Tell me about South Lakes

[Anonymous]

I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

Yes SLHS was definitely rougher in the 90s and early 2000s, among the rougher schools in FCPS and rougher than Herndon back then. It is less rough today proportionally because of the redrawn neighborhood boundaries. It’s one of the few such schools that reversed the trajectory of its roughness quotient and speaks to the power of redrawing boundaries.

A reporter in the 90s followed the lives of jaded SLHS teens and wrote about the dark underbelly of Reston youth. It became a very popular book. Kind of like the book version of the hit 1990s ABC show My Saw Called Life starring Claire Danes we all watched growing up. I never read the book, but the Sunday Washington Post gave it a glowing review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

Yes SLHS was definitely rougher in the 90s and early 2000s, among the rougher schools in FCPS and rougher than Herndon back then. It is less rough today proportionally because of the redrawn neighborhood boundaries. It’s one of the few such schools that reversed the trajectory of its roughness quotient and speaks to the power of redrawing boundaries.

A reporter in the 90s followed the lives of jaded SLHS teens and wrote about the dark underbelly of Reston youth. It became a very popular book. Kind of like the book version of the hit 1990s ABC show My Saw Called Life starring Claire Danes we all watched growing up. I never read the book, but the Sunday Washington Post gave it a glowing review.

THE KIDS NOBODY KNOWS by Reston mom Pat Hersch
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/06/25/the-kids-nobody-knows/0195dee4-ff61-4ba6-a3de-65dbdd59d8a7/

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:South Lakes is a solid FCPS high school, with a good reputation. The AP school is likely Herndon. The Reston area has some nice mid century modern homes and it’s nice being convenient to the Town Center. So if you like the house, go for it. Mantua and Burke also have a fair number of mid century modern homes (zoned to Woodson and Lake Braddock respectively).

It offers the same classes and curriculum as all FCPS schools. The same opportunities exist there as any FCPS HS. They even hire from the same pool of teachers. The same kid will do as well there as they would at any FCPS school.

Some of the families who were moved to SL years ago after having been falsely promised SL would add more AP courses may beg to differ with you. It definitely does not offer the same classes and curriculum as most of the top schools in the county, including Oakton and Chantilly.

That was 15 or 16 years ago. Those parents no longer have kids at SLHS. I can understand that parents back then were concerned, they knew one system and were being forced to learn another at a school that had lower test scores. Parents today seem to have a different perspective.

We live in one of those neighborhoods. Not one of my neighbors has bemoaned the lack of AP classes at SLHS. A few did mention that parents had to work to improve the math offerings once they moved to SLHS because there were more kids who had completed Algebra and Geometry in MS. It took a bit but there are now additional classes that the kids can take. I don't know every parent in my neighborhood but I have not heard anyone who is salty over being at SLHS. Walking around the neighborhood around graduation time shows a few Herndon High School signs, kids who transferred for AP, a few for TJ, and a few for private schools. The majority of the signs are SLHS.

The only people I hear bemoaning IB are people on this site.

It’s not the same classes and curriculum whether you think it’s OK or not.

No, it is different because one is IB and one is AP. The classes are going to be different.

And I don't care.

I care that DS learns about history and math and science and English. I care that he learns a foreign language. And he can do that at an AP or an IB school. He can take IB tests to earn college credits. It is different then taking AP exams and that is fine. There are a good number of kids who don't take AP or IB exams and they go to college and do just fine. AP or IB is not the end all be all. Colleges understand that there are differences in the programs.

I know kids from SLHS that are at UVA and VT and GMU and SLAC and Big ten Schools (and not just Maryland). There are a lot of great results out of SLHS. That is what I care about. And that is what my neighbors seem to care about. And our kids are at or going to SLHS. My son is in ES so we have time to move if we think that it is important to be at an AP high school. We have the money to be able to move. We love our neighborhood and the schools and are fine with DS attending SLHS. If other people move because of the high school then fine. It means that we will end up with more kids whose parents want to be there and that is better for the school.

