How is Westland these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a BCC elementary and then Eastern in the early 90s. My one good friend who went to Westland was always telling me about boys grabbing girls' butts and having to have male friends walk you from class to class to "protect" you from the butt grabbers.

I don't know if she was bs-ing us or if it was true. And certainly it says nothing about the school now. But I wonder if other DCUM readers went to Westland and can confirm or refute this decades-old rumor. I continue to be curious about it 25 years later.

Interesting post. I am also parent who went to a BCC elementary, and so was my DC, who went to Eastern MS only 5-7 years ago, during which time, there was a “Slap-Ass Week,” which was dealt with poorly by the school principal and MCPS leadership - official response ranged from “boys will be boys” to “not everyone thinks it’s funny.”

Sadly, our experiences over the last 10 years show that sexism and sexual harrassment are alive and well in MCPS at all levels from student, teacher, management to BOE. As a feminist, I am shocked at the degree to which this still exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In terms of incidents in the 90's, I would say that that was culturally normal in that time period. Certainly happened at my high school, which makes the whole Kavanaugh uproar absurd to me.

My child is at Westland now and from the way its described it sounds like Disneyland. No fighting, no grabbing, everyone being friendly and kind. Minimal bullying though I have heard of some minor incidents. I have been extremely please about the school environment this year.

Your bar for “minor” seems pretty high to me .... it was only a few years ago I was at a vigil outside of Westland, held because of a swastika had been graffitied in the boys bathroom. At the time I remembered being disappointed at what seemed to me to be the low turnout and lack of concern among my parent peers about rising anti-semitism, although the administration and parents who were there were taking it seriously. Not a minor incident to me.

[Anonymous]

I have kids at Westland now, and want to point out that in some ways it was better when it was over crowded. We lost some of the best teachers (because people were allowed to stay based on seniority) and after all those students left for Silver Creek they cut some language and arts options due to low enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In terms of incidents in the 90's, I would say that that was culturally normal in that time period. Certainly happened at my high school, which makes the whole Kavanaugh uproar absurd to me.

My child is at Westland now and from the way its described it sounds like Disneyland. No fighting, no grabbing, everyone being friendly and kind. Minimal bullying though I have heard of some minor incidents. I have been extremely please about the school environment this year.

DC is at Cabin John and though she never says anything about fights, weed and vaping is way too popular. Keep in mind she is only in 7th grade. Is this a huge issue at Westland too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a BCC elementary and then Eastern in the early 90s. My one good friend who went to Westland was always telling me about boys grabbing girls' butts and having to have male friends walk you from class to class to "protect" you from the butt grabbers.

I don't know if she was bs-ing us or if it was true. And certainly it says nothing about the school now. But I wonder if other DCUM readers went to Westland and can confirm or refute this decades-old rumor. I continue to be curious about it 25 years later.

Interesting post. I am also parent who went to a BCC elementary, and so was my DC, who went to Eastern MS only 5-7 years ago, during which time, there was a “Slap-Ass Week,” which was dealt with poorly by the school principal and MCPS leadership - official response ranged from “boys will be boys” to “not everyone thinks it’s funny.”

Sadly, our experiences over the last 10 years show that sexism and sexual harrassment are alive and well in MCPS at all levels from student, teacher, management to BOE. As a feminist, I am shocked at the degree to which this still exists.

My daughter is in sixth grade at Westland, and woe betide any boy who starts that crap with her or her friends. They (the girls) will come down on them like a ton of bricks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a BCC elementary and then Eastern in the early 90s. My one good friend who went to Westland was always telling me about boys grabbing girls' butts and having to have male friends walk you from class to class to "protect" you from the butt grabbers.

I don't know if she was bs-ing us or if it was true. And certainly it says nothing about the school now. But I wonder if other DCUM readers went to Westland and can confirm or refute this decades-old rumor. I continue to be curious about it 25 years later.

Wait, you continue to be tantalizingly intrigued by a 25 year old butt rumor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of incidents in the 90's, I would say that that was culturally normal in that time period. Certainly happened at my high school, which makes the whole Kavanaugh uproar absurd to me.

My child is at Westland now and from the way its described it sounds like Disneyland. No fighting, no grabbing, everyone being friendly and kind. Minimal bullying though I have heard of some minor incidents. I have been extremely please about the school environment this year.

