Oakton High School and Chantilly High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello.. we plan to move to VA and having a high school kid and an elementary kid, plz recommend areas for renting (temporary) and buy a home in the near future so we don’t need to change schools. Schools we are particularly looking for is Carson Middle school and Chantilly high school. Not sure which elementary school we fall under if we find a home that takes kids into Carson and Chantilly high school? Thank you!

Right now, only kids in LLIV AAP go from Carson to Chantilly. All of the Gen Ed kids at Carson are zoned Westfield, SLHS or Oakton. And at some point, Franklin based kids will probably lose the ability to fo to Carson. Which is fine. 1/2 of the Carson AAP kids are Franklin based. Once Franklin becomes mandatory, it’s AAP Center will be as large as Carson, and will have the exact same affluent kids with highly educated parents that make Carson so good now. The high school piece is more important. I would choose Franklin zoned (Carson AAP) to Chantilly over Carson zoned to Westfield, SLHS, or even Oakton(because the commute is awful from Western County and for your current kid, they just started a huge renovation).

You want Lees Corner ES (with has local level IV AAP) or Oak Hill (Level IV Center). Feeding to Franklin MS (right now you have Carson as a choice for a Level IV Center) feeding to Chantilly. This is where zips 20151 and 20171 meet. Neighborhoods include part of Franklin Farm, Armfield Farm, Chantilly Highlands and several others. All great neighborhood to raise kids. Sidewalks, pools, soccer fields, nice neighbors. Some are just SFHs, some are SFHs plus some townhouses.

Another great option is some of the ES that feed to Rocky Run MS to Chantilly. RRMS is a lot like Carson, and is another large TJ feeder MS. I am not as familiar with their feeder pattern, so someone else will have to tell you which ESs are good I think Greenbrier West?

Franklin has a very strong local Level IV program. The teachers have been teaching AAP for 4-5 years, and they'very built a fantastic program. Franklin's AAP program is small, but it's stellar. Therefore, if you, OP, move into a Franklin-districted neighborhood, you have the option of placing your child at Franklin.

I live in the Franklin attendance area, but don’t have kids in the MS yet. A couple of my neighbors were saying that they regretted sending their kids to Franklin LLIV over Carson AAP because the Franklin AAP program was too small (all the kids had all their classes together for two years which was smothering for MS kids) and because Franklin had problems with drugs this year. They said there were police at the school during school hours and on the school buses with the kids with drug sniffing dogs?

Are the stories about there being a drug problem true? I had thought it would be better to send my rising 6th grader to Franklin then Chantilly to stay with her peers. But talking to them definately has me rethinking.

Yowwzza. I just asked my Franklin base school just graduated from Carson kid about this and she said that she had heard about it from her Franklin Friends, but had assumed it was a rumor. The Franklin v. Carson choice was was tough for us. Guess we chose right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello.. we plan to move to VA and having a high school kid and an elementary kid, plz recommend areas for renting (temporary) and buy a home in the near future so we don’t need to change schools. Schools we are particularly looking for is Carson Middle school and Chantilly high school. Not sure which elementary school we fall under if we find a home that takes kids into Carson and Chantilly high school? Thank you!

Right now, only kids in LLIV AAP go from Carson to Chantilly. All of the Gen Ed kids at Carson are zoned Westfield, SLHS or Oakton. And at some point, Franklin based kids will probably lose the ability to fo to Carson. Which is fine. 1/2 of the Carson AAP kids are Franklin based. Once Franklin becomes mandatory, it’s AAP Center will be as large as Carson, and will have the exact same affluent kids with highly educated parents that make Carson so good now. The high school piece is more important. I would choose Franklin zoned (Carson AAP) to Chantilly over Carson zoned to Westfield, SLHS, or even Oakton(because the commute is awful from Western County and for your current kid, they just started a huge renovation).

You want Lees Corner ES (with has local level IV AAP) or Oak Hill (Level IV Center). Feeding to Franklin MS (right now you have Carson as a choice for a Level IV Center) feeding to Chantilly. This is where zips 20151 and 20171 meet. Neighborhoods include part of Franklin Farm, Armfield Farm, Chantilly Highlands and several others. All great neighborhood to raise kids. Sidewalks, pools, soccer fields, nice neighbors. Some are just SFHs, some are SFHs plus some townhouses.

