TJ Graduation Requirements - READ if your student doesn’t like Science or Math
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Anonymous
There's a big difference between the following kids going to TJ: Kid 1: doesn't like math and struggles with it, but really bright in another area (should not go) Kid 2: math is not their priority, but they will handle the courseload through AP Calc AB just fine and will also find options in the course catalogue to challenge them and enjoy the rigorous peer group and academic culture (should go) |
Anonymous
Most are not stopping at 3 years of a foreign language. 3 consecutive years of a foreign language is only the minimum requirement to graduate. |
Anonymous
Yes, it was the natural progression in MS and they like having a class with all their ES friends. It is a bummer that TJ dropped the class because I know they used to offer it. |
Anonymous
Did your child go to GFES? |
Anonymous
FCPS should have a liberal arts magnet high school to serve the students with advanced liberal arts needs. TJ should served the students with interests and advanced capability in STEM. |
Anonymous
For. The. Last. Time. TJ in it's current form is not an FCPS school. It's a Virginia academic year Governor's School that the state has FCPS run. The humanities version is in Richmond. It exists. |
Anonymous
There are two JIP programs, I prefer to limit the information I share. |
Anonymous
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OP. Thanks for posting this great advice for new families. This board was invaluable to us when DD was considering TJ as a freshman since we are from an area sending few kids to TJ and knew no one with prior experience.
Not knowing to start summer classes before 9th is what would have made the biggest impact. Oh - and not knowing to avoid Spanish at all costs. Plus it probably would not have occurred to start with the CS elective freshman year - but DD did since I saw here it was most common and ended up loving CS. The school has usually done a bad job of sharing the “here is what a lot of kids do to make things work” info. Even tho it is clear there are very common patterns for that that help a lot. While some advice the school can’t give the PTA could do a better job of this. |
Anonymous
I noticed that they appear to assign actual texts, unlike base schools. I was impressed by this. I'm curious about speakers that have speech articulation problems and world language. Mine is doing one of the other languages but I'm considering encouraging Latin instead. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
The TJ math track includes three levels beyond basic Calculus AB. If a student is hesitant from the start to go beyond minimum required Calc AB, it’s worth asking whether TJ is the right fit — especially when most peers at TJ advance further. Even at base schools, many students go beyond Calc AB, with some even skipping it entirely to take Calc BC and follow it up with Multivariable. |
Anonymous
Yes, agree. And the corroborating evidence comes in the form of the students’ performance on the SAT verbal as well as the number of 5 s on AP exams involving humanities. |
Anonymous
Not to detail so just quick comment on your pointing out actual text books- Have always thought top school in nation is AP school and uses text books… yet FCPS over and over pushes that the best education is online and needing to keep IB. With AP now having AP seminar, research and capstone- no reason to keep IB but yet they do and no textbooks. |
Anonymous
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Hi
Does taking ancient civ count towards the history requirement? |
Anonymous
Of course, it's fine to ask. But that doesn't mean a kid should feel like they don't belong if they aren't on the Multivar (or DE) track. |
Anonymous
I’m wondering this too - it seems what makes Spanish difficult at TJ is the heavy emphasis on speaking. My DC is much better at the grammar, reading writing as well. Latin seems a better fit! Not sure how studying a non spoken language is for college admissions and language requirements for college graduation though. |