Please explain MoCo High Schools to me

[Anonymous]

I’m very lost on this whole thing. My friend’s son in Wheaton area was able to apply to several schools. But we are in the Seneca Valley cluster. Does that mean our only options are SVHS, Poolesville magnets and Thomas Edison? As for Poolesville, I a have high achieving student who is in compacted math but was not selected for MS magnet. Humanities and Ecology would be of the most interest, but are you unlikely to get in if not already in magnet program? Also, my child is currently in 7th grade. When does this process for HS start?

[Anonymous]

the down county consortium (DCC) includes the Wheaton area and yes you can apply to one of a handful of schools

for other parts of MoCo, you just go to the school you are zoned for

but come on, this is a lazy post op...

[Anonymous]

there is another consortium too - northeast

includes 3 schools

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/nec/

[Anonymous]

We didn’t know any of this when we moved to MoCo.
I still don’t understand, what are your options if you live in 20817. Our kids are 5 and 3 but are there any immersion or high school “options”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t know any of this when we moved to MoCo.
I still don’t understand, what are your options if you live in 20817. Our kids are 5 and 3 but are there any immersion or high school “options”?

There are Chinese, French and Spanish immersion programs. There are highly gifted programs starting in 4th grade that you child must test into. Very few kids get into that. There is an RM IB program that also must be tested into. In 20817, your homes schools will be very competitive because your kids’ peers will come from homes where an emphasis is put on education. It is like this elsewhere in the county, but not as overwhelmingly a where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m very lost on this whole thing. My friend’s son in Wheaton area was able to apply to several schools. But we are in the Seneca Valley cluster. Does that mean our only options are SVHS, Poolesville magnets and Thomas Edison? As for Poolesville, I a have high achieving student who is in compacted math but was not selected for MS magnet. Humanities and Ecology would be of the most interest, but are you unlikely to get in if not already in magnet program? Also, my child is currently in 7th grade. When does this process for HS start?

Here is a good page for you, OP. Why don't you look at the info here and then ask follow-up questions of us?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very lost on this whole thing. My friend’s son in Wheaton area was able to apply to several schools. But we are in the Seneca Valley cluster. Does that mean our only options are SVHS, Poolesville magnets and Thomas Edison? As for Poolesville, I a have high achieving student who is in compacted math but was not selected for MS magnet. Humanities and Ecology would be of the most interest, but are you unlikely to get in if not already in magnet program? Also, my child is currently in 7th grade. When does this process for HS start?

Here is a good page for you, OP. Why don't you look at the info here and then ask follow-up questions of us?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/

Thanks. I don’t know why I didn’t see the actual application link earlier that says which cluster can apply. This was very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t know any of this when we moved to MoCo.
I still don’t understand, what are your options if you live in 20817. Our kids are 5 and 3 but are there any immersion or high school “options”?

If your kids are 5 and 3, you really, really don't need to worry about this now. There is plenty of time to worry about it later, when you'll have a better idea of what the options are when your kids actually get to high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t know any of this when we moved to MoCo.
I still don’t understand, what are your options if you live in 20817. Our kids are 5 and 3 but are there any immersion or high school “options”?

If you are in 20817, you have great in-zone options. Why aren't you focused on them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m very lost on this whole thing. My friend’s son in Wheaton area was able to apply to several schools. But we are in the Seneca Valley cluster. Does that mean our only options are SVHS, Poolesville magnets and Thomas Edison? As for Poolesville, I a have high achieving student who is in compacted math but was not selected for MS magnet. Humanities and Ecology would be of the most interest, but are you unlikely to get in if not already in magnet program? Also, my child is currently in 7th grade. When does this process for HS start?

U also have RMIB option

[Anonymous]

As a foreigner, it took me YEARS to understand what our options were in our neck of the woods, and that's with going to public meetings, looking at the MCPS website, and talking to other parents.

And it's only a few weeks ago that I realized my rising 9th grader would be in classes with older students because high school classes are mixed age! It's so normal here that no one thought to tell me, or write it out on documents (I also didn't understand what "credits" or "gpa" meant. Now I do.). In my home country, unless someone repeats a grade, that never happens.

