Eastern MS Magnet Program: Need Info

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Child was placed into the Eastern MS Magnet program. Home MS is North Bethesda.
Appreciate the humanities focus and reading/writing strengths, which are lacking at most MCPS MS, including NB, due to the lack of rigor in the MCPS English curriculum.
What is the advantage, if any, of attending Eastern? Long bus ride, 1 elective only, arts are not strong (music, etc) and have heard there is 90min/day of homework? Thanks in advance.

The advantage of Eastern is the extremely high expectations in terms of writing, the history/social studies instruction, and documentary film-making support. Kids who do the Eastern program are more than prepared for high school, not just for the Humanities, but also in terms of time management that carries over to any of the criteria-based high school programs.

The down side is how specialized the program is. If your kid really loves writing, and reading, and talking about what they read, then it's an amazing way to spend middle school. But if their interests lie elsewhere, I think it can be kind of a grind.

Thanks - this is very helpful. Kid is an all-rounder, and the downside that you wrote about is probably a deal-breaker.

Eh, maybe. 8th grade parent here. I have to say my kid is a STEM interested kid and got in to Eastern. We debated sending him because it felt like a bad fit. He said he wanted to try it. He has loved it, and his writing has gotten SO much better. And critical thinking. I have to say I'm so glad we sent him. At no other time in his school training would he likely get such a good education in writing. I thought he'd think it's a grind, but he doesn't at all. The homework isn't bad. Highly recommend the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

The lack of English differentiation and in-depth instruction in non-magnet MS pushes kids to Eastern as the only option for kids who want to read more than graphic novels in school. It's such a shame - and so easy to fix. Dr. Taylor could instruct schools to start differentiating English instruction and to cohort HIGH again tomorrow, and it would be a game changer across the district. Kids who choose Eastern as the only option would stay at their home schools, kids who really want to dig into media would choose Eastern, and teachers would be able to meet the kids at their level again. Win-win-win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

The lack of English differentiation and in-depth instruction in non-magnet MS pushes kids to Eastern as the only option for kids who want to read more than graphic novels in school. It's such a shame - and so easy to fix. Dr. Taylor could instruct schools to start differentiating English instruction and to cohort HIGH again tomorrow, and it would be a game changer across the district. Kids who choose Eastern as the only option would stay at their home schools, kids who really want to dig into media would choose Eastern, and teachers would be able to meet the kids at their level again. Win-win-win-win.

jj


[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

The lack of English differentiation and in-depth instruction in non-magnet MS pushes kids to Eastern as the only option for kids who want to read more than graphic novels in school. It's such a shame - and so easy to fix. Dr. Taylor could instruct schools to start differentiating English instruction and to cohort HIGH again tomorrow, and it would be a game changer across the district. Kids who choose Eastern as the only option would stay at their home schools, kids who really want to dig into media would choose Eastern, and teachers would be able to meet the kids at their level again. Win-win-win-win.

Most non-magnet MS students in MCPS are not just reading graphic novels. In fact, even at Eastern, the non-magnet students (2/3 of the school) are not restricted to graphic novels. This misinformation is why unsuspecting people push their children into a program that will make them unhappy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

The lack of English differentiation and in-depth instruction in non-magnet MS pushes kids to Eastern as the only option for kids who want to read more than graphic novels in school. It's such a shame - and so easy to fix. Dr. Taylor could instruct schools to start differentiating English instruction and to cohort HIGH again tomorrow, and it would be a game changer across the district. Kids who choose Eastern as the only option would stay at their home schools, kids who really want to dig into media would choose Eastern, and teachers would be able to meet the kids at their level again. Win-win-win-win.

They need more than enrichment in English. They need two levels - an on-level one and one that is truly advanced in middle school (and a regular and honors level in high school).

Our MS cohorts HIGH, but it's just not enough for the kids who need to do more in depth reading and writing.

[Anonymous]

We were pretty impressed with the open house last night and my kid is very excited.

One of the take aways was that there is much less busy work and the homework is mostly focussed working on the large projects over time.

Our kid was very excited about the opportunities to create and engage in national competitions and major field trips.

They are planning a second open house for after the second round of offers. First round offers close this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Child was placed into the Eastern MS Magnet program. Home MS is North Bethesda.
Appreciate the humanities focus and reading/writing strengths, which are lacking at most MCPS MS, including NB, due to the lack of rigor in the MCPS English curriculum.
What is the advantage, if any, of attending Eastern? Long bus ride, 1 elective only, arts are not strong (music, etc) and have heard there is 90min/day of homework? Thanks in advance.

The advantage of Eastern is the extremely high expectations in terms of writing, the history/social studies instruction, and documentary film-making support. Kids who do the Eastern program are more than prepared for high school, not just for the Humanities, but also in terms of time management that carries over to any of the criteria-based high school programs.

The down side is how specialized the program is. If your kid really loves writing, and reading, and talking about what they read, then it's an amazing way to spend middle school. But if their interests lie elsewhere, I think it can be kind of a grind.

Thanks - this is very helpful. Kid is an all-rounder, and the downside that you wrote about is probably a deal-breaker.

