Luther Jackson or Thoreau?

[Anonymous]

One more comment: please go to the open house night and gather all the data points you need. Your own assessment is far better than relying on out of date tropes and rumors. I'm confident you'll be impressed by TMS...but if not, no worries. You pick what seems best for you/your kid.

[Anonymous]

I hope other parents also share their experiences. What concerns me about Luther Jackson is the non AAP population- I have read about sexual harassment etc. And "incidents" that are quite serious. Also concerned on the social part where the kids go to different HS - so when they go back to their own (if not TJ) they don't know a lot of people. Thoreau- I hear about bullying, more social junk that just compounds the MS transition. Please share experiences.

[Anonymous]

I am OP of this thread. My DD spent her two years in MS hell at LJ. She is now a sophomore at Madison.

The LJ kids are better prepared of the workload in HS. But, the TMS kids seemed to enjoy middle school more.

As for bullying, my DD was bullied. School did nothing about it. It was sexual harassment: another kid convinced her he wanted to be her boy friend, and when DD refused (I said no dating until 15), he cornered her and forced a kiss. She kicked him where it hurts. (I taught her well). School told us, based on what they heard, both kids would be suspended if we pursued. She also had a swasticker on her band stand one day. Was told kids being kids....

But, not to say that these are uncommon. MS kids are really jerks. Mine was. Yours will be. Could have happened at TMS.

The kid that jumped off the bridge on Ceder Lane onto the I66 was a TMS student. Shit happens everywhere,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am OP of this thread. My DD spent her two years in MS hell at LJ. She is now a sophomore at Madison.

The LJ kids are better prepared of the workload in HS. But, the TMS kids seemed to enjoy middle school more.

As for bullying, my DD was bullied. School did nothing about it. It was sexual harassment: another kid convinced her he wanted to be her boy friend, and when DD refused (I said no dating until 15), he cornered her and forced a kiss. She kicked him where it hurts. (I taught her well). School told us, based on what they heard, both kids would be suspended if we pursued. She also had a swasticker on her band stand one day. Was told kids being kids....

But, not to say that these are uncommon. MS kids are really jerks. Mine was. Yours will be. Could have happened at TMS.

The kid that jumped off the bridge on Ceder Lane onto the I66 was a TMS student. Shit happens everywhere,

Thank you up, how is your child adjusting at Madison socially? I did hear it was a Thoreau child that jumped. Do you happen to know why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am OP of this thread. My DD spent her two years in MS hell at LJ. She is now a sophomore at Madison.

The LJ kids are better prepared of the workload in HS. But, the TMS kids seemed to enjoy middle school more.

As for bullying, my DD was bullied. School did nothing about it. It was sexual harassment: another kid convinced her he wanted to be her boy friend, and when DD refused (I said no dating until 15), he cornered her and forced a kiss. She kicked him where it hurts. (I taught her well). School told us, based on what they heard, both kids would be suspended if we pursued. She also had a swasticker on her band stand one day. Was told kids being kids....

But, not to say that these are uncommon. MS kids are really jerks. Mine was. Yours will be. Could have happened at TMS.

The kid that jumped off the bridge on Ceder Lane onto the I66 was a TMS student. Shit happens everywhere,

You may have started a similar thread, but you are not the OP of this thread which was started a little over a year ago. OP's kid should only be in 7th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am OP of this thread. My DD spent her two years in MS hell at LJ. She is now a sophomore at Madison.

The LJ kids are better prepared of the workload in HS. But, the TMS kids seemed to enjoy middle school more.

As for bullying, my DD was bullied. School did nothing about it. It was sexual harassment: another kid convinced her he wanted to be her boy friend, and when DD refused (I said no dating until 15), he cornered her and forced a kiss. She kicked him where it hurts. (I taught her well). School told us, based on what they heard, both kids would be suspended if we pursued. She also had a swasticker on her band stand one day. Was told kids being kids....

But, not to say that these are uncommon. MS kids are really jerks. Mine was. Yours will be. Could have happened at TMS.

The kid that jumped off the bridge on Ceder Lane onto the I66 was a TMS student. Shit happens everywhere,

You may have started a similar thread, but you are not the OP of this thread which was started a little over a year ago. OP's kid should only be in 7th grade.

