Tween going from private to public for middle school - what does she need to know?
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Anonymous
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My brother and I went to some actual bad public schools in the Bronx in the 80s. I have seen nothing in FCPS that comes remotely close to those. I don't know where y'all are sending your kids.
OP, my DD goes to one of the better middle schools in the county. She has friends in MS around the county. Your child will likely encounter some kids who vape. They might even offer your child some. As my daughter says, 'It's not like in the movies. No one is pressuring you to smoke or do drugs. If you say no, they don't bother you'. Fights happen. They tend to be between boys, and are mostly not terribly serious. The amount of time kids have to get from one class to another is little, to prevent significant issues. You might find that there are more rules around behavior (like getting timed passes to go to the bathroom) than in a private. Because middle schools are large, there will be all sorts of kids there. There will be kids who are sporty, artsy, musical, into fashion and makeup, not giving two $hits about that, theater kids, openly LGBTQ kids, etc. Your child will in all likelihood, be able to find a group of likeminded friends, regardless of where her interests lie. My DD is a straight As orchestra kid who is also into fashion and makeup. Her friends group tends to be fairly mixed, in every way possible. It took her a few months to find her people, but it has been pretty stable since then. |
Anonymous
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^^^^ thank you!! This is really helpful.
My dd is introverted, artsy & sporty. I am hoping she finds some likeminded kids in school and in our neighborhood. |
Anonymous
I’m the PP who wrote this. OP, thanks for giving a bit more information. I’m not in NoVA so will not advise further. Good luck! |
Anonymous
Your school should have classes for art, art clubs and some sports teams. There are even opportunities to do backstage work for drama club. If she signs up for those things, she will likely encounter kids who are into the same things. My DD is introverted (but not shy), and her friends are for the most part, all much more extroverted than she is. One thing I have found is that they are all quite understanding of the fact that her social battery runs out way before theirs, so it doesn't really impact their friendship at all that they're all going out to the mall, and DD opts out. On the academic front, you will likely find that your child is better at reading/writing than her peers, but even/behind in math and sciences. That has been the general experience with my friends' kids that have gone from private Catholic to public. Generally speaking, there is more room for math acceleration in public than private. |
Anonymous
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^^^ thanks!!
We have a math tutor now. I was thinking about asking for 6th gr curriculum (a pp suggested) to work w her over the summer. If kids are behind in math or science, is it sink or swim? Or do they work with them to catch up? |
Anonymous
She will. People are exaggerating and making crap up. See if the town or school has a Facebook page where you can get reliable information. |
Anonymous
The program of studies for each grade should be posted by the school system, and available online. I don't know if your child is going to FCPS (probably not, since FCPS MS is grades 7 and 8), but this is the 6th grade POS, and you can expand down to get fairly decent idea of what is taught for each subject. https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/6/0 In your shoes, especially if she is weak in math, I would have the tutor work with her on the material covered in the POS, to make sure that she has a solid understanding of the concepts, even if she doesn't know every single nuance. The beginning of the school year is generally spent reviewing previous material and catching kids up, so there will be some time spent on that, but if they are in fact behind, you definitely are better off getting them help outside of school. |
Anonymous
Pretty sure it was sarcasm |
Anonymous
My guess is LCPS, our district. Mostly great schools, depending on location. Stay away from Leesburg and Sterling, those are the worst ones. Western Loudoun and the Ashburn area have the best schools. Teach her how to use the Schoology calendar, and keep up with her grades via ParentVue. Make sure she's in honors classes and Foundations for math. If really smart get her tested for Spectrum, has been a blessing to my DD. LCPS retake policy is only for major summatives (big tests and projects), only if you get below an 80%, and can only be retaken up to an 80%. Very useful knowledge. Minor summatives (small quizzes and some assignments) cannot be retaken. Formatives (classwork and most homework) don't affect her grade, but they still show up in ParentVue. Get her involved: my DD's school has many clubs, rec league sports teams, and the musical. This helps her find a group. From watching DD, her friends, and the general population here would be my fashion essentials list: Tops: - Various cropped ribbed tank tops and shirts in solid colors - A few hoodies and zipped jackets - Quarter zips - Graphic tees - Athletic wear - Music artist merch Bottoms: - Jean shorts - Athletic skorts and shorts - Black athletic leggings - Black Flare pants - Light gray joggers - Pajama pants Shoes: - Air Forces - Jordans - Blazers - Converse (especially platforms) - Ugg Tamzin or similar Accessories: - Gold hoop earrings - Kendra Scott necklaces - Heshi bead or beach style bracelets - Nike socks - Stanley cups Brands: - Nike - Hollister - American Eagle - Lululemon - Aerie - Brandy Melville - Forever 21 - H&M - Aeropostale - Abercrombie Hope this helps! |
Anonymous
No one is getting taped that is GOP fear mongering and BS |
Anonymous
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I don't understand why you would do private for k-5 then public for middle school. We did public K-5 then private middle school then back to public high school. Worked out great.
You really want to know about the kids your middle schooler is hanging out with and who their parents are. Easy to do in private but harder in public middle. Private middle schools do a much better job of no phones in class and are stricter in terms of behavior. You learn better study skills as well. |
Anonymous
One would think it depends on the private, no? And what worked for your family may not be the best choice for other families? Some privates are so small that kids have a hard time finding their people. Larger schools offer more options and kids than small privates. |
Anonymous
This is great!! Although I do not think I am going to buy crop tops, if I can avoid it. |
Anonymous
PP has done a very nice job with what kids wear, generally speaking. Specifics might be slightly different between schools. As for crop tops, they don’t have to be as short as a sports bra. There are plenty that are barely cropped. |
Anonymous
Good to know. Thanks!! |