Cooper Middle School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, the boys are surviving. It is bad for girls. Boys don’t have friend groups or drama. Boys and girls do not social together nicely either like in elementary schools. The school is not a healthy environment for girls. You are fine if you are a boy attending this school.

Sounds more like a generic “mean girls in middle school” thing than anything unique to Cooper. It’s two years and then things get better in high school.

[Anonymous]

My Cooper kid still hangs out with his close friends from elementary. Some friends have switched friend groups and others he seems to just say hi when they see one another. My son is busy with sports outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to post that 100 kids in a gym class is pretty typical for FCPS. They have different teachers but share the same space. It's usually broken down into four teachers but sometimes they are all sharing that same gym space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to post that 100 kids in a gym class is pretty typical for FCPS. They have different teachers but share the same space. It's usually broken down into four teachers but sometimes they are all sharing that same gym space.

Do they go outside? I'm assuming that maybe they start out by sharing the gym space but then may head outside, weather permitting, where they can spread out more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, the boys are surviving. It is bad for girls. Boys don’t have friend groups or drama. Boys and girls do not social together nicely either like in elementary schools. The school is not a healthy environment for girls. You are fine if you are a boy attending this school.

I have a son who attends Cooper and I think it really depends on the type of girl. I went to a meeting with student tour guides and the girls seemed well spoken and confident. It is middle school. Half the school, both male and female, look really awkward. My son is an introvert but smart and athletic. He survived middle school just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so interesting because all the negative comments are so so true. I have a girl graduating top of the class. She is very mature, cool and not one of the studious or nerdy ones. But like her cool, athletic and intelligent peers, as I recently learned, each of them hated their experience at Cooper Middle School as much as she did. They are all so happy it is almost over, counting the days. Nobody wanted to go to any of the end of the year events or spend any more time with anybody at school. Can you imagine most wanted nothing to do with the school dance or the class field trip to the amusement park? Most want to forget, break off forever and move on. As parents we have been so beyond disappointed with the middle school experience for girls and with this school and the current 8th grade. It has left such a bad taste in our mouth to say the least. Though I hear Langley HS will be different as the kids will change, we are too weary and doubtful of that at least for the first year since it’s the same kids from this class. Will the high school be able to instill a better, kinder, friendly, inclusive, and respectful culture if the middle school couldn’t at all? We are going to have to change to a private school just to really avoid the same environment. It has been upsetting seeing the drama and social aspect affect our daughter, who came home sad because she hated every day lunch time, because of the friend groups. The cliques that don’t let you in and your own friend group that is actually mean to you. You will suffer from your friend group that treats you like crap because they are so insecure and when they are not around totally excluded because you are not part of the other groups. You have no control of your schedule and will end up at different lunch than those few friends you truly want to be with. That is supposed to be the most enjoyed time of the day! But it is horrible….We are so disgusted with the incredibly immature, insecure and mean girls, the extremely rude and racist environment among the boys culture. What kind of parents do they have? The dirty mouths of the kids in the hallway, worse than what you see in rated R movies. They do not and cannot control anything. The 3 values you see on the wall of the front office tell you the issues they are trying to solve but are failing badly. Values are something that are actually adopted and in practice and reinforced all the time, and they don’t have any assemblies at all to preach them, so they don’t have these yet as values. Rather they should call them “current problems” we need to solve asap.

I went to a smaller middle school in a different state 30 years ago. Most of these problems were also issues at my middle school back then. Middle school is just unpleasant.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think Cooper has any unique problems, just very typical adolescent friend drama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Cooper has any unique problems, just very typical adolescent friend drama.

Cooper is unique in that it has no sports or community building activities whatsoever. Sure, you can go to movie club after school and sit quietly and watch a movie but that is not what I mean.

Most schools that I, my children and people I know, have gone to have made a concerted effort to integrate the kids and make them feel welcome and part of a community. There is one field trip at the very end of the year. There is one sports day, at the very end of the year. There is nothing else.

There is recess for the first time this year but for most of the kids, that still means sitting inside.

There is a short 30 minute lunch, inside. But don't talk too loudly or you will get detention. Half the year, PE is health class - which means sitting inside.

There is also no PTA - just a PTO whose entire job is to raise money for band instruments. Parents aren't really welcome on campus.

