Fairfax? Other? For average athlete/good student?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should ignore the suggestions for West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock. They are huge schools and there is a big focus on sports. An average athlete is not making varsity basketball or baseball teams there, particularly if they haven't grown up in the area, shelled out money for the coaches' summer camps, etc.

Falls Church and Hayfield are better suggestions - you just don't hear about them as often because there are some people in Burke and West Springfield who think the special "niche" for their schools are military families commuting to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir. But West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock aren't the only schools in the area, and they don't meet your specs at all.

OP, there is a poster who is VERY anti WS and LB for some reason. She posts on other threads and has probably found your thread too. Take her post with a grain of salt.

Those two pyramids are very popular with military families and have a very strong military community. Ask around your base and you will get good suggestions from people who were stationed here before. They might be a good fit for your kids. They might not be. But if you are looking for a community that is skilled at welcoming military kids and helping them adapt, those two pyramids can't be beat. Lake Braddock and Robinson are huge, but there seems to be lots of groups for all kinds of kids to find their niche. WS is one of the smaller high schools in Fairfax County. They are not small, but by fcps standards they are definitely smaller.

We have been stationed in the area several times. The first time we were childless and lives inside the beltway along the Orange line. When we came back with kids, there was no question that the WS/Burke area was at the top of our list. It is really one of the best areas in northern VA for families with kids who want good schools and do not want a pressure cooker environment.

Also, as I posted above, do not leave off those other areas (Hayfield, South County, Robinson, Arlington if you can afford it) The Fort Hunt area of Alexandria is iffy with high school kids as many do private to avoid the high school.

Don't listen to this poster. She is steering you wrong.

Good luck!

I have to say every time I hear about a school that is very pro military I think "very conservative" and "highly mobile". It's a turn off to people who want to stay in the area for a long time.

+1

Considering that OP is military and transitory, those things are likely all huge plusses for her, not negatives.

[Anonymous]

Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should ignore the suggestions for West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock. They are huge schools and there is a big focus on sports. An average athlete is not making varsity basketball or baseball teams there, particularly if they haven't grown up in the area, shelled out money for the coaches' summer camps, etc.

Falls Church and Hayfield are better suggestions - you just don't hear about them as often because there are some people in Burke and West Springfield who think the special "niche" for their schools are military families commuting to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir. But West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock aren't the only schools in the area, and they don't meet your specs at all.

OP, there is a poster who is VERY anti WS and LB for some reason. She posts on other threads and has probably found your thread too. Take her post with a grain of salt.

Those two pyramids are very popular with military families and have a very strong military community. Ask around your base and you will get good suggestions from people who were stationed here before. They might be a good fit for your kids. They might not be. But if you are looking for a community that is skilled at welcoming military kids and helping them adapt, those two pyramids can't be beat. Lake Braddock and Robinson are huge, but there seems to be lots of groups for all kinds of kids to find their niche. WS is one of the smaller high schools in Fairfax County. They are not small, but by fcps standards they are definitely smaller.

We have been stationed in the area several times. The first time we were childless and lives inside the beltway along the Orange line. When we came back with kids, there was no question that the WS/Burke area was at the top of our list. It is really one of the best areas in northern VA for families with kids who want good schools and do not want a pressure cooker environment.

Also, as I posted above, do not leave off those other areas (Hayfield, South County, Robinson, Arlington if you can afford it) The Fort Hunt area of Alexandria is iffy with high school kids as many do private to avoid the high school.

Don't listen to this poster. She is steering you wrong.

Good luck!

I have to say every time I hear about a school that is very pro military I think "very conservative" and "highly mobile". It's a turn off to people who want to stay in the area for a long time.

+1

Considering that OP is military and transitory, those things are likely all huge plusses for her, not negatives.

DP, but it's obnoxious to call schools "iffy" just because they have more minorities than WS/Robinson/LB and label every school with higher test scores "pressure cookers."

That attitude is very common among the WS/LB/Robinson set, and it's definitely a negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should ignore the suggestions for West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock. They are huge schools and there is a big focus on sports. An average athlete is not making varsity basketball or baseball teams there, particularly if they haven't grown up in the area, shelled out money for the coaches' summer camps, etc.

Falls Church and Hayfield are better suggestions - you just don't hear about them as often because there are some people in Burke and West Springfield who think the special "niche" for their schools are military families commuting to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir. But West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock aren't the only schools in the area, and they don't meet your specs at all.

OP, there is a poster who is VERY anti WS and LB for some reason. She posts on other threads and has probably found your thread too. Take her post with a grain of salt.

Those two pyramids are very popular with military families and have a very strong military community. Ask around your base and you will get good suggestions from people who were stationed here before. They might be a good fit for your kids. They might not be. But if you are looking for a community that is skilled at welcoming military kids and helping them adapt, those two pyramids can't be beat. Lake Braddock and Robinson are huge, but there seems to be lots of groups for all kinds of kids to find their niche. WS is one of the smaller high schools in Fairfax County. They are not small, but by fcps standards they are definitely smaller.

