Highly Gifted Centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of homework. Think about how your kid is. for some, I can imagine the homework time would be less. Mine has perfectionist tendancy and anxiety issues with making decisions. This can make the homework take an extreme amount of time. On the other hand, it's homework she wants to do. It's interesting and she's never once complained. I'd do it again. Although, some nights it's 3-4 hours of homework. We were told 2 hours per night when we went to the orientation, and I didn't believe it.

My child has never, ever had 3-4hours a night, or even half that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can comment on testing...they do take the MSA in the 4th and 5th grade, but they don't spend time doing prep work for it during class, since these are the kids who tend to do well on such tests. That's a pleasant change for the kids...for these kids the MSA preparation is a waste of time (they do take one prep test a few months before the MSA, but that only takes a few hours, at the most)

Thank you!! My kid is one of those who I think would come to hate taking tests all the time.

19:02, Happy to hear there is lots of homework and that your kid loves it. That is my only complaint about our current school. I don't think my child is a perfectionist. (I was, had to have everything written out perfectly. For DC as long as the work is done and is right, it's enough.) Anyhow you guys are making me excited about the program. Thank you!!

It is a great program. It changed my son's life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned about the potential for a lot of school work. Anyone know what it's really like?

Varies from day to day. Sometimes less than 30 minutes, sometimes (like last night) close to an hour and a half. Usually less than an hour a night. Also time on weekends for long term projects.

October and November in 4th grade were rough and Feb/March in 5th grade were rough. Otherwise, dc spends between 1-2 hours a week on homework, mostly math and spelling. dc is able to get most of the writing and project work done during class. In 4th grade, Oct. and Nov were tough because he was doing his very first research project and had to learn many new skills, including time management! The teachers are really great at breaking up big projects into smaller parts each with their own deadline. That helps my child manage his time effectively. The teachers are very strict about the quality of the work and if something is on the grading rubric, you better get it right! This has helped dc be more attentive to detail. Now that he has the research (taking and organizing notes) and time management skills down, he enjoys the research and writing more. they do lots of interesting and varied writing projects. I really think that is the big focus and strength of the program.
Someone else on this thread asked about math. I think things are different. This year nearly all the 4th graders are just one level ahead although they might be doing the 'compacted' curriculum. I am not too sure about the details but it does seem different this year in 4th grade. Last year dc was in a class doing 6th grade math with 7th grade extensions. To the best of my knowledge, this option no longer exists currently in 4th grade. If Math is your child's passion, you might want to ask this question during the april orientation meeting.

[Anonymous]

At the beginning (4th grade), my child spent about 1 to 2 hours every day and more on the projects especially on weekends. But in the 5th grade, he spent much less time on homework but still kept good grades. He did many other afterschool activities e.g., team sports, music instrument. He had a plenty of free time, too. It's all about time management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Can you point me to that thread or summarize? Will they still be advanced in math?

unfortunately I can't find the thread, but it went back and forth between someone who "was positive" that the HGCs will have to implement Curriculum 2.0 in some way and others who were sure that the HGCs will find a way to work around it. In any case the thread was probably a few months ago, and it seemed like nothing was certain at the time, it was all rumor-based and sounded like even MontCo didn't really know what they would be doing.

Instead of trying to speculate here, it's definitely something to bring up at the parent orientation. Or if you want to clarify sooner (I think the orientations were after spring break?) call the HGC office and see what they can tell you.

I think it is a significant concern, and even though my 5th grader will be out of the HGC this year, I would hope that the HGCs starting next year do NOT have to work with the Curriculum 2.0 (which is the reason why my 3rd grader will be switching to a private next yr, did not apply to an HGC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the PP, especially those with perfectionist tendencies can spend a lot of time with the homework, both with daily assignments and projects, because the projects have many steps to them and often involve many smaller projects in one. The perfectionists try to make these...perfect and sometimes lose sight of the big picture.

My DS initially was stumped by a lot of the writing assignments, since he never had to write much before. He had to actually analyze the books, stories, poems etc that they read, not just regurgitate the plot, and this was difficult for him. That being said, he is now much better at all of that and his skills have really improved (as his 5th grade teacher has assured us).

And we are very glad he was at an HGC...it has really stimulated him and he has never once complained of being bored. I think 4th and 5th grade at his old school would have been a waste of time.

(don't know about the implementation of Curriculum 2.0 at the HGCs, since next year would be the first year. That has been discussed on another thread)

Can you point me to that thread or summarize? Will they still be advanced in math?

(oops, this didn't show up correctly in the previous post)

unfortunately I can't find the thread, but it went back and forth between someone who "was positive" that the HGCs will have to implement Curriculum 2.0 in some way and others who were sure that the HGCs will find a way to work around it. In any case the thread was probably a few months ago, and it seemed like nothing was certain at the time, it was all rumor-based and sounded like even MontCo didn't really know what they would be doing.

