Music Cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think cutting all Journalism classes and the newspaper is really pathetic at a school with 2800 kids. Don't we want to encourage kids who want to research, write, think critically and learn about reliable sources of info beyond propaganda and tiktok?

Westfield has not had a newspaper for many years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think cutting all Journalism classes and the newspaper is really pathetic at a school with 2800 kids. Don't we want to encourage kids who want to research, write, think critically and learn about reliable sources of info beyond propaganda and tiktok?

Westfield has not had a newspaper for many years

They have one online right now. Westfield Watchdog. The principal has never mentioned it in any of his messages so no one knows it exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who are saying that offering classes outside of the school day for credit is unique to Westfield are 100% wrong.

My DD has been taking a choir class for credit at another FCPS school for 3 years and there are definitely plenty of others who offer before or after school courses for credit.

When it comes to the fine arts, its the only way many students can take the classes that they want with the few electives that they have at their disposal. It also allows kids to go more in depth with their fine arts education - for instance, taking both choir and show choir, marching band and jazz band, etc.

Those are not supposed to be for credit.

How do you know? Seems like you're just mad because you don't have the opportunity.

Because the 0.5 advanced coursework honors bump was created to give a boost to the top level audition ensemble at each FCPS high school.

It was not created to reward club participation in after school activities, and was only for the in achool advanced music classes taken during the day, with tests and written requirements in a set curriculum, such as music theory, and which participates in the yearly state assessment each spring with pre approved music selections and sight reading evalution.

The 0.5 bump is an honors curriculum bump for the advanced coursework of the most advanced music classes. One choir class, one orchestra class and one band class per high school.

It is not for show choir, jazz ensemble or marching band, just like math students don't get a GPA bump for matheletes and student council kids don't get a 0.5 GPA boost in their history classes and theater kids don't get an academic boost for performing in the musical.

That 0.5 boost was hard fought by the music teachers and approved to specifically recognize the advanced music curriculum, not to give a bonus for club participation or prrformances.

If Westfield was using that academic bimp to boost after school club participation, then they were not following policy and should be reigned back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was complaining that her Westfield child's journalism class was cut for next year-literally no journalism classes will be offered at all, and no school paper. Seems like the school is poorly run. It is one of the largest HS and should offer at least basic programs like choir and a school paper.

Westfield used to be considered superior to Chantilly. Administration issues?

Not for a long time. Chantilly has much
Lower percentage FARMS.

Westfield is pretty mediocre but they should still be offering normal activities.

Wow. You think a school is better than another based solely on their FARMS percentage? What is wrong with you?

There are plenty of excellent students around the world whose families have financial struggles. That doesn't mean their school is worse than a "richer" school.

Maybe in the case of CHS and WHS, CHS is a "better" school, but it is not just because of the FARMS percentage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was complaining that her Westfield child's journalism class was cut for next year-literally no journalism classes will be offered at all, and no school paper. Seems like the school is poorly run. It is one of the largest HS and should offer at least basic programs like choir and a school paper.

Westfield used to be considered superior to Chantilly. Administration issues?

Not for a long time. Chantilly has much
Lower percentage FARMS.

Westfield is pretty mediocre but they should still be offering normal activities.

Wow. You think a school is better than another based solely on their FARMS percentage? What is wrong with you?

There are plenty of excellent students around the world whose families have financial struggles. That doesn't mean their school is worse than a "richer" school.

Maybe in the case of CHS and WHS, CHS is a "better" school, but it is not just because of the FARMS percentage.

In fcps? Its exactly why.

[Anonymous]

Wake up. This is what happens when you don't support your school division's budget. All that stuff you've taken for granted is not mandated by the state, and where the cuts will happen because no one in this community showed up for teachers or schools at budget hearings.

Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think cutting all Journalism classes and the newspaper is really pathetic at a school with 2800 kids. Don't we want to encourage kids who want to research, write, think critically and learn about reliable sources of info beyond propaganda and tiktok?

Westfield has not had a newspaper for many years

They have one online right now. Westfield Watchdog. The principal has never mentioned it in any of his messages so no one knows it exists.

It's also not on their webpage : https://westfieldhs.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/student-publications-media

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who are saying that offering classes outside of the school day for credit is unique to Westfield are 100% wrong.