DC is at Cabin John and though she never says anything about fights, weed and vaping is way too popular. Keep in mind she is only in 7th grade. Is this a huge issue at Westland too?

Just asked DC who has seen zero evidence of this at Westland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of incidents in the 90's, I would say that that was culturally normal in that time period. Certainly happened at my high school, which makes the whole Kavanaugh uproar absurd to me.

My child is at Westland now and from the way its described it sounds like Disneyland. No fighting, no grabbing, everyone being friendly and kind. Minimal bullying though I have heard of some minor incidents. I have been extremely please about the school environment this year.

Your bar for “minor” seems pretty high to me .... it was only a few years ago I was at a vigil outside of Westland, held because of a swastika had been graffitied in the boys bathroom. At the time I remembered being disappointed at what seemed to me to be the low turnout and lack of concern among my parent peers about rising anti-semitism, although the administration and parents who were there were taking it seriously. Not a minor incident to me.

Sure, my bar may be different, an anonymous person drawing something inappropriate in the bathroom is pretty minor in my eyes. Then again, I don't offend easily. This has no bearing on the overall climate of a school. If anything the uproar is giving more onus to repeat to rile sensitive persons up even more. I'm pretty sure that 99% of kids who would've glanced at the symbol would of shrugged and went back to whatever they were doing with no impact on their life at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have kids at Westland now, and want to point out that in some ways it was better when it was over crowded. We lost some of the best teachers (because people were allowed to stay based on seniority) and after all those students left for Silver Creek they cut some language and arts options due to low enrollment.

That's zero sum... The more crowded a school is the more classes/offerings you will have. Depends on what your priority is.

[Anonymous]

Westland should challenge Pyle for the best middle school in MoCo once the new middle school opens. It will be a true local school and under-enrolled which is all the parents ever wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of incidents in the 90's, I would say that that was culturally normal in that time period. Certainly happened at my high school, which makes the whole Kavanaugh uproar absurd to me.

My child is at Westland now and from the way its described it sounds like Disneyland. No fighting, no grabbing, everyone being friendly and kind. Minimal bullying though I have heard of some minor incidents. I have been extremely please about the school environment this year.

DC is at Cabin John and though she never says anything about fights, weed and vaping is way too popular. Keep in mind she is only in 7th grade. Is this a huge issue at Westland too?

Just asked DC who has seen zero evidence of this at Westland.

My kid finished at Westland in June and never heard of this either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a BCC elementary and then Eastern in the early 90s. My one good friend who went to Westland was always telling me about boys grabbing girls' butts and having to have male friends walk you from class to class to "protect" you from the butt grabbers.

I don't know if she was bs-ing us or if it was true. And certainly it says nothing about the school now. But I wonder if other DCUM readers went to Westland and can confirm or refute this decades-old rumor. I continue to be curious about it 25 years later.

Wait, you continue to be tantalizingly intrigued by a 25 year old butt rumor?

I never said anything about tantalizing, that's all on you. The word I would use is horrified. And yeah, I actually do continue to be kind of horrified by it. I was horrified as a seventh grader hearing the stories (which I fully believed at the time) and was really glad I didn't go to Westland. It is a memory that has really stuck with me over the years - hearing my friend talk about it and the feeling of sort of shocked horror and vulnerability I felt as a 12/13 year old just hearing about it second hand. Honestly, it has colored my impression of Westland over the years, and now as a Montgomery County parent I was curious as to whether it was as pervasive as my friend made it seem or if perhaps she was yanking my chain a bit. I fully acknowledge that it need not and should not affect any parent's decision on whether to send their child to Westland now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westland should challenge Pyle for the best middle school in MoCo once the new middle school opens. It will be a true local school and under-enrolled which is all the parents ever wanted.

What new middle school? Silver creek opened two years or so ago. Is there another planned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westland should challenge Pyle for the best middle school in MoCo once the new middle school opens. It will be a true local school and under-enrolled which is all the parents ever wanted.

What new middle school? Silver creek opened two years or so ago. Is there another planned?

Probably a troll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westland should challenge Pyle for the best middle school in MoCo once the new middle school opens. It will be a true local school and under-enrolled which is all the parents ever wanted.

What new middle school? Silver creek opened two years or so ago. Is there another planned?

Probably a troll

My kids loved middle school -- it wasnt Moco but it showed me that middle school can be done well. Moco needs to get the size of these schools down. Way down. Put sixth grade in its own building or something.