Wilson for a shy boy and chances it will be in person?
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Anonymous
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Any tips? He generally does well in academics but is not into sports or clubs. He has a group of kids he plays online games with from his current k-8 school. Do most kids go in knowing other kids? Anyone else have a shy kid that had to navigate the very large school? And, thoughts on it being in person next year?
thanks in advanced |
Anonymous
One of the real strengths of Wilson is that there is something for everyone. He will find his people. As far as in school, let's hope so. Although it's no substitute, Wilson has really done an admirable job with DL. No real down time, teachers are engaged, and they are getting plenty of real, robust work. In terms of getting everyone back the principal has done, IMO, everything she can, it's DCPS that is the problem and you can tell she's frustrated. For instance, it appears she tried to get some sort of a waiver on the cohorting stuff but was shot down, and has been working with a consultant to figure out outdoor learning. She is openly saying that she is planning on having full time in person in the fall, so i trust that she is not messing around with that. This is in stark contrast to what we understand the situation is at Deal, where that Principal has done everything she can NOT to bring kids back. |
Anonymous
| I 100% agree with everything the PP said. The DL has been impressive and, on the calls I've been on with the Principal and my DC's counselor, the message has been that they are planning for 100 percent in person in the fall. The fact that it is likely that the student body can be vaccinated is very helpful too (assuming that 16+ get their shots this spring/summer and that the FDA approves Pfizer for 12-15 this summer, which seems very likely). |
Anonymous
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I will add that it is likely that many kids will know each other going in, just because there are a lot of big feeder schools. But, depending on which neighborhood you live in, one strategy is to reach out on a neighborhood listserve to find other incoming Deal kids. Then, over the summer maybe they can get together a few times?
FWIW, my DD is pretty shy but she did come in from a feeder school. Having said that, she changed friend groups pretty quickly (better "fit") because it is a big school and there are a lot of different groups...it's one of the strengths of the school. |
Anonymous
This is true, but because Wilson is so big, kids often don’t know many others in their classes. My 9th grader (who went to Deal) had very few friends or even kids he knew in his classes this year. |
Anonymous
| One thing to add to the PP's comments, which I wholeheartedly agree with, as opposed to high school in the 80s, the kids at Wilson are generally kind and accepting of others. Sure, you will have some Regina George types, they're everywhere, but again, he will find a friend group of kids like him. |
Anonymous
| Tip - even if your child says they are not interested in sports or clubs, insist that they at least find one club to join. Lots of kids at Wilson "find their people" through extra curricular activities. For the video game lover, there is an eSports team. There is a sports analytics club. There is Wilson Live which does sports broadcasting. There is a computer programming club Wilson Hacks. There is a robotics team with all sorts of different roles. There is the Wilson Beacon where you can be a reporter on pretty much any topic of interest to you - perhaps start a column reviewing the new game releases. AND, pretty much anyone who wants to start a club can and will find other people interested. There are a tremendous number of opportunities at Wilson but sometimes they are not well publicized so you and your child may need to be active in searching them out. |
Anonymous
| I know several kids who went in knowing virtually no other students, and all have been fine. |
Anonymous
Your kid sounds like my kid. I hope they find each other! I’ve heard the same thing about it being big enough for people to find their people. I’m hoping that will happen for my quiet kid. |
Anonymous
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Your kid will do greaet at Wilson - like others have said, everybody at Wilson finds their people and the club/organization that suits their interest.
And I will say that, based on my experience with two kids at Wilson, the student body is very nice and welcoming, and accepting of all kinds of kids. Of course there are cliques, but there is no real hierachy of cliques, and kids flit back and forth and cross over between different groups. As a parent, I think Wilson has provided a great community for both my kids. |
Anonymous
That's really good to hear about Principal Martin trying so hard to support the students' need for in-person school. I've been very disappointed with principal Neal in this regard. |
Anonymous
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Thanks to all the Wilson parents providing this info. It's so helpful.
My oldest is in MS so we're not at HS yet, but just wanted to chime in to say that one of the things we like about Deal being so large is that it's easier for kids to find their people. Also, kids don't know everyone in their grade which can be counter-intuitively helpful. I went to a smaller school where everyone knew who was in each clique and it made it even more clique-y. There's no way that an entire grade at Deal or Wilson could orchestrate bullying a specific child the way they could with 100 kids in a grade. If your child has an embarrassing moment at Deal or Wilson, then most of his grade wouldn't even know who he is anyway so he could move on 
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Anonymous
| He will be fine. Kids get together based on their classes and interests. It's not best-friends-forever anymore, and most kids play video games. |