Enjoy your AP high school, where ever that is.

You seem to care an awful lot, to the point where you write a multi-paragraph screed when a simple factual error is pointed out.

Well, some of us are sick and tired of the smear campaign that goes on against so many FCPS schools. We get it. You want to boost up appearances of your school so you don't fall behind the Joneses. Obviously not all of us live in AP pyramids, and we want to share our positive stories too. When people Google these kinds of things they should be able to read experiences of both sides.

You seem really thin-skinned. Someone point out that different schools have different academic programs and you treat it like an insult. Bizarre.

+1 hits a nerve bc they know deep down SLHS sucks.

I don't care what trolls think about my supposed thin skin. Saying SLHS sucks removes any credibility you have because you're now saying around 50% of FCPS schools suck. Objectively that is simply not true. Every time someone slanders the names of diverse schools they've never stepped foot in, I'll offer a countering perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Lakes is a solid FCPS high school, with a good reputation. The AP school is likely Herndon. The Reston area has some nice mid century modern homes and it’s nice being convenient to the Town Center. So if you like the house, go for it. Mantua and Burke also have a fair number of mid century modern homes (zoned to Woodson and Lake Braddock respectively).

It offers the same classes and curriculum as all FCPS schools. The same opportunities exist there as any FCPS HS. They even hire from the same pool of teachers. The same kid will do as well there as they would at any FCPS school.

Some of the families who were moved to SL years ago after having been falsely promised SL would add more AP courses may beg to differ with you. It definitely does not offer the same classes and curriculum as most of the top schools in the county, including Oakton and Chantilly.

That was 15 or 16 years ago. Those parents no longer have kids at SLHS. I can understand that parents back then were concerned, they knew one system and were being forced to learn another at a school that had lower test scores. Parents today seem to have a different perspective.

We live in one of those neighborhoods. Not one of my neighbors has bemoaned the lack of AP classes at SLHS. A few did mention that parents had to work to improve the math offerings once they moved to SLHS because there were more kids who had completed Algebra and Geometry in MS. It took a bit but there are now additional classes that the kids can take. I don't know every parent in my neighborhood but I have not heard anyone who is salty over being at SLHS. Walking around the neighborhood around graduation time shows a few Herndon High School signs, kids who transferred for AP, a few for TJ, and a few for private schools. The majority of the signs are SLHS.

The only people I hear bemoaning IB are people on this site.

It’s not the same classes and curriculum whether you think it’s OK or not.

No, it is different because one is IB and one is AP. The classes are going to be different.

And I don't care.

I care that DS learns about history and math and science and English. I care that he learns a foreign language. And he can do that at an AP or an IB school. He can take IB tests to earn college credits. It is different then taking AP exams and that is fine. There are a good number of kids who don't take AP or IB exams and they go to college and do just fine. AP or IB is not the end all be all. Colleges understand that there are differences in the programs.

I know kids from SLHS that are at UVA and VT and GMU and SLAC and Big ten Schools (and not just Maryland). There are a lot of great results out of SLHS. That is what I care about. And that is what my neighbors seem to care about. And our kids are at or going to SLHS. My son is in ES so we have time to move if we think that it is important to be at an AP high school. We have the money to be able to move. We love our neighborhood and the schools and are fine with DS attending SLHS. If other people move because of the high school then fine. It means that we will end up with more kids whose parents want to be there and that is better for the school.

Enjoy your AP high school, where ever that is.

You seem to care an awful lot, to the point where you write a multi-paragraph screed when a simple factual error is pointed out.

Well, some of us are sick and tired of the smear campaign that goes on against so many FCPS schools. We get it. You want to boost up appearances of your school so you don't fall behind the Joneses. Obviously not all of us live in AP pyramids, and we want to share our positive stories too. When people Google these kinds of things they should be able to read experiences of both sides.

You seem really thin-skinned. Someone point out that different schools have different academic programs and you treat it like an insult. Bizarre.