Instead of trying to speculate here, it's definitely something to bring up at the parent orientation. Or if you want to clarify sooner (I think the orientations were after spring break?) call the HGC office and see what they can tell you.

I think it is a significant concern, and even though my 5th grader will be out of the HGC this year, I would hope that the HGCs starting next year do NOT have to work with the Curriculum 2.0 (which is the reason why my 3rd grader will be switching to a private next yr, did not apply to an HGC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the PP, especially those with perfectionist tendencies can spend a lot of time with the homework, both with daily assignments and projects, because the projects have many steps to them and often involve many smaller projects in one. The perfectionists try to make these...perfect and sometimes lose sight of the big picture.

My DS initially was stumped by a lot of the writing assignments, since he never had to write much before. He had to actually analyze the books, stories, poems etc that they read, not just regurgitate the plot, and this was difficult for him. That being said, he is now much better at all of that and his skills have really improved (as his 5th grade teacher has assured us).

And we are very glad he was at an HGC...it has really stimulated him and he has never once complained of being bored. I think 4th and 5th grade at his old school would have been a waste of time.

(don't know about the implementation of Curriculum 2.0 at the HGCs, since next year would be the first year. That has been discussed on another thread)

Can you point me to that thread or summarize? Will they still be advanced in math?

(oops, this didn't show up correctly in the previous post)

unfortunately I can't find the thread, but it went back and forth between someone who "was positive" that the HGCs will have to implement Curriculum 2.0 in some way and others who were sure that the HGCs will find a way to work around it. In any case the thread was probably a few months ago, and it seemed like nothing was certain at the time, it was all rumor-based and sounded like even MontCo didn't really know what they would be doing.

Instead of trying to speculate here, it's definitely something to bring up at the parent orientation. Or if you want to clarify sooner (I think the orientations were after spring break?) call the HGC office and see what they can tell you.

I think it is a significant concern, and even though my 5th grader will be out of the HGC this year, I would hope that the HGCs starting next year do NOT have to work with the Curriculum 2.0 (which is the reason why my 3rd grader will be switching to a private next yr, did not apply to an HGC).

I will definitely ask!

Is 2.0 that bad that you are going private to avoid it? We are coming from a small private. I thought the HGC would be the perfect fit for DC, but DC loves math.

[Anonymous]

I think this is the thread.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/265148.page#2839143

It seems most HGCs are not affected by implementation of math curriculum 2.0 except Barnsley. I think it's up to the prencipal's discretion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned about the potential for a lot of school work. Anyone know what it's really like?

Varies from day to day. Sometimes less than 30 minutes, sometimes (like last night) close to an hour and a half. Usually less than an hour a night. Also time on weekends for long term projects.

October and November in 4th grade were rough and Feb/March in 5th grade were rough. Otherwise, dc spends between 1-2 hours a week on homework, mostly math and spelling. dc is able to get most of the writing and project work done during class. In 4th grade, Oct. and Nov were tough because he was doing his very first research project and had to learn many new skills, including time management! The teachers are really great at breaking up big projects into smaller parts each with their own deadline. That helps my child manage his time effectively. The teachers are very strict about the quality of the work and if something is on the grading rubric, you better get it right! This has helped dc be more attentive to detail. Now that he has the research (taking and organizing notes) and time management skills down, he enjoys the research and writing more. they do lots of interesting and varied writing projects. I really think that is the big focus and strength of the program.
Someone else on this thread asked about math. I think things are different. This year nearly all the 4th graders are just one level ahead although they might be doing the 'compacted' curriculum. I am not too sure about the details but it does seem different this year in 4th grade. Last year dc was in a class doing 6th grade math with 7th grade extensions. To the best of my knowledge, this option no longer exists currently in 4th grade. If Math is your child's passion, you might want to ask this question during the april orientation meeting.

This must vary from school to school. My daughters class was split into two; one doing 5th grade w/ 6th grade extensions and the other doing 6th grade with 7th grade extensions. My child is in the lower math class, and from what I've been able to see (compared to 5th grade math at the local school), the curriculum seems to be much closer to 6th grade math than 5th. I will echo what some of the other posters have said; the standards that they hold the kids to are VERY high, to the point that sometimes they seem almost too picky. My daughter has been marked off on problems w/ the right answer because she did not show her work in enough detail.

She came from a private school w/ no homework before, so the first couple of months was a bit of a shock for her. She's also not a perfectionist (the opposite in fact) so that probably minimizes the amount of time she spends on homework. She spends less than an hour a night on average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned about the potential for a lot of school work. Anyone know what it's really like?

