Recommendations for high school Media Studies programs

[FromCanada]

We're relocating to the DC area from Ottawa, Canada sometime over the next few months. Our teen son (grade 11) is keen on English and Media Studies so we are hoping to find a high school that has production facilities or at least some solid film/media classes and technology. At this point, we can go anywhere (Virginia, Maryland, DC proper) so our net is wide and a bit daunting. We've looked (online) at Fairfax, Woodrow Wilson HS, Arlington HS and Montgomery-Blair (some of these schools are huge!) but we're flying blind here. Does anyone have a school/program they would recommend? It's a lot of ground to cover and I'm sure there are other schools to consider. We'll move into whatever district we need to because if we can keep the teenager happy, our lives will be so much easier I'd be grateful for any feedback!

[Anonymous]

Where are your jobs? While you say you can be flexible on school locations, commutes in the DC area are no joke.

[FromCanada]

Thanks for asking My husband will be working out of a home office. He'll need to go into DC regularly but not daily. I'm not eligible to work under his Visa (I'm a teacher) so I'm not a factor that way but as a music and theatre nerd, I'd like decent transit to get in and out of the city at night. While we'd love to live right in DC, that may not be realistic for us (although that hasn't stopped me from looking). If it was just the 2 of us, we could get a small apartment but we have pets and teens so ... We lived in Toronto for many years so we know a bit about crazy commutes and even crazier real estate prices

[Anonymous]

I think Duke Ellington HS in DC has a media studies program

[FromCanada]

That was the first school I looked at but they only do intake in Grade 9 & 10 and my son is going into Grade 11. Looks like an amazing program though!

[Anonymous]

Bethesda. Attend any Bethesda high school (BCC is downtown Nethesda and can be on the metro, WJ is close to the beltway and depending on where can be close to a metro and Whitman has River Road as a way into the city - driving). All excellent schools. Your son can do the advanced film program at Imagination Stage (downtown Bethesda), and Round House Theatre is also in Bethesda (for you). You can also hop on the metro for downtown/DC theatre.

[Anonymous]

Although your son is too late to enter CAP, Blair HS in MCPS has a robust roster of rigorous Media and Communication Arts courses that non-magnet students can take. My DD thrived at Blair and went on to major in the field in college. She now heads a section of a major media outlet in the DMV market despite not doing CAP.