+1 hits a nerve bc they know deep down SLHS sucks.

I don't care what trolls think about my supposed thin skin. Saying SLHS sucks removes any credibility you have because you're now saying around 50% of FCPS schools suck. Objectively that is simply not true. Every time someone slanders the names of diverse schools they've never stepped foot in, I'll offer a countering perspective.

I’m a graduate of SLHS, idiot. I spent 4 miserable years there. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Lakes is a solid FCPS high school, with a good reputation. The AP school is likely Herndon. The Reston area has some nice mid century modern homes and it’s nice being convenient to the Town Center. So if you like the house, go for it. Mantua and Burke also have a fair number of mid century modern homes (zoned to Woodson and Lake Braddock respectively).

It offers the same classes and curriculum as all FCPS schools. The same opportunities exist there as any FCPS HS. They even hire from the same pool of teachers. The same kid will do as well there as they would at any FCPS school.

Some of the families who were moved to SL years ago after having been falsely promised SL would add more AP courses may beg to differ with you. It definitely does not offer the same classes and curriculum as most of the top schools in the county, including Oakton and Chantilly.

That was 15 or 16 years ago. Those parents no longer have kids at SLHS. I can understand that parents back then were concerned, they knew one system and were being forced to learn another at a school that had lower test scores. Parents today seem to have a different perspective.

We live in one of those neighborhoods. Not one of my neighbors has bemoaned the lack of AP classes at SLHS. A few did mention that parents had to work to improve the math offerings once they moved to SLHS because there were more kids who had completed Algebra and Geometry in MS. It took a bit but there are now additional classes that the kids can take. I don't know every parent in my neighborhood but I have not heard anyone who is salty over being at SLHS. Walking around the neighborhood around graduation time shows a few Herndon High School signs, kids who transferred for AP, a few for TJ, and a few for private schools. The majority of the signs are SLHS.

The only people I hear bemoaning IB are people on this site.

It’s not the same classes and curriculum whether you think it’s OK or not.

No, it is different because one is IB and one is AP. The classes are going to be different.

And I don't care.

I care that DS learns about history and math and science and English. I care that he learns a foreign language. And he can do that at an AP or an IB school. He can take IB tests to earn college credits. It is different then taking AP exams and that is fine. There are a good number of kids who don't take AP or IB exams and they go to college and do just fine. AP or IB is not the end all be all. Colleges understand that there are differences in the programs.

I know kids from SLHS that are at UVA and VT and GMU and SLAC and Big ten Schools (and not just Maryland). There are a lot of great results out of SLHS. That is what I care about. And that is what my neighbors seem to care about. And our kids are at or going to SLHS. My son is in ES so we have time to move if we think that it is important to be at an AP high school. We have the money to be able to move. We love our neighborhood and the schools and are fine with DS attending SLHS. If other people move because of the high school then fine. It means that we will end up with more kids whose parents want to be there and that is better for the school.

Enjoy your AP high school, where ever that is.

You seem to care an awful lot, to the point where you write a multi-paragraph screed when a simple factual error is pointed out.

Well, some of us are sick and tired of the smear campaign that goes on against so many FCPS schools. We get it. You want to boost up appearances of your school so you don't fall behind the Joneses. Obviously not all of us live in AP pyramids, and we want to share our positive stories too. When people Google these kinds of things they should be able to read experiences of both sides.

You seem really thin-skinned. Someone point out that different schools have different academic programs and you treat it like an insult. Bizarre.

+1 hits a nerve bc they know deep down SLHS sucks.

I don't care what trolls think about my supposed thin skin. Saying SLHS sucks removes any credibility you have because you're now saying around 50% of FCPS schools suck. Objectively that is simply not true. Every time someone slanders the names of diverse schools they've never stepped foot in, I'll offer a countering perspective.

I’m a graduate of SLHS, idiot. I spent 4 miserable years there. It sucks.

