Is Rockville High a dangerous school? (question for parents of kids at RHS)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:a bit curious, but why do so many posters in this thread think wood is a bad middle school? My son is an 8th grader at Wood and he hasn't seen a lot of bad experiences with the school. Any reasons to why?

I’m an earlier poster. Both my kids did fine at Wood but there wasn’t anything great about the experience. I don’t know how much that’s the environment at Wood itself or just that middle school is a tough time. Both kind of sailed through academically and stayed out of trouble, but I’m friends with a few parents whose kids struggled. When DS started at Rockville it did seem like a breath of fresh air (and I’m not the poster who originally wrote that) - he was excited to actually be learning things in classes, enjoyed sports team, became more involved socially, got engaged in new activities. He does complain a bit that it’s the same old group of kids he’s been with since 6th grades, but for a kid who was eager to apply out of the cluster in 8th grade, it’s a nice surprise to see him so happy where he is.

I would say to have the Rockville HS community a bit larger in terms of the boundary updates regarding Crown HS, have some portions of the Wheaton cluster change so that their students instead will attend Rockville (specifically for the households that are zoned for the Brookhaven ES), as well as a small portion of the Magruder cluster that's right up north from the ICC.

Crown boundary analysis does not include Rockville HS, I don't think.

It's not, and that's what I'm saying. The Rockville HS cluster is somehow lucky that they've avoided boundary changes and I think cluster needs boundary changes. Basically saying, because of the school's small size, they should overgo some boundary changes. I'm not sure if the schools capacity size has already reached the limit, but I found a source that shows the capacity and projected capacity size for the entire school cluster.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP26_Chapter4Rockville.pdf

I think the school would need some updating if it were to accept a considerable increase in student body. It’s not one that has had a recent renovation

RHS had a major renovation in 2004, which would be considered recent compared to many other schools in MCPS.

+1

Also still is considered recent for MCPS to build new high schools, which the last high school that was built was Clarksburg in 2006, almost 19 years now.

[Anonymous]

ong i go to this school right now and ms pyles and mr wagner kept making jokes about diddy to other kids 💀💀

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a bit curious, but why do so many posters in this thread think wood is a bad middle school? My son is an 8th grader at Wood and he hasn't seen a lot of bad experiences with the school. Any reasons to why?

I’m an earlier poster. Both my kids did fine at Wood but there wasn’t anything great about the experience. I don’t know how much that’s the environment at Wood itself or just that middle school is a tough time. Both kind of sailed through academically and stayed out of trouble, but I’m friends with a few parents whose kids struggled. When DS started at Rockville it did seem like a breath of fresh air (and I’m not the poster who originally wrote that) - he was excited to actually be learning things in classes, enjoyed sports team, became more involved socially, got engaged in new activities. He does complain a bit that it’s the same old group of kids he’s been with since 6th grades, but for a kid who was eager to apply out of the cluster in 8th grade, it’s a nice surprise to see him so happy where he is.

I would say to have the Rockville HS community a bit larger in terms of the boundary updates regarding Crown HS, have some portions of the Wheaton cluster change so that their students instead will attend Rockville (specifically for the households that are zoned for the Brookhaven ES), as well as a small portion of the Magruder cluster that's right up north from the ICC.

Crown boundary analysis does not include Rockville HS, I don't think.

It's not, and that's what I'm saying. The Rockville HS cluster is somehow lucky that they've avoided boundary changes and I think cluster needs boundary changes. Basically saying, because of the school's small size, they should overgo some boundary changes. I'm not sure if the schools capacity size has already reached the limit, but I found a source that shows the capacity and projected capacity size for the entire school cluster.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP26_Chapter4Rockville.pdf

I think the school would need some updating if it were to accept a considerable increase in student body. It’s not one that has had a recent renovation

RHS had a major renovation in 2004, which would be considered recent compared to many other schools in MCPS.

20 years ago is considered recent? I’ve been inside some of the newer renovated HSs in MCPS. Rockville is dingy in comparison. That’s really sad that 20 years ago is considered recent.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid who graduated from RHS in 2024, having gone through the cluster from ES. He had excellent experiences at RHS and at Wood, both academically and socially. Had some great teachers, did really well on AP and IB tests, and seems to have been well prepared for college. Made great friends, some of whom he has been friends with since MS or earlier, but also quite a few he connected with in HS. I say that because while the cluster is small with only 1 feeder MS, it isn’t so small that kids can’t find new friends as they grow and change. Anyway, if I had another kid to educate, I would absolutely put them into the RHS cluster.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have two kids there right now and I feel perfectly safe sending them there. It’s a small school and the principal really seems to care about them.

