Best Arlington Middle School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like a prison in there.

Why would you move from Gunston? Are you scared of minorities?

TJ definitely looks like a prison and needs more windows. That said, both my kids had a fine experience there. No social issues, expanded their friend groups. I liked aspects of the IB program. They had some great teachers and a couple bad ones. The two counselors we dealt with were both helpful.

Ironically, they did add windows to TJ a few years ago!
Nevertheless, my kids were fine there and had mostly very good teachers, a number of excellent teachers, and only a couple of bad ones. However, a number of those excellent ones are now gone (teaching elsewhere, deceased, retired). One kid's counselor was useless; but the other one was good and helpful. We did have some bullying issues in 6th grade by older 8th graders, and I've heard from a few other parents about bullying issues their kids endured until their kid figured out there were better groups of kids to befriend and hang out with. But in all of the situations, administration was entirely un-helpful; though I don't know that I would expect much more from any other school's admin.

TJ also has more language offerings due to the IB program and it has the requisite middle school 7-11 a block away. It's a bit farther; but kids can walk or take a quick bus ride up the street to Ballston, too. The principal is ok, not outstanding by any means, but adequate. I have a friend who complained a lot about the Gunston principal, fwiw. But the only parents I know well at Gunston are parents of immersion students, if that might make a difference in perceptions for some reason.

The parent friends I know at Williamsburg decry the lack of diversity and acknowledge issues; but their kids aren't directly impacted or not impacted enough for it to make them give up Williamsburg. APS is generally bad in regard to writing instruction; but it did seem my friends' Williamsburg kids MIGHT have done better in having more substantial writing assignments. Hard to tell for sure, as one of my kids did far more writing at TJ than the other one did. So it may have to do with the student more than the school.

I know a lot of parents at Kenmore, including some from NE Arlington whose kids wanted to transfer to it. All of them have cited very good experiences and no problems. I think Kenmore is under-rated by the broader elitist Arlington parent community.

Overall, previous posters are right: it's middle school and none of them are so significantly better than the others in Arlington. Besides, someone who's actually asking for the best middle school will probably be asking the same question about high schools in three years; so what is it you really want, OP? What is your real question and what are you really hoping for people to respond?

+1 I wouldn't move just based on the middle school. Gunston is fine and it's just middle school. If the bigger question is that you don't want Wakefield for HS then that's a different question. FWIW, we go to W-L but know plenty of families happy with Wakefield.

We know somebody who has had an less than perfect but okay experience with both kids at gunston, and who absolutely loved Wakefield.

I really think so much depends on teachers and those obviously vary at every school. I plan on sending DS to both gunston and Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'd go with Kenmore. It's a nice mix of N and S Arlington kids.

Jefferson is like this, too.



Just keep in mind that each of these middle schools splits into two different high schools. So depending on where you live and which kids yours becomes friends with, they may or may not follow some or all of their posse to high school ---- if that matters to you.

That's the same everywhere. You don't honestly expect your child to remain friends and go to college with people they went to K with, do you?

Not everywhere, Gunston all goes to Wakefield. I think (?) all of Williamsburg goes to Yorktown. There are pros and cons. Staying together all the way through can provide stability but also lead to less mixing of social groups and not give more reticent kids practice in making new friends. OTOH, split feeders can encourage kids to branch out or provide a fresh start for a kid who didn't find their group in the prior school, but starting HS when all your group went to another school can be really hard. We saw this going to TJ -- DS shifted most of his friend group to kids who ultimately went to Wakefield. Starting at W-L he made new friends pretty quickly and reconnected with some from ES, but he's also a very outgoing kid who easily makes friends. One of his W-L-zoned friends opted to go to Wakefield to stay with the larger group. DD has had the same two BFFs since 2nd grade, expanded her group a bit at TJ and then those kids all went to Wakefield. She didn't have too much trouble finding new friends in HS but the security of having her BFFs made a big difference.

[Anonymous]

We live the Virginia Square area, and had two kids go through Gunston. They were in the immersion program, but had plenty of classes with non-immersion kids. I thought it was a good experience for them, and I liked the principal. Both seemed well-prepared for high school (one went to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and one went to W-L). That having been said, there were some problems like those described by OP (bullying, drugs, alcohol), but those didn't seem pervasive and I think are issues at all (Arlington) middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s like a prison in there.