My DD has been taking a choir class for credit at another FCPS school for 3 years and there are definitely plenty of others who offer before or after school courses for credit.

When it comes to the fine arts, its the only way many students can take the classes that they want with the few electives that they have at their disposal. It also allows kids to go more in depth with their fine arts education - for instance, taking both choir and show choir, marching band and jazz band, etc.

Those are not supposed to be for credit.

How do you know? Seems like you're just mad because you don't have the opportunity.

Because the 0.5 advanced coursework honors bump was created to give a boost to the top level audition ensemble at each FCPS high school.

It was not created to reward club participation in after school activities, and was only for the in achool advanced music classes taken during the day, with tests and written requirements in a set curriculum, such as music theory, and which participates in the yearly state assessment each spring with pre approved music selections and sight reading evalution.

The 0.5 bump is an honors curriculum bump for the advanced coursework of the most advanced music classes. One choir class, one orchestra class and one band class per high school.

It is not for show choir, jazz ensemble or marching band, just like math students don't get a GPA bump for matheletes and student council kids don't get a 0.5 GPA boost in their history classes and theater kids don't get an academic boost for performing in the musical.

That 0.5 boost was hard fought by the music teachers and approved to specifically recognize the advanced music curriculum, not to give a bonus for club participation or prrformances.

If Westfield was using that academic bimp to boost after school club participation, then they were not following policy and should be reigned back.

The before school advanced choir was on a 4.0 scale

[Anonymous]

If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

Does that include sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

You don't understand how high school clubs work.

The issue is not the before and after school music groups.

The issue is giving academic credit and GPA boosts to kids participating in after school music ensembles, which are essentially clubs and in no way academic classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

You don't understand how high school clubs work.

The issue is not the before and after school music groups.

The issue is giving academic credit and GPA boosts to kids participating in after school music ensembles, which are essentially clubs and in no way academic classes.

Is attendance mandatory and participating in competetions required for these ensembles? Also, can you be in jazz ensemble if you're not in an advanced music class? Just wondering because if the answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second question is no, that's quite different from a lot of clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

You don't understand how high school clubs work.

The issue is not the before and after school music groups.

The issue is giving academic credit and GPA boosts to kids participating in after school music ensembles, which are essentially clubs and in no way academic classes.

Is attendance mandatory and participating in competetions required for these ensembles? Also, can you be in jazz ensemble if you're not in an advanced music class? Just wondering because if the answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second question is no, that's quite different from a lot of clubs.

But not different at all from sports and theater, where attendance is mandatory, even if you are sitting on the bench or standing on the stage for 2 minutes as Tree #5.

After school activities and clubs are not academic classes.

Westfield music is wrong on this one, and the administration is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

You don't understand how high school clubs work.

The issue is not the before and after school music groups.

The issue is giving academic credit and GPA boosts to kids participating in after school music ensembles, which are essentially clubs and in no way academic classes.

Is attendance mandatory and participating in competetions required for these ensembles? Also, can you be in jazz ensemble if you're not in an advanced music class? Just wondering because if the answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second question is no, that's quite different from a lot of clubs.

But not different at all from sports and theater, where attendance is mandatory, even if you are sitting on the bench or standing on the stage for 2 minutes as Tree #5.

After school activities and clubs are not academic classes.

Westfield music is wrong on this one, and the administration is correct.

Are you allowed to be in these ensembles if you don't play or sing as much as everyone else or don't participate in the competitions while the rest of the group does? Again, if the answer is no, that's different from sports or theater and a lot of other clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools have had music and drama classes for years. I've never known an afternoon practice to be for credit.

Is this common?

Yes, for example, at Westfield the advanced choir is actually held before school. In order to be in it, you also have to take a different choir class during school.

This is just one example, but symphonic orchestra, jazz band, and of course marching band, are also held outside of school hours. I assume marching band isn't being cut, since it isn't a class.

At our school, all the choir classes are held during school, with the exception of the extracurricular choir classes that did not have credit. Previously, if you wanted to be in a senior choir, you had to also take Concert Choir. Most kid would take an online class in another subject to make room for both choir classes. Recently, the new teacher does not require multiple choirs, but the senior choir is still strong. Can Westfield do that?