Has HGC not worked out for your child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From my experience most kids that apply to the middle school magnets do get in. My child did not apply and she was defintely in the minority going back to our neighborhood school. Obviously the kids test well if they got in for 4 th grade.

In my kid's HGC class, almost everybody applied, and about half got in.

at our school, it seems like only about 1/4 got into a middle school magnet. I think testing well varies by age. (and many wanted to return to their home school anyway.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone?

I have had two kids at CCES HGC. I wouldn't say that the program is incredibly challenging (we still supplement at home), but the peer group alone was an amazing benefit. My kids are kind of quirky -- not a bad, out-of-control, rain-man kind of quirky, but they're into things other kids would consider nerdy and out of the mainstream. They don't care what's on TV, don't care about the latest music, and don't care about clothes. They were the kids that sat around reading or writing on their own. No one at HGC teases them about any of that, and in fact the HGC friends have been incredibly encouraging and positive influences. One of my kids was being teased at the home school for being different, and feels at home with the other HGC kids. The older kid (now in MS) thrived with the other oddballs, and still considers the CCES HGC classmates best friends today, even with the split articulation at CCES (which means half of the kids end up at Westland/BCC and the other half at Pyle/Whitman). They still go to each others' parties and get together to hang out. AND my kid has all the friends from the home school (two years is not that long). So the transition to MS was a breeze -- twice the friends!

Yes, there is a lot of writing, and the kids have to learn how to give a TED-style talk. This can be mortifying for kids who are not born performers. But I am glad, because it pushed my kids to do something outside their comfort zones. I think this is what school is for -- not to just cater to the things the kids already like and know how to do. Also, whether your child decides to go to magnet middle or to Pyle/Westland, the amount of homework jumps tremendously, and writing cannot be avoided, so it's better to learn how to do it well at HGC. I think my kids are/were better prepared than if they had stayed at their home school.

Our issues with CCES HGC have been more staff-oriented than the curriculum. But the problematic 4th grade teacher is now gone...the principal is a little nuts, so be prepared for that.

[Anonymous]

I don't know the numbers for this year (child is in 5th) but in the past about 2/3 who have applied from my child's HGC have gotten in to a MS Magnet eventually (many are wait listed). At the Eastern open house they said that typically 60% come from HGCs. (Obviously coming from several different HGCs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone?

Why are you worried? I would assume it will be a positive change and if not you can go back to home school. You already know home school isn't great for your child so it seems reasonable to try HGC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child has had a very positive experience in the HGC. Half has been the more challenging curriculum/teachers and the other half has been the peer group.

Was this CCES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great experience at CCES HGC. This was preC2.0 and pre 4th grade teacher turnover. 5th grade teachers still there are great. One of them even let my DC do individual projects in areas where DC was still far ahead of even HGC peers.

That said, for my DC, the best part of HGC was the peer group -- other really bright kids who worked hard in class, had deep interests (even if those interests weren't the same as my DC's) and who pursued interests even when they might not be cool. Very supportive environment among kids. Now in HS, these HGC friends are still some of DC's closest.

My child won't go to middle or high school with anyone in HGC. That is a huge issue for me.

Pp, why not? Don't understand this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child has had a very positive experience in the HGC. Half has been the more challenging curriculum/teachers and the other half has been the peer group.

Was this CCES?

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great experience at CCES HGC. This was preC2.0 and pre 4th grade teacher turnover. 5th grade teachers still there are great. One of them even let my DC do individual projects in areas where DC was still far ahead of even HGC peers.

That said, for my DC, the best part of HGC was the peer group -- other really bright kids who worked hard in class, had deep interests (even if those interests weren't the same as my DC's) and who pursued interests even when they might not be cool. Very supportive environment among kids. Now in HS, these HGC friends are still some of DC's closest.

My child won't go to middle or high school with anyone in HGC. That is a huge issue for me.

Our child went on to magnet middle school with many HGC peers either at the magnet ms or in the magnet bus. Now, in HS. they have gone different ways but keep in touch and socialize easily. For our DC, the greater problem is going to a boring school rather than not knowing a lot of kids.

But HCG is boring. There isn't anything great going on in the classrooms. Having kids that have done both there really isn't a difference. Especially to have to take away so much of their play time to commuting. Peers yes it can be a plus but it all depends on the class. And HGC does not guarantee magnet entrance. Many do not go on Magnet. Either because they didn't get in or the location.

Will people PLEASE ID their gifted center? I am sensing that most of the criticism is about the Chevy Chase HGC not meeting parent expectations, but Coldspring HGC meeting or exceeding them. This could be due to many different factors unrelated to curriculum.

Speak for yourself or your HGC, Not the case at my children's HGC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone?