So you're judging the quality of a school by its exterior. You sound pretty shallow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s like a prison in there.

So you're judging the quality of a school by its exterior. You sound pretty shallow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, which one is your local school? It's odd that your post doesn't say.

Gunston

UMC white family with one at Gunston, formerly Oakridge, in gen pop, no Montessori, no Immersion. It's totally fine. It's middle school. Middle school sucks because you are 13, no matter where you are. The biggest controversy of the day is whether she's allowed to walk to the Arlington Ridge* Starbucks after school. Y'all are too much.

*Totally on S. Glebe, why the app calls it arlington ridge is a mystery.

Same exact struggles. I had no idea Gunston was so looked down upon. Seems fine to me. I say yes to walking to the Starbucks as long as DC doesn’t buy stuff for all of their friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just move to Williamsburg's school zone and hang out with the other white parents.

When someone asks this questions, this is the answer they're looking for.

I have heard numerous reports of bullying, drinking, and drug use from Williamsburg parents. I would say Hamm or Swanson unless you get the golden ticket to attend HB.

Yep. This has been going on for years at Williamsburg.

And literally every other middle school. I don’t understand why people want to bash all the middle schools in the area. Too this, too that.

I didn't say it wasn't. It's definitely at Swanson as well. I have no personal knowledge of the others but I'm guessing it's happening there as well.

[Anonymous]

We like Hamm so much better than Swanson. Had kids at both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like Hamm so much better than Swanson. Had kids at both.

Do you mind sharing why? Just curious re how Swanson could be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid like candy or ice cream? Then you definitely want Swanson. Nobody else is in that close proximity to two places where you can buy ice cream and two places where you can buy candy. Also two places to buy pizza, although I personally think Lost Dog pizza sucks.

So true! We have one and are zoned to TJ along Columbia Pike... I don't know why people eat that crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid like candy or ice cream? Then you definitely want Swanson. Nobody else is in that close proximity to two places where you can buy ice cream and two places where you can buy candy. Also two places to buy pizza, although I personally think Lost Dog pizza sucks.

So true! We have one and are zoned to TJ along Columbia Pike... I don't know why people eat that crap.

With the Italian store right across the street, why would anyone eat pizza at lost dog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We like Hamm so much better than Swanson. Had kids at both.

Do you mind sharing why? Just curious re how Swanson could be better.

NP. Swanson got better too when kids left for Hamm. The overcrowding was a real problem at times.

[Anonymous]

We are at Hamm. It’s not particularly crowded, the atmosphere from the administration is very kind and helpful, and I’m not really aware of a drug or bullying culture. They finally finished the school, so there’s plenty of room this year. My son’s only complaint is that the line at Starbucks is too long after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like a prison in there.

Why would you move from Gunston? Are you scared of minorities?

TJ definitely looks like a prison and needs more windows. That said, both my kids had a fine experience there. No social issues, expanded their friend groups. I liked aspects of the IB program. They had some great teachers and a couple bad ones. The two counselors we dealt with were both helpful.

So far so good at Jefferson for 6th. Yes, the building could use more windows, but the suboptimal architecture is hardly the end of the world. Jefferson's homeroom/TA set up is good; the teacher responds to emails quickly with useful info. Our kid is liking band class (taken up a new instrument, being given lessons for free), happy to play a sport, likes an art club. I'm not expecting the sun, the moon or the stars academically, but she seems to have a good math teacher and English, US history and science appear to be OK. We're hiring a writing tutor with another TJ family, but no big deal to supplement here and there as long as we don't need to pay for a private. Great mix of kids (we're not white). She eats lunch outside (choice of inside or outside) with half a dozen new pals. She can check out a book at a time at the library is getting good help from librarians to pick challenging novels she's eager to read. We came out of DCPS for elementary, so our standards probably aren't as high as most other posters, but we're optimistic that TJ will work out before IB Diploma at WL.

[Anonymous]

Jefferson obviously isn't on a par with Hamm or Williamsburg, but it's the fastest improving APS MS. No longer one to avoid.