Great Falls or Reston?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

“Full of”...snort.

Langley has alumni who’ve killed each other, kids who’ve killed themselves, kids murdered by their parents, a principal fired from his next job for not reporting abuse, and kids taken on trips abroad by a German teacher to engage in underaged drinking and sex in his presence.

I’ll take South Lakes, thanks.

[Anonymous]

If you can swing it, live in Reston where you can feed into Great Falls schools. You rarely lose power in north Reston -- even during the biggest storms. Great Falls loses power every storm. Also, Great Falls has that septic/well issue -- you don't want to be on well water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can swing it, live in Reston where you can feed into Great Falls schools. You rarely lose power in north Reston -- even during the biggest storms. Great Falls loses power every storm. Also, Great Falls has that septic/well issue -- you don't want to be on well water.

Just to add -- if you do decide on GF, budget for a generator. GF power has been out for a week or more before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

I live in Reston. Both my DH and I have advanced degrees. We are certainly sending our currently small children through the Reston Public Schools, and that means SLHS. I am a Latina, so perhaps you don't want to live next to me or send your kids to the same school as mine because you have ideas about immigrants and people of color. Don't move to Reston if you are racist/xenophobic/classest jerks.

This poster speaks the truth. We aren't interested in racism/xenophobia/classism in Reston, in spite of the bullshit in the hatchet piece in this month's Washingtonian.

My husband and I also have advanced degrees and live in Reston. We love the Reston schools and the socio-economic AND cultural diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are currently only 6 houses for sale in 20194. There are 155 houses for sale in 22066. Why do you think this is?

You do know that these are not just the 2 zipcodes in these areas?

20194 is practically not Reston at all.

[Anonymous]

Living in Great Falls is a little bit of an isolating experience. There is not much to do and if you
are an adult that can occasionally travel for fun that is fine but family with kids, going to
activities it can be limiting. Stores, ditto. Any trip to the mall or some bigger stores
is a production.
Great Falls is beautifully set in the nature that feels open due to large lots and distances
between homes. Reston is more suburb-ish in the feel but with that comes less
isolating and more community feel.

Commute to DC or anywhere for that matter from Great Falls can be tough
because the few main roads can be easily blocked by one accident and you sit
in the traffic forever with no option to detour.

If you like solitary living and great schools to come with it then GF sounds like an option.
If you like accessibility and more city feel with schools bit less then Reston.

I like GF but I would not live there with little kids because it eventually would lead
to spending too much at home because people would be to tired to sit in the car
each and every time we wanted go anywhere. Reston is more of a hop and go
situation.

Aside from the little village center with very few basic places and Supermarket
there is really nothing to do in GF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are currently only 6 houses for sale in 20194. There are 155 houses for sale in 22066. Why do you think this is?

You do know that these are not just the 2 zipcodes in these areas?

20194 is practically not Reston at all.

I lived in 20194 in a TH near the North Point Village Center. We loved being walking distance to many things there.

I loved that section, although the large homes closer to Route 7 are quite removed from that.

[Anonymous]

We have lived in both and DH prefers Reston for racial and socioeconomic diversity and length of commute to HS. We are both from the NVA area. GF area has a lot of really high levels of wealth. Reston has a lot of mix, including quite a bit of upper middle class but not as much extreme wealth (at least not in your face wealth, maybe stealth wealth).

The one thing I will warn you is that from our personal experience, elementary schools vary quite drastically even within Reston. Although they are all "fine," we have been at two very different ones and much prefer the one we are at now, due to significantly higher parental involvement, higher baseline academic standards, much lower teacher turnover, and fewer behavioral incidents. For us this correlated to the level of socioeconomics that fed into the elementary schools. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

“Full of”...snort.

Langley has alumni who’ve killed each other, kids who’ve killed themselves, kids murdered by their parents, a principal fired from his next job for not reporting abuse, and kids taken on trips abroad by a German teacher to engage in underaged drinking and sex in his presence.

I’ll take South Lakes, thanks.

Math is hard for you, isn't it? You should go shopping.

Langley (65% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 14
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 25
Offenses Against Staff 1
Offenses Against Student 7
Other Offenses Against Persons 8
Property Offenses 2
Technology Offenses 0
Weapons Offenses 1
All Other Offenses 4
(62 total offenses)

SLHS (45% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 73
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 65
Offenses Against Staff 3
Offenses Against Student 28
Other Offenses Against Persons 11
Property Offenses 5
Technology Offenses 3
Weapons Offenses 2
All Other Offenses 1
(191 total offenses)

Mt Vernon HS (18% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 30
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 128
Offenses Against Staff 5
Offenses Against Student 34
Other Offenses Against Persons 46
Property Offenses 6
Technology Offenses 3
Weapons Offenses 2
All Other Offenses 12
(266 total offenses, down from 309 the previous year)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can swing it, live in Reston where you can feed into Great Falls schools. You rarely lose power in north Reston -- even during the biggest storms. Great Falls loses power every storm. Also, Great Falls has that septic/well issue -- you don't want to be on well water.

