Middle School start times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is one (aming dozens) explainations of how middle school grades are irrelevant to college admissions. I picked it because it is the simplest explanation. There are many more if you care to look.

https://lsurec.com/do-colleges-look-at-middle-school-grades/

From the article:

"... Do Colleges Consider Middle School Grades?

Middle school grades play no direct role in college admissions.

Admissions committees are exclusively concerned with a student’s performance in high school, focusing on factors such as:

Academic achievements in high school: This includes GPA, class rank, and rigor of coursework.

Extracurricular involvement: Sports, clubs, volunteer work, and other activities pursued during high school.

Personal statements and essays: Colleges value essays that highlight growth, goals, and character development during high school years.

Letters of recommendation: Teachers and mentors from high school provide insights into a student’s academic and personal attributes.

The absence of middle school grades in these considerations makes it clear that they are not a factor in the admissions process. Even the most competitive institutions do not request or evaluate grades from sixth, seventh, or eighth grade...."

They are talking about regular middle school grades. Not the ones that actually go on your GPA. The high school classes taken in middle school will affect your GPA. You don’t want to be getting C’s or below in them.

If you get a C in middle school courses, you just expunge those grades.

Colleges don't look at your kids classes for high school credit in middle school, no matter how much you say you want the middle school grades to count.

They don't count and colleges don't care about those grades from middle school.

The colleges don't even look at them.

So strange to me that some parents are on here battling out which years of education matter. Could we maybe say they all do and then work from there? I know, I know, the answer is no. Carry on.

You must have missed the post that sparked this tangent.

A middle school parent was arguing that MS should have the best schedule because their grades are more important than high school grades.

Don’t be ridiculous. I never said that. I said middle school grades are more important than elementary school grades and I was referring to the ones that actually go on the transcript (Algebra 1, foresight language).

[Anonymous]

This is the link to the page with the information.

No where does it say Changing Elementary start times or Changing High School start times.

Everything is written in a way that makes it seem only middle school times will change, or that the school board is even considering impacts to elementary or high school.

https://www.fcps.edu/considering-change-middle-school-start-times-school-year-2025-26

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a survey??

I think it was sent out weeks ago.

But is was titled Middle School Start Times or something similar, so most elementary and high school families ignored it, thinking it was middle school specific.

Search your email for "middle school"

FCPS was very misleading on this one.

The titles should have said "Changing Start Times for All Grades" or something similar

can you find some additional unique words? I can't find it at all including in my trash. I have 4 kids and a child in each level. I very much want to provide feedback on design E, which is garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a survey??

I think it was sent out weeks ago.

But is was titled Middle School Start Times or something similar, so most elementary and high school families ignored it, thinking it was middle school specific.

Search your email for "middle school"

FCPS was very misleading on this one.

The titles should have said "Changing Start Times for All Grades" or something similar

can you find some additional unique words? I can't find it at all including in my trash. I have 4 kids and a child in each level. I very much want to provide feedback on design E, which is garbage.

Feedback is over.

Your only option is to call/email your school board reps, including the 3 at large reps.

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/leadership/school-board/school-board-members

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a survey??

I think it was sent out weeks ago.

But is was titled Middle School Start Times or something similar, so most elementary and high school families ignored it, thinking it was middle school specific.

Search your email for "middle school"

FCPS was very misleading on this one.

The titles should have said "Changing Start Times for All Grades" or something similar

can you find some additional unique words? I can't find it at all including in my trash. I have 4 kids and a child in each level. I very much want to provide feedback on design E, which is garbage.

They aren’t looking for feedback anymore.

[Anonymous]

Wasn’t all the parent feedback last year? And Board now just deciding between final options that consultant outlined?

[Anonymous]

The school board was very misleading.

At no time did they indicate that this change would disrupt more elementary and high school than helping middle school students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is one (aming dozens) explainations of how middle school grades are irrelevant to college admissions. I picked it because it is the simplest explanation. There are many more if you care to look.

https://lsurec.com/do-colleges-look-at-middle-school-grades/

From the article:

"... Do Colleges Consider Middle School Grades?

Middle school grades play no direct role in college admissions.

Admissions committees are exclusively concerned with a student’s performance in high school, focusing on factors such as:

Academic achievements in high school: This includes GPA, class rank, and rigor of coursework.

Extracurricular involvement: Sports, clubs, volunteer work, and other activities pursued during high school.

Personal statements and essays: Colleges value essays that highlight growth, goals, and character development during high school years.

Letters of recommendation: Teachers and mentors from high school provide insights into a student’s academic and personal attributes.

The absence of middle school grades in these considerations makes it clear that they are not a factor in the admissions process. Even the most competitive institutions do not request or evaluate grades from sixth, seventh, or eighth grade...."

They are talking about regular middle school grades. Not the ones that actually go on your GPA. The high school classes taken in middle school will affect your GPA. You don’t want to be getting C’s or below in them.

If you get a C in middle school courses, you just expunge those grades.

Colleges don't look at your kids classes for high school credit in middle school, no matter how much you say you want the middle school grades to count.

They don't count and colleges don't care about those grades from middle school.

The colleges don't even look at them.

So strange to me that some parents are on here battling out which years of education matter. Could we maybe say they all do and then work from there? I know, I know, the answer is no. Carry on.

You must have missed the post that sparked this tangent.

A middle school parent was arguing that MS should have the best schedule because their grades are more important than high school grades.