We have been stationed in the area several times. The first time we were childless and lives inside the beltway along the Orange line. When we came back with kids, there was no question that the WS/Burke area was at the top of our list. It is really one of the best areas in northern VA for families with kids who want good schools and do not want a pressure cooker environment.

Also, as I posted above, do not leave off those other areas (Hayfield, South County, Robinson, Arlington if you can afford it) The Fort Hunt area of Alexandria is iffy with high school kids as many do private to avoid the high school.

Don't listen to this poster. She is steering you wrong.

Good luck!

I have to say every time I hear about a school that is very pro military I think "very conservative" and "highly mobile". It's a turn off to people who want to stay in the area for a long time.

+1

Considering that OP is military and transitory, those things are likely all huge plusses for her, not negatives.

DP, but it's obnoxious to call schools "iffy" just because they have more minorities than WS/Robinson/LB and label every school with higher test scores "pressure cookers."

That attitude is very common among the WS/LB/Robinson set, and it's definitely a negative.

I referred to those schools as iffy because that is what people who live in those areas say. There are many posters who say that the elementary schools around Fort Hunt are wonderful but that "you probably want to look into private for middle and high school." I actually recommended those areas in my first post (I think 9:42 ish) but on my second post used the word iffy to describe the high schools as that is how people from that part of Alexandria consistently describe their high school options (West Potomac fine but overcrowded due to people in neighboring schools placing into it and zoning issues). LBSS or WSHS OR RES being good schools is not N insult to West Potomac. Repeating what many posters from the West Potomac area say about their own high school is not a slam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

it is not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

it is not

Thanks! I always wondered.

What high school do the city of FC kids go to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should ignore the suggestions for West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock. They are huge schools and there is a big focus on sports. An average athlete is not making varsity basketball or baseball teams there, particularly if they haven't grown up in the area, shelled out money for the coaches' summer camps, etc.

Falls Church and Hayfield are better suggestions - you just don't hear about them as often because there are some people in Burke and West Springfield who think the special "niche" for their schools are military families commuting to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir. But West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock aren't the only schools in the area, and they don't meet your specs at all.

OP, there is a poster who is VERY anti WS and LB for some reason. She posts on other threads and has probably found your thread too. Take her post with a grain of salt.

Those two pyramids are very popular with military families and have a very strong military community. Ask around your base and you will get good suggestions from people who were stationed here before. They might be a good fit for your kids. They might not be. But if you are looking for a community that is skilled at welcoming military kids and helping them adapt, those two pyramids can't be beat. Lake Braddock and Robinson are huge, but there seems to be lots of groups for all kinds of kids to find their niche. WS is one of the smaller high schools in Fairfax County. They are not small, but by fcps standards they are definitely smaller.

We have been stationed in the area several times. The first time we were childless and lives inside the beltway along the Orange line. When we came back with kids, there was no question that the WS/Burke area was at the top of our list. It is really one of the best areas in northern VA for families with kids who want good schools and do not want a pressure cooker environment.

Also, as I posted above, do not leave off those other areas (Hayfield, South County, Robinson, Arlington if you can afford it) The Fort Hunt area of Alexandria is iffy with high school kids as many do private to avoid the high school.

Don't listen to this poster. She is steering you wrong.

Good luck!

I have to say every time I hear about a school that is very pro military I think "very conservative" and "highly mobile". It's a turn off to people who want to stay in the area for a long time.

+1

Considering that OP is military and transitory, those things are likely all huge plusses for her, not negatives.

DP, but it's obnoxious to call schools "iffy" just because they have more minorities than WS/Robinson/LB and label every school with higher test scores "pressure cookers."

That attitude is very common among the WS/LB/Robinson set, and it's definitely a negative.

I referred to those schools as iffy because that is what people who live in those areas say. There are many posters who say that the elementary schools around Fort Hunt are wonderful but that "you probably want to look into private for middle and high school." I actually recommended those areas in my first post (I think 9:42 ish) but on my second post used the word iffy to describe the high schools as that is how people from that part of Alexandria consistently describe their high school options (West Potomac fine but overcrowded due to people in neighboring schools placing into it and zoning issues). LBSS or WSHS OR RES being good schools is not N insult to West Potomac. Repeating what many posters from the West Potomac area say about their own high school is not a slam.

There are over 2650 kids at West Potomac, so obviously a lot of people are fine sending their kids there. Local residents don't speak with one voice, and many who have previously done so favorably eventually stop posting on DCUM, because it's not worth the energy, when you get slammed by anonymous posters, often from the LB/WS/Robinson areas, trying to push their corner of the woods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

it is not

Thanks! I always wondered.

What high school do the city of FC kids go to?

George Mason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

it is not

Thanks! I always wondered.

What high school do the city of FC kids go to?