Eh, maybe. 8th grade parent here. I have to say my kid is a STEM interested kid and got in to Eastern. We debated sending him because it felt like a bad fit. He said he wanted to try it. He has loved it, and his writing has gotten SO much better. And critical thinking. I have to say I'm so glad we sent him. At no other time in his school training would he likely get such a good education in writing. I thought he'd think it's a grind, but he doesn't at all. The homework isn't bad. Highly recommend the program.

Same - parent of STEM-focused 7th grader at Eastern here. Kid made pool for TPMS but did not get a spot. Our logic was that they would at least get accelerated math at Eastern plus a humanities curriculum that they would not get anywhere else. Kid is extremely happy at EMS. The magnet faculty are exceptional and the general school administration IMHO is very strong.

I will say that we live in the DCCC/nearish to the school, so did not have to think about 30 min-plus bus rides, which might have been a negative factor. And if you don't have the flexibility to provide rides home following afterschool clubs or sports, the activity buses take a long time and would cut into homework time or time for out-of-school activities like sports or music lessons.

[Anonymous]

Enriched math instruction at Eastern is terrible. AIM/AMP7+ kids are basically teaching themselves. My previously strong math kid who was also in the pool for TPMS is excelling in the Humanities program but having issues with math. Very little foundational concept building for future years of math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Enriched math instruction at Eastern is terrible. AIM/AMP7+ kids are basically teaching themselves. My previously strong math kid who was also in the pool for TPMS is excelling in the Humanities program but having issues with math. Very little foundational concept building for future years of math.

This is true. There's at least one really bad math teacher but teaches two levels so some kids get that teacher twice. This teacher gets assigned to periods where it would be mostly program kids. Male, terrible teacher and not a nice person either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Enriched math instruction at Eastern is terrible. AIM/AMP7+ kids are basically teaching themselves. My previously strong math kid who was also in the pool for TPMS is excelling in the Humanities program but having issues with math. Very little foundational concept building for future years of math.

This is a characteristic of the current math curriculum that MCPS requires. I hear from friends who are math teachers that there are serious limitations across the board.

[Anonymous]

Quick question, my kid also made it to the pool. She is a strong reader but has ADHD and has trouble focus and write at school. She writes beautifully at home if someone explains to her what is the topic and expectations, and gives her a quiet environment. Will she survive in Eastern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry that some of the warnings on this thread (including mine!) downplay the incredible elements of the Eastern magnet.

For a kid whose passions really lie in reading, analyzing literature, deep history dives, and learning how to communicate through writing and video production, it's an incredible life-changing middle school experience.

The teachers work together very closely to align the curriculum, which makes it much more of a wrap-around experience than a regular MS or even TPMS where kids might be spread across three levels of math.

My child is a HS senior now, and their closest friends are still the ones they made at Eastern.

Great program, but won’t benefit the kid who isn’t interested in the experience and only goes so their parents can brag about how smart they are. In fact, it can cause anxiety and depression resulting in academic burnout before high school starts.

The lack of English differentiation and in-depth instruction in non-magnet MS pushes kids to Eastern as the only option for kids who want to read more than graphic novels in school. It's such a shame - and so easy to fix. Dr. Taylor could instruct schools to start differentiating English instruction and to cohort HIGH again tomorrow, and it would be a game changer across the district. Kids who choose Eastern as the only option would stay at their home schools, kids who really want to dig into media would choose Eastern, and teachers would be able to meet the kids at their level again. Win-win-win-win.

Most non-magnet MS students in MCPS are not just reading graphic novels. In fact, even at Eastern, the non-magnet students (2/3 of the school) are not restricted to graphic novels. This misinformation is why unsuspecting people push their children into a program that will make them unhappy.

I have a DC who turned down a seat at Eastern. Their MS has been great in lots of _other_ ways, but I have to say that neither HIGH nor English has been even on grade level, let alone enriched. They did more work in 4th grade ELC. English in particular is really useless. Teacher is kind and knows their stuff, but I haven't seen my kid read or write anything all year. And even if they did it all at school, there wasn't enough assigned in the first place. No wonder college students can't read or write.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quick question, my kid also made it to the pool. She is a strong reader but has ADHD and has trouble focus and write at school. She writes beautifully at home if someone explains to her what is the topic and expectations, and gives her a quiet environment. Will she survive in Eastern?

The Eastern projects tend to be group-oriented, long-term, and time-consuming, and the only thing that makes them manageable is the in-class time to edit or write, and the ability to break up work between team members.

So, I think you need to weigh whether your child would enjoy the program, given those constraints. It could work if she is exceptionally diligent about completing her sections at home, and communicating with her group mates about when she expects to have items uploaded/shared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enriched math instruction at Eastern is terrible. AIM/AMP7+ kids are basically teaching themselves. My previously strong math kid who was also in the pool for TPMS is excelling in the Humanities program but having issues with math. Very little foundational concept building for future years of math.

This is true. There's at least one really bad math teacher but teaches two levels so some kids get that teacher twice. This teacher gets assigned to periods where it would be mostly program kids. Male, terrible teacher and not a nice person either.

if this is the same male teacher my kid has, I think opinions vary. I wouldn't say he's terrible but YMMV.

In general I'll say that my kid has had good teachers at EMS even outside of the magnet program (like science, and the AIM teacher - female - was great). The exception has been a couple long-term subs who were awful. But I think that's an MCPS problem.