Middle School Magnet Test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More involved parents?

Move involvement isn't necessarily a good thing.

Still "more involved" is better than "not involved".

But "underinvolved" is better than "overinvolved".

[Anonymous]

Maybe the W parents are too snooty/rich compared to the Takoma/Eastern parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the worst day at the HGC's is the day the admitted students go visit Eastern/Takoma during the school day. They come back excited with their new school trinkets. Really tough for a kids disappointed they didn;t get in. Even my kid who did not apply to a middle magnet felt left out of the party.

Ugh. I hadn't even thought of that.

I am always amazed at how over protective parents are... it's healthy for kids to experience dissappointment. really tough and worst day? Wow how sheltered. If your kid is that fragile they should stay firmly tucked up under mommys wing and not go to a big bad magnet.

You must not have a 5th grader right now. I do, he's worked his butt off and has made great friends. Moving on to the middle school magnet thing is part of the culture at the HGC. If my son does not get in he will be extremely disappointed - it will hurt. But you know what? That does not mean he's fragile and my worry for him does not mean that I'm too protective. His disappointment and hurt would be a normal human reaction to to the rejection of not getting in. My worry for lack of a better word is a normal reaction, no parent wants their child rejected and sad. Now had the other poster had said her child would refuse to go to school and cried all night throwing a tantrum - yes - that's a problem and not really a normal reaction for a 11 year old.

Try to remember what it was like to be 10 and want something badly maybe you wouldn't be so harsh.

[Anonymous]

I was thinking the same thing. My 5th grader is in the same boat and wants to get in more than anything. The frst day back after a rejection would be hard if most people get in (and usually about 70 percent do).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More involved parents?

In many ways yes. Sending a child to a magnet typically involves greater effort than sending them to the neighborhood school. The transportation logistics can be complex especially if you end up driving them. I spend about an hour and a half a day driving him to and from school. There are lots of non magnet parents in the area who are very involved in their child's academic and non-academic life. I have friends who spend a lot of time (and very often lots of money) ferrying kids to gymnastics or soccer practice, clinics, camps for example. I would describe them as involved in and supportive of their child's interests. I would say that most magnet parents are involved and interested in their child's academic interests in part because their children are highly motivated learners.

[Anonymous]

My experience at the HGC is funny enough the parents seem more relaxed. At our home school everyone seemed so obsessed with making sure their kid was at the "top", even if their kid didn't necessarily belong there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was thinking the same thing. My 5th grader is in the same boat and wants to get in more than anything. The frst day back after a rejection would be hard if most people get in (and usually about 70 percent do).

Not any more. At least that was not the case last year at Cold Spring. Only hanfull of kids got in. That is why it was not such a big deal for the rest. They went to local schools and happy there with their friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience at the HGC is funny enough the parents seem more relaxed. At our home school everyone seemed so obsessed with making sure their kid was at the "top", even if their kid didn't necessarily belong there.

Relaxed parents, parents with civic sense, parents that share opportunities with other parents, parents that are proactive about forming clubs and carpools, parents who are non-competitive with each other - those parents are better parents, IMHO - and I found such parents at my son's HGC.

They are not under involved or over involved - they are correctly involved and they are community involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience at the HGC is funny enough the parents seem more relaxed. At our home school everyone seemed so obsessed with making sure their kid was at the "top", even if their kid didn't necessarily belong there.

Relaxed parents, parents with civic sense, parents that share opportunities with other parents, parents that are proactive about forming clubs and carpools, parents who are non-competitive with each other - those parents are better parents, IMHO - and I found such parents at my son's HGC.

They are not under involved or over involved - they are correctly involved and they are community involved.

Until it's time to apply to middle school magnets, and then watch out!

Signed,

Former HGC parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience at the HGC is funny enough the parents seem more relaxed. At our home school everyone seemed so obsessed with making sure their kid was at the "top", even if their kid didn't necessarily belong there.

Relaxed parents, parents with civic sense, parents that share opportunities with other parents, parents that are proactive about forming clubs and carpools, parents who are non-competitive with each other - those parents are better parents, IMHO - and I found such parents at my son's HGC.

They are not under involved or over involved - they are correctly involved and they are community involved.

Until it's time to apply to middle school magnets, and then watch out!

Signed,

Former HGC parent

That is the nature of the application process. Every thing hinges on that one entrance exam. I am not saying that the parents become your friends and family. But, by and large, it is more cooperative and civilized than other places. Once you are in the program, they are supportive. I am sure this anxiety manifests again when the kids apply to HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was thinking the same thing. My 5th grader is in the same boat and wants to get in more than anything. The frst day back after a rejection would be hard if most people get in (and usually about 70 percent do).

Not any more. At least that was not the case last year at Cold Spring. Only hanfull of kids got in. That is why it was not such a big deal for the rest. They went to local schools and happy there with their friends.

My child's HGC has had 70% acceptance rates to ms magnets te last several years. The HGC is very close to the magnets and some of the students have TPMS as their assigned school so they are I'm a different pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was thinking the same thing. My 5th grader is in the same boat and wants to get in more than anything. The frst day back after a rejection would be hard if most people get in (and usually about 70 percent do).

Not any more. At least that was not the case last year at Cold Spring. Only hanfull of kids got in. That is why it was not such a big deal for the rest. They went to local schools and happy there with their friends.

My child's HGC has had 70% acceptance rates to ms magnets te last several years. The HGC is very close to the magnets and some of the students have TPMS as their assigned school so they are I'm a different pool.

Ah, that's why the results are skewed, because TPMS reserves 20 spots just for in-boundary kids. 70% is certainly not the norm at other HGCs.

[Anonymous]

My child was at Barnsley. About 1/2 went to middle magnets. Not sure what percentage applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was thinking the same thing. My 5th grader is in the same boat and wants to get in more than anything. The frst day back after a rejection would be hard if most people get in (and usually about 70 percent do).

Not any more. At least that was not the case last year at Cold Spring. Only hanfull of kids got in. That is why it was not such a big deal for the rest. They went to local schools and happy there with their friends.

My child's HGC has had 70% acceptance rates to ms magnets te last several years. The HGC is very close to the magnets and some of the students have TPMS as their assigned school so they are I'm a different pool.

Ah, that's why the results are skewed, because TPMS reserves 20 spots just for in-boundary kids. 70% is certainly not the norm at other HGCs.

They actually reserve 25 spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:based on past years, my prediction -

Results will be mailed out on Feb 12th (Thursday) and will reach homes by Feb 13th (Friday).

Since Monday is off, parents and students will have 3 days to stew on the results, before they can start ringing the admissions office to find out why their kid did not get in.

The Eastern presentation states that the letters will be mailed on January 30th.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/easternms/departments/2014%20Fall%20Open%20House.pdf