which school is ranked higher Island CREEK or KINGS GLEN?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Never heard of Island Creek.

Have heard good things about the Kings Park/Glen schools.

Classic. Let me guess... you live in VIENNA! All discussions of acceptable schools revolve around Vienna on DCUM.

Huh? None of these schools are in Vienna.

I know... Let me break it down for you, sweetie.... The person who said "never heard of ..." Obviously isn't too well versed in schools outside of his/her area of FCPS. To reply to the OP's post with an ignorant answer (i.e. never heard...) just emphasizes how it often seems on this board that the center of the universe is Vienna, Vienna, Vienna -- with a little McLean thrown in for good measure -- and if not Vienna directly, basically the western part of the county is the only part that exists

.

I certainly am not your sweetie, nor do I need to be patronized by someone as bitter as you.
And the person who said "never heard of..." (not me) never once mentioned where they were from, so stop jumping to conclusions and assuming they are from Vienna. For all you know, they are from Fairfax, Centreville, or somewhere else in the county.

Exactly my point... the only places that apparently exist (to that PP) and to you, are areas in the western part. (My apologies to OP), but it's really annoying and somewhat condescending for someone to answer OP's post with "never heard of ...". If PP doesn't know anything about the subject at hand, then why notify everyone that you are ignorant of schools outside of your area?

Would you have preferred I made something up? I don't have kids in the Kings people but know people who do and they like their schools. Until this turead, I have never heard of the other school. I thought Kingstowne went to Hayfield Elementary. For all I knew, the Island Creek school was an Arlington school.

I think you have strange rage issues about something that is completely a non emotional answer to an open ended question. And wtf does Vienna or McLean have to do with any of this?

[Anonymous]

DP here. I'd suggest that, purely as a matter of semantics, the phrase "never heard of" can come across as in-your-face. If you say "I'm not familiar with...X," it registers as just that. But when someone says "Never heard of...X," particularly on a forum like DCUM, it can come across as if the poster is suggesting that X is not worthy of his or her attention.

So maybe that's what prompting some of the reaction to the PP. I hadn't realized that anyone felt that posts about Vienna schools received too much attention on this forum. Posts reflect the posters on DCUM. When dozens of Kingstowne residents start reading and posting on DCUM, they'll be more posts about Island Creek and Lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP here. I'd suggest that, purely as a matter of semantics, the phrase "never heard of" can come across as in-your-face. If you say "I'm not familiar with...X," it registers as just that. But when someone says "Never heard of...X," particularly on a forum like DCUM, it can come across as if the poster is suggesting that X is not worthy of his or her attention.

So maybe that's what prompting some of the reaction to the PP. I hadn't realized that anyone felt that posts about Vienna schools received too much attention on this forum. Posts reflect the posters on DCUM. When dozens of Kingstowne residents start reading and posting on DCUM, they'll be more posts about Island Creek and Lane.

Both statements were phrases: "Never heard" and "Have heard". Typing quickly. No offense intended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
DP here. I'd suggest that, purely as a matter of semantics, the phrase "never heard of" can come across as in-your-face. If you say "I'm not familiar with...X," it registers as just that. But when someone says "Never heard of...X," particularly on a forum like DCUM, it can come across as if the poster is suggesting that X is not worthy of his or her attention.

So maybe that's what prompting some of the reaction to the PP. I hadn't realized that anyone felt that posts about Vienna schools received too much attention on this forum. Posts reflect the posters on DCUM. When dozens of Kingstowne residents start reading and posting on DCUM, they'll be more posts about Island Creek and Lane.

Both statements were phrases: "Never heard" and "Have heard". Typing quickly. No offense intended.

None taken, PP. Please ignore the PP who has rage issues...maybe she got outbid for homes in McLean and Vienna or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- not sure what your priorities are. I know ICES very well. Don't know Kings Park other than what is on its profile page. There is a notable difference in that Kings Park is K-3rd. ICES is K-6th (actually, they have pre-school, but that is for kids with special needs). Size wise, KP is a little smaller, but given that they only go to 3rd grade, they must have twice as many kids in each grade level (i.e. ICES has roughly 100 kids per grade level. KP has almost 200 in each grade).

KP has a larger Latino population and with that is a larger ESOL population. Given those challenges, I would say that it's doing pretty well with its test scores. Note that the Great School rating (based on composite test scores) will only have the 3rd graders contributing to that score for KP. For Island Creek, the 3rd-6th graders are contributing to the Great Schools overall rating.

KP also has a larger Free/Reduced Meals population. Doesn't mean that the school is bad. Just making that notation.