There’s a football game going on right now—since you’re in the cluster you should go and check out the scene! The band will play, the Poms will dance, the cheerleaders doing their cheers. The student section cheering. A lot of parents in the community go to the games. Little siblings walk back and forth to get snacks.

I disagree with the principal part, most say she's really nice but I've heard a lot about her bad side.

As a Rockville parent for 3 years, I truly haven’t heard anything bad. What have you heard? I know that people have differing opinions, of course, but I’m surprised that you’ve heard from a lot of people that she has a bad side.

She cancelled the homecoming dance last year about an hour early because students were consuming on alcoholic drinks and the security wasn't aware, and she didn't even notify or warn the school about the incident, and I think the same think happened with last year's prom and this year's homecoming.

+ she is a bit aggressive on most days especially with some kids.

She did stop the homecoming dance an hour early because kids were drunk and puking in the bathrooms and there was also crowd surfing and the kids wouldn’t listen to the security guards.

I did not hear that about last years prom or this years homecoming. Just that one time, homecoming last year.

My kids are the type to share their strong opinions about the adults in the building and neither have said she’s aggressive. In fact their biggest annoyance with her is that she calls her students her “babies.” I don’t mind it; I feel like she’s telling them she’s going to take care of them. But I know it rubs some people the wrong way.

My kid said the same thing about calling her students her "babies". While I see nothing wrong with it, my kid said it just felt so weirdly uncomfortable and unsettling. It just doesn't sound right if you think about it. I take the blame on the aggressiveness on the security more than the principal.

Uncomfortable and unsettling? I can’t wrap my brain around why that would be be maybe you had to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a bit curious, but why do so many posters in this thread think wood is a bad middle school? My son is an 8th grader at Wood and he hasn't seen a lot of bad experiences with the school. Any reasons to why?

I’m an earlier poster. Both my kids did fine at Wood but there wasn’t anything great about the experience. I don’t know how much that’s the environment at Wood itself or just that middle school is a tough time. Both kind of sailed through academically and stayed out of trouble, but I’m friends with a few parents whose kids struggled. When DS started at Rockville it did seem like a breath of fresh air (and I’m not the poster who originally wrote that) - he was excited to actually be learning things in classes, enjoyed sports team, became more involved socially, got engaged in new activities. He does complain a bit that it’s the same old group of kids he’s been with since 6th grades, but for a kid who was eager to apply out of the cluster in 8th grade, it’s a nice surprise to see him so happy where he is.

I would say to have the Rockville HS community a bit larger in terms of the boundary updates regarding Crown HS, have some portions of the Wheaton cluster change so that their students instead will attend Rockville (specifically for the households that are zoned for the Brookhaven ES), as well as a small portion of the Magruder cluster that's right up north from the ICC.

Crown boundary analysis does not include Rockville HS, I don't think.

It's not, and that's what I'm saying. The Rockville HS cluster is somehow lucky that they've avoided boundary changes and I think cluster needs boundary changes. Basically saying, because of the school's small size, they should overgo some boundary changes. I'm not sure if the schools capacity size has already reached the limit, but I found a source that shows the capacity and projected capacity size for the entire school cluster.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP26_Chapter4Rockville.pdf

I think the school would need some updating if it were to accept a considerable increase in student body. It’s not one that has had a recent renovation

RHS had a major renovation in 2004, which would be considered recent compared to many other schools in MCPS.

20 years ago is considered recent? I’ve been inside some of the newer renovated HSs in MCPS. Rockville is dingy in comparison. That’s really sad that 20 years ago is considered recent.

Correct, it's just a school of nothing. Nothing has changed, and nothing will change for a long time at RHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ong i go to this school right now and ms pyles and mr wagner kept making jokes about diddy to other kids 💀💀

Who let a kid in DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a bit curious, but why do so many posters in this thread think wood is a bad middle school? My son is an 8th grader at Wood and he hasn't seen a lot of bad experiences with the school. Any reasons to why?