The kids in my neighborhood beg to differ. Heck, my experience in HS was totally different then my siblings experience at the same high school. We were different people, with different skills, and different interests. One of my brothers was bullied, neither of them were academically challenged, and they were both interested in choir and drama. I was academically challenged and an athlete as well as being involved in choir and band. Same school but I was far happier then they were.

Different kids can have different experiences in the same location. I am sorry that yours was bad but the teens I am talking to are happy at SLHS. Overall, it is a good school with excellent options for kids who want to take them and can lead to very good outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

Yes SLHS was definitely rougher in the 90s and early 2000s, among the rougher schools in FCPS and rougher than Herndon back then. It is less rough today proportionally because of the redrawn neighborhood boundaries. It’s one of the few such schools that reversed the trajectory of its roughness quotient and speaks to the power of redrawing boundaries.

A reporter in the 90s followed the lives of jaded SLHS teens and wrote about the dark underbelly of Reston youth. It became a very popular book. Kind of like the book version of the hit 1990s ABC show My Saw Called Life starring Claire Danes we all watched growing up. I never read the book, but the Sunday Washington Post gave it a glowing review.

Hey! We weren’t jaded! (I wasn’t one of her subjects but was friends with all of them and saw Hersh in our class and extracurriculars.

I’m too old to have first hand experience at SL today, but my kids in another FCPS high school have friends there in the IB program who like it and are doing well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

Yes SLHS was definitely rougher in the 90s and early 2000s, among the rougher schools in FCPS and rougher than Herndon back then. It is less rough today proportionally because of the redrawn neighborhood boundaries. It’s one of the few such schools that reversed the trajectory of its roughness quotient and speaks to the power of redrawing boundaries.

A reporter in the 90s followed the lives of jaded SLHS teens and wrote about the dark underbelly of Reston youth. It became a very popular book. Kind of like the book version of the hit 1990s ABC show My Saw Called Life starring Claire Danes we all watched growing up. I never read the book, but the Sunday Washington Post gave it a glowing review.

Hey! We weren’t jaded! (I wasn’t one of her subjects but was friends with all of them and saw Hersh in our class and extracurriculars.

I’m too old to have first hand experience at SL today, but my kids in another FCPS high school have friends there in the IB program who like it and are doing well.

Oh cool! I guess most people think of teens in the 90s as jaded and angst ridden in general. But then I think of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose and Beverly Hills 90210 and high school in the 90s looks like so much fun despite all the drama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Lakes is a solid FCPS high school, with a good reputation. The AP school is likely Herndon. The Reston area has some nice mid century modern homes and it’s nice being convenient to the Town Center. So if you like the house, go for it. Mantua and Burke also have a fair number of mid century modern homes (zoned to Woodson and Lake Braddock respectively).

It offers the same classes and curriculum as all FCPS schools. The same opportunities exist there as any FCPS HS. They even hire from the same pool of teachers. The same kid will do as well there as they would at any FCPS school.

Some of the families who were moved to SL years ago after having been falsely promised SL would add more AP courses may beg to differ with you. It definitely does not offer the same classes and curriculum as most of the top schools in the county, including Oakton and Chantilly.

That was 15 or 16 years ago. Those parents no longer have kids at SLHS. I can understand that parents back then were concerned, they knew one system and were being forced to learn another at a school that had lower test scores. Parents today seem to have a different perspective.

We live in one of those neighborhoods. Not one of my neighbors has bemoaned the lack of AP classes at SLHS. A few did mention that parents had to work to improve the math offerings once they moved to SLHS because there were more kids who had completed Algebra and Geometry in MS. It took a bit but there are now additional classes that the kids can take. I don't know every parent in my neighborhood but I have not heard anyone who is salty over being at SLHS. Walking around the neighborhood around graduation time shows a few Herndon High School signs, kids who transferred for AP, a few for TJ, and a few for private schools. The majority of the signs are SLHS.

The only people I hear bemoaning IB are people on this site.

It’s not the same classes and curriculum whether you think it’s OK or not.

No, it is different because one is IB and one is AP. The classes are going to be different.

