Middle school electives - 3 years of band or a foreign language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed someone else posting this, but at JW kids can take band AND a language. No need to choose.

Yes, I think that's typical, but the issue is that at most schools if you take band all 3 years and foreign language all 3 years you get zero other electives. So the question's more around what the best way to navigate that might be to allow a middle schooler some additional electives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can a kid who likes band but doesn't love it take only 1 or 2 years of band in MS (because they prefer other electives) and still be able to continue with band in high school if they want to? Do you have to be at a certain level of experience/skill to be in high school band?

You don't have to take band in MS to take band in HS. High schools generally have a concert band for anyone and then higher levels by audition. TBH I'm not sure how much fun concert band would be after not playing though unless they do a youth band or orchestra.

The course catalog for concert band says "Prerequisite:MS Band 3, HS Beginning Band, or by audition.". So would they have to do a year of Beginning Band even if they did two years of ES band and 1 or 2 years of MS band (assume no private lessons)? How boring would that be, or would it be an okay start to high school band?

A kid like that should just audition.

[Anonymous]

My kid took no language in Middle School. He took 2 APs in 9th, 3 in 10th and now has 4 in 11th. He took Spanish 1 and 2 in 9th and 10th respectively. The reason I wanted him in Spanish 1 in 9th is because I wanted him to concentrate on his 2 APs math and principles of computer science. With Spanish 3 or 4 there would be too much work to keep up with while taking 2 APs as a freshman.

[Anonymous]

This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

[Anonymous]

Except for the magnet programs, MS kids get two electives. They can do both band and FL. Or choose two electives they want. There is no right or wrong way. They only need to be taking a FL by 8th to qualify for some HS programs.

[Anonymous]

My kid started Spanish 1 in 6th grade. In HS, 9th grade was Spanish 4 and 10th grade was Spanish5/AP.

When he applied to college (beginning of 12th grade), he had AP results in all 5 core subject areas.

Please note that he only did 2 years of FL in HS, but cumulatively had 5 years of foreign language on his transcript. All colleges were fine with his FL credits because the school did not offer any higher foreign language class after AP.

Starting HS credit FL from 6th grade and taking the most rigorous class meant that the HS GPA also got a bump. It helped him in getting merit aid, college admission.

If you want your kid to be academically competitive, then look into starting foreign language from 6th grade and do not take easy course (ie take Spanish 1 instead of Spanish 1a)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of middle schools in the county that don't offer level 3 on site - kids have to be bused to a nearby high school and then back to their MS to take it.

They won't tell you this when you register as a 6th grader, but check to see if your school consistently has a large enough cohort to offer level 3 on site. In my kid's school, only nine 8th graders registered for Spanish 3, so the only option was for them to go to the cluster high school for first period.

Or like our district, not enough busses so they offer "virtual" class in highest level language offered at middle school.

<vomit>

Lots of kids don't know until they are registering for it and are stuck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of middle schools in the county that don't offer level 3 on site - kids have to be bused to a nearby high school and then back to their MS to take it.

They won't tell you this when you register as a 6th grader, but check to see if your school consistently has a large enough cohort to offer level 3 on site. In my kid's school, only nine 8th graders registered for Spanish 3, so the only option was for them to go to the cluster high school for first period.

Or like our district, not enough busses so they offer "virtual" class in highest level language offered at middle school.

<vomit>

Lots of kids don't know until they are registering for it and are stuck

Oops
Didn't realize this was an MCPS thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

So are all students required to take foreign language at those schools, then? Or what electives can they substitute for foreign language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

So are all students required to take foreign language at those schools, then? Or what electives can they substitute for foreign language?

DP. We are at an IB MYP and they require a foreign language unless you need a reading class. So effectively, all students just have one elective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid took no language in Middle School. He took 2 APs in 9th, 3 in 10th and now has 4 in 11th. He took Spanish 1 and 2 in 9th and 10th respectively. The reason I wanted him in Spanish 1 in 9th is because I wanted him to concentrate on his 2 APs math and principles of computer science. With Spanish 3 or 4 there would be too much work to keep up with while taking 2 APs as a freshman.

? No. DD took AP US Gov and AP Comp Sci in 9th, as well as Spanish 4. Not a problem at all. Many kids do that. Now taking AP Calc BC and AP Physics C and Spanish 5 in 10th. Oh, and APUSH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid started Spanish 1 in 6th grade. In HS, 9th grade was Spanish 4 and 10th grade was Spanish5/AP.

When he applied to college (beginning of 12th grade), he had AP results in all 5 core subject areas.

Please note that he only did 2 years of FL in HS, but cumulatively had 5 years of foreign language on his transcript. All colleges were fine with his FL credits because the school did not offer any higher foreign language class after AP.

Starting HS credit FL from 6th grade and taking the most rigorous class meant that the HS GPA also got a bump. It helped him in getting merit aid, college admission.

If you want your kid to be academically competitive, then look into starting foreign language from 6th grade and do not take easy course (ie take Spanish 1 instead of Spanish 1a)

People need to STOP saying this. It's absolutely not true. You can start a FL in 9th grade and be competitive. Most colleges only require 2 years of a FL, the really competitive colleges require 3-4 years of language which all can be completed in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid started Spanish 1 in 6th grade. In HS, 9th grade was Spanish 4 and 10th grade was Spanish5/AP.

When he applied to college (beginning of 12th grade), he had AP results in all 5 core subject areas.

Please note that he only did 2 years of FL in HS, but cumulatively had 5 years of foreign language on his transcript. All colleges were fine with his FL credits because the school did not offer any higher foreign language class after AP.

Starting HS credit FL from 6th grade and taking the most rigorous class meant that the HS GPA also got a bump. It helped him in getting merit aid, college admission.

If you want your kid to be academically competitive, then look into starting foreign language from 6th grade and do not take easy course (ie take Spanish 1 instead of Spanish 1a)

People need to STOP saying this. It's absolutely not true. You can start a FL in 9th grade and be competitive. Most colleges only require 2 years of a FL, the really competitive colleges require 3-4 years of language which all can be completed in HS.

True. Lots of hooked kids can get away with doing less rigorous course....but not the ORM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

So are all students required to take foreign language at those schools, then? Or what electives can they substitute for foreign language?

DP. We are at an IB MYP and they require a foreign language unless you need a reading class. So effectively, all students just have one elective.

Ugh, that's such a bummer for those kids. Is it just MYP schools that do this, or are there other middle schools that require foreign language too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid started Spanish 1 in 6th grade. In HS, 9th grade was Spanish 4 and 10th grade was Spanish5/AP.

When he applied to college (beginning of 12th grade), he had AP results in all 5 core subject areas.

Please note that he only did 2 years of FL in HS, but cumulatively had 5 years of foreign language on his transcript. All colleges were fine with his FL credits because the school did not offer any higher foreign language class after AP.

Starting HS credit FL from 6th grade and taking the most rigorous class meant that the HS GPA also got a bump. It helped him in getting merit aid, college admission.

If you want your kid to be academically competitive, then look into starting foreign language from 6th grade and do not take easy course (ie take Spanish 1 instead of Spanish 1a)

People need to STOP saying this. It's absolutely not true. You can start a FL in 9th grade and be competitive. Most colleges only require 2 years of a FL, the really competitive colleges require 3-4 years of language which all can be completed in HS.

True. Lots of hooked kids can get away with doing less rigorous course....but not the ORM.

How is taking 4 years of FL in HS less rigorous?