Silver Spring International

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In case anyone is interested in knowing how bad SSIMS is right now- I am literally planning to take a loan from my retirement to send my kids private rather than go there! If your kid is anything but a perfect student this place will chew them up- disengaged teacher( but not all) , lots of drugs use, lots of violent kids, many kids sit on phones all day in classes. We are at SCES and everyone who can avoid SSIMS does!!

Feel free to waste your money, no one
here is stopping you.

.

Don’t delude yourself that you will be free of these problems in private. Kids dress better and are more polite to adults but its a sham. Heavy drinking, drug use & sex at an early age. I went to an elite private, then mcps hs. Trust me, the partying is way way worse in private. If the kid wants to learn, they will do ok in mcps despite its many faults. dont bankrupt yourself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The building is almost 100 years old. Very patchy renovations and unreliable HVAC. Chaotic inside and outside of the building.

Unreliable HVAC = mold. I wouldn't choose a sick building for my school if I could find other alternatives.

[Anonymous]

Any updates on how the 2024-2025 school year is going? I have a 5th grader slated to go there next year so looking for recent experiences and feedback.

[Anonymous]

A 6th grader I know there right now said "school is never quiet. We're between 2 construction sites, 1 for the purple line and 1 for the new gym that won't be done by the time we leave." People who say things like that don't matter to kids should maybe ask the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 6th grader I know there right now said "school is never quiet. We're between 2 construction sites, 1 for the purple line and 1 for the new gym that won't be done by the time we leave." People who say things like that don't matter to kids should maybe ask the kids.

The gym addition is scheduled to be completed in August 2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stupid question, why don't they just tear down the structure and build a more modern one? Many area schools have been completely rebuilt. Recent one was Woodlin ES in Silver Spring. Do they only focus on ES, until overcrowding becomes an issue at a MS or HS - such as a new HS that will be near Walter Johnson HS in North (!) Bethesda/Rockville.

It has a nice facade in a verdant setting, not unlike B-CC HS. They should gut the building completely like MCPS did at B-CC and thus build a new school whilst preserving the historic facade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stupid question, why don't they just tear down the structure and build a more modern one? Many area schools have been completely rebuilt. Recent one was Woodlin ES in Silver Spring. Do they only focus on ES, until overcrowding becomes an issue at a MS or HS - such as a new HS that will be near Walter Johnson HS in North (!) Bethesda/Rockville.

I believe it's registered as historic, so they can't demolish it. That said, the original BCC HS is historic and MCPS did a pretty good job adding onto it and modernizing the historic building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stupid question, why don't they just tear down the structure and build a more modern one? Many area schools have been completely rebuilt. Recent one was Woodlin ES in Silver Spring. Do they only focus on ES, until overcrowding becomes an issue at a MS or HS - such as a new HS that will be near Walter Johnson HS in North (!) Bethesda/Rockville.

I believe it's registered as historic, so they can't demolish it. That said, the original BCC HS is historic and MCPS did a pretty good job adding onto it and modernizing the historic building.

And look at the relative locations and communities served . . .

[Anonymous]

I have a 5th grader who will likely go to SSIMS. I also have an 8th grader who is a current SSIMS student. My 8th grader has done well, made tons of friends, and has had some excellent teachers and great experiences. I think the school will be a good fit for my younger child as well.

The SSIMS construction project is going well. It’s exciting to see how quickly and smoothly the work has gone thus far. The gym will be ready in April 2025. The builders have done a terrific job minimizing the impact of the school construction.

The Purple Line is a much bigger issue affecting not just SSIMS but also much of DTSS. There is no denying the fact that the PL construction has been a huge disruption.

The new SSIMS principal is excellent and totally devoted to the school. He creates a positive atmosphere inside the building by focusing on the things that he can control. He cares about the students and believes in the school community. The PTSA is very active and accessible. Parents are friendly and welcoming. No school is perfect, but there is much that is good about SSIMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 5th grader who will likely go to SSIMS. I also have an 8th grader who is a current SSIMS student. My 8th grader has done well, made tons of friends, and has had some excellent teachers and great experiences. I think the school will be a good fit for my younger child as well.

The SSIMS construction project is going well. It’s exciting to see how quickly and smoothly the work has gone thus far. The gym will be ready in April 2025. The builders have done a terrific job minimizing the impact of the school construction.

The Purple Line is a much bigger issue affecting not just SSIMS but also much of DTSS. There is no denying the fact that the PL construction has been a huge disruption.

The new SSIMS principal is excellent and totally devoted to the school. He creates a positive atmosphere inside the building by focusing on the things that he can control. He cares about the students and believes in the school community. The PTSA is very active and accessible. Parents are friendly and welcoming. No school is perfect, but there is much that is good about SSIMS.

April? The CIP says August 2025. I've never heard of an MCPS project being ready ahead of schedule!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 5th grader who will likely go to SSIMS. I also have an 8th grader who is a current SSIMS student. My 8th grader has done well, made tons of friends, and has had some excellent teachers and great experiences. I think the school will be a good fit for my younger child as well.

The SSIMS construction project is going well. It’s exciting to see how quickly and smoothly the work has gone thus far. The gym will be ready in April 2025. The builders have done a terrific job minimizing the impact of the school construction.

The Purple Line is a much bigger issue affecting not just SSIMS but also much of DTSS. There is no denying the fact that the PL construction has been a huge disruption.

The new SSIMS principal is excellent and totally devoted to the school. He creates a positive atmosphere inside the building by focusing on the things that he can control. He cares about the students and believes in the school community. The PTSA is very active and accessible. Parents are friendly and welcoming. No school is perfect, but there is much that is good about SSIMS.

Thanks for this thoughtful and thorough reply. Glad to hear it’s going well.

[Anonymous]

My child started 6th grade there this year and we have been super pleased so far.

The teachers have been fantastic for the most part, very supportive and easy for students to communicate with. You can tell that they're super enthusiastic and excited to teach. While I am not yet aware of all the clubs that the school has to offer, the ones I know about have been fantastic. My child especially loves the Abacus and Math clubs, as well as Jazz Band.

I have been really impressed by the principal. My child says he's always around, always visible in the hallways, always there to talk to if you need him. Every after school event I've attended he has been there, even if it's just a booster club meeting with parents. He is VERY approachable. He even dressed up as a ball of sunshine on Halloween, lol.

There have been times where I wish the school/teachers communicated a little better to parents, but these seem to be oversights and not intentional on their part. But that's probably true of a lot of middle and high schools.

[Anonymous]

I have a child there currently. No middle school is perfect. It has challenges, to be sure. The new principal is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was there last year. New principal is fantastic. School itself is so, so horrible- narrow hallways and bad feng shui. PL construction makes even the outside of the school feel bad. Fights in the hallway. Weed in the bathroom. New principal has his work cut out for him.

[Anonymous]

When are they ever going to finish construction in that area what a mess?!