Hardy Middle School -- 5th grade in feeder school -- who's considering Hardy for 6th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a large enough bloc of Mann/Key/Hyde parents insisted on reversing the uniform policy, it could work. Hardy could quickly become a small darling of NW. But as long as the face of the school is OOB in need of discipline, that can't happen.

You know, I'm starting to wonder whether I would want to send my kid to school with kids whose parents are overwhelmed by their unresearched and unverified assumptions about Hardy based on what they think public school uniforms must mean. That is, they can't see the difference between what is really going on at the school and what they believe everyone thinks about the school. It might be best if all you folks who are suspicious about uniforms don't send your kids to the school because I'm not sure I would want my child to associate with children whose parents don't teach them to do research and engage in critical thinking.

Do the research and check the reasons why the introduction of public school uniforms in urban schools became an educational fad in the late 80s and into the 90s.

Not saying that those are the precise reasons why Hardy became the sole public school west of Rock Creek Park to require uniforms, or that the conditions that led to uniforms still exist today, but why would Hardy want to be associated with what urban public school uniforms usually imply about the school?

If you do the research on Christmas trees, you'll find that they were a pagan custom relating to bringing the green and light of springtime into the darkest days of the winter. Also December 25th was called "Sol Invictus" in pre-christian roman times, meaning "victory of the sun" - a few days after the winter solstice when it became clear that the sun was winning out over darkness and would return again.

Does this research prove a negative association of Christmas with less desirable religions? Does it make you want to stop celebrating Christmas or stop putting up a tree?

Great analogy, pp!

[Anonymous]

Please go ask the Principal about this and report back to us. You keep bringing it up and getting the same answer: the principal is open to the idea, as are Hardy parents. So if you care, make it happen. And until then, stop boring us with this subject.

[Anonymous]

Hardy actually is a lot like the gentrifying neighborhood. They like the rising values (in Hardy's case, test scores), having more amenities, the influx of families with more dollars to spend (or donate in this case) and the buzz of being an up and coming community. But others don't want to see the old place "gentrified." The school uniforms may have something to do with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy actually is a lot like the gentrifying neighborhood. They like the rising values (in Hardy's case, test scores), having more amenities, the influx of families with more dollars to spend (or donate in this case) and the buzz of being an up and coming community. But others don't want to see the old place "gentrified." The school uniforms may have something to do with that.

Oh FFS, give up on this stupid gambit! As an OOB Hardy family from some years back, we would have been happy to have more IB kids join us. But then you only know such things if you do your actual research and make an effort to talk to people instead of whining that they won't come to you and beg you to attend their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy actually is a lot like the gentrifying neighborhood. They like the rising values (in Hardy's case, test scores), having more amenities, the influx of families with more dollars to spend (or donate in this case) and the buzz of being an up and coming community. But others don't want to see the old place "gentrified." The school uniforms may have something to do with that.

Paging Courtland Milloy - call your office!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please go ask the Principal about this and report back to us. You keep bringing it up and getting the same answer: the principal is open to the idea, as are Hardy parents. So if you care, make it happen. And until then, stop boring us with this subject.

I suspect the uniform poster does not have a Hardy-age child, but got psychologically damaged in a past Hardy battle and has never got over it. And never will.

[Anonymous]

I know this is an old thread but if you are considering Hardy-don't. I have two children who have been to Hardy and it's a mess. When my oldest child started there 5 years ago it was a lovely small school with a large art and music department. By the time he graduated, art and music were not required, they changed the scheduling system so that there are the same amount of periods everyday(this eliminates being able to take 3 electives), and their Math, Language and Science Departments are a mess. In 6th grade the principal keeps the numbers down to make the in-boundary families happy but over enrolls and floods the 8th grade. This has happened twice and when I asked Principal Pride she said it was impossible to know who would enroll. Really?

