Private School vs APS freshman year

[Anonymous]

DS really wanted to go to WL this year but didn’t get into IB lottery (we are zoned for WK), so ended up at smaller private school.

They are regretting the choice because they have already had a load of homework in the first week of class, but I keep telling them that the AP and Intensified classes at WL for the IB track also are giving lots of homework in the first week.

But I really don’t know, am I falling out of my hat? WL IB is famously intense so I feel certain they hit the ground running.

[Anonymous]

As you acknowledge, W-L has a heavy workload for the classes your son is interested in.

If the private school is not a good fit for other reasons, you can always apply to W-L for next year. The IB program itself begins in 11th grade. Just make sure your son takes all the prerequisite classes

[Anonymous]

I think workload at WL IB does not get bad until upper grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As you acknowledge, W-L has a heavy workload for the classes your son is interested in.

If the private school is not a good fit for other reasons, you can always apply to W-L for next year. The IB program itself begins in 11th grade. Just make sure your son takes all the prerequisite classes

We are definitely considering it, but i want him to realize that WL IB will also be intense with homework etc.

Haven’t the AP and intensities classes in freshman year given homework? I assume definitely sophomore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think workload at WL IB does not get bad until upper grades.

At Gunston there was no homework, in that they had plenty of class time in block to finish any assigned work.

In high school we assume there is more instruction during the block and this assigned work gets taken home, starting week one?

[Anonymous]

As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think workload at WL IB does not get bad until upper grades.

At Gunston there was no homework, in that they had plenty of class time in block to finish any assigned work.

In high school we assume there is more instruction during the block and this assigned work gets taken home, starting week one?

A lot of underclassmen at W-L take AP classes, in addition to other intensified classes, and those do have plenty of assigned work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think workload at WL IB does not get bad until upper grades.

At Gunston there was no homework, in that they had plenty of class time in block to finish any assigned work.

In high school we assume there is more instruction during the block and this assigned work gets taken home, starting week one?

My kid definitely had homework at Gunston. Not unfinished classwork— work assigned at the end of class. Mainly in math & immersion classes. As for assigned homework from week 1, depends on the teacher & class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

Most of his fellow nerdy classmates went to WL; we were worried he would never get into IB and the number of AP Capstone graduates is not published, so we thought IB was a big brain drain from Wakefield. So to hedge our bets of never winning IB lottery, DS went to a private school, but he is feeling that homework the first week is just signs that it’s a grind rather than actually rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

Most of his fellow nerdy classmates went to WL; we were worried he would never get into IB and the number of AP Capstone graduates is not published, so we thought IB was a big brain drain from Wakefield. So to hedge our bets of never winning IB lottery, DS went to a private school, but he is feeling that homework the first week is just signs that it’s a grind rather than actually rigorous.

Well, AP isn’t the same as IB, but there’s definitely a cohort of nerdy kids at Wakefield as well, with many AP classes offered & plenty of kids taking them. And lots of homework, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

Most of his fellow nerdy classmates went to WL; we were worried he would never get into IB and the number of AP Capstone graduates is not published, so we thought IB was a big brain drain from Wakefield. So to hedge our bets of never winning IB lottery, DS went to a private school, but he is feeling that homework the first week is just signs that it’s a grind rather than actually rigorous.

It is the first week. And rigorous normally will seem like a grind at least initially. Most students adjust to the workload.

Separately, what would rigorous even mean without having a lot of work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

Most of his fellow nerdy classmates went to WL; we were worried he would never get into IB and the number of AP Capstone graduates is not published, so we thought IB was a big brain drain from Wakefield. So to hedge our bets of never winning IB lottery, DS went to a private school, but he is feeling that homework the first week is just signs that it’s a grind rather than actually rigorous.

I don't think you can judge anything at all by the first week. He needs to see how he feels in January after he's gotten into the substance of the classes and made some friends.

[Anonymous]

So you left public school because you wanted it to be harder but now that it’s harder you’re freaking out?

[Anonymous]

As with a lot of things, I suspect the instinct of the teachers is to scare their students into taking the new school seriously, "whip them into shape," and establish a high baseline of expectations. This is normal, especially for the people entering the school who are coming from a bunch of different places. It's easier to set a high baseline and back off later than it is to try to go easy on them and ramp up. You should tell your child that it's normal to feel overwhelmed, stick with it, and develop strategies to manage these feelings, like thinking about it in manageable blocks rather than one giant mass of stuff to do that all has to be done at once.

Children and adults are both extremely adaptable. It is our privilege as parents that children like to make sure you know they are being forced to adapt every step of the way Listen to it, but have faith that they will get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As stated above, the actual IB program doesn’t start until 11th grade. There are pre-reqs, of course. But if he didn’t get a spot at WL, what is he regretting? The intensified & AP classes at Wakefield & WL are going to be the same amount of work— freshman and sophomore year will be essentially the same at any APS school if you’re taking the same classes.

And he can apply again for IB for 10th grade.

Most of his fellow nerdy classmates went to WL; we were worried he would never get into IB and the number of AP Capstone graduates is not published, so we thought IB was a big brain drain from Wakefield. So to hedge our bets of never winning IB lottery, DS went to a private school, but he is feeling that homework the first week is just signs that it’s a grind rather than actually rigorous.

Yea, you made a mistake. Wakefield is an excellent and caring school with a plenty big cohort of smart and driven kids.