Recent suicides at Langley HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No one is insisting "it" was horrible. You still don't say *how* you managed to you it all. Please give us an overview of what your weekly routine looked like, including sleep and meals. I don't think that's too much to ask, given the pressing issues on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Good God, isn't it possible to respond on this thread without including giant preposts???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No one is insisting "it" was horrible. You still don't say *how* you managed to you it all. Please give us an overview of what your weekly routine looked like, including sleep and meals. I don't think that's too much to ask, given the pressing issues on this thread.

Um, I came home at different times according to afterschool activities, ate a snack, watched some TV and did my homework. I didn't have ideal study habits. I had a desk in my bedroom I never used because I preferred to be in the common areas where activity was. I did most of my assignments then but there was often something I was finishing on the bus as well the next morning. I didn't pull all nighters because I can't stay awake that long. I ate when I was hungry. LOL Anything else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good God, isn't it possible to respond on this thread without including giant preposts???

Oops. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who had 5 APs - when did yo graduate from Langley?

[Anonymous]

That's 'you'

[Anonymous]

Um, I came home at different times according to afterschool activities, ate a snack, watched some TV and did my homework. I didn't have ideal study habits. I had a desk in my bedroom I never used because I preferred to be in the common areas where activity was. I did most of my assignments then but there was often something I was finishing on the bus as well the next morning. I didn't pull all nighters because I can't stay awake that long. I ate when I was hungry. LOL Anything else?

Listen, rather than piecing together my old schedule maybe someone who was a student more recently in FCPS will chime in and tell you how they do it, if they like it, if they hate it. I don't doubt much has changed since I was in school, but I still don't think everyone with a heavy workload is hurting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who had 5 APs - when did yo graduate from Langley?

Didn't go to Langley. Maybe that also makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No one is insisting "it" was horrible. You still don't say *how* you managed to you it all. Please give us an overview of what your weekly routine looked like, including sleep and meals. I don't think that's too much to ask, given the pressing issues on this thread.

Um, I came home at different times according to afterschool activities, ate a snack, watched some TV and did my homework. I didn't have ideal study habits. I had a desk in my bedroom I never used because I preferred to be in the common areas where activity was. I did most of my assignments then but there was often something I was finishing on the bus as well the next morning. I didn't pull all nighters because I can't stay awake that long. I ate when I was hungry. LOL Anything else?

You were taking 5 AP classes?
Sorry, but I'm not seeing it.
Your story isn't believable, imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who had 5 APs - when did yo graduate from Langley?

Didn't go to Langley. Maybe that also makes a difference.

It very well can. Thank you. I'm not trying to attack (nor are others), just trying to understand. When you brought up social media being more prevalent now, I figured you must have graduated a few years ago at least, prior to Ragone, had you gone to Langley.

[Anonymous]

I went to LHS and took 2 APs my jr. year and 3 APs my sr. year. I graduated in '91, though, so I don't really see how this is going to be relevant or helpful to anyone here. I do still feel terribly for the Saxon community and my heart goes out to the victims' families, friends, and community. God bless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to LHS and took 2 APs my jr. year and 3 APs my sr. year. I graduated in '91, though, so I don't really see how this is going to be relevant or helpful to anyone here. I do still feel terribly for the Saxon community and my heart goes out to the victims' families, friends, and community. God bless.

PS I was there during the Dr. Manning days. He was awesome! RIP, Dr. Manning!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to LHS and took 2 APs my jr. year and 3 APs my sr. year. I graduated in '91, though, so I don't really see how this is going to be relevant or helpful to anyone here. I do still feel terribly for the Saxon community and my heart goes out to the victims' families, friends, and community. God bless.

So your 5 APs were not all in one year? And the year of graduation, it makes a huge difference, not just for Langley, but as a whole. Things have drastically changed in the public schools. Drastically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Um, I came home at different times according to afterschool activities, ate a snack, watched some TV and did my homework. I didn't have ideal study habits. I had a desk in my bedroom I never used because I preferred to be in the common areas where activity was. I did most of my assignments then but there was often something I was finishing on the bus as well the next morning. I didn't pull all nighters because I can't stay awake that long. I ate when I was hungry. LOL Anything else?

Listen, rather than piecing together my old schedule maybe someone who was a student more recently in FCPS will chime in and tell you how they do it, if they like it, if they hate it. I don't doubt much has changed since I was in school, but I still don't think everyone with a heavy workload is hurting.

You apparently have no clue of current reality.

[Anonymous]

"You were taking 5 AP classes?
Sorry, but I'm not seeing it.
Your story isn't believable, imo."

My DC is currently taking 6 APs so it is possible to take 5 or more APs although not common. I tried to discourage 6 APs but DC wanted to take them. DC still has time to participate in several ECs, watch TV, relax etc. but does spend about 5 hours a day related to classes.

I do not think limiting the number of APs is the answer. Like someone had said, no one is forcing the kids to take x number of APs. Parents will have to offer guidance and supervision and try to figure out what is appropriate for their kids. Also, the school did not "strongly encourage" kids to take APs. In fact, at my DC's HS, the school usually discourages multiple APs and encourages fewer APS or non-AP courses.