Another great option is some of the ES that feed to Rocky Run MS to Chantilly. RRMS is a lot like Carson, and is another large TJ feeder MS. I am not as familiar with their feeder pattern, so someone else will have to tell you which ESs are good I think Greenbrier West?

Franklin has a very strong local Level IV program. The teachers have been teaching AAP for 4-5 years, and they'very built a fantastic program. Franklin's AAP program is small, but it's stellar. Therefore, if you, OP, move into a Franklin-districted neighborhood, you have the option of placing your child at Franklin.

I live in the Franklin attendance area, but don’t have kids in the MS yet. A couple of my neighbors were saying that they regretted sending their kids to Franklin LLIV over Carson AAP because the Franklin AAP program was too small (all the kids had all their classes together for two years which was smothering for MS kids) and because Franklin had problems with drugs this year. They said there were police at the school during school hours and on the school buses with the kids with drug sniffing dogs?

Are the stories about there being a drug problem true? I had thought it would be better to send my rising 6th grader to Franklin then Chantilly to stay with her peers. But talking to them definately has me rethinking.

That isn't 100% true about the AAP kids having all their classes together for two years. Even years that there's only been one AAP class, the students were not necessarily together for math, PE, or either of their electives, so that certainly isn't true that they had all their classes together. HOWEVER, the "issue" with some students being together all day can occur in ANY middle school because FCPS uses the team model, so some students happen to wind up with identical schedules. That happened to two of my friends' kids (at a MS other than Carson or Franklin ). They had 5 or 6 of their 7 classes together because they were both in the same band, were both in Algebra in 7th grade, and both took the same other classes.

I am surprised that any parents would say they regret sending their kids to any school because of one possible issue that may or may not have happened one year. And labeling something that is probably either a rumor, or is exaggerated, as a "drug problem" is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello.. we plan to move to VA and having a high school kid and an elementary kid, plz recommend areas for renting (temporary) and buy a home in the near future so we don’t need to change schools. Schools we are particularly looking for is Carson Middle school and Chantilly high school. Not sure which elementary school we fall under if we find a home that takes kids into Carson and Chantilly high school? Thank you!

Right now, only kids in LLIV AAP go from Carson to Chantilly. All of the Gen Ed kids at Carson are zoned Westfield, SLHS or Oakton. And at some point, Franklin based kids will probably lose the ability to fo to Carson. Which is fine. 1/2 of the Carson AAP kids are Franklin based. Once Franklin becomes mandatory, it’s AAP Center will be as large as Carson, and will have the exact same affluent kids with highly educated parents that make Carson so good now. The high school piece is more important. I would choose Franklin zoned (Carson AAP) to Chantilly over Carson zoned to Westfield, SLHS, or even Oakton(because the commute is awful from Western County and for your current kid, they just started a huge renovation).

You want Lees Corner ES (with has local level IV AAP) or Oak Hill (Level IV Center). Feeding to Franklin MS (right now you have Carson as a choice for a Level IV Center) feeding to Chantilly. This is where zips 20151 and 20171 meet. Neighborhoods include part of Franklin Farm, Armfield Farm, Chantilly Highlands and several others. All great neighborhood to raise kids. Sidewalks, pools, soccer fields, nice neighbors. Some are just SFHs, some are SFHs plus some townhouses.

Another great option is some of the ES that feed to Rocky Run MS to Chantilly. RRMS is a lot like Carson, and is another large TJ feeder MS. I am not as familiar with their feeder pattern, so someone else will have to tell you which ESs are good I think Greenbrier West?

Franklin has a very strong local Level IV program. The teachers have been teaching AAP for 4-5 years, and they'very built a fantastic program. Franklin's AAP program is small, but it's stellar. Therefore, if you, OP, move into a Franklin-districted neighborhood, you have the option of placing your child at Franklin.

I live in the Franklin attendance area, but don’t have kids in the MS yet. A couple of my neighbors were saying that they regretted sending their kids to Franklin LLIV over Carson AAP because the Franklin AAP program was too small (all the kids had all their classes together for two years which was smothering for MS kids) and because Franklin had problems with drugs this year. They said there were police at the school during school hours and on the school buses with the kids with drug sniffing dogs?

Are the stories about there being a drug problem true? I had thought it would be better to send my rising 6th grader to Franklin then Chantilly to stay with her peers. But talking to them definately has me rethinking.

