Pyle or eastern Humanities/communication program?

[Anonymous]

That's the Silver Spring kids.
The would-be Pyle/Frost/Hoover/Cabin John/Westland/Silver Creek kids traditionally go back to their home high schools unless they go to Richard Montgomery.

[Anonymous]

OP, Suggest you see if Ms. Goldstein can reach out to families in each of the three grades to see if they can talk to you. She could send everyone in that cluster an email and whoever wants to talk could reply.

The current 8th grade is the only grade with a full year in person. The 7th grade has the most recent information about the full first year and they will still be around if your child goes there. The 6th grade would be important to talk to because they are a lottery class like this year which may impact the curriculum or the student body.

I can't help you with comparing the schools but in my opinion most of the posts are really exaggerated and I think many are probably by Silver Spring parents who are coming from a different place than you. The curriculum is fine but my child would have been fine at their regular school. The hallways and lunches are fine. The admin is great about some things and could improve on others. Some teachers are horrible while others are terrific which again is normal.

[Anonymous]

On the question of sink or swim I think this is very true.
According to DC, some classmates have become very depressed or stressed and there is no empathy or support for those students. They just get dropped from the program or leave. We have seen it and it's very damaging.

[Anonymous]

The bigger question is not the curriculum but what your child gives up by the long bus rides. In my experience Whitman cluster kids who go to Eastern or TP, ultimately decide to go to Whitman for high school because they don't want to continue spending a chunk of every day on the bus, time that could be spent on ECs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bigger question is not the curriculum but what your child gives up by the long bus rides. In my experience Whitman cluster kids who go to Eastern or TP, ultimately decide to go to Whitman for high school because they don't want to continue spending a chunk of every day on the bus, time that could be spent on ECs.

My child was Wootton cluster and did not want to go to a magnet for high school. I agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the question of sink or swim I think this is very true.
According to DC, some classmates have become very depressed or stressed and there is no empathy or support for those students. They just get dropped from the program or leave. We have seen it and it's very damaging.

I think this gets at one of the fundamental tensions that the magnets are dealing with right now. One one hand, you have a vocal contingent yelling that the magnets are being "watered down" and that the "caliber" of student is dropping, and the sky is falling.

On the other, you have folks who are upset that their child is being left to "sink or swim" and who are looking for a more nurturing MS environment.

Eastern has never been a particularly nurturing program. It wasn't when my child was there, and it wasn't when my child's babysitter was there more than a decade ago, and it's not today. Parents should choose the program with their eyes open to that fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the question of sink or swim I think this is very true.
According to DC, some classmates have become very depressed or stressed and there is no empathy or support for those students. They just get dropped from the program or leave. We have seen it and it's very damaging.

I think this gets at one of the fundamental tensions that the magnets are dealing with right now. One one hand, you have a vocal contingent yelling that the magnets are being "watered down" and that the "caliber" of student is dropping, and the sky is falling.

On the other, you have folks who are upset that their child is being left to "sink or swim" and who are looking for a more nurturing MS environment.

Eastern has never been a particularly nurturing program. It wasn't when my child was there, and it wasn't when my child's babysitter was there more than a decade ago, and it's not today. Parents should choose the program with their eyes open to that fact.

This is so so true. I went there nearly 30 years ago. The teachers were cold, the administration was cold, and my parents (immigrants, and not good at English) were completely unable to help me. Sink or swim is the truth. Feedback is specific, and at times quite critical. Everyone was supposed to just get "it" right away. Add to that many kids who had an air of superiority because they *do* get "it" right away - it's not easy to go to school with some of those personalities.
I have a middle schooler now (non magnet) and am shocked how much *nicer* the teachers are and willing to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, Suggest you see if Ms. Goldstein can reach out to families in each of the three grades to see if they can talk to you. She could send everyone in that cluster an email and whoever wants to talk could reply.

The current 8th grade is the only grade with a full year in person. The 7th grade has the most recent information about the full first year and they will still be around if your child goes there. The 6th grade would be important to talk to because they are a lottery class like this year which may impact the curriculum or the student body.

I can't help you with comparing the schools but in my opinion most of the posts are really exaggerated and I think many are probably by Silver Spring parents who are coming from a different place than you. The curriculum is fine but my child would have been fine at their regular school. The hallways and lunches are fine. The admin is great about some things and could improve on others. Some teachers are horrible while others are terrific which again is normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Suggest you see if Ms. Goldstein can reach out to families in each of the three grades to see if they can talk to you. She could send everyone in that cluster an email and whoever wants to talk could reply.

The current 8th grade is the only grade with a full year in person. The 7th grade has the most recent information about the full first year and they will still be around if your child goes there. The 6th grade would be important to talk to because they are a lottery class like this year which may impact the curriculum or the student body.

I can't help you with comparing the schools but in my opinion most of the posts are really exaggerated and I think many are probably by Silver Spring parents who are coming from a different place than you. The curriculum is fine but my child would have been fine at their regular school. The hallways and lunches are fine. The admin is great about some things and could improve on others. Some teachers are horrible while others are terrific which again is normal.

This poster is so dismissive, it must be the know-it-all back at it again. You think having your child spat upon, pushed and shoved, and their sweater ripped is "fine"? My kid is strong and moves past these things, but I wouldn't call it "fine" that this sort of stuff happens. Especially getting spat upon during a pandemic (which was very deliberately done).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the question of sink or swim I think this is very true.
According to DC, some classmates have become very depressed or stressed and there is no empathy or support for those students. They just get dropped from the program or leave. We have seen it and it's very damaging.

