What is Rachel Carson like?

[Anonymous]

I know it’s an AAP Center. Is it a very high pressure school? What are homework levels like? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Two of my friends kids go Carson. Both would prefer a different school if given the choice. It is not so horrible they cannot continue but they both wish, they had a different MS.

Ultra competitive. Getting into IVY seems so much easier than getting into some of their - wait for it -

after school programs

So that gives you an idea of what it would be like day to day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two of my friends kids go Carson. Both would prefer a different school if given the choice. It is not so horrible they cannot continue but they both wish, they had a different MS.

Ultra competitive. Getting into IVY seems so much easier than getting into some of their - wait for it -

after school programs

So that gives you an idea of what it would be like day to day.

I heard the same thing from someone I was tutoring. They said that literally hundreds of kids try out to take part in the math team (Mathcounts competition), so it is near impossible to compete since only 4 kids will go on past the school round and on to the Mathcounts chapter round.

[Anonymous]

Any other tips for rising 7th graders? Should we do something over the summer prior to joining RC. I heard some kids take Algebra/Geometry etc. in summer.

[Anonymous]

Ok, so after school activities are tough to get into. But what about classes, teachers, and homework levels? Talk to me about that stuff. I don’t really care too much about the activities.

[Anonymous]

I loved Carson. However, my kid was immune to the TJ stuff. He also joined the video projects club, which since it is a noncompetitive afterschool club had less than 10 people attending. He had a great time and met some good friends there. Homework was normal (though, my kid is a bit of a slacker who does minimal homework) and the teachers were great. It was a quick but good 2 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s an AAP Center. Is it a very high pressure school? What are homework levels like? Thanks.

My son is an AAP student in the 8th grade at RCMS. He's consistently been involved in 1 or 2 afterschool programs. He's in swimming three days a week and does meets throughout the season. He plays clarinet in the school band and is practicing a saxophone we rented for him as I type. He also games on his laptop and/or XBOX every day. He goes to bed by 11pm each night and has a 4.0. He says he gets lots of work, but he's never pulled all-nighters the way I had to when I was in middle school. His two best friends at RCMS are also in AAP and have a similar amount of activities. I don't know if they feel bogged down by homework and perhaps lost sleep over it, but they all seem very happy to be at Carson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s an AAP Center. Is it a very high pressure school? What are homework levels like? Thanks.

My son is an AAP student in the 8th grade at RCMS. He's consistently been involved in 1 or 2 afterschool programs. He's in swimming three days a week and does meets throughout the season. He plays clarinet in the school band and is practicing a saxophone we rented for him as I type. He also games on his laptop and/or XBOX every day. He goes to bed by 11pm each night and has a 4.0. He says he gets lots of work, but he's never pulled all-nighters the way I had to when I was in middle school. His two best friends at RCMS are also in AAP and have a similar amount of activities. I don't know if they feel bogged down by homework and perhaps lost sleep over it, but they all seem very happy to be at Carson.

Don't middle schools in FCPS start really early? Wouldn't that mean that he's only getting a maximum of 7.5 hours of sleep each night? I don't have middle schoolers (yet) so curious if kids that age can handle that little sleep. High school I could see it happen, but middle school seems like it would affect them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't middle schools in FCPS start really early? Wouldn't that mean that he's only getting a maximum of 7.5 hours of sleep each night? I don't have middle schoolers (yet) so curious if kids that age can handle that little sleep. High school I could see it happen, but middle school seems like it would affect them.

He wakes up at 6:15 and is dropped off at school around 7:10. It's a struggle, but he can't fall asleep any earlier. His internet gets blocked at 10:30pm, but even when I blocked it earlier he couldn't fall asleep. He always used to wake up at 6am, even on weekends, and wake up the whole family until he got to 6th grade. My daughter's ES starts at 8:45. The times should be reversed!

[Anonymous]

DC wanted to go to Carson AAP although he didn't have to. I have noticed that he has been much more academically motivated this year, but much more stressed about academics also. Does one after school activity - you had to write a paper to get in. He didn't work on it that hard - frankly, I didn't think he would get in but he did, although some of his friends did not. I think it was a good choice for him but I am not sure it would be for kids that are less academically focused. Btw, DC is NOT interested in TJ.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids chose Carson over the LLIV Center. One kid went on to TJ, and was as prepared as you can be. The other went to the base school and is very happy there.

The teachers were very strong. Both on my kids are ADHD/2e and Carson dealt with it very well, the teachers communicated with parents, etc. I think the homework load seemed reasonable to me. Same classes, same projects. My male ADHD kid has weak EF and he always seemed to be doing schoolwork. My female ADHD has strong EF, and worked 1-2 hours a day during the week, plus between a couple hours and a half day over the weekend, depending on end of semester, project due, etc.

Interestingly, my DD had issues with anxiety in ES and HS, but never at Carson.

