Right middle school for artsy and sensitive kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

OP here - thank you for sharing this!! Was your child above grade level in math in elementary? I worry my grade level kid would get overwhelmed and discouraged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

OP said her kid doesn’t like school.

May not be good fit for BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for this!!

By the way, “move where specifically” wasn’t me but it’s a great question. If we were to move across town (which would actually be fine for the family in terms of parent commute and the other factors mentioned), we wondered about Hardy since it seems to be smaller / more personal. My husband actually works in Bethesda and reverse commutes so I guess we could consider there but the schools seem massively overcrowded with giant classes and I don’t really want to leave the city.

it sounds like your child is not particularly attached to her current classmates so you may as well move to the Hardy or Deal districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

Agree. BASIS has a lot of quirky kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

Agree. BASIS has a lot of quirky kids.

Yes, Basis does have a lot of quirky kids and hardly any bullying, which is nice. But it's not a good place for a kid who doesn't like schoolwork and academics -- it's so much work! My son enjoys it, but you have to truly enjoy memorizations and homework and studying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. I caution against approaching this with an attitude that “middle school stinks” for everyone. I sent 2 through Deal MS and they absolutely loved it. Tons of great energy and a really positive and inclusive school culture (tone set by school leadership). I heard of very little bullying esp compared to what I’d hear from friends at privates or suburban public’s. Middle School can be awesome socially.

2. I don’t have artsy kids personally but a big school is going to have a little something for everyone. We went to a number of Deal’s theater productions over the years and they were fantastic. The principal is a huge supporter of the arts.

3. If you move IB for deal that gives you the right to attend JR which historically is the best regarded comprehensive by-right school in the city. Also has something for everyone.

4. In either case you need to be ok with big. Personally- I prefer big because it exposes my kids to more stuff. To use them as an example, they are both athletes but I wouldn’t send them to a small school focused on sports at the expense of arts or academics. For similar reasons if I had an artsy kid I wouldn’t send them to Duke Ellington. But you know how your kid will do with big. Many kids love it and thrive in big environments.

5. I assume from your post you are feeling comfortable with the academic experience dcps offers. Ie, no gifted and talented and no “honors” outside of AP in HS and the option to take advanced math and a language starting in MS. No other dcps school feeder path is going to offer more than Deal-JR (and many will offer less).

I agree that bigger sometimes is better for some shy kids because there are better odds of finding others who have a similar interest.

Also kids change a fair bit between 4th and 7th/8th grades.

In general, it's good to have at least one friendship-potential activity outside of school since even close elementary school friendships can get rattled by different speeds of development in middle school. At a larger middle school, friendships shift a lot and elementary school groups don't necessarily stay intact, often for the better long term even if it's a tough ride getting there.

So while you're researching schools maybe add an activity. Mine have liked their neighborhood scout troops.

[Anonymous]

Cap city had more arts programming than I would have expected when I looked into it, but that was a while ago. It would not be a fun commute from the hill but if your husband is already driving to Bethesda it might not be too far out of the way, or you could move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

OP here - thank you for sharing this!! Was your child above grade level in math in elementary? I worry my grade level kid would get overwhelmed and discouraged.

He had 5s in both PARCCs in 3rd grade, but I don't think he was considered gifted or anything like that. Usually got mostly 3s in his report card.
But he was more introverted and non-sporty than most of his peers at his elementary IB. He does like science and that's what drew us to BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move where specifically?

You'll get better responses if you do a little research on your own first, rather than dumping your problem and curtly expecting a good answer.

The established non-lottery high school in DC is Jackson-Reed. You could also look into MacArthur. In the burbs, Blair and Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase. And the Arlington and Alexandria high schools. There are not that many by-right high schools in this area. Take some time on your own to see which feels like a good fit, and then circle back to here and the MoCo and VA school boards.

Please do not move to VA.

[Anonymous]

Stuart-Hobson has an incredible arts program. There are several open houses this fall that you should check out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

The large number of D&D/RPG lunch-time clubs at Latin, strongly suggest otherwise.

Ha, love it! Totally a tangent, but my 5th grader (not at Latin) loves D&D and we are having trouble finding them a group to play with besides the one neighbor who occasionally hosts. Let me know if you have any tips, and/or if it is an outside group that comes into host at the school.

I've heard Woodridge library hosts a D&D event.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

The large number of D&D/RPG lunch-time clubs at Latin, strongly suggest otherwise.

Ha, love it! Totally a tangent, but my 5th grader (not at Latin) loves D&D and we are having trouble finding them a group to play with besides the one neighbor who occasionally hosts. Let me know if you have any tips, and/or if it is an outside group that comes into host at the school.

I've heard Woodridge library hosts a D&D event.

Woodridge library has really amazing kids programming general. In addition to D&D they also host a chess club and do tons of movie nights and arts events for kids. The librarians in the kids and teens section (which is large and on the main floor when you walk in so really feels like the focus of the library) go out of their way to get to know kids who come in regularly and suggest books and connect. DCPL is generally pretty great but we've come to especially love Woodridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an artsy sensitive kid at BASIS and it's a terrific fit. Latin can be full of "cool kids", BASIS is a school for geeks, which tend to be more forgiving of individual quirks.

OP here - thank you for sharing this!! Was your child above grade level in math in elementary? I worry my grade level kid would get overwhelmed and discouraged.

He had 5s in both PARCCs in 3rd grade, but I don't think he was considered gifted or anything like that. Usually got mostly 3s in his report card.
But he was more introverted and non-sporty than most of his peers at his elementary IB. He does like science and that's what drew us to BASIS.

DP here and parent to a very quirky kid who is kind of a loner and also loves science. She is mostly on grade level in math with a few specific strengths (really took to geometry). But she's extremely strong on ELA -- currently reading at a 9th grade level or so and it's been a struggle in later elementary to keep up with her. Also really into art.

Would BASIS be a fit for a kid like this? I get that the kids tend to be very academically focused which is definitely a fit and the science focus is too. But what about arts? ELA? And foreign language? It feels like BASIS is so STEm focused that stuff might fall by the wayside?

[Anonymous]

I am not a huge Basis proponent. But I 100% support pushing math and science at school for girls who are otherwise already strong at ELA and reading a lot at home.

[Anonymous]

Might be worth posting on the MCPS and VA school forums OP if you are thinking of moving t the 'burbs.