Their Math levels land most of their students one to two years behind their peers from the other feeder schools to Wilson. At Deal every student is offered at least Algebra 1 in the 8th grade. At Hardy only one section of Math receives Algebra 1. Students have to be recommended and pass a test. These test aren't normed and change from year to year. Every student at Deal is being pushed to take AT LEAST ALGEBRA 1 in the 8th grade while Hardy students have to jump through hoops and beat out their classmates to get into the one section. It's pathetic. When I asked the administration why 8th graders weren't taking Algebra 1 they said that most students would enter SWW and Wilson taking Algebra 1 as a freshman. I can assure you that with two students in high school only at risk students are taking Algebra 1 as a freshman and those from Hardy.

The one saving grace of the school's education is what they call the SEM class. It's a wonderful schoolwide enrichment class that shouldn't be an elective but a school wide class that is a project based learning focusing on STEM. All of DCPS is supposed to have rolled this out. It is how most classes should be taught using best teaching practice and student exploration. It gets kids excited about learning. Unfortunately, this class is once in their day and only for a half year, then it's back to teachers standing in front of them droning on and on while students sit.

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Of course this is just observation from a mom who used to teach middle school ages before her kids were born and who wanted more for my kids. My kids are thriving in high school but their freshman years were hell on wheels getting caught up which included one of them having to take an online Math course over the summer recommended by the chair of the Math department who could not believe a smart kid had been left behind.

I don't want to start a fight but offer a view that is different than it sucks, it's getting better or it's great.


Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

It's a bit of a bummer to read your post because from where we sit, we're feeling just about "all in" for enrolling at Hardy next year but your post give me pause. But I'm grateful that you took the time. Based on your experience, could you offer families like ours a list of things you think we should be asking for academically? If you really think the Principal Pride is driven by wanting to be like Deal do you think that she will add the things necessary into the program, such as offering algebra for everyone? And when you say the staff is so stretched, why do you think so? Is the staff more stretched than at other schools? Unless I'm mistaken, Hardy's enrollment isn't higher than what their budget was based upon, So I'm curious what you mean. Thank you for your candor PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread but if you are considering Hardy-don't. I have two children who have been to Hardy and it's a mess. When my oldest child started there 5 years ago it was a lovely small school with a large art and music department. By the time he graduated, art and music were not required, they changed the scheduling system so that there are the same amount of periods everyday(this eliminates being able to take 3 electives), and their Math, Language and Science Departments are a mess. In 6th grade the principal keeps the numbers down to make the in-boundary families happy but over enrolls and floods the 8th grade. This has happened twice and when I asked Principal Pride she said it was impossible to know who would enroll. Really?

Their Math levels land most of their students one to two years behind their peers from the other feeder schools to Wilson. At Deal every student is offered at least Algebra 1 in the 8th grade. At Hardy only one section of Math receives Algebra 1. Students have to be recommended and pass a test. These test aren't normed and change from year to year. Every student at Deal is being pushed to take AT LEAST ALGEBRA 1 in the 8th grade while Hardy students have to jump through hoops and beat out their classmates to get into the one section. It's pathetic. When I asked the administration why 8th graders weren't taking Algebra 1 they said that most students would enter SWW and Wilson taking Algebra 1 as a freshman. I can assure you that with two students in high school only at risk students are taking Algebra 1 as a freshman and those from Hardy.

The one saving grace of the school's education is what they call the SEM class. It's a wonderful schoolwide enrichment class that shouldn't be an elective but a school wide class that is a project based learning focusing on STEM. All of DCPS is supposed to have rolled this out. It is how most classes should be taught using best teaching practice and student exploration. It gets kids excited about learning. Unfortunately, this class is once in their day and only for a half year, then it's back to teachers standing in front of them droning on and on while students sit.

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Of course this is just observation from a mom who used to teach middle school ages before her kids were born and who wanted more for my kids. My kids are thriving in high school but their freshman years were hell on wheels getting caught up which included one of them having to take an online Math course over the summer recommended by the chair of the Math department who could not believe a smart kid had been left behind.