Varies from day to day. Sometimes less than 30 minutes, sometimes (like last night) close to an hour and a half. Usually less than an hour a night. Also time on weekends for long term projects.

October and November in 4th grade were rough and Feb/March in 5th grade were rough. Otherwise, dc spends between 1-2 hours a week on homework, mostly math and spelling. dc is able to get most of the writing and project work done during class. In 4th grade, Oct. and Nov were tough because he was doing his very first research project and had to learn many new skills, including time management! The teachers are really great at breaking up big projects into smaller parts each with their own deadline. That helps my child manage his time effectively. The teachers are very strict about the quality of the work and if something is on the grading rubric, you better get it right! This has helped dc be more attentive to detail. Now that he has the research (taking and organizing notes) and time management skills down, he enjoys the research and writing more. they do lots of interesting and varied writing projects. I really think that is the big focus and strength of the program.
Someone else on this thread asked about math. I think things are different. This year nearly all the 4th graders are just one level ahead although they might be doing the 'compacted' curriculum. I am not too sure about the details but it does seem different this year in 4th grade. Last year dc was in a class doing 6th grade math with 7th grade extensions. To the best of my knowledge, this option no longer exists currently in 4th grade. If Math is your child's passion, you might want to ask this question during the april orientation meeting.

This must vary from school to school. My daughters class was split into two; one doing 5th grade w/ 6th grade extensions and the other doing 6th grade with 7th grade extensions. My child is in the lower math class, and from what I've been able to see (compared to 5th grade math at the local school), the curriculum seems to be much closer to 6th grade math than 5th. I will echo what some of the other posters have said; the standards that they hold the kids to are VERY high, to the point that sometimes they seem almost too picky. My daughter has been marked off on problems w/ the right answer because she did not show her work in enough detail.

She came from a private school w/ no homework before, so the first couple of months was a bit of a shock for her. She's also not a perfectionist (the opposite in fact) so that probably minimizes the amount of time she spends on homework. She spends less than an hour a night on average.

I agree with this.

On the other hand, my sixth-grader, who is in a magnet program and who attended the Center program, was super-well-prepared for middle school. He is far better at time management, organizing his work and thoughts, and in general keeping it together at this age than his brother (who did not attend the Center) was. He is also a far better writer at this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the thread.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/265148.page#2839143

It seems most HGCs are not affected by implementation of math curriculum 2.0 except Barnsley. I think it's up to the prencipal's discretion.

The current 4th graders are not yet under 2.0 and I don't know if it's been decided how they will deal with the HGC students next year when 2.0 hits 4th and 5th grades.

[Anonymous]

Great to hear about the program. Thanks to all the previous posters. I feel like this will be a good move for my 3rd grader.

I am so confused about the concern with 2.0 math. I have a 1st grader and his math understanding and his thought process about math is pretty cool. It is very different than the regular (advanced) math my 3rd grader received. Last year I volunteered at the school and made copies for a second grader teacher and a K teacher the math was similar. So you if you think kids can't be pushed ahead with 2.0 you are mistaken. Could just be our school but I think the math my 1st grader get is tons better than the old advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great to hear about the program. Thanks to all the previous posters. I feel like this will be a good move for my 3rd grader.

I am so confused about the concern with 2.0 math. I have a 1st grader and his math understanding and his thought process about math is pretty cool. It is very different than the regular (advanced) math my 3rd grader received. Last year I volunteered at the school and made copies for a second grader teacher and a K teacher the math was similar. So you if you think kids can't be pushed ahead with 2.0 you are mistaken. Could just be our school but I think the math my 1st grader get is tons better than the old advanced math.

I understand what you're saying. But I think the issues this year had to do with the implementation of 2.0 in 3rd grade (b/c some of those kids had been accelerated last year and then slowed way down this year). It sounds like the issue was that those kids slipped through the cracks and repeated work, felt bored, etc. It sounds as though the system realized this was a problem and that is why they are changing some of the implementation for next year (compacted 4/5 curriculum). The issues probably varied from school to school, which would explain why some were ok with the changes and others were very upset.

I'll send my DC to the center next year with optimism that the center will do a much better job with 2.0. In addition, the system has learned a lot from the implementation mistakes of this year. I believe the center will handle the situation well and will make sure that these kids are challenged.

[Anonymous]

Is the open house geared toward parents or children or both? I assume that my child would want to see the school.

The flyer for the open house which came with my child's acceptance letter says that the child "may attend."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the open house geared toward parents or children or both? I assume that my child would want to see the school.

The flyer for the open house which came with my child's acceptance letter says that the child "may attend."

Ours was definitely for both. They had the kids go off together, meet each other and do activities. The parents talked to the administration and asked questions.