I can speak in more detail about ICES. The school is very diverse (racially), but economically pretty homogenous. You don't have a sense that there are rich kids and poor kids. (The housing in the area is the main reason for that.) The PTA at ICES has gotten better in the last year. Looks like KP/Kings Glen PTA is also offering a lot of after school classes.

There isn't a lot of drama at ICES.... people are not especially competitive or driven to chase AAP. People are generally happy with the school and admin. ... Although I believe they could step it up a notch. They do have adv. math for 3-6th. There has been a full time AART. They do not separate kids for subjects. The principal is insistent on one-teacher-one-kid. I'm not a fan of that model, but they seem to think it is important for the kid/teacher relationship. I'd prefer that they divide kids out and have the teacher teach a whole class of similar-ability kids. I think the teachers are generally happy with the admin.

While I'm not familiar with KP directly, I think the biggest difference for families may be the area -- the age of the housing, the access to metro/trails/retail. The Kingstowne area has been a plus for us -- not so densely populated as some areas of the county, not so cut-throat/competitive, easy to get around to the things you need.

I love the entitlement to weigh in on instructional models about which you know very little and about which there is no research to support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP -- not sure what your priorities are. I know ICES very well. Don't know Kings Park other than what is on its profile page. There is a notable difference in that Kings Park is K-3rd. ICES is K-6th (actually, they have pre-school, but that is for kids with special needs). Size wise, KP is a little smaller, but given that they only go to 3rd grade, they must have twice as many kids in each grade level (i.e. ICES has roughly 100 kids per grade level. KP has almost 200 in each grade).

KP has a larger Latino population and with that is a larger ESOL population. Given those challenges, I would say that it's doing pretty well with its test scores. Note that the Great School rating (based on composite test scores) will only have the 3rd graders contributing to that score for KP. For Island Creek, the 3rd-6th graders are contributing to the Great Schools overall rating.

KP also has a larger Free/Reduced Meals population. Doesn't mean that the school is bad. Just making that notation.

I can speak in more detail about ICES. The school is very diverse (racially), but economically pretty homogenous. You don't have a sense that there are rich kids and poor kids. (The housing in the area is the main reason for that.) The PTA at ICES has gotten better in the last year. Looks like KP/Kings Glen PTA is also offering a lot of after school classes.

There isn't a lot of drama at ICES.... people are not especially competitive or driven to chase AAP. People are generally happy with the school and admin. ... Although I believe they could step it up a notch. They do have adv. math for 3-6th. There has been a full time AART. They do not separate kids for subjects. The principal is insistent on one-teacher-one-kid. I'm not a fan of that model, but they seem to think it is important for the kid/teacher relationship. I'd prefer that they divide kids out and have the teacher teach a whole class of similar-ability kids. I think the teachers are generally happy with the admin.

While I'm not familiar with KP directly, I think the biggest difference for families may be the area -- the age of the housing, the access to metro/trails/retail. The Kingstowne area has been a plus for us -- not so densely populated as some areas of the county, not so cut-throat/competitive, easy to get around to the things you need.

I love the entitlement to weigh in on instructional models about which you know very little and about which there is no research to support.

???

I believe I am entitled to my opinion. I said, "I'm not a fan" of that philosophy. I know that other ES in FCPS do it differently starting in 1st grade. I much prefer a system where kids are grouped together by where they are and then assigned to a teacher who is able to teach to their level for the entire class period. As it is, a teacher may have to teach 3-5 different lessons for each subject -- that means each child is only getting 1/3 to 1/5th of the teacher's time b/c she has to divide it to make sure she is teaching to each group. In lower grades, that meant my kid got a small group time with the teacher for 15 min. PER WEEK. If kids were separated into larger ability groups (across the grade level) and then went to Ms. X for their language arts class, Ms. X could spend the entire 75 min. working with the group that is roughly on the same level.

As an aside -- Isn't this entire forum (and the AAP forum) based on parents weighing in on instructional models that they observe being used on their children?

[Anonymous]

Speaking of the AAP forum, I think things must be slow over there with the start of the summer, so some of their mean spirited trolls are wandering over here looking for action.

The mean poster and the one that you just responded to have the same kind of manmer and tone as the trolls who are always upending discussions in that forum.

Maybe the weather is making them crabby.

[Anonymous]

OP, why did you ask your question?