And I don't care.

I care that DS learns about history and math and science and English. I care that he learns a foreign language. And he can do that at an AP or an IB school. He can take IB tests to earn college credits. It is different then taking AP exams and that is fine. There are a good number of kids who don't take AP or IB exams and they go to college and do just fine. AP or IB is not the end all be all. Colleges understand that there are differences in the programs.

I know kids from SLHS that are at UVA and VT and GMU and SLAC and Big ten Schools (and not just Maryland). There are a lot of great results out of SLHS. That is what I care about. And that is what my neighbors seem to care about. And our kids are at or going to SLHS. My son is in ES so we have time to move if we think that it is important to be at an AP high school. We have the money to be able to move. We love our neighborhood and the schools and are fine with DS attending SLHS. If other people move because of the high school then fine. It means that we will end up with more kids whose parents want to be there and that is better for the school.

Enjoy your AP high school, where ever that is.

You seem to care an awful lot, to the point where you write a multi-paragraph screed when a simple factual error is pointed out.

Well, some of us are sick and tired of the smear campaign that goes on against so many FCPS schools. We get it. You want to boost up appearances of your school so you don't fall behind the Joneses. Obviously not all of us live in AP pyramids, and we want to share our positive stories too. When people Google these kinds of things they should be able to read experiences of both sides.

You seem really thin-skinned. Someone point out that different schools have different academic programs and you treat it like an insult. Bizarre.

+1 hits a nerve bc they know deep down SLHS sucks.

I don't care what trolls think about my supposed thin skin. Saying SLHS sucks removes any credibility you have because you're now saying around 50% of FCPS schools suck. Objectively that is simply not true. Every time someone slanders the names of diverse schools they've never stepped foot in, I'll offer a countering perspective.

I’m a graduate of SLHS, idiot. I spent 4 miserable years there. It sucks.

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, so I just want to say that I'm sorry you are feeling super cranky about your high school experience. I think that anyone who is bullied or learns differently could say the same thing...about any high school in America.

My own HS DC says that school sucks in general, but that he likes South Lakes. He has two friends who have spent time living in hotels over the years. They are good kids who are trying despite their situation and it's disturbing how people on this site generalize and talk about these kids like they are less than human and should be avoided at all costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok people. Terraset/Hughes/SLHS parent here. I have a very low drama opinion here. My HS DC is doing fine. Even better than fine I'd say. Hitting a groove after exiting the pandemic and back to having a normal HS experience. Takes some Gen Ed, some Honors classes. Will do the same with the IB courses.

I think it's all gonna turn out ok. All of these statistics and rankings etc. mean nothing when it comes down to the individual level. Your kid will either make good choices, so-so choices, or bad choices. And their biggest influence is you and the parenting you've done for the past 14 years.

Some other things I like about SLHS:

-The adjoining campuses of all three schools. It gives a small town atmosphere in a high population suburban area. Also, it means that MS kids can take HS courses by walking next door.
-The diversity. It's important for me that my kids get exposed to people from all walks of life and and see the pros/cons of of different situations.
-The building itself is relatively newer and is in good condition, I didn't feel depressed after entering.

Fox Mill/Carson/Slakes parent here and I agree with your post.

When Fox Mill was redistricted from Oakton to South Lakes 20ish years ago, the outcry was loud. There was a lot of thinly veiled racism towards the brownness of SLHS.

My four kids have gone through or are currently going through South Lakes and we are really pleased. We’ve had experiences in sped, gened, honors, and IB and some have been not-so-great, but overall it’s been great. My kids have attended a big in-state public, a SLAC, and one heading to a public Ivy. It’s been what they’ve made of it. But overall, it is the racial diversity of the school as well as the wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds is what we like best about the school. That type of exposure is important and we are intentional about ensuring our kids understand the privilege they’ve grown up with.

