Top MCPS MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recommend taking a look at the after school clubs and seeing which "best" fits your child's (or your) likes. This is a great proxy for how involved teachers (who volunteer to run these clubs) and parents are in that MS. MCPS curriculum is more or less the same everywhere and lets face it - most of the kids receive enrichment outside of school to make up for any deficits in school. Its really the overall fit (safety, clubs, size etc) that determine "best" for any particular kid. My older kid went to TPMS, my younger didnt but got a better experience at our home school. Both are now in HS magnets for what it is worth.

Except the TPMS magnet which has more accelerated math and science than other MS.

TPMS does not have any of that. The have enriched math and science, and intro CS. It's good for students who don't have engaged or aware parents to guide them at home. (That's why the lottery was partially successful, freeing up spots for kids who need it, while the rest thrive at their home school with engaged and aware parents and PTA.)

Yes, it has that exactly. They cover organic chem and genetics in 7th. In math, they dive into things like set theory and proofs in a way which normal Algebra and Geometry barely touch. It is much more thorough and deeper than what is available elsewhere.

As someone who took two college semesters of O. Chem after a HS education that included modeling reactions (but not organic chemical reactions specifically), I am wondering what it means to "cover" it in 7th grade. Can you say more?

[Anonymous]

Rosa Parks has been good for my DC. The school feels organized and safe. Not sure how my other kid will fare who has some learning needs when they go in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recommend taking a look at the after school clubs and seeing which "best" fits your child's (or your) likes. This is a great proxy for how involved teachers (who volunteer to run these clubs) and parents are in that MS. MCPS curriculum is more or less the same everywhere and lets face it - most of the kids receive enrichment outside of school to make up for any deficits in school. Its really the overall fit (safety, clubs, size etc) that determine "best" for any particular kid. My older kid went to TPMS, my younger didnt but got a better experience at our home school. Both are now in HS magnets for what it is worth.

Except the TPMS magnet which has more accelerated math and science than other MS.

TPMS does not have any of that. The have enriched math and science, and intro CS. It's good for students who don't have engaged or aware parents to guide them at home. (That's why the lottery was partially successful, freeing up spots for kids who need it, while the rest thrive at their home school with engaged and aware parents and PTA.)

Yes, it has that exactly. They cover organic chem and genetics in 7th. In math, they dive into things like set theory and proofs in a way which normal Algebra and Geometry barely touch. It is much more thorough and deeper than what is available elsewhere.

As someone who took two college semesters of O. Chem after a HS education that included modeling reactions (but not organic chemical reactions specifically), I am wondering what it means to "cover" it in 7th grade. Can you say more?

No, because this a zombie thread, and the PP saw one worksheet with the word "organic" and considered that "covered".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recommend taking a look at the after school clubs and seeing which "best" fits your child's (or your) likes. This is a great proxy for how involved teachers (who volunteer to run these clubs) and parents are in that MS. MCPS curriculum is more or less the same everywhere and lets face it - most of the kids receive enrichment outside of school to make up for any deficits in school. Its really the overall fit (safety, clubs, size etc) that determine "best" for any particular kid. My older kid went to TPMS, my younger didnt but got a better experience at our home school. Both are now in HS magnets for what it is worth.

Except the TPMS magnet which has more accelerated math and science than other MS.

TPMS does not have any of that. The have enriched math and science, and intro CS. It's good for students who don't have engaged or aware parents to guide them at home. (That's why the lottery was partially successful, freeing up spots for kids who need it, while the rest thrive at their home school with engaged and aware parents and PTA.)

Yes, it has that exactly. They cover organic chem and genetics in 7th. In math, they dive into things like set theory and proofs in a way which normal Algebra and Geometry barely touch. It is much more thorough and deeper than what is available elsewhere.

As someone who took two college semesters of O. Chem after a HS education that included modeling reactions (but not organic chemical reactions specifically), I am wondering what it means to "cover" it in 7th grade. Can you say more?

No, because this a zombie thread, and the PP saw one worksheet with the word "organic" and considered that "covered".

Bummer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TPMS is fantastic

Not since the current principal took over. The school has gone down hill and many of the best teachers have left because of issues with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feedback on North Bethesda MS? Academics, safety, parent and teacher engagement, principal/administration, class sizes?