That isn't 100% true about the AAP kids having all their classes together for two years. Even years that there's only been one AAP class, the students were not necessarily together for math, PE, or either of their electives, so that certainly isn't true that they had all their classes together. HOWEVER, the "issue" with some students being together all day can occur in ANY middle school because FCPS uses the team model, so some students happen to wind up with identical schedules. That happened to two of my friends' kids (at a MS other than Carson or Franklin ). They had 5 or 6 of their 7 classes together because they were both in the same band, were both in Algebra in 7th grade, and both took the same other classes.

I am surprised that any parents would say they regret sending their kids to any school because of one possible issue that may or may not have happened one year. And labeling something that is probably either a rumor, or is exaggerated, as a "drug problem" is absurd.

Carson doesn’t usually have kids together for more than a couple classes. Because on any given team, there are at least three AAP sections. So even kids on the same team, there are a lot of permutations. DD was excited to be on the same team as 2 close friends this year. She had one class with her BFF— orchestra. She had orchestra and English with the other. Same elective and that’s it. Carson also mixes up the teams between 7th and 8th, so kids don’t stay with the same group for two years. I think it’s a good thing for two reasons. First, DD got into a spat with a Franklin based friend when she was in 7th and there was texting drama and sobbing drama and she betrayed me drama. I was so grateful that she was not sitting in 3 core classes plus orchestra with this girl for two years. Because I was over the tweenage girl drama as it was. Second, DD freaked about starting Carson because it was so much bigger that ES and who would she eat lunch with and what if she knew no one on in her classes. And a little bit apprehensive about 8th, because new teams and during some blocks she didn’t have the same lunch group. But now heading into a large HS, she’s like, NBD. I know a bunch of kids from Carson, and there were nice kids at orientation and if I need to meet new kids to be lab partners with or lunch buddies with, I can. So I’m glad she got some experience with a larger environment before she was in a school with 3000 kids.

The Franklin drug thing floored me, because that is not Franklin’s reputation. Or so I thought. But yeah— these were some pissed on parents, one of whose kid was apparent held on the school bus while the drug sniffing dog went through. This is someone I know and trust whose kid was directly impacted. So I rate it higher than a rumor. And it seems like that, plus dealing with the cliques that inevitably happen when the same 25 kids are together for at least half their classes in the “smartest” section had taken a toll.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

Podunk? Technology corridor? vs swamp dwellers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

Podunk? Technology corridor? vs swamp dwellers

The TJ feeder MSs are Podunk? Yeah— why send your kid to Carson when you could live closer in and send your kid to a Mount Vernon or Lee feeder? They’ll get a great education there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

Podunk? Technology corridor? vs swamp dwellers

I have lived in Chantilly feeder and lived much closer in. I would rather my kids be associated with smart, hard working, driven podunkkids with involved parents than kids whose parents have more money than sense. BTDT. And the Podunk kids are a much better peer group. Closer in, houses where 4th graders have their own ”master suite” in the McMansion and their parents pre-ordered the latest iPhone for them to take to ES because all the kids had them and keeping up with the Jones’s. And mean girls in 3rd grade with mean girl moms. And money and status being priority #1. And earning money by being the swamp, and you never meet Dad because Dad is never home and mom deals with the kids anyway.

If that ‘s what’s cool, hard pass. I’ll take Podunk. Much better reflection of our values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

If you are ten minutes or less from truly authentic food from every nationality imaginable
Walking distance from an H Mart
Soon to be ten minutes from metro (if it runs)
*** the Vegas odds favorite for HQ2
Send your kids to the local MS, which has kids from at least 2 dozen counties and some years sends more than 100 kids to TJ. And wins most state academic titles
20 minutes from Tyson’s in rush hour
Have Hindu, Christian, Catholic and Muslim neighbors in your cul de sac
Have neighbors who staff theeast coast technology corridor and neighbors with significant jobs in almost every federal agency
Know kids who take violin lessons from the (local) Asst. concertmaster of the NSO

How Podunk can you be?

I grew up in the small town South. Carson/Chantilly is not Podunk. Nice try though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

Podunk? Technology corridor? vs swamp dwellers

I have lived in Chantilly feeder and lived much closer in. I would rather my kids be associated with smart, hard working, driven podunkkids with involved parents than kids whose parents have more money than sense. BTDT. And the Podunk kids are a much better peer group. Closer in, houses where 4th graders have their own ”master suite” in the McMansion and their parents pre-ordered the latest iPhone for them to take to ES because all the kids had them and keeping up with the Jones’s. And mean girls in 3rd grade with mean girl moms. And money and status being priority #1. And earning money by being the swamp, and you never meet Dad because Dad is never home and mom deals with the kids anyway.

