Is your middle school a mess regarding behavior post-covid?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I think it's a mess everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend who works at Rocky Run MS said the same thing. Kids who act like 5th graders in 8th grade size bodies.

They had some kind of sexual assault situation this fall which is unheard of for them.

At Rocky Run?

[Anonymous]

My son’s elementary school is having lots of behavior and mental health issues. It is truly distressing.

[Anonymous]

Its hard to say which age missed the most crucial social development, but a solid argument could be made for the kids who missed most of middle school and started 9th this year and the kids who missed part of 5th, all of 6th and then started 7th this year, and of course the kids who missed part of K, all of 1st and then showed up to second grade like giant kindergarteners....so many groups of kids missed so much important development.

[Anonymous]

My older two dc went through the same ES program as my youngest. I never heard of the craziness in 6th grade for any of their years as I have had this year. Kids cannot work out their problems with each other. Physical fights every day at recess. Physical fights at lunch. Kids hitting each other in the classroom in 6th grade! And don't even get me started on the teachers who put the kids on laptops all day long and the principals who allow it. There need to be FCPS-wide limits on the use of laptops in ES. It is out of control.

[Anonymous]

Eh, it's been like that for decades...it's just more documented, shared on 24/7 social media, and overall parents being more sensitive about their snowflakes.

Grew up in FCPS - fights in the parking lot, weed in the bathrooms, jocks and jerks making fun of the nerds, class clowns and their school pranks, writings all over the bathroom stalls, and the list goes on.

It's nothing new...just a 21st century twist.

[Anonymous]

I thought OP was talking about Thoreau. And the freshman at Madison as well. Everyone is acting like they are a few years behind socially. So much trying to act cool/obnoxious behavior around certain parts of TOV.

[Anonymous]

At least FCPS is looking to curb cell phone use. It seems like it exacerbates a lot of problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend who works at Rocky Run MS said the same thing. Kids who act like 5th graders in 8th grade size bodies.

They had some kind of sexual assault situation this fall which is unheard of for them.

At Rocky Run?

Yes, and they addressed it quickly and got the kid out of there. That’s what good administrative teams do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least FCPS is looking to curb cell phone use. It seems like it exacerbates a lot of problems.

Cooper Middle is also a mess. Before the pandemic, Cooper had a zero tolerance policy towards cell phone use in the middle of the day. Phones were taken and parents had to come to the school to collect the phones.

Now? Kids have unfettered access. It’s a huge problem. With a cell phone data plan, kids are able to watch porn and engage in online bullying. Don’t get me started on what my child has seen kids using their cell phone for on the bus. There is one TikTok account that I cannot believe is allowed to exist. The owner’s parent has denied that it’s their child and the Cooper administration is unwilling to do anything.

I don’t understand why it would take a school board vote to require action. Kids weren’t allowed cell phone during the day at Cooper before the pandemic, why are they allowed now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it's been like that for decades...it's just more documented, shared on 24/7 social media, and overall parents being more sensitive about their snowflakes.

Grew up in FCPS - fights in the parking lot, weed in the bathrooms, jocks and jerks making fun of the nerds, class clowns and their school pranks, writings all over the bathroom stalls, and the list goes on.

It's nothing new...just a 21st century twist.

I totally disagree. I’m the Cooper parent from above and had two older children attend. There was a drug incident at Cooper a few years ago, but it was handled swiftly and the children were disciplined and counseled.

It feels now like ANYTHING goes. There are no clear expectations for behavior. One example - the kids are supposed to only get out of the cars in the carpool line at the official kiss and ride drop off. This was spelled out in several emails at the beginning of the year and is in place for obvious safety reasons. However, plenty of parents now drop their kids off on Balls Hill Road instead of waiting in the carpool line. The director of student services is out directing traffic in front of the schools and sees this going on every day. What does he do? He fist-bumps the kids who is he just saw brake the rules. This in and of itself is not terrible and maybe it helps develop student-administration relationships, but I think it likely contributes to the general culture of rules going unenforced. Sometimes the SRO officer is even there in the cross walk and it makes no difference.

[Anonymous]

I think Herndon Middle has always been a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it's been like that for decades...it's just more documented, shared on 24/7 social media, and overall parents being more sensitive about their snowflakes.

Grew up in FCPS - fights in the parking lot, weed in the bathrooms, jocks and jerks making fun of the nerds, class clowns and their school pranks, writings all over the bathroom stalls, and the list goes on.

It's nothing new...just a 21st century twist.

I totally disagree. I’m the Cooper parent from above and had two older children attend. There was a drug incident at Cooper a few years ago, but it was handled swiftly and the children were disciplined and counseled.

It feels now like ANYTHING goes. There are no clear expectations for behavior. One example - the kids are supposed to only get out of the cars in the carpool line at the official kiss and ride drop off. This was spelled out in several emails at the beginning of the year and is in place for obvious safety reasons. However, plenty of parents now drop their kids off on Balls Hill Road instead of waiting in the carpool line. The director of student services is out directing traffic in front of the schools and sees this going on every day. What does he do? He fist-bumps the kids who is he just saw brake the rules. This in and of itself is not terrible and maybe it helps develop student-administration relationships, but I think it likely contributes to the general culture of rules going unenforced. Sometimes the SRO officer is even there in the cross walk and it makes no difference.

This is happening at my school too and has for years. Nothing to do with Covid and more to do with entitled parents who don't want to wait in line.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader in private is struggling with anxiety and diminished self worth. It’s as if all of the grit and perseverance has been replaced by a toddler’s meltdowns.

[Anonymous]

This is true universally. I'm a former DCPS parent- same thing there as reported by my friends.