I think this gets at one of the fundamental tensions that the magnets are dealing with right now. One one hand, you have a vocal contingent yelling that the magnets are being "watered down" and that the "caliber" of student is dropping, and the sky is falling.

On the other, you have folks who are upset that their child is being left to "sink or swim" and who are looking for a more nurturing MS environment.

Eastern has never been a particularly nurturing program. It wasn't when my child was there, and it wasn't when my child's babysitter was there more than a decade ago, and it's not today. Parents should choose the program with their eyes open to that fact.

This is so so true. I went there nearly 30 years ago. The teachers were cold, the administration was cold, and my parents (immigrants, and not good at English) were completely unable to help me. Sink or swim is the truth. Feedback is specific, and at times quite critical. Everyone was supposed to just get "it" right away. Add to that many kids who had an air of superiority because they *do* get "it" right away - it's not easy to go to school with some of those personalities.
I have a middle schooler now (non magnet) and am shocked how much *nicer* the teachers are and willing to help.

You have to also consider that "sink or swim" doesn't apply simply to academics. These children (as all children of this generation) have been going through a truly challenging few years. I agree the magnet administration is cold. I also don't know why there is so little communication from the magnet coordinator, about pretty much everything.

I agree that some of the teachers are truly wonderful, just the best, and they really care about the students (and are rigorous! This isn't an either/or situation). And there are other teachers that are not great (my theory is they enjoy hiding out in a magnet program to cover for their bad teaching).

[Anonymous]

To the poster whose child was spat on, pushed and had their sweater ripped - I'm truly sorry that your child is having such a terrible experience at Eastern. As a parent, my heart goes out to you. I can only imagine how hard it must be to see your child go through it and feel like the administration isn't there to help. I would've been very upset and probably taken my child out of the program immediately. I think my child is learning lot at Eastern, but I would never let it happen at the cost of bullying, which is what it sounds like is happened to your child. If your child is still there, please consider pulling them out and putting them back in their home school for their own happiness and wellbeing.
My own child and friend group who are currently attending Eastern have not experienced anything close to this level of bad behavior, but I totally acknowledge that it could happen to someone else's child and we are just unaware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger question is not the curriculum but what your child gives up by the long bus rides. In my experience Whitman cluster kids who go to Eastern or TP, ultimately decide to go to Whitman for high school because they don't want to continue spending a chunk of every day on the bus, time that could be spent on ECs.

My child was Wootton cluster and did not want to go to a magnet for high school. I agree with this.

We made the same determination that the opportunity cost of the long bus ride was not worth it in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Suggest you see if Ms. Goldstein can reach out to families in each of the three grades to see if they can talk to you. She could send everyone in that cluster an email and whoever wants to talk could reply.

The current 8th grade is the only grade with a full year in person. The 7th grade has the most recent information about the full first year and they will still be around if your child goes there. The 6th grade would be important to talk to because they are a lottery class like this year which may impact the curriculum or the student body.

I can't help you with comparing the schools but in my opinion most of the posts are really exaggerated and I think many are probably by Silver Spring parents who are coming from a different place than you. The curriculum is fine but my child would have been fine at their regular school. The hallways and lunches are fine. The admin is great about some things and could improve on others. Some teachers are horrible while others are terrific which again is normal.

This poster is so dismissive, it must be the know-it-all back at it again. You think having your child spat upon, pushed and shoved, and their sweater ripped is "fine"? My kid is strong and moves past these things, but I wouldn't call it "fine" that this sort of stuff happens. Especially getting spat upon during a pandemic (which was very deliberately done).

Sorry this happened, PP, but those kinds of incidents happen at every middle school and your child got unlucky. My child has friends from an activity at two different W schools and they have also talked about bullying and fights at their schools. Were these three separate incidents? Why do you think this is happening to your child? DC has not experienced or seen or heard about anything like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

To the poster whose child was spat on, pushed and had their sweater ripped - I'm truly sorry that your child is having such a terrible experience at Eastern. As a parent, my heart goes out to you. I can only imagine how hard it must be to see your child go through it and feel like the administration isn't there to help. I would've been very upset and probably taken my child out of the program immediately. I think my child is learning lot at Eastern, but I would never let it happen at the cost of bullying, which is what it sounds like is happened to your child. If your child is still there, please consider pulling them out and putting them back in their home school for their own happiness and wellbeing.
My own child and friend group who are currently attending Eastern have not experienced anything close to this level of bad behavior, but I totally acknowledge that it could happen to someone else's child and we are just unaware.

+1
Truly sorry, PP, and think you should consider pulling your child out. It sounds like bullying at its worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger question is not the curriculum but what your child gives up by the long bus rides. In my experience Whitman cluster kids who go to Eastern or TP, ultimately decide to go to Whitman for high school because they don't want to continue spending a chunk of every day on the bus, time that could be spent on ECs.

My child was Wootton cluster and did not want to go to a magnet for high school. I agree with this.

We made the same determination that the opportunity cost of the long bus ride was not worth it in the end.

I didn't want my child on the bus, so I joined a carpool. Eastern sends out a directory every year so you can arrange carpools and playdates in the summer before the program starts. There is also a one-week summer camp so your child can make friends going into the program.