My DC loves her classmates, but she is also bored at HGC and very much looking forward to Eastern next year. Compacted math is no challenge and her passion is writing so finds all the reasearch and writing projects to be easy. She is also a fast reader and typer so assignments are completed very quickly. my older DC was at HGC pre 2.0 and the curriculum was much more challenging then. He did not enjoy reading or writing so assignments took him much longer to complete.

I think she will love Eastern - she sounds like a great fit for the program.

My niece is at Eastern but not in the magnet, and there are major social issues that have been troubling for her. How much do the magnet kids mix with non-magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone?

My DC loves her classmates, but she is also bored at HGC and very much looking forward to Eastern next year. Compacted math is no challenge and her passion is writing so finds all the reasearch and writing projects to be easy. She is also a fast reader and typer so assignments are completed very quickly. my older DC was at HGC pre 2.0 and the curriculum was much more challenging then. He did not enjoy reading or writing so assignments took him much longer to complete.

I think she will love Eastern - she sounds like a great fit for the program.

My niece is at Eastern but not in the magnet, and there are major social issues that have been troubling for her. How much do the magnet kids mix with non-magnet?

lunch and PE, sometimes language and there are usually bullying issues because the magnet kids are considered "outcast geeks" It is amazing how many kids in high school don't give two craps about their education. I truly wish MCPS would have a Thomas Jefferson-type High School.

[Anonymous]

Eastern is a middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not? I have a child going into CCES HGC next fall. DS has been incredibly "bored" in his home school. I put quotes because I don't like the whole thing of "my child is so smart that he is bored". But what happens is that he gets his work done quickly and then his teacher allows him to read the rest of the time. So he mostly reads and he isn't engaged in school as a result. I am nervous that the HGC will not be enough of a challenge either. Has that been the case for anyone?

My DC loves her classmates, but she is also bored at HGC and very much looking forward to Eastern next year. Compacted math is no challenge and her passion is writing so finds all the reasearch and writing projects to be easy. She is also a fast reader and typer so assignments are completed very quickly. my older DC was at HGC pre 2.0 and the curriculum was much more challenging then. He did not enjoy reading or writing so assignments took him much longer to complete.

I think she will love Eastern - she sounds like a great fit for the program.

My niece is at Eastern but not in the magnet, and there are major social issues that have been troubling for her. How much do the magnet kids mix with non-magnet?

What are the major social issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great experience at CCES HGC. This was preC2.0 and pre 4th grade teacher turnover. 5th grade teachers still there are great. One of them even let my DC do individual projects in areas where DC was still far ahead of even HGC peers.

That said, for my DC, the best part of HGC was the peer group -- other really bright kids who worked hard in class, had deep interests (even if those interests weren't the same as my DC's) and who pursued interests even when they might not be cool. Very supportive environment among kids. Now in HS, these HGC friends are still some of DC's closest.

My child won't go to middle or high school with anyone in HGC. That is a huge issue for me.

Pp, why not? Don't understand this post.

Already explained. Not all clusters have an HGC so those ES have to go to an entirely different cluster ES. So only those 2-4 kids in that school are in HGC and the rest go off together while those few kids go back to their old cluster for middle school. Unless you have close neighborhood ties with a few cluster friends, the difference between the end of 3rd and starting 6th is huge and friends change. It is tough starting a new school, middle school no less, without a friend-base. I personally think it is an awful way to mess up kid's self esteem too.

[Anonymous]

We do not have a HGC in our cluster but my child has 7 kids from our same SCHOOL at the center. When she went back to the neightborhood school, she had old neightborhood friend and new Center kids from elsewhere in the cluster (at least 10). It was a wider group than if she had stayed in the neighbrohood school. Your situation sounds unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great experience at CCES HGC. This was preC2.0 and pre 4th grade teacher turnover. 5th grade teachers still there are great. One of them even let my DC do individual projects in areas where DC was still far ahead of even HGC peers.

That said, for my DC, the best part of HGC was the peer group -- other really bright kids who worked hard in class, had deep interests (even if those interests weren't the same as my DC's) and who pursued interests even when they might not be cool. Very supportive environment among kids. Now in HS, these HGC friends are still some of DC's closest.

My child won't go to middle or high school with anyone in HGC. That is a huge issue for me.

Pp, why not? Don't understand this post.

Already explained. Not all clusters have an HGC so those ES have to go to an entirely different cluster ES. So only those 2-4 kids in that school are in HGC and the rest go off together while those few kids go back to their old cluster for middle school. Unless you have close neighborhood ties with a few cluster friends, the difference between the end of 3rd and starting 6th is huge and friends change. It is tough starting a new school, middle school no less, without a friend-base. I personally think it is an awful way to mess up kid's self esteem too.

This sounds very specific to your school and neighborhood as well as your child. My child has tons of friends from the home school that she stays in touch with. She also returns to the home school for after care. Also, the HGC is close to the MS Magnets so many students from the HGCs go there.