Relocating Kentlands/Lakelands schools

[WhoopsC]

Hi everyone,

I am considering a move to the Kentlands/Lakelands area next year. My daughter will be a rising 6th grader and if plans work out, she would be attending Lakelands Park Middle School next Fall. I share the concerns that most parents likely have regarding their child's transition to middle school. However, I have additional worries about her starting anew at the beginning of middle school.

Can anyone who has had direct experiences with Lakelands Park Middle School comment on or provide insight with regard to opportunities for children to get involved, engagement of the teachers and of course, safety? I know every school has it's issues but am also curious about bullying and violence within the school. Again, understand that unfortunately these days it's close to impossible to find a middle school without occurrences of violence or bullying but looking for general insights and thoughts on if parents feel safe sending their children there.

I'd also like to relocate before or at the beginning of summer so that my daughter will have some opportunity to participate in activities leading up to the start of middle school in an effort to make some acquaintances. Any welcoming groups or activities that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance for your input. I really appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

MS teacher here. Most issues of bullying and fighting in MS aren’t random. They stem from issues between kids in the neighborhoods with past history from elementary school.

I appreciate wanting to get direct insight into a specific school, but it’s not really going to be helpful for individual cases.

[Anonymous]

It’s a great neighborhood, but the schools are not terrific. That said, MCPS is general is a mess these days.

We send our kid to private school, as does about 20-25% of the people living in our neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for your reply - it definitely makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Are there a certain private schools that most schools go to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there a certain private schools that most schools go to?

I can’t really say for sure — it’s just my own experience. My kid goes to Norwood and I know anecdotally maybe 7-8 other families in the neighborhood with kids there. I know a bunch of families who send their kids to Seneca Academy, which is a K-5 school close by. I also know of families whose kids go as far as Sidwell or GDS. Then there are the families who opt for religious schools, like CESJDS or Mary of Nazareth.

So it varies.

[Anonymous]

To form friendships over the summer, I recommend the neighborhood swim team. We’ve lived in Lakelands for 13 years and we’re very happy here. One of my kids attended Lakelands Park and is now at Quince Orchard. DC’s had a 504/IEP and and has had some very caring teachers, responsive administrators at LPMS, and counselors who have bent over backwards for help. The nurses and even a security guard at QO really seem to care about DC.

There are kids who fight at every school, but my dc never feared physical violence. DC was sexually harassed by a fellow student, but the administrators took it very seriously and took quick, decisive action.

[Anonymous]

My DC was attacked 3 times at LPMS. Once lured to "to talk" about a disagreement in a secluded area where they were jumped by a group. Despite the posters claims about kids bringing existing problems to the school from the neighborhood, my child doesn't live in the neighborhood and had no existing problems with any of the students. It was one student being offended over something henign said in class.
The private school is highly dependent on your budget. There are 15k not so great privates up to 60k or more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC was attacked 3 times at LPMS. Once lured to "to talk" about a disagreement in a secluded area where they were jumped by a group. Despite the posters claims about kids bringing existing problems to the school from the neighborhood, my child doesn't live in the neighborhood and had no existing problems with any of the students. It was one student being offended over something henign said in class.
The private school is highly dependent on your budget. There are 15k not so great privates up to 60k or more.

jesus - that's distrubing!

[Anonymous]

Have not heard great things about lakelands. Why do the Kentlands residents tolerate this? I feel so bad for them! People I know have been scared to send their kids. Maybe schedule a tour with the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have not heard great things about lakelands. Why do the Kentlands residents tolerate this? I feel so bad for them! People I know have been scared to send their kids. Maybe schedule a tour with the school?

By Lakelands do you mean the middle school or the neighborhood? The neighborhood is great.

The school is not.

[Anonymous]

Yes the Middle School. The neighborhood is wonderful. Fantastic neighbors, community feel, beautiful landscapes, proximity to everything. But everyone I know who lives there is worried about the school or had to scaffold their child through it and then had to do so again at QO which has admittedly improved a TON in recent years. I just wish there was a way for K/L residents to do something to help improve their schools situation yes including the unpopular notion to rezone part of it to dufief which is not as crowded. Middle school I don’t have a solution. Ridge view is not an alternative.
Our schools Frost and Wootton have been fantastic but MCPS will not update them over equity issues and wootton is falling apart and MCPS won’t do anything.
MCPS IS A HOT MESS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes the Middle School. The neighborhood is wonderful. Fantastic neighbors, community feel, beautiful landscapes, proximity to everything. But everyone I know who lives there is worried about the school or had to scaffold their child through it and then had to do so again at QO which has admittedly improved a TON in recent years. I just wish there was a way for K/L residents to do something to help improve their schools situation yes including the unpopular notion to rezone part of it to dufief which is not as crowded. Middle school I don’t have a solution. Ridge view is not an alternative.
Our schools Frost and Wootton have been fantastic but MCPS will not update them over equity issues and wootton is falling apart and MCPS won’t do anything.
MCPS IS A HOT MESS.

I live in the neighborhood and supported rezoning some kids to Dufief. I don’t know why the neighborhood was so opposed to that.

LPMS is a total mess and I have no idea why so many people put up with it.

I do know a solid 20% of us opt out of MCPS for K-8 and it goes up to 25% when high school hits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes the Middle School. The neighborhood is wonderful. Fantastic neighbors, community feel, beautiful landscapes, proximity to everything. But everyone I know who lives there is worried about the school or had to scaffold their child through it and then had to do so again at QO which has admittedly improved a TON in recent years. I just wish there was a way for K/L residents to do something to help improve their schools situation yes including the unpopular notion to rezone part of it to dufief which is not as crowded. Middle school I don’t have a solution. Ridge view is not an alternative.
Our schools Frost and Wootton have been fantastic but MCPS will not update them over equity issues and wootton is falling apart and MCPS won’t do anything.
MCPS IS A HOT MESS.

Since Wittman was recently updated, your equity thoughts are probably not accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes the Middle School. The neighborhood is wonderful. Fantastic neighbors, community feel, beautiful landscapes, proximity to everything. But everyone I know who lives there is worried about the school or had to scaffold their child through it and then had to do so again at QO which has admittedly improved a TON in recent years. I just wish there was a way for K/L residents to do something to help improve their schools situation yes including the unpopular notion to rezone part of it to dufief which is not as crowded. Middle school I don’t have a solution. Ridge view is not an alternative.
Our schools Frost and Wootton have been fantastic but MCPS will not update them over equity issues and wootton is falling apart and MCPS won’t do anything.
MCPS IS A HOT MESS.

I live in the neighborhood and supported rezoning some kids to Dufief. I don’t know why the neighborhood was so opposed to that.

LPMS is a total mess and I have no idea why so many people put up with it.

I do know a solid 20% of us opt out of MCPS for K-8 and it goes up to 25% when high school hits.

Because it’s easier to just pull your kid out and send them to private school.

And because it’s very hard to make changes in MCPS. Nobody seems to care.