Tell me about Herndon High

[Anonymous]

Still waiting to see if they ever build a western high school and move part of Great Falls back to Herndon. That will be the ultimate test of how "great" HHS is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who actually have kids there say it’s fine. The rest of DCUM loves to hate on the Herndon pyramid.
It’s like two schools - one for middle class families and one for low income.

Which are in the same physical location, so how do you avoid your kid interacting with the stupid thuggish types?

By the courses your child takes. In 9th grade. all students will take PE, so your child may be in class with "stupid thuggish" types. Also, depending on what electives they choose, they could also be in class with the "stupid thuggish" types. But if your child is taking any honors classes, and once they get to 11th and 12th grade and taking AP classes, they most likely will be in classes with more motivated, college bound students.

My children are not at Herndon, we're at another one of the high poverty FCPS high schools but I'm sure it's very similar - it is definitely a school within a school. My children have found that the "stupid thuggish" types never bother them. They aren't in class with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who actually have kids there say it’s fine. The rest of DCUM loves to hate on the Herndon pyramid.
It’s like two schools - one for middle class families and one for low income.

Which are in the same physical location, so how do you avoid your kid interacting with the stupid thuggish types?

By the courses your child takes. In 9th grade. all students will take PE, so your child may be in class with "stupid thuggish" types. Also, depending on what electives they choose, they could also be in class with the "stupid thuggish" types. But if your child is taking any honors classes, and once they get to 11th and 12th grade and taking AP classes, they most likely will be in classes with more motivated, college bound students.

My children are not at Herndon, we're at another one of the high poverty FCPS high schools but I'm sure it's very similar - it is definitely a school within a school. My children have found that the "stupid thuggish" types never bother them. They aren't in class with them.

“Stupid thuggish”? How deeply unkind. Your children must be just as cold and heartless as you.

[Anonymous]

FCPS needs to add LLIV AAP to Herndon MS. Part of the reason so many (over 150) Herndon kids pupil place to South Lakes is because of the AAP kids who attend Hughes and then naturally want to stay in the South Lakes pyramid.

If Elaine Tholen cared about anyone in Dranesville other than the Cooper/Langley families, she would have made this a priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that HHS is a hidden gem.

I was curious about this, so I looked at the data for the number of students in FCPS high schools (and grades 9-12 at secondary schools) transferring out of their base schools last year for reasons other than to attend TJ.

Of course, the number of students who transfer out of their base schools is in part of function of whether other nearby schools are open or closed to transfers, but the data (and this is only for students transferring out of their base schools, and not into those schools) doesn't seem to suggest that the people who are actually are in the Herndon zone view it as a "hidden gem."

Herndon 281
Mount Vernon 255
Annandale 219
Falls Church 185
Lewis 180
West Potomac 175
Westfield 173
Hayfield 171
Justice 166
Fairfax 164
Robinson 157
South Lakes 154
Edison 138
Marshall 132
Centreville 124
West Springfield 117
Oakton 107
Lake Braddock 100
South County 90
Chantilly 83
Woodson 82
Langley 80
McLean 61
Madison 37

Um... the definition of "hidden gem" is literally along the lines of being underappreciated despite having good quality. The data you posted actually further supports the claim that HHS parents who choose to stay do so because they believe the school provides a solid education. Contrary to racists and/or classists who seek transferring out specifically to avoid ethnic diversity. Because who are we really kidding? That's the reason for transferring out.

This has got to be satire… 281 students transferred OUT in one year. But sure, they’re all “racists and/or classists.” JFC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS needs to add LLIV AAP to Herndon MS. Part of the reason so many (over 150) Herndon kids pupil place to South Lakes is because of the AAP kids who attend Hughes and then naturally want to stay in the South Lakes pyramid.

If Elaine Tholen cared about anyone in Dranesville other than the Cooper/Langley families, she would have made this a priority.

This is why the majority of HHS pyramid kids end up transferring- they are in Hughes for MS and stay w/classmates and attend SL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who actually have kids there say it’s fine. The rest of DCUM loves to hate on the Herndon pyramid.
It’s like two schools - one for middle class families and one for low income.