It's like a factory where kids who have lots of energy are made to sit inside all day long, moving from class to class with just 5 minutes in between. It's a dark building and most kids don't go outside most days. It is the most miserable school experience I have ever encountered in my 20 years of having kids in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Cooper has any unique problems, just very typical adolescent friend drama.

Cooper is unique in that it has no sports or community building activities whatsoever. Sure, you can go to movie club after school and sit quietly and watch a movie but that is not what I mean.

Most schools that I, my children and people I know, have gone to have made a concerted effort to integrate the kids and make them feel welcome and part of a community. There is one field trip at the very end of the year. There is one sports day, at the very end of the year. There is nothing else.

There is recess for the first time this year but for most of the kids, that still means sitting inside.

There is a short 30 minute lunch, inside. But don't talk too loudly or you will get detention. Half the year, PE is health class - which means sitting inside.

There is also no PTA - just a PTO whose entire job is to raise money for band instruments. Parents aren't really welcome on campus.

It's like a factory where kids who have lots of energy are made to sit inside all day long, moving from class to class with just 5 minutes in between. It's a dark building and most kids don't go outside most days. It is the most miserable school experience I have ever encountered in my 20 years of having kids in school.

Maybe some of this is due to the school currently being under renovation? At some point they'll be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Cooper has any unique problems, just very typical adolescent friend drama.

Cooper is unique in that it has no sports or community building activities whatsoever. Sure, you can go to movie club after school and sit quietly and watch a movie but that is not what I mean.

Most schools that I, my children and people I know, have gone to have made a concerted effort to integrate the kids and make them feel welcome and part of a community. There is one field trip at the very end of the year. There is one sports day, at the very end of the year. There is nothing else.

There is recess for the first time this year but for most of the kids, that still means sitting inside.

There is a short 30 minute lunch, inside. But don't talk too loudly or you will get detention. Half the year, PE is health class - which means sitting inside.

There is also no PTA - just a PTO whose entire job is to raise money for band instruments. Parents aren't really welcome on campus.

It's like a factory where kids who have lots of energy are made to sit inside all day long, moving from class to class with just 5 minutes in between. It's a dark building and most kids don't go outside most days. It is the most miserable school experience I have ever encountered in my 20 years of having kids in school.

Maybe some of this is due to the school currently being under renovation? At some point they'll be done.

It has been this way for years.

[Anonymous]

The location of the school is part of the problem. Kids can’t hang out anywhere after school. They aren’t even allowed to hang out on grounds after school.

That being said, my introvert son has managed to make new friends. They text and he gets invited out occasionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so interesting because all the negative comments are so so true. I have a girl graduating top of the class. She is very mature, cool and not one of the studious or nerdy ones. But like her cool, athletic and intelligent peers, as I recently learned, each of them hated their experience at Cooper Middle School as much as she did. They are all so happy it is almost over, counting the days. Nobody wanted to go to any of the end of the year events or spend any more time with anybody at school. Can you imagine most wanted nothing to do with the school dance or the class field trip to the amusement park? Most want to forget, break off forever and move on. As parents we have been so beyond disappointed with the middle school experience for girls and with this school and the current 8th grade. It has left such a bad taste in our mouth to say the least. Though I hear Langley HS will be different as the kids will change, we are too weary and doubtful of that at least for the first year since it’s the same kids from this class. Will the high school be able to instill a better, kinder, friendly, inclusive, and respectful culture if the middle school couldn’t at all? We are going to have to change to a private school just to really avoid the same environment. It has been upsetting seeing the drama and social aspect affect our daughter, who came home sad because she hated every day lunch time, because of the friend groups. The cliques that don’t let you in and your own friend group that is actually mean to you. You will suffer from your friend group that treats you like crap because they are so insecure and when they are not around totally excluded because you are not part of the other groups. You have no control of your schedule and will end up at different lunch than those few friends you truly want to be with. That is supposed to be the most enjoyed time of the day! But it is horrible….We are so disgusted with the incredibly immature, insecure and mean girls, the extremely rude and racist environment among the boys culture. What kind of parents do they have? The dirty mouths of the kids in the hallway, worse than what you see in rated R movies. They do not and cannot control anything. The 3 values you see on the wall of the front office tell you the issues they are trying to solve but are failing badly. Values are something that are actually adopted and in practice and reinforced all the time, and they don’t have any assemblies at all to preach them, so they don’t have these yet as values. Rather they should call them “current problems” we need to solve asap.

