Kenmore MS (Arlington) - happy, or did you transfer/go private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


What I meant was, and this school, where majority of students are struggling, the teachers are spread even more thin. OP is looking for how much support her gifted child will get. Across-the-board APS does not do a great job with this especially at the middle school level. We have yet to hear from anyone from Kenmore Who has had a positive experience with their gifted students.



Honestly i think you'd be hard pressed to find any APS parent raving about their gifted child's middle school experience (or experience at any school level, frankly). In my family's experience and the experience of many close friends, across the board there isn't much they do for the gifted kids (we are a Kenmore family, close friends at Jefferson, Swanson and Gunston had similar academic experiences). I think the intensified courses next year will be a nice way for students who want a little more to get it...

I have one kid at Kenmore now and one former Kenmore student who is now in high school. We've been pleased with the vast majority of teachers, the administration, and the Kenmore specific STEAM classes/program. Some teachers are more meh than others but on balance they're really good, and care a lot about what they do and the students. The middle school.shenanigans that have gone on honestly aren't that much different than the kind that happen elsewhere, and didn't/don't really faze my kids. Both of my kids have very different personalities but found nice "a little bit nerdy good kid" friend groups at Kenmore.

For years, APS parents have made fun of the "tiger moms" in Fairfax and the Fairfax AAP program as too much pressure, but then they complain that their gifted kids in APS don't get enough attention. If you want more attention for gifted kids, you need to push for it and go down the road FFX has. Otherwise, stop complaining.

Our biggest regret is we wanted a low pressure school experience, no need for tiger mom pressure cooker. But we did not know that meant our bright kids would essentially be left to their own devices for most of the school day.

Was this at Kenmore?

Doubtful. Kenmore parent of a current gifted kid in advanced math, etc. and we have no complaints. We have seen differentiated work in English and Science, and they really encourage kids on this “track” to do all the things that would make it likely they can get into TJHS, even if it’s not their hope. I think it’s great that they push them, so they at least have the option if they do decide to apply. The Principal is amazing, and the fights are really only happening in a small subset of the population, and aren’t random or even targeted bullying situations. My anxious slightly nerdy band kid has found his people and doesn’t feel unsafe (outside of general fear of mass school shootings, but that would be a concern anywhere is this country with its f***ed up gun culture). He’s aware of the behavior but not affected by it and it’s not happening in his classes. No disruptive behavior taking away from learning, if that’s the concern and no general concerns for the safety of slightly nerdy quirky studious kids either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget academics, there is a ton of fighting at this school. My kid constantly felt unsafe and miserable.

what are those fighting? how come i have never heard anything from my Kenmore 6th graders? can you give some cases?

[Anonymous]

I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget academics, there is a ton of fighting at this school. My kid constantly felt unsafe and miserable.

what are those fighting? how come i have never heard anything from my Kenmore 6th graders? can you give some cases?

Ask your 6th grader about the Hamm basketball player who was jumped by Kenmore students after a basketball game this winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forget academics, there is a ton of fighting at this school. My kid constantly felt unsafe and miserable.

what are those fighting? how come i have never heard anything from my Kenmore 6th graders? can you give some cases?

Ask your 6th grader about the Hamm basketball player who was jumped by Kenmore students after a basketball game this winter.

What happened to the Kenmore students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

Be careful the independent school isn’t too small- that can also be a social nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

Nope, it’s happening. You just heard about this one because it made the news. Incidents at Gunston, TJ, and Swanson have also made the news in the recent past.

And I am not excusing the violence, but explaining that it wasn’t a completely random attack. Should it have happened? Never. But teaching defensive driving isn’t saying it’s okay for others to break traffic laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

Nope, it’s happening. You just heard about this one because it made the news. Incidents at Gunston, TJ, and Swanson have also made the news in the recent past.

And I am not excusing the violence, but explaining that it wasn’t a completely random attack. Should it have happened? Never. But teaching defensive driving isn’t saying it’s okay for others to break traffic laws.

Kenmore is my neighborhood middle school, and while my kids have not yet gotten to middle school, I have talked with many neighbors who have sent their kids there. A minority of them find some positive things to say, but it's weird stuff that doesn't matter all that much to us, like that it has a big auditorium. Uh, ok. But most of the parents are not nearly as happy. Only a few mention the fighting, which I agree probably happens at most middle schools. The most common complaint is that because Kenmore has a very large ESL population, the non-ESL students don't get challenged very much. We're zoned for W&L high school, and a few neighbors complained that their kids start high school completely unprepared for the high school workload. Some of our neighbors scrambled to find private schools to transfer to during sixth grade. One even sent her kid to a religious school even though their family isn't religious.