Sorry. I thought it was the Jan 2014 version of the thread, which I was OP.

[Anonymous]

PP, my DD is a sophomore at Oakton - was at LJ AAP same time as your DD. Sorry to hear about her experience at LJ. FWIW, my DD loved LJ. She always says it was the best 2 years. My other kids, also AAP at LJ have loved the school as well. They all have/had great friends there, and I think the administration is great. Again, I’m very sorry to hear about your DD.

[Anonymous]

LJ AAP was a fantastic all-around experience (academic, social, extra-curricular) for my child, who is now doing very well at TJ. The AAP teaching teams are truly first-rate, the AAP peer group is impressive, and we didn't encounter any of the issues sometimes highlighted as concerns by parents contemplating the LJ/TMS decision. Having exposure to kids from communities outside of the Vienna/Oakton "bubble" was a plus, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Our DS went to AAP at LJ. 7th grade - kids were jerks. Some bullying/name calling (this is AAP kids btw). 8th grade - things settled down and he enjoyed things a lot. However he saw a lot of stuff - vaping, drugs, etc. He was also pushed around a couple of times in the hallways but don't recall if it was intentional. Had some stuff stolen from him. If he left anything of value behind in school (he was a forgetful kid), it's gone. No L&F. But not too many kids went with him to Madison though which was a bummer. Most of his close friends went to Falls Church and Oakton HS.

I'm not sure there's any rush for 12 year olds to get "out of the vienna/oakton bubble". There's time enough for that. Not sure that's reason enough to go to LJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau has a TPT-like problem. Tons of bullying, too.

My child is in 7th grade at Thoreau and I ask regularly about bullying and am shocked that they insist there is no bullying. I tell them that isn't possible, that my middle school had tons of bullying, that its normal for there to be bullies, and they continue to insist there isn't any.

Can you elaborate on the bullying you've heard of at Thoreau?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoreau has a TPT-like problem. Tons of bullying, too.

My child is in 7th grade at Thoreau and I ask regularly about bullying and am shocked that they insist there is no bullying. I tell them that isn't possible, that my middle school had tons of bullying, that its normal for there to be bullies, and they continue to insist there isn't any.

Can you elaborate on the bullying you've heard of at Thoreau?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LJ AAP was a fantastic all-around experience (academic, social, extra-curricular) for my child, who is now doing very well at TJ. The AAP teaching teams are truly first-rate, the AAP peer group is impressive, and we didn't encounter any of the issues sometimes highlighted as concerns by parents contemplating the LJ/TMS decision. Having exposure to kids from communities outside of the Vienna/Oakton "bubble" was a plus, in my opinion.

You didn't encounter any of the issues, but were you aware of any?

[Anonymous]

I was very active on the PTA, and I never heard of anything that some people talk about. No drugs, no gangs. Pushing - yes, at every middle school. Name calling - of course. That’s life. Actual fights - no. Drug use during school - no. Lots of rumors.

I’ve been in the school during the day and have seen how the school actually runs.

Also, I know first hand that some of the AAP kids were sexually active - which I found shocking and horrifying. I know because one of the girls parents found an EPT test. Whatever. TMI. Not a friend of my kid but an acquaintance. And my kids’ friends talk to me about everything. Literally - everything!

I can’t speak about general education. Like any public school kids come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. My kids tend to hang with kids that match our value system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I was very active on the PTA, and I never heard of anything that some people talk about. No drugs, no gangs. Pushing - yes, at every middle school. Name calling - of course. That’s life. Actual fights - no. Drug use during school - no. Lots of rumors.

I’ve been in the school during the day and have seen how the school actually runs.

Also, I know first hand that some of the AAP kids were sexually active - which I found shocking and horrifying. I know because one of the girls parents found an EPT test. Whatever. TMI. Not a friend of my kid but an acquaintance. And my kids’ friends talk to me about everything. Literally - everything!

I can’t speak about general education. Like any public school kids come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. My kids tend to hang with kids that match our value system.

Is this LJ or Thoreau?

[Anonymous]

PP - at LJ