FCPS- middle school Strategies for success
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Anonymous
| I have been told, by students, that it's a glorified study hall at Kilmer. |
Anonymous
Why is it allowed to be great at some schools and nothing at others? Why does everything have to be school and teacher specific? |
Anonymous
Is a workbook used? |
Anonymous
PP here. I do not believe you have to have an IEP/504, you just need to indicate it on the elective sheet that will come home in, I think, February/March. You might also send an email to Lisa Milman (Asst Principal) and/or Elaine Woo (special ed chair) to better ensure your DS gets it. FWIW, we were really happy with Twain. I had some concerns about the transition to MS but, despite what we were told at the info night at ES, the teachers were very supportive, caring and helpful when I had to reach out to them. I was, initially, reluctant to contact them (based on what the ES staff communicated about how the expectation is the students will be more independent, more responsible, etc.). But, they recognize that not all students are in the same place. All teachers also have after school hours the same day a late bus runs. They are also often willing to stay after on days there is no late bus but you'll need to pick up your kid. Have you worked with an advocate to get an IEP/504? I can tell you that the transition to HS from MS was not easy. My kid has an IEP with specific organizational goals (including goals related to turning in complete homework assignments). Getting organized and staying on top of stuff in HS has been significantly more difficult than in MS. It's been very difficult to partner with the HS staff and I probably average 8 meetings a year related to this (you'd think they'd know by now that I'm going to hold them accountable and be a PIA). My advice is to invest in an advocate (if you haven't already) in MS so you're better set up in HS. I shudder to think of having to wait until HS to get something. |
Anonymous
| Has anyone's kid taken this at Frost? Wondering whether to force my child with mild ADHD-combined to do this. |
Anonymous
Because that's the FCPS way. It's particularly troubling at Kilmer because they used to have the AVID program, so it's not like they don't know how to run it well. So annoying. |
Anonymous
| My is taking this class at RRMS and it has been very helpful. So far, it seems like he has very good teachers, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. It does sound like it is a type of study hall though, because he does get a lot of homework, studying and makeup work done during this class. |
Anonymous
| My child is at another FCPS middle school in all AAP classes and has virtually no homework. They could use organizational skills, but I'm not sure what they'd even work on. Homework is another thing that seems to be given at some schools and not others. Probably the schools with homework have better strategies for success classes. |
Anonymous
| Also adore it at Lake Braddock! MS and HS |
Anonymous
Yes, let's blame the teachers because we all know that they are in complete control of everything. 
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Anonymous
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Is anybody else agonizing about whether to sign their kid up for this class next year? We received a teacher recommendation to sign out AAP level child up for this in 7th grade, but she's kicking and screaming to not take it an instead take something more fun.
Anybody know what the workbook they use is and if it's available commercially? Wondering if we should just homeschool her on these skills over the summer (I'm a former teacher with a Masters in Ed.) Anybody else have any feedback on the class? |
Anonymous
How’s the special ed. support for kids with ADHD at LBSS? I’m looking at area high schools and looking for a good fit. |
Anonymous
If the teacher recommends it, ask them why. If the response sounds reasonable, sign your kid up, unless you have a real reason to think she’s wrong. The slope from ES to MS can be steep. As is the MS to HS slope. 7th and 9th (and 11th if your kid takes mostly APs) are often the grades when kids who were compensating with ADHD or weak EF hit a wall. Small problems in ES can become MS disasters. You do not want to be looking at ds at the end of first quarter in MS because half the assignments are missing. BTDT. I may be the mean parent, but we signed our DD up in 7th, kicking and screaming. As of the first day of school, she was still saying she would just not attend the class, and we couldn’t make her. (Calm response: That’s your choice. But if you don’t go to class, you are going to end up in the principals office, which is a bad way to start middle school. Now, have a great day). She obviously went. And ended up get a lot out of it, and — wait for it— asked if she could change electives so she could stay in the class second semester. Ended with a 4.0 in AAP at Carson. Given how competitive HS is and how heavy the workload is, plus ECs, I think it should be a required class. We expect our kids to stay organized and on top of assignments, and study for tests, and chunk large assignments. But we don’t teach them how. If your kid is weak in this area, they can be otherwise brilliant and get crappy grades. (my Ds first semester kid went on to TJ) |
Anonymous
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^^ would add— it is easier to teach these skills at school, over the school year. The class should be real time and hands on. In a well run class, Strategies, should be doing a daily planner check, helping kids chunk large assignments, looking at blackboard and SIS with kids, etc. you can do these things if the kid has no assignments. And it’s the 7 classes, 7 teachers, 7 sets of homework, teachers not coordinating, responsibility to check blackboard, working within block schedules, etc., that kill ADHD kids.
Also, clearly request first semester on the registration sheet. I have know kids assigned to second semester. At which point, they were already in trouble. |
Anonymous
| still worth doing? |