Which are in the same physical location, so how do you avoid your kid interacting with the stupid thuggish types?

By the courses your child takes. In 9th grade. all students will take PE, so your child may be in class with "stupid thuggish" types. Also, depending on what electives they choose, they could also be in class with the "stupid thuggish" types. But if your child is taking any honors classes, and once they get to 11th and 12th grade and taking AP classes, they most likely will be in classes with more motivated, college bound students.

My children are not at Herndon, we're at another one of the high poverty FCPS high schools but I'm sure it's very similar - it is definitely a school within a school. My children have found that the "stupid thuggish" types never bother them. They aren't in class with them.

“Stupid thuggish”? How deeply unkind. Your children must be just as cold and heartless as you.

I'm the PP who posted about the courses. I put that "stupid thuggish" in quotes because the person I was responding to referred to students that way. It was not my term. Read the previous post I was responding to. So the previous poster was cold and heartless, not me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that HHS is a hidden gem.

I was curious about this, so I looked at the data for the number of students in FCPS high schools (and grades 9-12 at secondary schools) transferring out of their base schools last year for reasons other than to attend TJ.

Of course, the number of students who transfer out of their base schools is in part of function of whether other nearby schools are open or closed to transfers, but the data (and this is only for students transferring out of their base schools, and not into those schools) doesn't seem to suggest that the people who are actually are in the Herndon zone view it as a "hidden gem."

Herndon 281
Mount Vernon 255
Annandale 219
Falls Church 185
Lewis 180
West Potomac 175
Westfield 173
Hayfield 171
Justice 166
Fairfax 164
Robinson 157
South Lakes 154
Edison 138
Marshall 132
Centreville 124
West Springfield 117
Oakton 107
Lake Braddock 100
South County 90
Chantilly 83
Woodson 82
Langley 80
McLean 61
Madison 37

Um... the definition of "hidden gem" is literally along the lines of being underappreciated despite having good quality. The data you posted actually further supports the claim that HHS parents who choose to stay do so because they believe the school provides a solid education. Contrary to racists and/or classists who seek transferring out specifically to avoid ethnic diversity. Because who are we really kidding? That's the reason for transferring out.

Thank you. I’m the hidden gem poster. —HHS parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buy into the best school district you can afford like everyone else does. All the people saying herndon is great couldn't afford to live in a better pyramid period.

100% wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that HHS is a hidden gem.

I was curious about this, so I looked at the data for the number of students in FCPS high schools (and grades 9-12 at secondary schools) transferring out of their base schools last year for reasons other than to attend TJ.

Of course, the number of students who transfer out of their base schools is in part of function of whether other nearby schools are open or closed to transfers, but the data (and this is only for students transferring out of their base schools, and not into those schools) doesn't seem to suggest that the people who are actually are in the Herndon zone view it as a "hidden gem."

Herndon 281
Mount Vernon 255
Annandale 219
Falls Church 185
Lewis 180
West Potomac 175
Westfield 173
Hayfield 171
Justice 166
Fairfax 164
Robinson 157
South Lakes 154
Edison 138
Marshall 132
Centreville 124
West Springfield 117
Oakton 107
Lake Braddock 100
South County 90
Chantilly 83
Woodson 82
Langley 80
McLean 61
Madison 37

Um... the definition of "hidden gem" is literally along the lines of being underappreciated despite having good quality. The data you posted actually further supports the claim that HHS parents who choose to stay do so because they believe the school provides a solid education. Contrary to racists and/or classists who seek transferring out specifically to avoid ethnic diversity. Because who are we really kidding? That's the reason for transferring out.

Thank you. I’m the hidden gem poster. —HHS parent

There aren’t any “hidden gems” given how thoroughly every school in FCPS gets discussed on DCUM and other social media. It makes you sound trite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS needs to add LLIV AAP to Herndon MS. Part of the reason so many (over 150) Herndon kids pupil place to South Lakes is because of the AAP kids who attend Hughes and then naturally want to stay in the South Lakes pyramid.

If Elaine Tholen cared about anyone in Dranesville other than the Cooper/Langley families, she would have made this a priority.

