HB Woodlawn HS questions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 6th grader- how do the buses work? Are they picked up at local schools? How far in advance? I’m guessing 6-12 take the same bus? Can you share what time your pickup is?

HUB stop at W&L Picks up about 8:30 and gets to school on time. Key school hub stop picks up at 8:20 and gets to school on time. That's all I know.

Does anyone know whether the gates at the track on W&L on the Quincy side are open so kids can walk through the school to the Stafford side? Or is everyone expected to walk around W&L?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I am incredibly lucky - my kid got into HB for 9th. Anyone able to answer a few qs?

He wants to do a fall sport at the neighborhood high school. How does that work? I read there are sports buses that leave early but do they go to each school? Do the kids just miss that class every day?

Is there still a shadow day- and is it in the next week or so since we only have 14 days to decide?

Is it still true that there are no intensified classes- and AP classes are co-taught with non-AP?

Kid isn’t sold on the school despite being excited about it before - we’d be crazy not to try it right?

Yes some AP classes are taught with the general class.

The HB AP classes in general are not taught at a difficult level. Our kids have or will have taken all the "hard" ones (APUSH, AP Lit, Calc, Chem, Phys, etc.) and they were taught easier than the same classes at other schools in FFX and MoCo, when compared with their friends on their sports or "academic" teams. Average AP scores for the classes have generally been on the lower end. If a kid at HB is struggling with most of these classes, they would have had a much harder time at a neighboring school, and it doesn't prepare well for a future stem major at a good college.

Citation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I am incredibly lucky - my kid got into HB for 9th. Anyone able to answer a few qs?

He wants to do a fall sport at the neighborhood high school. How does that work? I read there are sports buses that leave early but do they go to each school? Do the kids just miss that class every day?

Is there still a shadow day- and is it in the next week or so since we only have 14 days to decide?

Is it still true that there are no intensified classes- and AP classes are co-taught with non-AP?

Kid isn’t sold on the school despite being excited about it before - we’d be crazy not to try it right?

Yes some AP classes are taught with the general class.

The HB AP classes in general are not taught at a difficult level. Our kids have or will have taken all the "hard" ones (APUSH, AP Lit, Calc, Chem, Phys, etc.) and they were taught easier than the same classes at other schools in FFX and MoCo, when compared with their friends on their sports or "academic" teams. Average AP scores for the classes have generally been on the lower end. If a kid at HB is struggling with most of these classes, they would have had a much harder time at a neighboring school, and it doesn't prepare well for a future stem major at a good college.

Citation?

are the AP scores posted anywhere so you can compare school by school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

[Anonymous]

*look

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

No, I sent a kid to Gunston and a kid to H-B. The Gunston kid had to walk a mile between classes and was not allowed to carry a backpack, the H-B kid had to walk up and down a ton of stairs with a heavy backpack. The Gunston kid chafed at how strictly the rules were enforced in the hallways, the H-B kid wished that kids had to be quieter in the halls during class periods.

No school is perfect. Yes, I chose to send one of them to H-B and could have sent them to their home schools, but every school has advantages and disadvantages, which is why I think its stupid to act like H-B is "light years ahead of everyone else." Its just different. And some home schools, like Hamm and Kenmore, are obviously a lot better than Swanson and no one complains about them the way they complain about H-B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

We're telling it like it is, what's wrong with that? Otherwise people may listen to uninformed haters and go to HB because they think it's some palace when it's really not. Sorry you don't like the hear the reality that interferes with your narrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

No, I sent a kid to Gunston and a kid to H-B. The Gunston kid had to walk a mile between classes and was not allowed to carry a backpack, the H-B kid had to walk up and down a ton of stairs with a heavy backpack. The Gunston kid chafed at how strictly the rules were enforced in the hallways, the H-B kid wished that kids had to be quieter in the halls during class periods.

No school is perfect. Yes, I chose to send one of them to H-B and could have sent them to their home schools, but every school has advantages and disadvantages, which is why I think its stupid to act like H-B is "light years ahead of everyone else." Its just different. And some home schools, like Hamm and Kenmore, are obviously a lot better than Swanson and no one complains about them the way they complain about H-B.