My two major complaints— first that the Japanese Immersion students from Fox Mill become discouraged and quit in droves after experiencing the Japanese teachers at South Lakes. My second complaint is that such a tiny portion of Carson attends South Lakes (Fox Mill Estates and a little of Floris ES neighborhoods). 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Anonymous]

I notice some posters are very defensive about SLHS. Won’t accept that others don’t like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I notice some posters are very defensive about SLHS. Won’t accept that others don’t like it.

Meh I don’t have a dog on this fight bc my kids aren’t slated for it. I get the impression that they are frustrated not defensive that people keep making generalizations about it. It happens all the time. People make generalizations about different schools (including Langley!) that they actually have no first experience with at all. And let’s just cut to the chase. If it’s not majority white/Asian and AP, DCUM will criticize the school even with no first hand experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I notice some posters are very defensive about SLHS. Won’t accept that others don’t like it.

A lot of the people who don’t like it are basing their opinion on what it was like in the 1990’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok people. Terraset/Hughes/SLHS parent here. I have a very low drama opinion here. My HS DC is doing fine. Even better than fine I'd say. Hitting a groove after exiting the pandemic and back to having a normal HS experience. Takes some Gen Ed, some Honors classes. Will do the same with the IB courses.

I think it's all gonna turn out ok. All of these statistics and rankings etc. mean nothing when it comes down to the individual level. Your kid will either make good choices, so-so choices, or bad choices. And their biggest influence is you and the parenting you've done for the past 14 years.

Some other things I like about SLHS:

-The adjoining campuses of all three schools. It gives a small town atmosphere in a high population suburban area. Also, it means that MS kids can take HS courses by walking next door.
-The diversity. It's important for me that my kids get exposed to people from all walks of life and and see the pros/cons of of different situations.
-The building itself is relatively newer and is in good condition, I didn't feel depressed after entering.

Fox Mill/Carson/Slakes parent here and I agree with your post.

When Fox Mill was redistricted from Oakton to South Lakes 20ish years ago, the outcry was loud. There was a lot of thinly veiled racism towards the brownness of SLHS.

My four kids have gone through or are currently going through South Lakes and we are really pleased. We’ve had experiences in sped, gened, honors, and IB and some have been not-so-great, but overall it’s been great. My kids have attended a big in-state public, a SLAC, and one heading to a public Ivy. It’s been what they’ve made of it. But overall, it is the racial diversity of the school as well as the wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds is what we like best about the school. That type of exposure is important and we are intentional about ensuring our kids understand the privilege they’ve grown up with.

My two major complaints— first that the Japanese Immersion students from Fox Mill become discouraged and quit in droves after experiencing the Japanese teachers at South Lakes. My second complaint is that such a tiny portion of Carson attends South Lakes (Fox Mill Estates and a little of Floris ES neighborhoods). 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s easy to allege racism rather than acknowledge people didn’t want to be rezoned to an IB school against their will. The fact that FCPS made promises it didn’t keep to add AP courses didn’t help matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to SLHS in the 90s. It was rough. Langston Hughes was even rougher relatively speaking considering the age. Went to an ivy college. It can be done.

Yes SLHS was definitely rougher in the 90s and early 2000s, among the rougher schools in FCPS and rougher than Herndon back then. It is less rough today proportionally because of the redrawn neighborhood boundaries. It’s one of the few such schools that reversed the trajectory of its roughness quotient and speaks to the power of redrawing boundaries.

A reporter in the 90s followed the lives of jaded SLHS teens and wrote about the dark underbelly of Reston youth. It became a very popular book. Kind of like the book version of the hit 1990s ABC show My Saw Called Life starring Claire Danes we all watched growing up. I never read the book, but the Sunday Washington Post gave it a glowing review.

THE KIDS NOBODY KNOWS by Reston mom Pat Hersch
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/06/25/the-kids-nobody-knows/0195dee4-ff61-4ba6-a3de-65dbdd59d8a7/

The book title is A Tribe Apart and can be purchased via Penguin Random House books: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/79131/a-tribe-apart-by-patricia-hersch/