High expectation and no stress-- which high school in mcps is best ?

[Anonymous]

My kids are having a very good experience at Whitman. I think the teaching is excellent overall, and we have a great principal. The music, theater, and sports scene all seems great to me as well.

This time last year, I would have told you I didn't see why it's so widely considered to be a pressure-cooker. Now that my child is almost done (thank goodness) with her junior year, I get it. She is doing what I consider to be a ridiculous amount of homework most nights and weekends, and constantly fretting about her grades. She has to be very organized to work in her sports and other extracurriculars, and doesn't end up with much downtime. I have been wondering most of the year whether we made a mistake sending her here. In thinking about it though, almost everything that's stressing her out is caused by her assumption that she needs to try to go to an elite college or university. If she weren't taking 4 or 5 AP classes, the homework burden would be much lighter. If she weren't studying for SAT subject tests (which only top schools require or recommend) at the same time AP tests were looming, she could have either been enjoying more downtime, or hopefully spending time on non academic things that give her pleasure. We are preaching the message of that Frank Bruni book pretty heavily to her, and I think she's slowly beginning to understand that there are more important things in life than getting all As.

It's hard not to get caught up in the over-achiever game when so many of your peers are on the same track, but it can be done if the parents and kids are self-aware. My younger child and his friends care much more about sports and socializing than they do about their classes. I think for them, Whitman offers something like what the OP is asking about. They focus more on their schoolwork than they would if they were at a school with fewer academic strivers, but they are not defined by what happens in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

10:57 -- There is both a VAC and a VAPA at Einstein. VAC I believe is visual arts and highly competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for your input. We will check out The two clusters recommended. Will pass on any W school. DC wants to pursue music interest but also wants to be top 10% acadamically. Younger kids can fellow the feeding schools.

You should at least check it out. They are the top-tier HS MoCo.

Why? Do you think OP's child can't get a great education in a non W cluster? Do you think only kids who went to a "top tier" HS in MD get into great universities?

We passed on w clusters, too.

Yes, I do - at least for my family. I am sure every family/kid is different. You do whatever works for your family, right?

[Anonymous]

How is BCC in terms of expectations/stress?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10:17 poster -- could you please explain more about the instrumental music aspect of VAPA? I don't know much about what those opportunities are. Thanks!

here are some links to the VAPA program. Kids are able to take a variety of music performance and theory classes.

https://aehsvapa.wordpress.com

https://aehsvapa.wordpress.com/brochure14-15/

VAPA is an application-based program, right? I guess I always thought it was just visual arts, but if I have a kid into theatre or instrumental music, it might still be a good choice? That's actually really helpful information.

VAC is an application program for just visual arts. VAPA is a visual and performing arts academy that is open to any Einstein student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for your input. We will check out The two clusters recommended. Will pass on any W school. DC wants to pursue music interest but also wants to be top 10% acadamically. Younger kids can fellow the feeding schools.

You should at least check it out. They are the top-tier HS MoCo.

Why? Do you think OP's child can't get a great education in a non W cluster? Do you think only kids who went to a "top tier" HS in MD get into great universities?

We passed on w clusters, too.

Yes, I do - at least for my family. I am sure every family/kid is different. You do whatever works for your family, right?

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for your input. We will check out The two clusters recommended. Will pass on any W school. DC wants to pursue music interest but also wants to be top 10% acadamically. Younger kids can fellow the feeding schools.

You should at least check it out. They are the top-tier HS MoCo.

Why? Do you think OP's child can't get a great education in a non W cluster? Do you think only kids who went to a "top tier" HS in MD get into great universities?

We passed on w clusters, too.

Yes, I do - at least for my family. I am sure every family/kid is different. You do whatever works for your family, right?

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

What's wrong with suggesting checking out? Unless OP checks it out, how would OP really know? What is your problem?

[Anonymous]

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

You seem unhinged and angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are generally happy with Walter Johnson. Plenty of challenge and rigor if you choose to take challenging courses but not as stressful as Whitman for example. Lots of non-academic clubs and activities.