I don't want to start a fight but offer a view that is different than it sucks, it's getting better or it's great.


Hope this helps.

This may be a time-honored DCPS practice to give more OOB students a last shot at getting into the Wilson cluster.

[Anonymous]

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Please explain.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the PP for her helpful perspective on Hardy. The PTO has made curriculum as one of the big issues for this year - and there's an increasing recognition that there needs to be more of a push toward a college track emphasis as the IB population is increasing. (Yes, it is sad and systemic prejudice that it takes that to make that push). The PP's experience is great for informing how the school moves forward - and how her kids who went through the school and are now in high school are doing.
This is the first year that IB kids are closer to 30% and it's expected to be bigger next year (based on the increased sizes of the 5th at the feeders, and then with the addition of Eaton the year after)... so the wave seems to be a very concerted and heavy push to a more enlightened and appropriate curriculum for all..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago, Hardy didn't have a boys soccer program (football, but not soccer) but it looks like they do now according to the school's website. That's a big step forward in the athletic program, at least for in-boundary boys.

So girls can only play bbal? This shit pisses me off anywhere, not just at Hardy.

Deal has several girls teams.

Who struggle to find teams to play against because ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread but if you are considering Hardy-don't. I have two children who have been to Hardy and it's a mess. When my oldest child started there 5 years ago it was a lovely small school with a large art and music department. By the time he graduated, art and music were not required, they changed the scheduling system so that there are the same amount of periods everyday(this eliminates being able to take 3 electives), and their Math, Language and Science Departments are a mess. In 6th grade the principal keeps the numbers down to make the in-boundary families happy but over enrolls and floods the 8th grade. This has happened twice and when I asked Principal Pride she said it was impossible to know who would enroll. Really?

Their Math levels land most of their students one to two years behind their peers from the other feeder schools to Wilson. At Deal every student is offered at least Algebra 1 in the 8th grade. At Hardy only one section of Math receives Algebra 1. Students have to be recommended and pass a test. These test aren't normed and change from year to year. Every student at Deal is being pushed to take AT LEAST ALGEBRA 1 in the 8th grade while Hardy students have to jump through hoops and beat out their classmates to get into the one section. It's pathetic. When I asked the administration why 8th graders weren't taking Algebra 1 they said that most students would enter SWW and Wilson taking Algebra 1 as a freshman. I can assure you that with two students in high school only at risk students are taking Algebra 1 as a freshman and those from Hardy.

The one saving grace of the school's education is what they call the SEM class. It's a wonderful schoolwide enrichment class that shouldn't be an elective but a school wide class that is a project based learning focusing on STEM. All of DCPS is supposed to have rolled this out. It is how most classes should be taught using best teaching practice and student exploration. It gets kids excited about learning. Unfortunately, this class is once in their day and only for a half year, then it's back to teachers standing in front of them droning on and on while students sit.

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Of course this is just observation from a mom who used to teach middle school ages before her kids were born and who wanted more for my kids. My kids are thriving in high school but their freshman years were hell on wheels getting caught up which included one of them having to take an online Math course over the summer recommended by the chair of the Math department who could not believe a smart kid had been left behind.

I don't want to start a fight but offer a view that is different than it sucks, it's getting better or it's great.


Hope this helps.

Where do your kids go to HS? Were they prepared?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago, Hardy didn't have a boys soccer program (football, but not soccer) but it looks like they do now according to the school's website. That's a big step forward in the athletic program, at least for in-boundary boys.

So girls can only play bbal? This shit pisses me off anywhere, not just at Hardy.

Deal has several girls teams.

Who struggle to find teams to play against because ....

... their 6th grade class is substantially bigger than any other MS in DCPS

[Anonymous]

I've been hearing GREAT things about Hardy this year from several students and parents. Good classes which require analysis of the material (not regurgitation), good teachers, and kids excited about going to school.