Churchill Questions

[Anonymous]

We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

In my opinion, the school is very cliquish with online bullying and in person bullying common place. Drugs in the school are also a problem. Classes are crowded and many teachers are burnt out.

If you have resources to consider private, there are close by private schools that may be happier places for a transfer student.

[Anonymous]

And if you read DCUM, you'll hear about weekly racist incidents, too - albeit with no evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And if you read DCUM, you'll hear about weekly racist incidents, too - albeit with no evidence.

Exactly. Most of these incidents only happen in wokes' fever dreams.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids are happy there…

One is a social butterfly, the other with HFA (with an IEP). Both have clubs they’ve joined, great teachers, and happy.

They are having different experiences (as would be expected), but we have been happy with both.

[Anonymous]

We moved over the summer and my child is now a freshman at Churchill. They play a sport and I am so grateful they made the team because had they not, I don't know what the transition would have looked like. Being part of a fall team certainly made it much easier. Even still, they don't yet have "friends" they're socializing with on the weekends (online is different) but they are doing clubs (which meet during lunch, so that's great socially-speaking) and they seem very happy. To be fair my kid isn't a big socializer, so we're not looking to fill a calendar Friday - Sunday each week.

Academics are very good, in my view.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. This is really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

Wootton is a little less wealthy and a bit more academically competitive because there are more Asians at Wootton.m...just FYI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

In my opinion, the school is very cliquish with online bullying and in person bullying common place. Drugs in the school are also a problem. Classes are crowded and many teachers are burnt out.

If you have resources to consider private, there are close by private schools that may be happier places for a transfer student.

So it's about the same as any wealthy MCPS school then?

[Anonymous]

My kid's experience was that having something you belong to from day one is crucial. Transfer after freshman year is a little hard. I agree with cliquish, but really what school isn't, but there is a certain group that seems to have know each other since pre-school and the parents went to Churchill and have known each other forever,.

[Anonymous]

Its very cliquey, grade focused, some kids have tons of money, and its really hard to make close friends if you’re starting in high school. At least that’s been our experience. Plus driving becomes a big thing bc to do anything you have to drive somewhere. Its very hard to make friends in classes and having an activity like sports, music, a club, can help but even then, it very possible to have just acquaintance friends, not close friends. Plus the school is just so big. Maybe consider looking at private school?

[Anonymous]

School is good. Lots of good, dedicated teachers but like everywhere else, there are some pretty poor teachers who are there just there for the pension. My kids have had some that just can’t teach, especially math and physics teachers.

Kids can be cliquish, but that’s at all schools. My kids found their clique. Sports are very competitive. You pretty much have to have bee playing since elementary school and do club to be on varsity. There are clubs to join.

There is drugs, alcohol and vaping. It’s a reality.

Lots of Asian and Indian. Look up demographics on MCPS. Graduation rate is tops in the county, so are test scores. It’s a good school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School is good. Lots of good, dedicated teachers but like everywhere else, there are some pretty poor teachers who are there just there for the pension. My kids have had some that just can’t teach, especially math and physics teachers.

Kids can be cliquish, but that’s at all schools. My kids found their clique. Sports are very competitive. You pretty much have to have bee playing since elementary school and do club to be on varsity. There are clubs to join.

There is drugs, alcohol and vaping. It’s a reality.

Lots of Asian and Indian. Look up demographics on MCPS. Graduation rate is tops in the county, so are test scores. It’s a good school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

Churchill is excellent for all students and all learning types.

You are extremely lucky to have been able to afford to move into the Churchill district. He will not be disappointed with this excellent school. Arguably the best public HS in Maryland. And when I say faster, I include the fact that they work well with all student types.

Keep us updated!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a move to the area. Is Churchill tough for kids who transfer in? Our child is smart and does well academically, but also is socially anxious, and we are trying to determine what, if any, public high school would be right. Any thoughts on the culture would help us. And, please only share personal experiences. We really want to try and make a good decision.

It's one of the best public schools in the state, if not the east coast. There are so many opportunities there to meet students with all the sports, arts, clubs. There's more diversity there than the school gets credit for. My children really enjoyed the teachers and the principal that took over several years ago is first rate. Students are nice and there is bullying everywhere but much less at Churchill than virtually any other school in the county. If you're in the area, go to a sporting event or a theater event at the school and get an idea of what the student body is like.