Anyone know what is going on a Woodson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting and tragic insight into suicide clusters in Palo Alto:

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-02/cdc-investigating-cluster-teen-suicides-palo-alto

In the comments of that article, I found a link to this website - a grassroots effort started by a student and teacher in Palo Alto. I think their recommendations are interesting and could be helpful here. https://www.savethe2008.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

Ok, Woodson is immune from these issues. Keep telling yourself that.

What is the suicide history at TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

Ok, Woodson is immune from these issues. Keep telling yourself that.

What is the suicide history at TJ?

The student's friends have said school pressure played a part in his suicide, but keep deflecting.

[Anonymous]

I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

ok, so I have a question for you - - given your income .... are you relaxed about sending all of your children to any college (out of state or private) that seems to best suit them? That would prevent the course overload madness, not to have any worries about having to get them all into a good Va public. Do you feel that way? Or dare I ask, have you spent your money on other things?

[Anonymous]

I don't hear a lot about suicides at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't hear a lot about suicides at TJ.

AT TJ, you can opt out if it really isn't working. You can go back to your base HS. If you stick it out (and I have known kids with anxiety there b/c they were in the bottom half and thinking their only college option would be nova), you know you have the cache of TJ. If you are at a regular hs, you don't have the option of dropping down a notch, and your only cache if you graduate near the lower end is that you really do get to go to nova. The person I know who genuinely thought his only option coming out of TJ would be nova, actually got into Va Tech. So, bottom of TJ is still better than bottom of regular school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

ok, so I have a question for you - - given your income .... are you relaxed about sending all of your children to any college (out of state or private) that seems to best suit them? That would prevent the course overload madness, not to have any worries about having to get them all into a good Va public. Do you feel that way? Or dare I ask, have you spent your money on other things?

Yes- we are pretty relaxed about college. We both went to middle of the road big public universities. We had a great time and ended up being successful. I would prefer our kids go to public schools over small probated but will be open to letting them pick.

[Anonymous]

Auto correct messed up small private colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

ok, so I have a question for you - - given your income .... are you relaxed about sending all of your children to any college (out of state or private) that seems to best suit them? That would prevent the course overload madness, not to have any worries about having to get them all into a good Va public. Do you feel that way? Or dare I ask, have you spent your money on other things?

Yes- we are pretty relaxed about college. We both went to middle of the road big public universities. We had a great time and ended up being successful. I would prefer our kids go to public schools over small probated but will be open to letting them pick.

I don't know. Getting upset that people think your area might be blue collar doesn't really scream laid back to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

ok, so I have a question for you - - given your income .... are you relaxed about sending all of your children to any college (out of state or private) that seems to best suit them? That would prevent the course overload madness, not to have any worries about having to get them all into a good Va public. Do you feel that way? Or dare I ask, have you spent your money on other things?

Yes- we are pretty relaxed about college. We both went to middle of the road big public universities. We had a great time and ended up being successful. I would prefer our kids go to public schools over small probated but will be open to letting them pick.

I don't know. Getting upset that people think your area might be blue collar doesn't really scream laid back to me.

I said it makes me laugh? I am not upset. I like where I live and I like our community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

We live in FCPS and see the pressure cooker environment even at the elementary school level. I don't think this is an emotionally healthy place to raise children. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here because of my job but I keep telling my children they don't have to be perfect, they can have down time and just chill, etc. Hopefully that will make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't hear a lot about suicides at TJ.

TJ parent and I'm a little surprised, but I haven't heard of any. And I'm not sure why, because the atmosphere is very intense, and quite a pressure cooker. I think the PP is on to something in that the admit rates are so high for W&M and VT Engineering (80-90%) and high for UVA (60-65%) with the top of the class chasing Ivys, Stanford and MIT. Below that tier of schools, most TJ kids stand a decent chance at getting merit aid to an OOS or private. So, the "safety" college option is really good for most of the class. I also agrees that it helps that kids can tell themselves that if TJ is unbearable, they can transfer back to their base school. It gives them an out if things get unbearable.

But, I think 2 other things help a lot. One is that TJ is very aware that they are a suicide cluster waiting to happen, and are very on top of mental health. They have continual outreach across all sorts of platforms, and I have been surprised how fast my kid's guidance counselor knew him on sight and could talk to me about what he was up to. And while some TJ parents push insane class schedules, the counselors and administration encourage kids not to overschedule.

The other is the embedded 8th period for extracurricular activities. There are 4 x 1 hour mandatory activity blocks a week, where everything except marching band and sports meet. You can go to study hall, but you can't leave the school. It is designed to deal with kids coming from all over NOVA and not being able to stay after. It forces kids to get involved in the school outside of classes, but also limits the number of extracurriculars you can do. If 2 clubs you want to join meet at the same time, you are forced to make choices. And you can't regularly do more than 3, because you need to leave a block for retakes, makeups, working with teachers, etc. I think it's a really smart way to deal with extracurriculars without a large, extra cost. It would be great to see it expanded to more FCPS high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't hear a lot about suicides at TJ.