In conclusion, do you research. I suggest you start with the MCPS website. You can also email your school counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As a foreigner, it took me YEARS to understand what our options were in our neck of the woods, and that's with going to public meetings, looking at the MCPS website, and talking to other parents.

And it's only a few weeks ago that I realized my rising 9th grader would be in classes with older students because high school classes are mixed age! It's so normal here that no one thought to tell me, or write it out on documents (I also didn't understand what "credits" or "gpa" meant. Now I do.). In my home country, unless someone repeats a grade, that never happens.

In conclusion, do you research. I suggest you start with the MCPS website. You can also email your school counselor.

Why is it such a big deal that your kid would have some classes with students who are a bit older?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a foreigner, it took me YEARS to understand what our options were in our neck of the woods, and that's with going to public meetings, looking at the MCPS website, and talking to other parents.

And it's only a few weeks ago that I realized my rising 9th grader would be in classes with older students because high school classes are mixed age! It's so normal here that no one thought to tell me, or write it out on documents (I also didn't understand what "credits" or "gpa" meant. Now I do.). In my home country, unless someone repeats a grade, that never happens.

In conclusion, do you research. I suggest you start with the MCPS website. You can also email your school counselor.

Why is it such a big deal that your kid would have some classes with students who are a bit older?

There is an incredibly large maturity gap between 14 and 17, and even if the kids are all working on a specific subject matter, more life experience and maturity can have consequences in the classroom. I feel as if my child might be at a disadvantage academically and socially in this situation. I was told that one AP class in particular would have seniors in it. They will probably be really nice, but... Since I had a K-12 education grouped by age, I have no reassuring personal experience of a mixed-age classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a foreigner, it took me YEARS to understand what our options were in our neck of the woods, and that's with going to public meetings, looking at the MCPS website, and talking to other parents.

And it's only a few weeks ago that I realized my rising 9th grader would be in classes with older students because high school classes are mixed age! It's so normal here that no one thought to tell me, or write it out on documents (I also didn't understand what "credits" or "gpa" meant. Now I do.). In my home country, unless someone repeats a grade, that never happens.

In conclusion, do you research. I suggest you start with the MCPS website. You can also email your school counselor.

Why is it such a big deal that your kid would have some classes with students who are a bit older?

There is an incredibly large maturity gap between 14 and 17, and even if the kids are all working on a specific subject matter, more life experience and maturity can have consequences in the classroom. I feel as if my child might be at a disadvantage academically and socially in this situation. I was told that one AP class in particular would have seniors in it. They will probably be really nice, but... Since I had a K-12 education grouped by age, I have no reassuring personal experience of a mixed-age classroom.

Freshman and seniors does not happen that often. If a senior is taking Geometry (i.e). It is probably not the honors geometry a 9th grader is taking. If your freshman is ready for an AP, they should expect to compete with older kids. It is a college level class!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a foreigner, it took me YEARS to understand what our options were in our neck of the woods, and that's with going to public meetings, looking at the MCPS website, and talking to other parents.

And it's only a few weeks ago that I realized my rising 9th grader would be in classes with older students because high school classes are mixed age! It's so normal here that no one thought to tell me, or write it out on documents (I also didn't understand what "credits" or "gpa" meant. Now I do.). In my home country, unless someone repeats a grade, that never happens.

In conclusion, do you research. I suggest you start with the MCPS website. You can also email your school counselor.

Why is it such a big deal that your kid would have some classes with students who are a bit older?

There is an incredibly large maturity gap between 14 and 17, and even if the kids are all working on a specific subject matter, more life experience and maturity can have consequences in the classroom. I feel as if my child might be at a disadvantage academically and socially in this situation. I was told that one AP class in particular would have seniors in it. They will probably be really nice, but... Since I had a K-12 education grouped by age, I have no reassuring personal experience of a mixed-age classroom.

Maybe? Maybe not? But generally that's how things work, sometimes you're at a disadvantage and sometimes you're at an advantage.