[Anonymous]

op here trying to make a decision on a home one leading to kings park the other island creek

[Anonymous]

This cracks me up because it's now your typical thread that goes like this: page 1 is answers to the question Page 2 is someone being critical of one of the responses Page 3 and beyond, a bunch of negative nellies one-upping each other and derailing the thread. Just had to throw that out there. Sorry OP. I know a lot of people who go to Island Creek and love it! Don't know the other school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op here trying to make a decision on a home one leading to kings park the other island creek

Oh okay. I looked at houses leading to both I originally really liked Island Creek because it is newer but ultimately chose a house leading to KP in part because I liked the K-3 and the 3-6. Also, Island Creek leads to Hayfield and KP/KG is in the Lake Braddock pyramid. For HS, I preferred Lake Braddock. The high school mattered more to me than the elementary (but I did love KP when I visited).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Never heard of Island Creek.

Have heard good things about the Kings Park/Glen schools.

Classic. Let me guess... you live in VIENNA! All discussions of acceptable schools revolve around Vienna on DCUM.

Huh? None of these schools are in Vienna.

I know... Let me break it down for you, sweetie.... The person who said "never heard of ..." Obviously isn't too well versed in schools outside of his/her area of FCPS. To reply to the OP's post with an ignorant answer (i.e. never heard...) just emphasizes how it often seems on this board that the center of the universe is Vienna, Vienna, Vienna -- with a little McLean thrown in for good measure -- and if not Vienna directly, basically the western part of the county is the only part that exists

.

I certainly am not your sweetie, nor do I need to be patronized by someone as bitter as you.
And the person who said "never heard of..." (not me) never once mentioned where they were from, so stop jumping to conclusions and assuming they are from Vienna. For all you know, they are from Fairfax, Centreville, or somewhere else in the county.

Exactly my point... the only places that apparently exist (to that PP) and to you, are areas in the western part. (My apologies to OP), but it's really annoying and somewhat condescending for someone to answer OP's post with "never heard of ...". If PP doesn't know anything about the subject at hand, then why notify everyone that you are ignorant of schools outside of your area?

Would you have preferred I made something up? I don't have kids in the Kings people but know people who do and they like their schools. Until this turead, I have never heard of the other school. I thought Kingstowne went to Hayfield Elementary. For all I knew, the Island Creek school was an Arlington school.

I think you have strange rage issues about something that is completely a non emotional answer to an open ended question. And wtf does Vienna or McLean have to do with any of this?

I grew up in the area and I had never heard of Island Creek, probably because Kingstown is a relatively new development compared to the rest of the Springfield/Alexandria area. I've been shopping in Kingstown for a while now but I honestly am not familiar with the schools there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Never heard of Island Creek.

Have heard good things about the Kings Park/Glen schools.

Classic. Let me guess... you live in VIENNA! All discussions of acceptable schools revolve around Vienna on DCUM.

Huh? None of these schools are in Vienna.

I know... Let me break it down for you, sweetie.... The person who said "never heard of ..." Obviously isn't too well versed in schools outside of his/her area of FCPS. To reply to the OP's post with an ignorant answer (i.e. never heard...) just emphasizes how it often seems on this board that the center of the universe is Vienna, Vienna, Vienna -- with a little McLean thrown in for good measure -- and if not Vienna directly, basically the western part of the county is the only part that exists

.

I certainly am not your sweetie, nor do I need to be patronized by someone as bitter as you.
And the person who said "never heard of..." (not me) never once mentioned where they were from, so stop jumping to conclusions and assuming they are from Vienna. For all you know, they are from Fairfax, Centreville, or somewhere else in the county.

Exactly my point... the only places that apparently exist (to that PP) and to you, are areas in the western part. (My apologies to OP), but it's really annoying and somewhat condescending for someone to answer OP's post with "never heard of ...". If PP doesn't know anything about the subject at hand, then why notify everyone that you are ignorant of schools outside of your area?

Would you have preferred I made something up? I don't have kids in the Kings people but know people who do and they like their schools. Until this turead, I have never heard of the other school. I thought Kingstowne went to Hayfield Elementary. For all I knew, the Island Creek school was an Arlington school.

I think you have strange rage issues about something that is completely a non emotional answer to an open ended question. And wtf does Vienna or McLean have to do with any of this?

I grew up in the area and I had never heard of Island Creek, probably because Kingstown is a relatively new development compared to the rest of the Springfield/Alexandria area. I've been shopping in Kingstown for a while now but I honestly am not familiar with the schools there.

ISLAND CREEK is a newer school (sorry don't know why that went into all caps)

[Anonymous]

You aren't yelling at us, lol.

Really, if you are just concerned about elementwru schools the Kingstowne area is great. It is really developing nicely.

But I am with the other poster who mentioned LB. Excellent high school.

We have youngish kids and we bought our house based of the high school mostly due to resale value.