I’m an earlier poster. Both my kids did fine at Wood but there wasn’t anything great about the experience. I don’t know how much that’s the environment at Wood itself or just that middle school is a tough time. Both kind of sailed through academically and stayed out of trouble, but I’m friends with a few parents whose kids struggled. When DS started at Rockville it did seem like a breath of fresh air (and I’m not the poster who originally wrote that) - he was excited to actually be learning things in classes, enjoyed sports team, became more involved socially, got engaged in new activities. He does complain a bit that it’s the same old group of kids he’s been with since 6th grades, but for a kid who was eager to apply out of the cluster in 8th grade, it’s a nice surprise to see him so happy where he is.

I would say to have the Rockville HS community a bit larger in terms of the boundary updates regarding Crown HS, have some portions of the Wheaton cluster change so that their students instead will attend Rockville (specifically for the households that are zoned for the Brookhaven ES), as well as a small portion of the Magruder cluster that's right up north from the ICC.

Crown boundary analysis does not include Rockville HS, I don't think.

It's not, and that's what I'm saying. The Rockville HS cluster is somehow lucky that they've avoided boundary changes and I think cluster needs boundary changes. Basically saying, because of the school's small size, they should overgo some boundary changes. I'm not sure if the schools capacity size has already reached the limit, but I found a source that shows the capacity and projected capacity size for the entire school cluster.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP26_Chapter4Rockville.pdf

I think the school would need some updating if it were to accept a considerable increase in student body. It’s not one that has had a recent renovation

RHS had a major renovation in 2004, which would be considered recent compared to many other schools in MCPS.

20 years ago is considered recent? I’ve been inside some of the newer renovated HSs in MCPS. Rockville is dingy in comparison. That’s really sad that 20 years ago is considered recent.

Correct, it's just a school of nothing. Nothing has changed, and nothing will change for a long time at RHS.

A school of nothing is pretty dramatic. There are strong teachers there and happy, hard working kids—that’s plenty more than nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ong i go to this school right now and ms pyles and mr wagner kept making jokes about diddy to other kids 💀💀

Who let a kid in DCUM?

im a senior there lol

anyways be careful when u see ms abuliak

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ong i go to this school right now and ms pyles and mr wagner kept making jokes about diddy to other kids 💀💀

Who let a kid in DCUM?

im a senior there lol

anyways be careful when u see ms abuliak

Are you sure you’re a current senior there? Mr. Wagner no longer works at Rockville, and Ms. Abuliak is now Ms. Kellison. Doubtful that Mr. Wagner was making Diddy comments last year, as that news had not dropped yet, and he is not there this year to be making those jokes with Ms. Pyles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ong i go to this school right now and ms pyles and mr wagner kept making jokes about diddy to other kids 💀💀

Who let a kid in DCUM?

im a senior there lol

anyways be careful when u see ms abuliak

Are you sure you’re a current senior there? Mr. Wagner no longer works at Rockville, and Ms. Abuliak is now Ms. Kellison. Doubtful that Mr. Wagner was making Diddy comments last year, as that news had not dropped yet, and he is not there this year to be making those jokes with Ms. Pyles.

LMAO? everyone thought mr wagner was on parental leave or something but good riddance to him i guess

oh well i hope ms abuliak and ms pyles read this!!!!

[Anonymous]

Here's how I would rate RHS, according to my kid who graduated there in 2019.

Student Environment: 7.5/10
Safety Environment: 3/10
Security: 2/10
Athletics and Clubs: 9/10
School Administration: 4/10

Logically speaking that would be about a 5/10. While I don't know how much the security and administration has changed as well as the environment at the school after COVID, it's not a terrible school.

[Anonymous]

Don’t send a kid with stomach issues there. My kid finds the locked bathrooms situation very challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t send a kid with stomach issues there. My kid finds the locked bathrooms situation very challenging.

+1

Same with my kid. The school did absolutely nothing to fix the bathrooms, at some point there were only around 2 bathrooms each for boys and girls and it took them absolutely forever to fix the situations with the bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's how I would rate RHS, according to my kid who graduated there in 2019.

Student Environment: 7.5/10
Safety Environment: 3/10
Security: 2/10
Athletics and Clubs: 9/10
School Administration: 4/10

Logically speaking that would be about a 5/10. While I don't know how much the security and administration has changed as well as the environment at the school after COVID, it's not a terrible school.

That was 2019. Rockville had a new principal after Bensen left. There probably is some changes to the security too but I know Abuliak was still part of the administration team when Bensen was the principal.