but that isn't until Junior year and I worry she will be bored to tears from now until then.

I don’t quite understand your situation. Your kid is in 10th grade and you’ve been in FCPS for one year? Wouldn’t that mean your kid spent at least part of 9th grade at Marshall? And, if so, wouldn’t you already have enough experience with the school that you wouldn’t be turning to strangers here for advice?

[Anonymous]

Aren’t most FCPS courses “lame” for really smart kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to get some insights on Marshall -- the good, the bad, the ugly.
We have been in FCPS for one year. The transition was smooth, with a lot of support from the staff with course selection and summer classes. But I'm finding the courses to be....really lame. My kid seems under-challenged (and in honors). Electives seem like blow-off courses. While in 10th grade she has yet to get any meaningful writing assignments or writing feedback. Many courses seem like a lot of menial tasks to recite information or practice things she already knows (in HPE in particular, but also in a lot of the Math practice stuff).
People keep telling me IB is going to be amazing -- but that isn't until Junior year and I worry she will be bored to tears from now until then.

As a Kilmer parent that would be very disappointing bc my (AAP which I believe is on par with Honors) kid does have homework and has gotten feedback on writing assignments since 7th grade. And what electives are blow off courses? Can you be specific?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the 9 days of school your child hasn't done enough work to complete the application for Yale? I definitely recommend spending the long weekend emailing each and every teacher your thoughts on what they should have done for the first 9 days. Then your next post will be that your child will have a long-term sub and you're not sure why.

Oh stop. They asked a legit question. Stop being so bitter.

It’s a legitimate question to ask why her child is doing review/hasn’t completed and received meaningful feedback on a major writing assignment/isn’t challenged yet when the student is only nine days into the school year and has had each class meet only 4-5 times due to the block schedule? No, it’s not. It’s way too soon to be concerned about any of that.

Two MONTHS in and OP has a legitimate concern. Not two WEEKS.

[Anonymous]

IB can be a positive experience if done well. Sadly FCPS does not do it well. Learn about how it should work and you and your daughter will need to advocate on your own.

As far as honors that is the new gen ed, and you need to find the best writing teacher at the school and work to get your daughter in that class. Not a great depth of teachers proficient in writing in FCPS.