Agree that HMS needs formal AAP designation. It does exist informally as the Honors classes have sections for the AAP kids who opted not to go to Hughes. My sons being some of them. It’s great that the school has a good deal of social-economic diversity. Other schools have racial diversity but not all of them have both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that HHS is a hidden gem.

I was curious about this, so I looked at the data for the number of students in FCPS high schools (and grades 9-12 at secondary schools) transferring out of their base schools last year for reasons other than to attend TJ.

Of course, the number of students who transfer out of their base schools is in part of function of whether other nearby schools are open or closed to transfers, but the data (and this is only for students transferring out of their base schools, and not into those schools) doesn't seem to suggest that the people who are actually are in the Herndon zone view it as a "hidden gem."

Herndon 281
Mount Vernon 255
Annandale 219
Falls Church 185
Lewis 180
West Potomac 175
Westfield 173
Hayfield 171
Justice 166
Fairfax 164
Robinson 157
South Lakes 154
Edison 138
Marshall 132
Centreville 124
West Springfield 117
Oakton 107
Lake Braddock 100
South County 90
Chantilly 83
Woodson 82
Langley 80
McLean 61
Madison 37

Um... the definition of "hidden gem" is literally along the lines of being underappreciated despite having good quality. The data you posted actually further supports the claim that HHS parents who choose to stay do so because they believe the school provides a solid education. Contrary to racists and/or classists who seek transferring out specifically to avoid ethnic diversity. Because who are we really kidding? That's the reason for transferring out.

Thank you. I’m the hidden gem poster. —HHS parent

There aren’t any “hidden gems” given how thoroughly every school in FCPS gets discussed on DCUM and other social media. It makes you sound trite.

I have issues with FCPS, it as far as HHS goes, a lot of people are missing out thinking they can do better in schools outside the HHS pyramid especially within the Dranesville district. The educational differences are negligible but people pay $$$$ for wealthier neighborhoods, and talk up their schools to justify their higher housing costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The truth is that HHS is a hidden gem.

I was curious about this, so I looked at the data for the number of students in FCPS high schools (and grades 9-12 at secondary schools) transferring out of their base schools last year for reasons other than to attend TJ.

Of course, the number of students who transfer out of their base schools is in part of function of whether other nearby schools are open or closed to transfers, but the data (and this is only for students transferring out of their base schools, and not into those schools) doesn't seem to suggest that the people who are actually are in the Herndon zone view it as a "hidden gem."

Herndon 281
Mount Vernon 255
Annandale 219
Falls Church 185
Lewis 180
West Potomac 175
Westfield 173
Hayfield 171
Justice 166
Fairfax 164
Robinson 157
South Lakes 154
Edison 138
Marshall 132
Centreville 124
West Springfield 117
Oakton 107
Lake Braddock 100
South County 90
Chantilly 83
Woodson 82
Langley 80
McLean 61
Madison 37

Um... the definition of "hidden gem" is literally along the lines of being underappreciated despite having good quality. The data you posted actually further supports the claim that HHS parents who choose to stay do so because they believe the school provides a solid education. Contrary to racists and/or classists who seek transferring out specifically to avoid ethnic diversity. Because who are we really kidding? That's the reason for transferring out.

Thank you. I’m the hidden gem poster. —HHS parent

There aren’t any “hidden gems” given how thoroughly every school in FCPS gets discussed on DCUM and other social media. It makes you sound trite.

I have issues with FCPS, it as far as HHS goes, a lot of people are missing out thinking they can do better in schools outside the HHS pyramid especially within the Dranesville district. The educational differences are negligible but people pay $$$$ for wealthier neighborhoods, and talk up their schools to justify their higher housing costs.

The bulk of the transfers out of Herndon are to South Lakes, which is in the Hunter Mill District.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind there are many TH and apartment dwellers in the Herndon pyramid. Consequently there is a lot of movement even within the pyramid. There are also plenty of apartments in the Hunters Mill area. It’s not all about the quality of the schools. You need to dig deeper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are about to put an offer on a house zoned for Herndon High. We have two high school aged kids and any feedback would be helpful. TIA!

This original post is from last summer- they should be able to tell us how it went.