Don’t be ridiculous. I never said that. I said middle school grades are more important than elementary school grades and I was referring to the ones that actually go on the transcript (Algebra 1, foresight language).

And furthermore, I was using that point to say middle schoolers shouldn’t be in school until 4:25 pm because they need more time than elementary schoolers for homework. Elementary kids don’t need homework or have as much so can afford to get home later.

Way to twist my words, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school board was very misleading.

At no time did they indicate that this change would disrupt more elementary and high school than helping middle school students.

They don’t believe a change of 30 min is that disruptive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t all the parent feedback last year? And Board now just deciding between final options that consultant outlined?

Yep!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ideal, to me, is to leave ES start times where they are and have all middle schools join the high school start time, like the secondary school middle school students do. Of course, this seems in possible in terms of bus availability, bus driver availability, and budget. So, I say just leave it. I have a 9th grader who did fine at an early start middle school (he actually liked the afternoon down time before evening sports started up) and one who will start middle next year. I just don't think it's worth all the upheaval to try to change the middle school start times. Certainly not at the expense of making a ridiculous elementary schedule, which would last for 7 years of a student's life!

Agree. And I have a 7th grader and 9th grader so ES times will not impact us at all, but I still recognize it is ridiculous. Early MS start was/is really hard on my kids, but it is two years. Two years. I'd rather a crappy schedule for two years than 4 or 7!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ideal, to me, is to leave ES start times where they are and have all middle schools join the high school start time, like the secondary school middle school students do. Of course, this seems in possible in terms of bus availability, bus driver availability, and budget. So, I say just leave it. I have a 9th grader who did fine at an early start middle school (he actually liked the afternoon down time before evening sports started up) and one who will start middle next year. I just don't think it's worth all the upheaval to try to change the middle school start times. Certainly not at the expense of making a ridiculous elementary schedule, which would last for 7 years of a student's life!

Agree. And I have a 7th grader and 9th grader so ES times will not impact us at all, but I still recognize it is ridiculous. Early MS start was/is really hard on my kids, but it is two years. Two years. I'd rather a crappy schedule for two years than 4 or 7!

30 min later isn’t that crappy for anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or will they just stop doing after-school clubs? I’m curious how important those are to the middle school experience, as my kids are all still in elementary.

After school this week, I saw piles (had to literally step over some, ha) of kids loving finally finding “their people” at D&D club. Drama and music kids rehearsing for the MS musical. Kids painting sets and props for the musical. Community service activities. Tons of kids getting tutoring from their teachers, for free, getting both help and connection. The positive energy was palpable (the musical looks great!). The MS after school program is the heart of middle school.

Yes let’s continue to make kids get up at 5:30 am so they can have this after school program.

Get a grip. E will shift by only 30 minutes and be a win win for all. They can still have their previous after school activities, just half an hour later.

HELLO HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT LATE START ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS??? I don't want my 6 year old getting home from school at 5:10pm. YES, with school ending at 4:45, my kid won't get home until after 5:00pm. How is anyone okay with that?????

Nobody wants that except a handful of crazy loud middle school parents who don't seem to realize that

A) elementary school is 3-4x as many years as middle school

B) high school is twice as long as middle school

C) high school grades matter. Middle school grades don't, not even the ones they take for high school credit (colleges don't care about middle school grades)

D) the late schedule is far too late for High School and far too late for Elementary School

AND

Middle school is only 2 years.

This. ES kids outnumber any group this affects due to being K-6. ES should absolutely not have 7-8 years of a terrible schedule. People don’t realize that ES builds foundational skills and why grades may not matter, they are setting the skills in place for secondary school. You will have an hour and a half of wasted learning time with Option E. Cause the kids are DONE by 3 and the last hour is whack a mole and making sure we all survive.

Please stop speaking as if you speak for all ES families. The option E schedule would work the best for our family. Does it work for anyone else, that is not for any one poster here to say.

I am speaking as a teacher at a late ES. If you surveyed families and teachers I am sure the majority will say E is awful. There will always be exceptions but you saying E is better for ES kids is an exception. I teach and see the kids daily. They are done by 3 and very little learning happens. Does it mean everyone of my students is incapable of learning then? No. But they are also the exception. The MAJORITY of little kids really struggle the last hour of school compared to the morning. Pushing back would be a nightmare.

Just admit it. You keep flying off the handle here and in the other thread for ES’s because you don’t want your work hours changed as an elementary teacher. We see through you.

[Anonymous]

I was an elementary school teacher. The teacher is correct. Prime time for learning is first thing in the a.m. Later afternoon gets really sluggish. I would never have reading or math in the afternoon unless absolutely necessary. Of course, where I taught, the classroom teacher had control of the schedule--except for specials. lunch, and recess.

And,kids are ready to go home and play. Do you really want to push elementary school so that kids are playing video games in the morning before they come to school? They need time outside. 8:00 start is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a survey??

I think it was sent out weeks ago.

But is was titled Middle School Start Times or something similar, so most elementary and high school families ignored it, thinking it was middle school specific.

Search your email for "middle school"

FCPS was very misleading on this one.

The titles should have said "Changing Start Times for All Grades" or something similar

can you find some additional unique words? I can't find it at all including in my trash. I have 4 kids and a child in each level. I very much want to provide feedback on design E, which is garbage.

They aren’t looking for feedback anymore.

Not true. Dunne sent his constituents a survey last week asking for feedback. My school board member asked for feedback today in her newsletter. If you don’t like what they’re proposing, email your rep.