School without walls Middle School

[Anonymous]

I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

It's called school without walls at Francis Stevens, and it's a PK-8th, not really a full-blown middle school. Very small classes for 6th-8th; more than 50 students per grade.

DCPS does not offer Algebra 1 in 6th anywhere. The accelerated math is 7th grade Algebra, and that is not offered everywhere. Standard DCPS curriculum is Alg 1 in 8th.

I'd go to an open house and ask about how they would handle your child's math level beyond some in-class differentiation. You're more likely to be happy with the math choices at Hardy, Stuart Hobson or Deal.

[Anonymous]

NO MORE than 50 students per grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

It's called school without walls at Francis Stevens, and it's a PK-8th, not really a full-blown middle school. Very small classes for 6th-8th; more than 50 students per grade.

DCPS does not offer Algebra 1 in 6th anywhere. The accelerated math is 7th grade Algebra, and that is not offered everywhere. Standard DCPS curriculum is Alg 1 in 8th.

I'd go to an open house and ask about how they would handle your child's math level beyond some in-class differentiation. You're more likely to be happy with the math choices at Hardy, Stuart Hobson or Deal.

Thanks. There’s another house I liked almost as well that’s IB for Hardy. I’ll take a look at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

It's called school without walls at Francis Stevens, and it's a PK-8th, not really a full-blown middle school. Very small classes for 6th-8th; more than 50 students per grade.

DCPS does not offer Algebra 1 in 6th anywhere. The accelerated math is 7th grade Algebra, and that is not offered everywhere. Standard DCPS curriculum is Alg 1 in 8th.

I'd go to an open house and ask about how they would handle your child's math level beyond some in-class differentiation. You're more likely to be happy with the math choices at Hardy, Stuart Hobson or Deal.

Thanks. There’s another house I liked almost as well that’s IB for Hardy. I’ll take a look at it.

If high school is a concern, the feeder high school for SWW@FS is Cardozo. To attend SWW high school students need to pass a test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

It's called school without walls at Francis Stevens, and it's a PK-8th, not really a full-blown middle school. Very small classes for 6th-8th; more than 50 students per grade.

DCPS does not offer Algebra 1 in 6th anywhere. The accelerated math is 7th grade Algebra, and that is not offered everywhere. Standard DCPS curriculum is Alg 1 in 8th.

I'd go to an open house and ask about how they would handle your child's math level beyond some in-class differentiation. You're more likely to be happy with the math choices at Hardy, Stuart Hobson or Deal.

Thanks. There’s another house I liked almost as well that’s IB for Hardy. I’ll take a look at it.

A house IB for Hardy also gives you access to Wilson High School. SWW @ FS does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m considering a house that is apparently zoned for school without walls middle school. Can anyone tell me what this school is like? Is it rigorous? Do they have good sports and other activities?

Looking online, it claims to be a rigorous curriculum, but I notice that they don’t offer algebra I until 8th grade. My DS is taking algebra I this year as a 6th grader. Do they have some sort of accelerated group or curriculum? Are all the students fairly proficient or is a lot of class time devoted to bringing students who are behind up to speed? Also, what is the homework load like? DS is accustomed to about an hour per night and none of it busy work.

It's called school without walls at Francis Stevens, and it's a PK-8th, not really a full-blown middle school. Very small classes for 6th-8th; more than 50 students per grade.

DCPS does not offer Algebra 1 in 6th anywhere. The accelerated math is 7th grade Algebra, and that is not offered everywhere. Standard DCPS curriculum is Alg 1 in 8th.

I'd go to an open house and ask about how they would handle your child's math level beyond some in-class differentiation. You're more likely to be happy with the math choices at Hardy, Stuart Hobson or Deal.

Thanks. There’s another house I liked almost as well that’s IB for Hardy. I’ll take a look at it.

A house IB for Hardy also gives you access to Wilson High School. SWW @ FS does not.

I’ve seen some posts about Wilson feeders. Is it the preferred public high school?

[Anonymous]

It is the largest comprehensive high school, and strongest although it has a few issues, as any big school will.

There are also several high schools that are open to students city-wide but you must apply to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I’ve seen some posts about Wilson feeders. Is it the preferred public high school?

It's the preferred non-selective DCPS high school. By "non-selective" I mean you can attend as a matter of right if you live in-boundary or attended a feeder middle school, there is no application test. DC also has a half-dozen application-only high schools that you have to compete for a spot in, at least two of them are considered by some people more desirable than Wilson. By saying "DCPS" I'm pointing out that DC also has public schools that are not part of DCPS, the public charter schools. All slots at public charter schools are filled by lottery.

[Anonymous]

We have two kids in elementary grades at SWW/Francis. We are very positive about the school and plan to stay through middle school. Small grade size is a plus for us. Teachers know every kid individually. Prefer it to larger schools.

[Anonymous]

If your DC has inclinations towards either STEM subjects or sports, a larger MS has more to offer. PK-8 works better for more Arty types, but doesn't have the scale for science labs, multiple math levels, or multiple clubs and sports.

I have 2 who thrive in the larger, traditional MS environment, and 1 who is much better in the smaller.

[Anonymous]

We just went to the FS open house, and they said that they do have kids taking math a year ahead, and have even had kids take math at the high school (although they are separate schools, they have the same principal, and they have kids from the high school come over to the ES/MS to provide tutoring, do internships, etc.). Generally, the MS curriculum is AP-aligned, the HS teachers help select the MS teachers, and they are working to prepare kids to successfully apply to SWW. I'd say it's worth checking out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have two kids in elementary grades at SWW/Francis. We are very positive about the school and plan to stay through middle school. Small grade size is a plus for us. Teachers know every kid individually. Prefer it to larger schools.

This is our IB. Would you say that more parents are keeping their kids at FS through the upper grades? Are you happy with the rigor and differentiation available? We love the looping concept in the ES--it seems like teachers really get to know the students well.

[Anonymous]

I have a child in the Middle School and am happy with the quality of the academics. Many
six graders take "seventh grade math" and 7th and 8th can take 9th grade math at Walls
though I don't know how many actually do so. Some of the kids seem very motivated. I have
met several small boys at FS with large eyewear who self identify as math geniuses. Hopefully, they
are satisfied by the rigor! I find the projects, e.g. language arts and
social studies, interesting and well-designed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NO MORE than 50 students per grade

Isn't the campus expanding into Steven Elementary space? Won't that allow them to grow the MS?