What is your experience at Whiman? My DC was not stressed at Whitman but was appropriately challenged academically. There are lots of non academic activities at Whitman too (and I suspect other schools too).

I have 2 in Whitman who also have no stress. They love the school/teachers so Im sure that helps them with a positive educational experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

You seem unhinged and angry.

I am not the PP but the OP stated she was not interested in W schools. Many people are not, yet, W parents continue to come on her and say... hey check out my kids school.

Some people don't want to be around W people and don't want to go to W schools. Period. They don't have to explain it to you. Sorry if that bothers you.

Bye Felicia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

You seem unhinged and angry.

I am not the PP but the OP stated she was not interested in W schools. Many people are not, yet, W parents continue to come on her and say... hey check out my kids school.

Some people don't want to be around W people and don't want to go to W schools. Period. They don't have to explain it to you. Sorry if that bothers you.

Bye Felicia.

Sure you are not. You are a strange person who needs help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's kid and parent dependent. My kid went to one of the Ws, took lots of APs, and was not overly stressed.

+1. Parent of a "W" sophomore. He's being challenged, and that is inherently stressful. It works for his personality, maybe not for others.

Being challenged is not inherently stressful. It may be interesting, exciting, thought provoking, fun, but... it is not inherently stressful.

Stress is from unrealistic exceptions and measuring oneself by the ruler of others.

You need a class in psychology.

You must have taken your Psychology class long time ago. The current thinking is very different. Kelly McGonigal wrote a lot about good stress.


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/forget-what-youve-heard-stress-turns-out-its-actually-kelly-mcgonigal

You may want to read the research you post before you post it. Her definition of "no stress" is putting a baby in a dark box with nothing to do.. the baby will not thrive, learn to hear/read/walk/talk. I don't know about you but I have never put a baby in a box, but I doubt the is the definition of no stress.

No body, including the author, is suggesting putting kids in a box with nothing to do. What they are saying is long term stress is bad for the body, it is bad for children, it is bad for teens and they need to not be in a place that contributes to the normal stress of life and they need to deal with the inevitable stress of life... not purposely create more.

She also goes on to state that we know the stress is bad for your body, so it is not exactly stress that is good, but those that know how to manage stress well that will thrive, because stress that is not turned into something else is bad, because stress is bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

You seem unhinged and angry.

I am not the PP but the OP stated she was not interested in W schools. Many people are not, yet, W parents continue to come on her and say... hey check out my kids school.

Some people don't want to be around W people and don't want to go to W schools. Period. They don't have to explain it to you. Sorry if that bothers you.

Bye Felicia.

Sure you are not. You are a strange person who needs help.

This is why people don't want to be friends or neighbors with W people. We don't want to go to your school, deal with it. If somebody disagrees with you it is too much for you to handle.

[Anonymous]

What is the question again?

the OP wants the best school that isn't really the best school but the best school that allows it's population of smart kids to be care free while still learning yet not impacted by the negativity that caused the rankings to score poorly in the first place.

Good luck with that, no wonder you won't consider the W's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right, that's why OP stated, that for them, they will pass on W clusters, but you were the one who stated OP should still check it out.

You seem unhinged and angry.

I am not the PP but the OP stated she was not interested in W schools. Many people are not, yet, W parents continue to come on her and say... hey check out my kids school.

Some people don't want to be around W people and don't want to go to W schools. Period. They don't have to explain it to you. Sorry if that bothers you.

Bye Felicia.

Sure you are not. You are a strange person who needs help.

This is why people don't want to be friends or neighbors with W people. We don't want to go to your school, deal with it. If somebody disagrees with you it is too much for you to handle.

I am the first PP. The other posts in this thread isn't me. I know, there's no way we can convince you that there are *numerous* parents who don't want their kids going to a W school, but if you take your head out of dcumland (and your ass), this is reality.

You PP, are the strange one to actually think *all* parents want their kids to go to a W school. You must also be the type of person who thinks *everyone* thinks the same way you do, and if they don't, then they are dumb or ignorant, or "angry" and/or "unhinged". As a PP noted, you are one of the reasons why people don't want to send their kids to a W school.