So yes, there will be families who say that Kenmore is great, it has an arts focus, it has great facilities, etc. My sense is that many of them are rationalizing their decision to send their kids to Kenmore, which is fine. We've personally made the choice for private school, even though it is a decent financial burden. It might mean that we don't do vacations, house renovations, new cars for five years, but for us it's totallyw orth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

Nope, it’s happening. You just heard about this one because it made the news. Incidents at Gunston, TJ, and Swanson have also made the news in the recent past.

And I am not excusing the violence, but explaining that it wasn’t a completely random attack. Should it have happened? Never. But teaching defensive driving isn’t saying it’s okay for others to break traffic laws.

Tell me what has happened at Hamm and WMS this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

Nope, it’s happening. You just heard about this one because it made the news. Incidents at Gunston, TJ, and Swanson have also made the news in the recent past.

And I am not excusing the violence, but explaining that it wasn’t a completely random attack. Should it have happened? Never. But teaching defensive driving isn’t saying it’s okay for others to break traffic laws.

Kenmore is my neighborhood middle school, and while my kids have not yet gotten to middle school, I have talked with many neighbors who have sent their kids there. A minority of them find some positive things to say, but it's weird stuff that doesn't matter all that much to us, like that it has a big auditorium. Uh, ok. But most of the parents are not nearly as happy. Only a few mention the fighting, which I agree probably happens at most middle schools. The most common complaint is that because Kenmore has a very large ESL population, the non-ESL students don't get challenged very much. We're zoned for W&L high school, and a few neighbors complained that their kids start high school completely unprepared for the high school workload. Some of our neighbors scrambled to find private schools to transfer to during sixth grade. One even sent her kid to a religious school even though their family isn't religious.

So yes, there will be families who say that Kenmore is great, it has an arts focus, it has great facilities, etc. My sense is that many of them are rationalizing their decision to send their kids to Kenmore, which is fine. We've personally made the choice for private school, even though it is a decent financial burden. It might mean that we don't do vacations, house renovations, new cars for five years, but for us it's totallyw orth it.

Yes! You hit the nail on the head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my kid after a month. It was an unsafe situation and he was not learning. We had to sacrifice to pay for private school but it is 100% worth it. Stunning to see people in my neighborhood with Teslas and multiple international vacations who send their kids to this school.

Bumping this because we are considering whether to send our smart and socially anxious son to private school instead of Kenmore. I hate the thought of sending him to a massive school that is filled with fighting. Interested in the perspective of parents who have faced this choice.

That’s a generalization. Speak with neighbors with kids at the school.

You can also apply for a neighborhood transfer. Williamsburg and Dorothy Hamm are under enrolled and have been accepting transfers. Dorothy Hamm in particular seems like a good fit for your DS. Try to save your money.

Talk to people IRL. Not trolls on the internet. Even the Hamm incident wasn’t totally random. No excuse for the violence, but everyone should still teach their child not to write a check running their mouth that they can’t cash, IFKWIM. If your kid is a shy and gifted student they will be fine. There are lots of students with a similar profile and they stuck together and the occasional incidents, which happen at every single MS BTW, are just background noise. Also, the neighborhood transfer window is closed, but you really don’t need to pay for private to keep your kid safe. If that were true, you’d be hearing more than just internet rumors. You really think hundreds of families with options would keep their kids at a school where they were unsafe and languishing? Really? Save your money. That’s money you will have to pass to your heirs one day, and that’s more likely to affect their outcomes than 3 years of private school.

Wow. Way to excuse violence between 12 year olds.

NO this stuff does not happen at EVERY single MS. Kenmore has a major problem.

Nope, it’s happening. You just heard about this one because it made the news. Incidents at Gunston, TJ, and Swanson have also made the news in the recent past.

And I am not excusing the violence, but explaining that it wasn’t a completely random attack. Should it have happened? Never. But teaching defensive driving isn’t saying it’s okay for others to break traffic laws.

Tell me what has happened at Hamm and WMS this year?

Nothing happened at Hamm. After a basketball game between Kenmore and Hamm at Kenmore, some Hamm students or Hamm players waiting for the Metrobus were jumped without provocation by Kenmore students. It was reported on ARLnow. The details are in the article.