If that ‘s what’s cool, hard pass. I’ll take Podunk. Much better reflection of our values.

Aren't you the poster who moved from Vienna/Oakton to Chantilly? You are always contrasting Chantilly with other areas of NoVa.

And you're far too easily baited, since the poster who referred to "some podunk part of Fairfax County" probably lives anywhere but Fairfax County. I"m sure he's enjoyed his popcorn reading your response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh, if there’s this much nervousness over schools in some podunk part of Fairfax County, I can only imagine what it’s like elsewhere.

Podunk? Technology corridor? vs swamp dwellers

I have lived in Chantilly feeder and lived much closer in. I would rather my kids be associated with smart, hard working, driven podunkkids with involved parents than kids whose parents have more money than sense. BTDT. And the Podunk kids are a much better peer group. Closer in, houses where 4th graders have their own ”master suite” in the McMansion and their parents pre-ordered the latest iPhone for them to take to ES because all the kids had them and keeping up with the Jones’s. And mean girls in 3rd grade with mean girl moms. And money and status being priority #1. And earning money by being the swamp, and you never meet Dad because Dad is never home and mom deals with the kids anyway.

If that ‘s what’s cool, hard pass. I’ll take Podunk. Much better reflection of our values.

Aren't you the poster who moved from Vienna/Oakton to Chantilly? You are always contrasting Chantilly with other areas of NoVa.

And you're far too easily baited, since the poster who referred to "some podunk part of Fairfax County" probably lives anywhere but Fairfax County. I"m sure he's enjoyed his popcorn reading your response.

Nope. You have A DP. We were in the McLean pyramid.

[Anonymous]

McLean to Chantilly? Damn, she really did get exiled.

[Anonymous]

Elective Slot: BEWARE— new requirement this year in VA that entering freshmen take two consecutive years of electives (which sucks IMO). So your kid needs to be aware that if they take Art, Band, Orchestra, etc., they are stuck for two years or have to restart the clock. Ugghh!


What is this about? Why did this change and by whom?

[Anonymous]

Only five FCPS schools earned the 2018 Governor's Award of Excellence, which is the most prestigious recognition of the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. The state only recognized 14 schools in the entire state, so for these five to be recognized is a very big deal. The five schools are:

1) Cooper Middle School
2) Franklin Middle School
3) Keene Mill Elementary School
4) Longfellow Middle School
5) Rocky Run Middle School


Thirty-seven FCPS schools earned the Board of Education Excellence Award, which is the second-highest honor in the VIP program.

1) Archer Elementary
2) Canterbury Woods Elementary
3) Carson Middle
4) Chantilly High
5) Chesterbrook Elementary
6) Churchill Road Elementary
7) Colvin Run Elementary
8) Flint Hill Elementary
9) Floris Elementary
10) Forestville Elementary
11) Frost Middle
12) Greenbriar West Elementary
13) Haycock Elementary
14), Lake Braddock Secondary
15) Langley High
16) Lemon Road Elementary
17) Madison High
18) Marshall High
19) McLean High
20) Mosby Woods Elementary
21) Navy Elementary
22) Oak Hill Elementary
23) Oakton Elementary
24) Oakton High
25) Poplar Tree Elementary
26) Robinson Secondary
27) Sangster Elementary
28) Spring Hill Elementary
29) Stenwood Elementary
30) Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
31) Wakefield Forest Elementary
32) Waynewood Elementary
33) West Springfield High
34) Westbriar Elementary
35) Willow Springs Elementary
36) Wolftrap Elementary
37) Woodson High




In 2017, only two FCPS schools received the Governor's Award of Excellence :
1) Cooper Middle School
2) Longfellow Middle School


In 2016, only three FCPS schools earned the Governor's Award of Excellence:
1) Kilmer Middle School
2) Longfellow Middle School
3) Rocky Run Middle School



In 2014 and 2015, the same three FCPS schools earned the Governor's Award of Excellence:
1) Carson Middle School
2) Longfellow Middle School
3) Rocky Run Middle School



In 2013, the only FCPS recipient of the Governor's Award of Excellence was Rocky Run Middle School.


