Moving to avoid kenmore - go to fcps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a 4 on Great Schools (and a 2 on “Equity”). No thanks.

And it's an 8 for non-low-income students, which is half the school. Give the positive reports I hear from affluent families who do go there, I wouldn't be concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a 4 on Great Schools (and a 2 on “Equity”). No thanks.

So don’t go. Buy a house for 200K more where you’ll be safe and secure.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been really encouraged by the positive things about Kenmore I’ve seen on this thread. We’ve been rezoned from Gunston to Kenmore and I was pretty ambivalent about it. My oldest child still has years to go before middle school but it sounds like Kenmore is pretty well-regarded by those who actually go there, sure there’s some issues, but that’s not unexpected living in S Arlington.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.

It is very likely that past performance will predict future results for Stratford students. But you do you.

Okay, then by that same logic parents of already high-achieving ES kids have nothing to fear sending their kids to any MS. Because their past predicts they will continue to be high-achieving.

It's also weird to me that you feel a school needs to be more or entirely full of high-achievers for children to maintain results. All any kids needs is a peer group, a large-enough cohort, so that they can offer a class they might not if those students we're there. Beyond that, I am literally baffled at how any child could be affected (positively or negatively) by anything else.

You are baffled by how kids could be influenced by bad behavior and bullying? Your kid is not in an isolated bubble, PE, etc. is a mix of all students.

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No, I am baffled why the rumor that this school is more plagued by bad behavior continues to have legs when the data doesn't back it up. And baffled why anyone thinks the kids who've had a strong foundation coming in to MS and being given access to a strong cohort and rigorous and interesting course work (as much as is possible for MS) would come out at some sort of disadvantage than if they went to a different school that was more uniformly wealthy.

What do you think happens in PE?

[Anonymous]

Serious question: how can a school with 50% FARMS rate meet the needs of high-achieving non FARMS students?

I like a lot of what I hear about Kenmore, was impressed by the tour, and we are considering putting in an application. But I wonder about the above.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

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There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

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Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

Depends what you're looking for. Strictly on an academic basis I admire Williamsburg. But it doesn't have enough diversity for me, and I've heard some students of color haven't been treated all that well. Definitely not saying all the kids there are like that, I know for a fact that's not true. But as a general environment, like Yorktown HS, I just wouldn't feel comfortable sending my kids there.

[Anonymous]

As an Arts focused school, what do think of Kenmore's Clara play last couple of days? Was it better, on par, or lacking compared to other APS/ACPS/FCPS MSs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an Arts focused school, what do think of Kenmore's Clara play last couple of days? Was it better, on par, or lacking compared to other APS/ACPS/FCPS MSs?

FYI, it was through the Dance PE program. My 7th grader, who has had ballet training and has friends in the show, said it was actually really good.

[Anonymous]

Just FYI for those who don’t know, Dance PE is a class kids can take in lieu of regular PE. Performing in this (and usually a spring) production is a required part of the class. Thus this is not a regular play or production so don’t compare apples and oranges if you want to compare to other middle school plays or musicals (Kenmore also does plays and musicals but this is something different). Many/most of the kids have not had prior dance training, including my daughter when she participated several years ago. The dance teacher is a truly amazing person to incorporate and manage so many kids with the full range of experience and ability. There are always some very talented dancers and frequently the students also help develop the storyline and choreography.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Arlington county and our good friend is a police officer here for over 10 years and said that ACPD send more units to Kenmore than W&L routinely. Not due to violent crimes but due to gang related "tension" and preventive reasons as a show of force.

He said he would never send his kids there, FWIW.

Sanctuary City and this is where they put the sanctuary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI for those who don’t know, Dance PE is a class kids can take in lieu of regular PE. Performing in this (and usually a spring) production is a required part of the class. Thus this is not a regular play or production so don’t compare apples and oranges if you want to compare to other middle school plays or musicals (Kenmore also does plays and musicals but this is something different). Many/most of the kids have not had prior dance training, including my daughter when she participated several years ago. The dance teacher is a truly amazing person to incorporate and manage so many kids with the full range of experience and ability. There are always some very talented dancers and frequently the students also help develop the storyline and choreography.

is it fair to say there's a bit of self segregation going on with dance PE? if one didn't know anything about Kenmore one might think the school's white-majority after watching the play. i assume dance PE student demography is similar at other MS schools, but at Kenmore's it's quite a contrast to its overall population.

[Anonymous]

I thought all the liberals in Northern Virginia wanted more diversity? Why are you now afraid to live around the people you insist on being here and afraid to send your children to school with them?


It is so easy to see through these folks. Hypocrites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought all the liberals in Northern Virginia wanted more diversity? Why are you now afraid to live around the people you insist on being here and afraid to send your children to school with them?


It is so easy to see through these folks. Hypocrites.

Send my kids to school with the poors?! I didn't buy North Arlington for that! When I said 'diversity' I meant south Asian kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI for those who don’t know, Dance PE is a class kids can take in lieu of regular PE. Performing in this (and usually a spring) production is a required part of the class. Thus this is not a regular play or production so don’t compare apples and oranges if you want to compare to other middle school plays or musicals (Kenmore also does plays and musicals but this is something different). Many/most of the kids have not had prior dance training, including my daughter when she participated several years ago. The dance teacher is a truly amazing person to incorporate and manage so many kids with the full range of experience and ability. There are always some very talented dancers and frequently the students also help develop the storyline and choreography.

is it fair to say there's a bit of self segregation going on with dance PE? if one didn't know anything about Kenmore one might think the school's white-majority after watching the play. i assume dance PE student demography is similar at other MS schools, but at Kenmore's it's quite a contrast to its overall population.

The other middle schools don't have dance PE. Just Kenmore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI for those who don’t know, Dance PE is a class kids can take in lieu of regular PE. Performing in this (and usually a spring) production is a required part of the class. Thus this is not a regular play or production so don’t compare apples and oranges if you want to compare to other middle school plays or musicals (Kenmore also does plays and musicals but this is something different). Many/most of the kids have not had prior dance training, including my daughter when she participated several years ago. The dance teacher is a truly amazing person to incorporate and manage so many kids with the full range of experience and ability. There are always some very talented dancers and frequently the students also help develop the storyline and choreography.

is it fair to say there's a bit of self segregation going on with dance PE? if one didn't know anything about Kenmore one might think the school's white-majority after watching the play. i assume dance PE student demography is similar at other MS schools, but at Kenmore's it's quite a contrast to its overall population.

Dance PE is not offered at other schools. It is self-selected so demographics will not reflect school population. For example there are only a handful of boys. You seem to be suggesting all the white kids do dance PE but in my experience (three years as a parent) it roughly reflects the racial/ethnic demographics of the school. That said, many shows have featured roles that students try out for that perform more dances or solos than those who prefer to just dance as a group or with their class. Among those students it is possible more white students will try out for and perhaps be selected for key roles.