TJ parent and I'm a little surprised, but I haven't heard of any. And I'm not sure why, because the atmosphere is very intense, and quite a pressure cooker. I think the PP is on to something in that the admit rates are so high for W&M and VT Engineering (80-90%) and high for UVA (60-65%) with the top of the class chasing Ivys, Stanford and MIT. Below that tier of schools, most TJ kids stand a decent chance at getting merit aid to an OOS or private. So, the "safety" college option is really good for most of the class. I also agrees that it helps that kids can tell themselves that if TJ is unbearable, they can transfer back to their base school. It gives them an out if things get unbearable.

But, I think 2 other things help a lot. One is that TJ is very aware that they are a suicide cluster waiting to happen, and are very on top of mental health. They have continual outreach across all sorts of platforms, and I have been surprised how fast my kid's guidance counselor knew him on sight and could talk to me about what he was up to. And while some TJ parents push insane class schedules, the counselors and administration encourage kids not to overschedule.

The other is the embedded 8th period for extracurricular activities. There are 4 x 1 hour mandatory activity blocks a week, where everything except marching band and sports meet. You can go to study hall, but you can't leave the school. It is designed to deal with kids coming from all over NOVA and not being able to stay after. It forces kids to get involved in the school outside of classes, but also limits the number of extracurriculars you can do. If 2 clubs you want to join meet at the same time, you are forced to make choices. And you can't regularly do more than 3, because you need to leave a block for retakes, makeups, working with teachers, etc. I think it's a really smart way to deal with extracurriculars without a large, extra cost. It would be great to see it expanded to more FCPS high schools.

Ugh. I think the TJ kids export a lot of stress. Some of them brag incessantly on social media and the kids at other schools get the message reiterated from their former MS classmates that they are not good enough, the TJ kids are the ones destined for success, etc.

TJ is very much part of the problem, along with the AAP culture. Boasting about how TJ is a role model for other schools is a symptom, not part of the cure.

[Anonymous]

TJ grad here. I don't know of any while the student was at TJ, but several during college. Unexpected, painful losses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't hear a lot about suicides at TJ.

TJ parent and I'm a little surprised, but I haven't heard of any. And I'm not sure why, because the atmosphere is very intense, and quite a pressure cooker. I think the PP is on to something in that the admit rates are so high for W&M and VT Engineering (80-90%) and high for UVA (60-65%) with the top of the class chasing Ivys, Stanford and MIT. Below that tier of schools, most TJ kids stand a decent chance at getting merit aid to an OOS or private. So, the "safety" college option is really good for most of the class. I also agrees that it helps that kids can tell themselves that if TJ is unbearable, they can transfer back to their base school. It gives them an out if things get unbearable.

But, I think 2 other things help a lot. One is that TJ is very aware that they are a suicide cluster waiting to happen, and are very on top of mental health. They have continual outreach across all sorts of platforms, and I have been surprised how fast my kid's guidance counselor knew him on sight and could talk to me about what he was up to. And while some TJ parents push insane class schedules, the counselors and administration encourage kids not to overschedule.

The other is the embedded 8th period for extracurricular activities. There are 4 x 1 hour mandatory activity blocks a week, where everything except marching band and sports meet. You can go to study hall, but you can't leave the school. It is designed to deal with kids coming from all over NOVA and not being able to stay after. It forces kids to get involved in the school outside of classes, but also limits the number of extracurriculars you can do. If 2 clubs you want to join meet at the same time, you are forced to make choices. And you can't regularly do more than 3, because you need to leave a block for retakes, makeups, working with teachers, etc. I think it's a really smart way to deal with extracurriculars without a large, extra cost. It would be great to see it expanded to more FCPS high schools.

Ugh. I think the TJ kids export a lot of stress. Some of them brag incessantly on social media and the kids at other schools get the message reiterated from their former MS classmates that they are not good enough, the TJ kids are the ones destined for success, etc.

TJ is very much part of the problem, along with the AAP culture. Boasting about how TJ is a role model for other schools is a symptom, not part of the cure.

I think TJ is a part of the problem because it soaks up most of the NoVA slots for in state colleges, and it encourages overloading on difficult classes, thereby bringing the rat race to other kids who are also from NoVA and are being compared to other NoVA kids (including ones from TJ). That said, I would not put this problem on the social media bragging of teens. Kids can ignore bragging, it's harder to ignore the fact that you are competing for limited slots against kids at a school that prides itself on trying to make a high school for teenagers as hard as college. I'm not the TJ parent you were responding to.