People complain about H-B because they can't get into it. I can move if I have my heart set on Hamm, etc. And for some people the small size of the school is a very big advantage. I happen to think this is somewhat overstated as an advantage but that seems to me to me the main reason every one has such an obsession with getting into H-B. They want a smaller school, which you can't get in Arlington in any other setting other than Career Center which is different educational model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

We're telling it like it is, what's wrong with that? Otherwise people may listen to uninformed haters and go to HB because they think it's some palace when it's really not. Sorry you don't like the hear the reality that interferes with your narrative.

If that's your reality, why are you sending your kids to this school? It's a lot of bad reality that you have described.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

We're telling it like it is, what's wrong with that? Otherwise people may listen to uninformed haters and go to HB because they think it's some palace when it's really not. Sorry you don't like the hear the reality that interferes with your narrative.

If that's your reality, why are you sending your kids to this school? It's a lot of bad reality that you have described.

people don't choose or avoid schools because of the building, how many times does someone have to say it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

We're telling it like it is, what's wrong with that? Otherwise people may listen to uninformed haters and go to HB because they think it's some palace when it's really not. Sorry you don't like the hear the reality that interferes with your narrative.

If that's your reality, why are you sending your kids to this school? It's a lot of bad reality that you have described.

I wasn't the PP who wrote the post about the building. I am a different HB parent explaining why someone may describe both what they like and do not like about their kids school. Can't win with you HB hater!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

We're telling it like it is, what's wrong with that? Otherwise people may listen to uninformed haters and go to HB because they think it's some palace when it's really not. Sorry you don't like the hear the reality that interferes with your narrative.

If that's your reality, why are you sending your kids to this school? It's a lot of bad reality that you have described.

The real question is why are you so obsesseed with HB, a school your kids don't even go to? It's creepy really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. Read the post. Where did it say it’s worse? Two things can be true at the same time. Some of the middle school buildings are in bad shape. But I too have scratched my head over uninformed views of the Heights being some kind of palace. It’s not. It has its issues too. These same HB haters would probably be the first to complain if their kids went there. It was expensive yes but building a new school these days isn’t cheap and the site was challenging.

Please it won a bunch of design awards and environmental kudos; it’s almost brand new. Compared to Swanson and Williamsburg, it’s ridiculous to complain about cosmetic issues like PP, especially at an OPTION school you don’t have to attend.

Kids don't care about the stacked box design or environmental stuff, they care about whether its too loud to focus on tests because of the echoing hallways and whether they have to carry a backpack full of books up and down five flights of stairs because their locker is on the fifth floor and their classes and the lunchroom are spread across a mid-rise building. Parents care about whether there is anywhere to park for school events (not really, underground lot a block away) and if they have the right spaces and equipment to offer kids a full range of classes.

This turned into someone complaing about a school they voluntarily send their kid to? WTAF?

Not the PP. I am a mostly very happy HB parent, but like all schools, I have some complaints. Before the HB hater jumped in, this was a post asking about HB. We HB parents can't describe the bad parts too so parents are aware before they commit? Why not?

Complaining about the building when considering the condition of all the other middle schools is just a bad lock. Complain about the parking sure, but you are light years ahead of everyone else.

No, I sent a kid to Gunston and a kid to H-B. The Gunston kid had to walk a mile between classes and was not allowed to carry a backpack, the H-B kid had to walk up and down a ton of stairs with a heavy backpack. The Gunston kid chafed at how strictly the rules were enforced in the hallways, the H-B kid wished that kids had to be quieter in the halls during class periods.

No school is perfect. Yes, I chose to send one of them to H-B and could have sent them to their home schools, but every school has advantages and disadvantages, which is why I think its stupid to act like H-B is "light years ahead of everyone else." Its just different. And some home schools, like Hamm and Kenmore, are obviously a lot better than Swanson and no one complains about them the way they complain about H-B.

People complain about H-B because they can't get into it. I can move if I have my heart set on Hamm, etc. And for some people the small size of the school is a very big advantage. I happen to think this is somewhat overstated as an advantage but that seems to me to me the main reason every one has such an obsession with getting into H-B. They want a smaller school, which you can't get in Arlington in any other setting other than Career Center which is different educational model.

No not everyone has an obsession with getting into HB. You do. But must normal people do not. In fact, I know several who turned it down or left and there are tons who never even apply.