Recent suicides at Langley HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

That is, the well balanced majority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sick people on here trying to take cheap shots at the best school in the area. Has anyone stopped and gathered the facts? The issues had nothing to do with the school. Nice try trolls.

The schools want the rankings - at the expense of the kids.

Please that's dumb. From what I read one of the boy's father's was going through expensive medical issues and it had nothing to with with the school.

That does nothing to change the above point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

Anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

I took 5 my senior year and loved it. Maybe the issue is that the regular classes did not hold close to the interest and challenge level I wanted. I may have been wired differently than most of my peers, but I would not have wanted my choices limited for fear that I *might* be damaging myself with a heavy workload.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was talking with my cousin from out of state the other day and she asked "how is the girl who was thinking of suicide doing?" T here are three that I know of who are seriously considering ending their lives and showing significant symptoms. Three in one small circle? FCPS is doing something wrong. I pray theses three will be all right. But it certainly wont be from help they received from the culture at FCPS.

What are you doing to help them? If you have information that these kids are seriously considering ending their lives, this is your wake up call to talk to their parents or a counselor who can help them.

Duh. The families know. Not a wake up call for me. A wake up call for the school. Why so many feel this extreme?

Seriously, if these girls are still seriously considering taking their lives and the families know, and they think the school is the problem, they need to get their kids out of the school. Sorry, but I wouldn't be waiting around for the school to change and risk my child ending her life. Maybe the school is a pressure cooker and some kids can't handle that, I agree, but I would make it my priority to get my child into a better environment ASAP. This area is full of very competitive people and that's not going to change anytime soon. It is our job as parents to understand what works for our kids and what is too much for them.

I hear you. But a lot of them don't. I hear the words "suck it up" from parents a lot in this community. The educators are supposed to be working in the best interest of the kids, I think we can all agree with that, right? So they have a very important role in their schools to 'police' the parents, so to speak.

My kid was not suicidal and I did give her the opportunity to leave. She took it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

I took 5 my senior year and loved it. Maybe the issue is that the regular classes did not hold close to the interest and challenge level I wanted. I may have been wired differently than most of my peers, but I would not have wanted my choices limited for fear that I *might* be damaging myself with a heavy workload.

Ok, tell us what your life looked like, or was it too painful to remember?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

I took 5 my senior year and loved it. Maybe the issue is that the regular classes did not hold close to the interest and challenge level I wanted. I may have been wired differently than most of my peers, but I would not have wanted my choices limited for fear that I *might* be damaging myself with a heavy workload.

No one wants to limit your choices. Administrators know which students are well-suited to do as you did. Where they fail is when they let, even encourage, others who they know are not well-suited to do the same.

The interesting thing about AP courses is they teach to a test, so there is no real creative thinking going on there. The goal is to get college credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I note that people are quick to say it was depression but keep denying that the atmosphere of the school contributed. I have heard quite a number of parents complain about the way this school is run. Not a healthy atmosphere the administration needs to do more than stage a pep rally prayer vigil and think harder about how teens are being affected by the policies and unfairness of the school. Two suicides in one week sends a pretty strong message

I'm wondering why everyone is blaming Langley (or any one reason or one school) for these deaths, when other schools in the area have also had students who committed suicide. Woodson had 4 (2013 and 2011), Woodbridge had 1 (2013), and South Lakes (2009). Not to mention the many teens nationwide who have died this way. Why should Langley be the scapegoat? Because a few vocal DCUM-ers want to air their past problems here and make it sound like everyone at the school must be unhappy? Take a look around whatever school your own child goes to before throwing stones at Langley.

Precisely this.

Yes. In addition, suicide is "contagious"--it is a recognized phenomenon that the risk of suicide in a group increases significantly after someone commits suicide, especially for teens. That is why teen suicides often aren't widely publicized. (For that matter, it is also why metro suicides aren't usually identified as such.) Some here are calling for more discussion and openness about the topic; the reality is that that approach can backfire.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260836.php

Teen suicide is a very complicated phenomenon. We want to wrap it up in tidy package, with a neat explanation, but the reality is very different.

My heart goes out to the poor parents of these boys. There will be no real peace for them, ever.

[Anonymous]

We have such a messed up society that thinks the schools are responsible for every aspect of our children's lives.

I seriously hope that you parents who think the school is at fault don't just drop their kids off at school hoping they figure out their entire lives on their own without any parental guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

I took 5 my senior year and loved it. Maybe the issue is that the regular classes did not hold close to the interest and challenge level I wanted. I may have been wired differently than most of my peers, but I would not have wanted my choices limited for fear that I *might* be damaging myself with a heavy workload.