The top 3-4 STEM activities are ridiculous in terms a hundred kids trying out for a few spots. But, Carson has a great slate of after school activities on days there are late busses that anyone can join. If your kid wants Math Counts or TSA, it’s going to be tough. Most other clubs and activities, not so much.

I loved the peer group. My kids peers took academics seriously, were often trying for TJ, or a decent college. Their parents were involved and they avoided the dumb sh*t that so many MS kids get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids chose Carson over the LLIV Center. One kid went on to TJ, and was as prepared as you can be. The other went to the base school and is very happy there.

The teachers were very strong. Both on my kids are ADHD/2e and Carson dealt with it very well, the teachers communicated with parents, etc. I think the homework load seemed reasonable to me. Same classes, same projects. My male ADHD kid has weak EF and he always seemed to be doing schoolwork. My female ADHD has strong EF, and worked 1-2 hours a day during the week, plus between a couple hours and a half day over the weekend, depending on end of semester, project due, etc.

Interestingly, my DD had issues with anxiety in ES and HS, but never at Carson.

The top 3-4 STEM activities are ridiculous in terms a hundred kids trying out for a few spots. But, Carson has a great slate of after school activities on days there are late busses that anyone can join. If your kid wants Math Counts or TSA, it’s going to be tough. Most other clubs and activities, not so much.

I loved the peer group. My kids peers took academics seriously, were often trying for TJ, or a decent college. Their parents were involved and they avoided the dumb sh*t that so many MS kids get into.

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. I also have a 2e child and am trying to decide between Carson and the local level 4.

[Anonymous]

DS goes to Carson. Not in AAP. He has noticed that a lot of kids are super grade-conscious there. He's not interested in the STEM after-school stuff -- he's in band, which sometimes has after-school obligations. He has lots of friends from his previous elementary school. I am very happy with his peer group.

It's definitely more homework than 6th grade, and I wish 6th grade had given him more work just to get him used to the higher workload. But he still has plenty of time for xbox.

Teachers are good except for one who is obnoxious and abusive.

Overall I would highly recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids chose Carson over the LLIV Center. One kid went on to TJ, and was as prepared as you can be. The other went to the base school and is very happy there.

The teachers were very strong. Both on my kids are ADHD/2e and Carson dealt with it very well, the teachers communicated with parents, etc. I think the homework load seemed reasonable to me. Same classes, same projects. My male ADHD kid has weak EF and he always seemed to be doing schoolwork. My female ADHD has strong EF, and worked 1-2 hours a day during the week, plus between a couple hours and a half day over the weekend, depending on end of semester, project due, etc.

Interestingly, my DD had issues with anxiety in ES and HS, but never at Carson.

The top 3-4 STEM activities are ridiculous in terms a hundred kids trying out for a few spots. But, Carson has a great slate of after school activities on days there are late busses that anyone can join. If your kid wants Math Counts or TSA, it’s going to be tough. Most other clubs and activities, not so much.

I loved the peer group. My kids peers took academics seriously, were often trying for TJ, or a decent college. Their parents were involved and they avoided the dumb sh*t that so many MS kids get into.

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. I also have a 2e child and am trying to decide between Carson and the local level 4.

PP— Carson, hands down. The AAP Center is so large that they have extensive experience implementing 504s and IEPs for 2e. If your kid is ADHD or had EF problems, enrioll them in Strategies for Success, which is an DF skills class. Yes— it’s a boring elective. But Carson does it very well, and it helped my kids a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids chose Carson over the LLIV Center. One kid went on to TJ, and was as prepared as you can be. The other went to the base school and is very happy there.

The teachers were very strong. Both on my kids are ADHD/2e and Carson dealt with it very well, the teachers communicated with parents, etc. I think the homework load seemed reasonable to me. Same classes, same projects. My male ADHD kid has weak EF and he always seemed to be doing schoolwork. My female ADHD has strong EF, and worked 1-2 hours a day during the week, plus between a couple hours and a half day over the weekend, depending on end of semester, project due, etc.

Interestingly, my DD had issues with anxiety in ES and HS, but never at Carson.

The top 3-4 STEM activities are ridiculous in terms a hundred kids trying out for a few spots. But, Carson has a great slate of after school activities on days there are late busses that anyone can join. If your kid wants Math Counts or TSA, it’s going to be tough. Most other clubs and activities, not so much.

I loved the peer group. My kids peers took academics seriously, were often trying for TJ, or a decent college. Their parents were involved and they avoided the dumb sh*t that so many MS kids get into.

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. I also have a 2e child and am trying to decide between Carson and the local level 4.

PP— Carson, hands down. The AAP Center is so large that they have extensive experience implementing 504s and IEPs for 2e. If your kid is ADHD or had EF problems, enrioll them in Strategies for Success, which is an DF skills class. Yes— it’s a boring elective. But Carson does it very well, and it helped my kids a lot.

Thank you! Yes, my son is on an IEP so this is helpful.