I’ve had kids there for 4 years, with 3 more years to go until the last one completes 8th grade. Our experience has been great. There have only been a couple of teachers that I didn’t think were great. Principal and asst principal seem to run things well. Counselors are excellent. I volunteered during lunch a few times and liked the atmosphere, especially this year when phones are banned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feedback on North Bethesda MS? Academics, safety, parent and teacher engagement, principal/administration, class sizes?

I’ve had kids there for 4 years, with 3 more years to go until the last one completes 8th grade. Our experience has been great. There have only been a couple of teachers that I didn’t think were great. Principal and asst principal seem to run things well. Counselors are excellent. I volunteered during lunch a few times and liked the atmosphere, especially this year when phones are banned.

How does NB support those with 504s/IEPs? We have gotten very little support at our home elementary so this is worrisome in a much bigger school.

[Anonymous]

If phones aren't banned, it's a terrible school. Specifically, looking at you FOMS. That place is the wild west.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't choose Pyle for the teaching or administration. There are other middle schools that are stronger in those areas. Pyle is the right school if you prioritize safety and having your child be surrounded by students from other high-income, highly educated families.

Safety would be at the top of my list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:What are considered the top 5 MS in MCPS?

TPMS hands down

No one consider TPMS a top school except TP parents who don’t know better. The magnet program is a nice carrot designed to prop up an east count school with kids bused in which is why they had to lower the standards and guarantee 25 slots to local kids who wouldn’t have made the cut otherwise. Even still it typically never makes a top 5 ranking on objective lists for the county.

Even if you like it the fun is short lived as it is tied to Eastern which is one of the worst middle schools in the area.

Everybody does except for the W schools families, whose kids were not good enough to get into TPMS.
The envy is strong with you.

Just about anybody who lives in a SFH at a W could by the nicest home in TP and still save money. It’s not envy if they paid hundreds of thousands if not a million dollars to not send their kids to silver spring schools. What you have is sour grapes. TP isn’t the magnet, there are more FARMs kids than magnet, why don’t you claim that as the defining charter?

https://www.greatschools.org/maryland/silver-spring/965-Takoma-Park-Middle-School/

Then, tell me why they fight teeth and nails, back-stab friends to get their offsprings into TPMS/Blair?
Yeah, you guys paid hundreds of thousands dollars thinking you would get TPMS/Blair type of schools, but instead you get a bunch of overrated schools.
Hence the TPMS/Blair envy.

+10000

[Anonymous]

As someone who has experience with both TPMS and a W middle, I would rank them this way:

#1 TPMS a few years ago, when admission was selective
#2 any W middle
#3 TPMS now, with the merit cutoff + lottery system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has experience with both TPMS and a W middle, I would rank them this way:

#1 TPMS a few years ago, when admission was selective
#2 any W middle
#3 TPMS now, with the merit cutoff + lottery system

Also, as someone whose W kid just finished TPMS, I'd have to say TPMS. It's just so much better and the school environment is also great.

[Anonymous]

We chose Parkland Aerospace Engineering magnet school over Westland and it has been an A+ experience. Our 8th grader has taken super cool courses like Intro to Flight, Invent the Future, Intro to Engineering, Technology Systems, etc. Anything that makes a middle school boy excited to learn is a win for us. The teachers and admin are fantastic and the majority have been there for 10+ years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We chose Parkland Aerospace Engineering magnet school over Westland and it has been an A+ experience. Our 8th grader has taken super cool courses like Intro to Flight, Invent the Future, Intro to Engineering, Technology Systems, etc. Anything that makes a middle school boy excited to learn is a win for us. The teachers and admin are fantastic and the majority have been there for 10+ years.

How about rest of the school - culture, lunch time, electives taken with other students? Are there students from other neighborhoods or is it a mix of neighborhood + other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are considered the top 5 MS in MCPS?

TPMS hands down

No one consider TPMS a top school except TP parents who don’t know better. The magnet program is a nice carrot designed to prop up an east count school with kids bused in which is why they had to lower the standards and guarantee 25 slots to local kids who wouldn’t have made the cut otherwise. Even still it typically never makes a top 5 ranking on objective lists for the county.

Even if you like it the fun is short lived as it is tied to Eastern which is one of the worst middle schools in the area.

I’ve taught at four other MS across the county. Two of my three kids went to TPMS. It was the best.

TPMS is no more tied to Eastern than it is to SSIMS. They play each other athletically. And if your kid is in magnet and needs transportation, they have Eastern magnet students on their bus. That’s all.