Ok, tell us what your life looked like, or was it too painful to remember?

Stop insisting that it was horrible, it wasn't.

I loved my classmates, our projects, critical reasoning lessons, calling each other when we were all up late cramming for a test. My teachers were, for the most part, engaged knowledgeable instructors. After school I was involved in a lot of clubs (academic, drama, language, student government). On the weekends there were sleepovers and dances and movies and dates (!).

My family was loving and supportive but NEVER pushed me or my siblings. Like I said, we were just wired that way.

Yes, my story is unusual. Maybe it was different in the old days when I was a FCPS student. Each school was it's own community, in today's society students feel they are not only keeping up with their schoolmates but also with every other 16-, 17- and 18-year-old within reach of social media.

Still, I would hate to think that not one student out there is currently enjoying the academic challenge like I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

In addition, you THINK your kid is handling this well. They are telling ME otherwise. That's the thing about teens - when they hear someone fighting for their own child, in the office, in the halls. When they hear you talk about it with other parents, word travels. They seek you out - on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere they can to say how stressed they feel. They WANT to talk about it. They WANT someone to make it stop. They FEEL no one is listening.

Not all teens are the same. Some seek out the extra challenge of multiple AP classes.

When you find a kid going for 4 or 5 of them, there is something else driving that bus.

I took 5 my senior year and loved it. Maybe the issue is that the regular classes did not hold close to the interest and challenge level I wanted. I may have been wired differently than most of my peers, but I would not have wanted my choices limited for fear that I *might* be damaging myself with a heavy workload.

No one wants to limit your choices. Administrators know which students are well-suited to do as you did. Where they fail is when they let, even encourage, others who they know are not well-suited to do the same.

The interesting thing about AP courses is they teach to a test, so there is no real creative thinking going on there. The goal is to get college credit.

The goal at Langley is not to pass the AP, your expected to get a 4 or 5. The teachers tell them at the beginning of the year that almost everyone that look the AP test from them last year got a "5".

[Anonymous]

Happy bday T. We miss your big smiling face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adults need to set limits.

Kids should be limited to 2 AP courses a year. And they should get rid of adding grade bumps for AP/Honors courses. Then the AP classes will be used of what they were intended, learning college level information and kids that are truly interested in AP classes will take them, it will not be the parents trying to game the GPA system.

Aren't the adults supposed to set the limits for our children????

Why do we continue to allow the school system to let kids be pushed to take these overloaded schedules due to peer pressure.

Excellent advice for LHS and FC school board.

So the speculation is that the great majority of students at Langley are feeling so much pressure that the curriculum needs to be dumbed down so that the ones who struggle in AP classes can be made to feel better? Are we really back to the "everyone should get a ribbon mentality"? What about the countless number of well balanced, organized, achieving students who can easily handle 3-5 AP Classes? We should tell them that we are afraid you may feel too much pressure and therefore we are capping your upside achievement because one or two out of 20 may feel overwhelmed if they over extend themselves? How will this prepare the good students for college where the workload will be even more demanding? Furthermore, changing the weighting of the grade bumps for AP will only serve to drive kids into no AP classes in order to pad their GPAs. Then the real gaming of the system and resentment will start for those taking the harder AP workload who rank behind those purposely taking the easier classes.

The real question here is, is there really a systemic problem at the school? How many kids are unhappy and stressed out of the total group (I would bet a lot less than it would appear on this board)? In fact, I want to a very marginal high school, and there were also unhappy kids, stressed, doing drugs, depressed, etc. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water before a system wide problem is even clearly established and defined.

Please give us a picture of what the life of your 5 AP student looks like. Basic daily/weekly routine, including sleep and meals.
Thank you.

Similar to the college curriculum that he will take next year. Thing is, my boy enjoys the challenge and learning -- go figure. Maybe we should tell him not to work so hard and slow his thirst for knowledge down. Guess he could be stressing the other kids out.[/quote]

#not-so-humblebrag

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find offensive is that some of them are more than happy to make assumptions about the boys, their families, and their school experience in order to advance their own agenda. If they want to have a debate over whether FCPS should start later, cap the number of AP courses students can take and do more to mix up the demographics at Langley, fine. Do it in another thread, but don't claim, for example, that these boys had "no one to turn to" just because you want to bash a school that most kids are very proud to attend.

I hoped to find some modicum of comfort here and some mild speculation and debate is expected. But the self-serving posters have strong-armed their way to the majority on this thread. Bully for you. For the rest of us in the Langley community, our kids will grieve together tonight on the court and field. I'm sure I'll see many many of you and hundreds others in the back or balcony at MBC tomorrow. Just so sad. Rest in peace T. We loved you.

+ infinity.