It’s just a middle school thing. Hormones are raging and kids are learning how to be more independent. It really does get better in high school, though it’s important to join something so you can find your tribe. FWIW, my middle schooler is happy at Cooper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so interesting because all the negative comments are so so true. I have a girl graduating top of the class. She is very mature, cool and not one of the studious or nerdy ones. But like her cool, athletic and intelligent peers, as I recently learned, each of them hated their experience at Cooper Middle School as much as she did. They are all so happy it is almost over, counting the days. Nobody wanted to go to any of the end of the year events or spend any more time with anybody at school. Can you imagine most wanted nothing to do with the school dance or the class field trip to the amusement park? Most want to forget, break off forever and move on. As parents we have been so beyond disappointed with the middle school experience for girls and with this school and the current 8th grade. It has left such a bad taste in our mouth to say the least. Though I hear Langley HS will be different as the kids will change, we are too weary and doubtful of that at least for the first year since it’s the same kids from this class. Will the high school be able to instill a better, kinder, friendly, inclusive, and respectful culture if the middle school couldn’t at all? We are going to have to change to a private school just to really avoid the same environment. It has been upsetting seeing the drama and social aspect affect our daughter, who came home sad because she hated every day lunch time, because of the friend groups. The cliques that don’t let you in and your own friend group that is actually mean to you. You will suffer from your friend group that treats you like crap because they are so insecure and when they are not around totally excluded because you are not part of the other groups. You have no control of your schedule and will end up at different lunch than those few friends you truly want to be with. That is supposed to be the most enjoyed time of the day! But it is horrible….We are so disgusted with the incredibly immature, insecure and mean girls, the extremely rude and racist environment among the boys culture. What kind of parents do they have? The dirty mouths of the kids in the hallway, worse than what you see in rated R movies. They do not and cannot control anything. The 3 values you see on the wall of the front office tell you the issues they are trying to solve but are failing badly. Values are something that are actually adopted and in practice and reinforced all the time, and they don’t have any assemblies at all to preach them, so they don’t have these yet as values. Rather they should call them “current problems” we need to solve asap.

Wow - your kid's experiences (if they are even real), bear zero resemblance to my own kid's experiences. She had a fantastic two years at Cooper, became friends with nice girls AND boys, and is loving all the end of the year activities - as are her friends. The drama you describe could be at any middle school, anywhere in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, the boys are surviving. It is bad for girls. Boys don’t have friend groups or drama. Boys and girls do not social together nicely either like in elementary schools. The school is not a healthy environment for girls. You are fine if you are a boy attending this school.

You are ridiculous. My daughter's friend group includes both girls and boys and yes, they do socialize together. They're all excited to be headed to Langley next year. As for girls, middle school IN GENERAL is an awkward and rough time for girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Cooper has any unique problems, just very typical adolescent friend drama.

Cooper is unique in that it has no sports or community building activities whatsoever. Sure, you can go to movie club after school and sit quietly and watch a movie but that is not what I mean.

Most schools that I, my children and people I know, have gone to have made a concerted effort to integrate the kids and make them feel welcome and part of a community. There is one field trip at the very end of the year. There is one sports day, at the very end of the year. There is nothing else.

There is recess for the first time this year but for most of the kids, that still means sitting inside.

There is a short 30 minute lunch, inside. But don't talk too loudly or you will get detention. Half the year, PE is health class - which means sitting inside.

There is also no PTA - just a PTO whose entire job is to raise money for band instruments. Parents aren't really welcome on campus.

It's like a factory where kids who have lots of energy are made to sit inside all day long, moving from class to class with just 5 minutes in between. It's a dark building and most kids don't go outside most days. It is the most miserable school experience I have ever encountered in my 20 years of having kids in school.

Every post you write is more and more fantastical. Name ONE middle school in this area that has "sports and community building". Name one middled school that has more than five minutes between classes. Cooper has plenty of after school activities - a wonderful theatre program, band, chorus, school newspaper, Model UN, Science Olympiad, Math Teams, student government... there is something for everyone. That is, if you choose to get involved. If you don't, well, that's on you. It doesn't sound like you are at all familiar with middle schools.

And btw - the "dark building" will be renovated and beautiful soon.