In 2012, there were a large number of FCPS recipients of the Governor's Award of Excellence:
1)Archer Elementary
2) Chesterbrook Elementary
3) Colvin Run Elementary
4) Cooper Middle
5) Floris Elementary
6) Fox Mill Elementary
7) Franklin Middle
8) Frost Middle
9) Great Falls Elementary
10) Greenbriar West Elementary
11) Haycock Elementary
12) Lees Corner Elementary
13) Longfellow Middle
14) Oak Hill Elementary
15) Oakton Elementary
16) Rocky Run Middle
17) Thoreau Middle
18) Virginia Run Elementary
19) West Springfield Elementary
20) Westbriar Elementary
21) Willow Springs Elementary
22) Wolftrap Elementary


In 2011, the FCPS schools that earned the Governor's Award of Excellence were:
1) Archer Elementary
2) Carson Middle
3) Chesterbrook Elementary
4) Cooper Middle
4) Fox Mill Elementary
5) Franklin Middle
6) Frost Middle
7) Hunt Valley Elementary
8) Kilmer Middle
9) Langley High
10) Lees Corner Elementary
11) Liberty Middle
12) Longfellow Middle
13) Mantua Elementary
14) Mosby Woods Elementary
15) Oakton Elementary
16) Oakton High
17) Rocky Run Middle
18) Spring Hill Elementary
19) Thoreau Middle
20) West Springfield Elementary
21) Westbriar Elementary
22) Wolftrap Elementary
23) Woodson High


In 2010, the following FCPS schools earned the Governor's Award of Excellence:
1) Archer Elementary
2) Carson Middle
3) Cherry Run Elementary
4) Chesterbrook Elementary
5) Churchill Road Elementary
6) Clermont Elementary
7) Cooper Middle
8) Fairhill Elementary
9) Flint Hill Elementary
10) Forestville Elementary
11) Fox Mill Elementary
12) Franklin Middle
13) Frost Middle
14) Greenbriar West Elementary
15) Haycock Elementary
16) Hunt Valley Elementary
17) Langley High
18) Madison High
19) Mantua Elementary
20) McLean High
21) Navy Elementary
22) Oak Hill Elementary
23) Oakton High
24) Rocky Run Middle
25) Sangster Elementary
26) Shrevewood Elementary
27) Springfield Estates Elementary
28) Sunrise Valley Elementary
29) Thoreau Middle
30) Vienna Elementary
31) Virginia Run Elementary
32) Waples Mill Elementary
33) West Springfield Elementary
34) Westbriar Elementary
35) Willow Springs Elementary
36) Wolftrap Elementary


In 2009, the following FCPS schools earned the Governor's Award of Excellence:
1) Carson Middle School
2) Centreville High
3) Chantilly High
4) Chesterbrook Elementary
5) Churchill Road Elementary
6) Clifton Elementary
7) Colvin Run Elementary
8) Cooper Middle School
9) Fairview Elementary
10) Flint Hill Elementary
11) Franklin Middle School
12) Great Falls Elementary
13) Greenbriar West Elementary
14) Herndon High
15) Hunt Valley Elementary
16) Kent Gardens Elementary
17) Langley High
18) Laurel Ridge Elementary
19) Louise Archer Elementary
20) Mantua Elementary
21) Oak Hill Elementary
22) Sangster Elementary
23) Sunrise Valley Elementary
24) Thoreau Middle School
25) Vienna Elementary
25) Washington Irving Middle
26) West Springfield High
27) Westbriar Elementary
28) Westfield High
29) Westgate Elementary
30) Willow Springs Elementary


The purpose of posting these awards from the past ten years is to show that many of the schools being discussed in this thread have received top honors multiple times. They are all excellent schools.

- Carson Middle School received the top award five times in the past ten years
- Franklin Middle School received the top award five times in the past ten years
- Rocky Run Middle School received the top award eight times in the past ten years
- Chantilly High School received the top award one time in the past ten years.
- Oakton High School received the top award two times in the past ten years

[Anonymous]

^^^^. You could have linked.

Also, in FCPS, high schools rarely get top awards. They factor in math SOL pass rates, and schools like Oakton and Chantilly have their strong students already through Algebra and Geometry SOLs at the Ms level. And possibly A2. It’s why the Tja feeder MSs look so good and the Hss look weak by comparison. The kids left in Algebra 1 to take the SOL in HS are the weakest math students, and thus the most likely to fail.