Roberto Clemente MSCS magnet program

[Anonymous]

My daughter got accepted to the math and science Clemente program and we wanted to know how the non magnet students at the school are. We have heard that a lot of fights break out in the school, is that true?
Is it a tough/stressful environment for the magnet students, I would love to hear any feedback from current parents of magnet students at Clemente. How are the non magnet English class, foreign language class and world studies class? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got accepted to the math and science Clemente program and we wanted to know how the non magnet students at the school are. We have heard that a lot of fights break out in the school, is that true?
Is it a tough/stressful environment for the magnet students, I would love to hear any feedback from current parents of magnet students at Clemente. How are the non magnet English class, foreign language class and world studies class? Thank you.

My kid is in the humanities program at Clemente. How are the non-magnet students at the school? Fine. Yes, there are fights. (Name a middle school where there aren't any.) Teach your daughter that, when students are fighting, you stay out of the way, mind your own business, and get yourself to class like you're supposed to.

[Anonymous]

Lots of fights, yes. As far as I can tell based on what I heard from my kid, it doesn’t affect magnet kids

[Anonymous]

Do the non magnet kids pick on/bully the magnet kids in the non magnet classes or in the hallways?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the non magnet kids pick on/bully the magnet kids in the non magnet classes or in the hallways?

No. Too nerdy to pick on.

[Anonymous]

there are certainly some disruptive kids. Administration is pretty good and handles things well. Lunch is apparently a mess. There are a fair number of fights but hasn't really caused any kid of problem.

Still a great experience though. Totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

Magnet and non-magnet really don't interact much. And where they do, honestly I think learning to get along with all sorts of people is as important as the curriculum. Fights in most schools happen between kids who know each other from the neighborhood. Kids pick on kids they know. (And FWIW, the few bullying issues I know about from my 6 years with the school have been magnet kids bullying other magnet kids.)

Big picture - I love the principal and think the administrative team is very proactive. And there is a very active PTA. Overall great experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the non magnet kids pick on/bully the magnet kids in the non magnet classes or in the hallways?

No. Too nerdy to pick on.

Some of the magnet kids are nerdy, some aren't. Some of the home-school kids are nerdy, some aren't.
Some of the magnet kids are well-behaved, some aren't. Some of the home-school kids are well-behaved, some aren't.
Etc.

I agree with the PP - learning to get along with all sorts of people is as important as the curriculum.

There do not seem to be any more fights at Clemente than at my other kid's middle school that DCUM doesn't look down its nose at.

[Anonymous]

I taught there up until a few years ago, and am still in contact with a lot of the staff. There is a huge divide between magnet and non-magnet kids, and a ton of resentment. It mostly affects the home school kids, though. The program is good, but I had to move on when my students just spent too much time making fun of "normies."

Lunch is chaotic, but that's the scene in every middle school. The students are pretty separated in their classes.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure of that- I guess it depends on what the home middle school is. My DD has never seen a fight at this point and she is halfway though 7th grade.

I would still send my child to the magnet program. You always have the opportunity to then return to your home middle school, but once you turn down your spot that seat is gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got accepted to the math and science Clemente program and we wanted to know how the non magnet students at the school are. We have heard that a lot of fights break out in the school, is that true?
Is it a tough/stressful environment for the magnet students, I would love to hear any feedback from current parents of magnet students at Clemente. How are the non magnet English class, foreign language class and world studies class? Thank you.

I think the English class could be a really problem. They are mixed with home school kids and some of them could be reading at a really low level from what my friend told me. The humanities program was better because Math is differentiated so the magnet kids ended up staying together for Math even though Math was not a magnet class. But that program is at MLK now. I don't know whether separating the two programs had changed the Clemente experience or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got accepted to the math and science Clemente program and we wanted to know how the non magnet students at the school are. We have heard that a lot of fights break out in the school, is that true?
Is it a tough/stressful environment for the magnet students, I would love to hear any feedback from current parents of magnet students at Clemente. How are the non magnet English class, foreign language class and world studies class? Thank you.

I think the English class could be a really problem. They are mixed with home school kids and some of them could be reading at a really low level from what my friend told me. The humanities program was better because Math is differentiated so the magnet kids ended up staying together for Math even though Math was not a magnet class. But that program is at MLK now. I don't know whether separating the two programs had changed the Clemente experience or not.

Clemente does ability grouping of the home-school classes. So high-level students might be in a class with medium-level students, but not with low-level students.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am also worried about how regular English is being taught to the magnet kids at Clemente? Any parents have insight/experience about these classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am also worried about how regular English is being taught to the magnet kids at Clemente? Any parents have insight/experience about these classes?

its basic and boring, but you will have this issue at your home school too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught there up until a few years ago, and am still in contact with a lot of the staff. There is a huge divide between magnet and non-magnet kids, and a ton of resentment. It mostly affects the home school kids, though. The program is good, but I had to move on when my students just spent too much time making fun of "normies."

Lunch is chaotic, but that's the scene in every middle school. The students are pretty separated in their classes.

I've never heard my kid talk about "normies". That might be because my kid knows if I did, my kid would get an earful from me -- but I hope not...