Just to add -- if you do decide on GF, budget for a generator. GF power has been out for a week or more before.

Racism is to blame, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have lived in both and DH prefers Reston for racial and socioeconomic diversity and length of commute to HS. We are both from the NVA area. GF area has a lot of really high levels of wealth. Reston has a lot of mix, including quite a bit of upper middle class but not as much extreme wealth (at least not in your face wealth, maybe stealth wealth).

The one thing I will warn you is that from our personal experience, elementary schools vary quite drastically even within Reston. Although they are all "fine," we have been at two very different ones and much prefer the one we are at now, due to significantly higher parental involvement, higher baseline academic standards, much lower teacher turnover, and fewer behavioral incidents. For us this correlated to the level of socioeconomics that fed into the elementary schools. YMMV.

Dogwood isn't "fine". Sunrise Valley is preferred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have lived in both and DH prefers Reston for racial and socioeconomic diversity and length of commute to HS. We are both from the NVA area. GF area has a lot of really high levels of wealth. Reston has a lot of mix, including quite a bit of upper middle class but not as much extreme wealth (at least not in your face wealth, maybe stealth wealth).

The one thing I will warn you is that from our personal experience, elementary schools vary quite drastically even within Reston. Although they are all "fine," we have been at two very different ones and much prefer the one we are at now, due to significantly higher parental involvement, higher baseline academic standards, much lower teacher turnover, and fewer behavioral incidents. For us this correlated to the level of socioeconomics that fed into the elementary schools. YMMV.

Dogwood isn't "fine". Sunrise Valley is preferred.

By whom? If I could choose any ES in Reston, I'd choose Lake Anne, Terraset, or Hunter's Woods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

“Full of”...snort.

Langley has alumni who’ve killed each other, kids who’ve killed themselves, kids murdered by their parents, a principal fired from his next job for not reporting abuse, and kids taken on trips abroad by a German teacher to engage in underaged drinking and sex in his presence.

I’ll take South Lakes, thanks.

Math is hard for you, isn't it? You should go shopping.

Langley (65% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 14
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 25
Offenses Against Staff 1
Offenses Against Student 7
Other Offenses Against Persons 8
Property Offenses 2
Technology Offenses 0
Weapons Offenses 1
All Other Offenses 4
(62 total offenses)

SLHS (45% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 73
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 65
Offenses Against Staff 3
Offenses Against Student 28
Other Offenses Against Persons 11
Property Offenses 5
Technology Offenses 3
Weapons Offenses 2
All Other Offenses 1
(191 total offenses)

Mt Vernon HS (18% white)
Offenses in 2017-18:
Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Offenses 30
Disorderly Or Disruptive Behavior Offenses 128
Offenses Against Staff 5
Offenses Against Student 34
Other Offenses Against Persons 46
Property Offenses 6
Technology Offenses 3
Weapons Offenses 2
All Other Offenses 12
(266 total offenses, down from 309 the previous year)

Wow. Nothing like looking at the numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can swing it, live in Reston where you can feed into Great Falls schools. You rarely lose power in north Reston -- even during the biggest storms. Great Falls loses power every storm. Also, Great Falls has that septic/well issue -- you don't want to be on well water.

Just to add -- if you do decide on GF, budget for a generator. GF power has been out for a week or more before.

Not near Rt 7. They buried the lines several years ago. The only time my neighborhood lost power for more than a few hours was during the big wind storm a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Living in Great Falls is a little bit of an isolating experience. There is not much to do and if you
are an adult that can occasionally travel for fun that is fine but family with kids, going to
activities it can be limiting. Stores, ditto. Any trip to the mall or some bigger stores
is a production.
Great Falls is beautifully set in the nature that feels open due to large lots and distances
between homes. Reston is more suburb-ish in the feel but with that comes less
isolating and more community feel.

Commute to DC or anywhere for that matter from Great Falls can be tough
because the few main roads can be easily blocked by one accident and you sit
in the traffic forever with no option to detour.

If you like solitary living and great schools to come with it then GF sounds like an option.
If you like accessibility and more city feel with schools bit less then Reston.

I like GF but I would not live there with little kids because it eventually would lead
to spending too much at home because people would be to tired to sit in the car
each and every time we wanted go anywhere. Reston is more of a hop and go
situation.

Aside from the little village center with very few basic places and Supermarket
there is really nothing to do in GF.

Do you actually live in GF? If so, then I would gently suggest you buy a map and figure out how to navigate the back roads to avoid any congestion there might be during rush hour. I have three kids and living here has never felt like a production. Reston/Herndon traffic can be a challenge, too.