HS school selection is driving me crazy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it driving your crazy? It's not for you to decide.

She needs to land the helicopter 🚁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the mouths of my PHS SMCS junior: Nothing happens in Poolesville. She has not seen a fight since middle school. Everyone is chill and collegiate and there are drugs but there are drugs everywhere. Literally. She said it is not that big of a deal. The bathrooms are not dangerous they are just old and nasty. Soon they will have a new bathroom in their new building and it will all be beautiful.

+1
WTH are you talking about Poolesville having as many "crimes" as RMIB and WTH about the bathrooms? Have you ever even been to the school?
It's like Mayberry out there and the new construction will be mostly ready by the time the new 9th graders come in in the fall. There will be a few common areas unfinished but the classrooms and new bathrooms will be ready.
SMCS already has a new building and PP is right. It's a really nice building.

[Anonymous]

Go to all the open houses and do any shadowing opps. Tell kid to ask for student contacts to ask specific questions. Consider distances and the pros/cons of the extra perios. Consider breadth and restrictions of the IB. Lots to think about. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I’ve had one kid in Global, one in SMCS, and one in RMIB. Choose RMIB, hands down, especially if theater is her thing. RM’s drama club is huge and they do three shows each year - fall musical, winter “one acts” (student written and directed show), spring play. RM overall is bigger and has a lot more active clubs of every type. There’s more to do at lunch (clubs or town center). RM doesn’t have PLTW, but they have a different series of engineering courses, from a national organization. Because the magnet cohort is larger (~120) they don’t get locked into the same set of students in all of their classes like they do at PHS.

RM overall was just a better experience.

[Anonymous]

Easy fix - just let the Dad decide - kidding of course

[Anonymous]

If she likes to do theater, RM drama club is very active. My daughter went to RMIB (homeschool is one of W schools) and safety was not my concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it driving your crazy? It's not for you to decide.

C’mon. This is DCUM. Of course it is. OP needs to ensure that her DC makes the RIGHT CHOICE (for OP, not themselves).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it driving your crazy? It's not for you to decide.

C’mon. This is DCUM. Of course it is. OP needs to ensure that her DC makes the RIGHT CHOICE (for OP, not themselves).

You guys are crazy. I sense some bitter parents. Nothing wrong with parents wanting to help the child out, depending on said child's maturity. At the end of the day, it is a student's choice but it doesn't hurt to have advice on the side. Goodness. Every kid is different and some need more support with decision making at this stage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it driving your crazy? It's not for you to decide.

C’mon. This is DCUM. Of course it is. OP needs to ensure that her DC makes the RIGHT CHOICE (for OP, not themselves).

You guys are crazy. I sense some bitter parents. Nothing wrong with parents wanting to help the child out, depending on said child's maturity. At the end of the day, it is a student's choice but it doesn't hurt to have advice on the side. Goodness. Every kid is different and some need more support with decision making at this stage.

Thank you for your supportive response. As the original poster, I genuinely sense bitterness. It's a ridiculous suggestion that my child attending XYZ school will somehow benefit me! I'm looking for advice, not JUDGEMENT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had one kid in Global, one in SMCS, and one in RMIB. Choose RMIB, hands down, especially if theater is her thing. RM’s drama club is huge and they do three shows each year - fall musical, winter “one acts” (student written and directed show), spring play. RM overall is bigger and has a lot more active clubs of every type. There’s more to do at lunch (clubs or town center). RM doesn’t have PLTW, but they have a different series of engineering courses, from a national organization. Because the magnet cohort is larger (~120) they don’t get locked into the same set of students in all of their classes like they do at PHS.

RM overall was just a better experience.

My kids had the opposite experience. RMIB was a drag. The kids made friends, activities were decent and grades were high, but the work was boring/uninspiring and the whole experience was a total grind. Not worth it and we live close to RM. Poolesville kid had fun all around.

[Anonymous]

OP, do not ask the opinion of DCUM especially if it relates to your child being accepted to MCPS Magnet program. There are lots of bitter trolls here who do not hesitate lying and giving the wrong advice.

Sit down with your DC and discuss all the pros and cons — then let DC decide for herself. We did this when DS got accepted to CES and emphasized the heavy workload and leaving his 3rd grade friends. He still chose to go to CES which prepared him well for Middle School. He is PHS SMCS bound for HS next year.

Good luck. Whatever your DC decides, the support that parents give their kids make a huge difference to their success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD got into RMIB, PHS SMCS, Ecology and Humanities. She likes both math and writing, currently does not have a clear preference at this time. I feel Ecology seems to have the best mix in terms of science and humanities, but DD does not like field trips. My son goes to SMCS and I feel 8th period is a bit too much. He is doing well but the course is rigorous to allow him to pursue other interests. MY DD likes to do theater. Do not know much about RMIB, but surely have safety concerns from what I read in this forum (gun, drugs etc). Would love to hear feedback on RMIB and Humanities programs. Does PHS Humanities allow kids to take technology/science courses?

People say RMIB is more of a grind than the other options you listed.

[Anonymous]

Can you pull up the course bulletin and look at the classes available in 11th/12th for the magnets she is considering? Sometimes that may help guide her choice. Some of these schools have classes noone else has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do not ask the opinion of DCUM especially if it relates to your child being accepted to MCPS Magnet program. There are lots of bitter trolls here who do not hesitate lying and giving the wrong advice.

Sit down with your DC and discuss all the pros and cons — then let DC decide for herself. We did this when DS got accepted to CES and emphasized the heavy workload and leaving his 3rd grade friends. He still chose to go to CES which prepared him well for Middle School. He is PHS SMCS bound for HS next year.

Good luck. Whatever your DC decides, the support that parents give their kids make a huge difference to their success.

People gave you their honest opinion that the workload is hard and leaving friends is hard. I see nothing wrong with that. Our child went to a CES and the workload was heavy and leaving friends was difficult. It was still the right choice for our child to attend. A half dozen kids left my child's year as it was not worth it for them. I appreciate the advice I got from both the pro and con sides.

OP-In having had kids at all levels of the magnets there is a grain of truth to nearly all the feedback you're going to hear.