George Mason HS is the only HS in the city of Falls Church. But that CAN be a heck of a commute to the pentagon if there is ANY kind of traffic on the GW parkway in the morning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's are a few houses zoned for Falls Church HS (AP high school; smaller size; easier to make teams) or Stuart HS (IB high school; smaller size; easier to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3302-Crest-Haven-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22042_M55866-47259#photo0

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3327-Prince-Charles-Ct_Falls-Church_VA_22044_M52804-60125#photo7

And here's some zoned for Lake Braddock (AP secondary school; large size; harder to make teams) or West Springfield HS (AP high school; mid-size; harder to make teams):

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6107-Dominican-Dr_Springfield_VA_22152_M58723-22899#photo11

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6402-Gregory-Ct_Springfield_VA_22152_M51565-02228#photo6

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6515-Sara-Alyce-Ct_Burke_VA_22015_M63835-73142

Just out of curiosity, is Falls Church HS city of Falls Church?

it is not

Thanks! I always wondered.

What high school do the city of FC kids go to?

George Mason HS is the only HS in the city of Falls Church. But that CAN be a heck of a commute to the pentagon if there is ANY kind of traffic on the GW parkway in the morning

Cool. Thanks for the info. I always wondered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should ignore the suggestions for West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock. They are huge schools and there is a big focus on sports. An average athlete is not making varsity basketball or baseball teams there, particularly if they haven't grown up in the area, shelled out money for the coaches' summer camps, etc.

Falls Church and Hayfield are better suggestions - you just don't hear about them as often because there are some people in Burke and West Springfield who think the special "niche" for their schools are military families commuting to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir. But West Springfield, Robinson and Lake Braddock aren't the only schools in the area, and they don't meet your specs at all.

OP, there is a poster who is VERY anti WS and LB for some reason. She posts on other threads and has probably found your thread too. Take her post with a grain of salt.

Those two pyramids are very popular with military families and have a very strong military community. Ask around your base and you will get good suggestions from people who were stationed here before. They might be a good fit for your kids. They might not be. But if you are looking for a community that is skilled at welcoming military kids and helping them adapt, those two pyramids can't be beat. Lake Braddock and Robinson are huge, but there seems to be lots of groups for all kinds of kids to find their niche. WS is one of the smaller high schools in Fairfax County. They are not small, but by fcps standards they are definitely smaller.

We have been stationed in the area several times. The first time we were childless and lives inside the beltway along the Orange line. When we came back with kids, there was no question that the WS/Burke area was at the top of our list. It is really one of the best areas in northern VA for families with kids who want good schools and do not want a pressure cooker environment.

Also, as I posted above, do not leave off those other areas (Hayfield, South County, Robinson, Arlington if you can afford it) The Fort Hunt area of Alexandria is iffy with high school kids as many do private to avoid the high school.

Don't listen to this poster. She is steering you wrong.

Good luck!

I have to say every time I hear about a school that is very pro military I think "very conservative" and "highly mobile". It's a turn off to people who want to stay in the area for a long time.

+1

Considering that OP is military and transitory, those things are likely all huge plusses for her, not negatives.

DP, but it's obnoxious to call schools "iffy" just because they have more minorities than WS/Robinson/LB and label every school with higher test scores "pressure cookers."

That attitude is very common among the WS/LB/Robinson set, and it's definitely a negative.

I referred to those schools as iffy because that is what people who live in those areas say. There are many posters who say that the elementary schools around Fort Hunt are wonderful but that "you probably want to look into private for middle and high school." I actually recommended those areas in my first post (I think 9:42 ish) but on my second post used the word iffy to describe the high schools as that is how people from that part of Alexandria consistently describe their high school options (West Potomac fine but overcrowded due to people in neighboring schools placing into it and zoning issues). LBSS or WSHS OR RES being good schools is not N insult to West Potomac. Repeating what many posters from the West Potomac area say about their own high school is not a slam.

I am a person who lives in that area, and I and my neighbors do not refer to it as “iffy”. At all. I only hear bad things from people who did not send their kids to our West Potomac pyramid. So if you don’t have any real experience, stop talking.

[Anonymous]

Completely different poster here. We recently left Belle View elementary and moved to a Robinson feeder. It's literally night and day in terms of our experience. I loved Belle Haven, loved our commute to Old Town, but I found the elementary school to be not fantastic. Decent, but not blowing me away.

I also found the social pressure to be weird. We don't golf and didn't join the country club. We refused to apply to the Alexandria privates our neighbors sent their kids to, and I found the whole relationship between Belle Haven and the neighboring areas (what's the neighborhood with the cute 50's bunglows called?) fraught.

I like Fairfax. It's just less pretentious. It's boring and brady bunch esque but that's the phase of life I'm in at the moment.

[Anonymous]

^^ Del Ray?

That is the cutest little neighborhood in such a great location. Too bad the schools aren't stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ Del Ray?

That is the cutest little neighborhood in such a great location. Too bad the schools aren't stronger.

No, it's right next to Belle Haven. They are modest 50's bungalows that feed into Belle View. My old neighbors complained about that community tons.