Reply to Can someone tell me about the Eastern Magnet?

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[quote=Anonymous]I have a current 8th grader in the program. It's been a great experience, but I agree with the PP that 6th grade was a big adjustment, even coming from an ES magnet program. The 6th grade teachers did give a bit of leeway at the start, and let kids ramp up to meeting the increased expectations.

Your kid doesn't necessarily need to be a great writer to start with, but they need to be ready to do the work and accept the feedback that will get them there. For most high school programs, the research and writing will be a breeze compared to what they did at Eastern.

There honestly wasn't as much reading as I'd expected, volume-wise, but they spend a lot of time on each book, and even the short readings are analyzed pretty deeply.

Same goes for the readings in World Studies. My student had never really had a proper chronological, in-depth history course before, and they really developed a love for history when 7th grade moved beyond just cultural understanding into true analysis of cause-and-effect in history, and using primary sources in a meaningful way.

The media component is the truly unique element in the program, but it's been a bit different over the past year, because they can't get out into the community to film and interview (not to mention the loss of the 8th grade NYC trip). Normally they do lots of computer editing on the classroom Macs, and learn all the different tools in the Adobe suite.

I know families with kids accepted to both Eastern and Takoma magnet programs have typically been wary of math at Eastern. Of course it doesn't compare to what kids would get in the Takoma program, but the offerings are equal to or better than what they'd get at other MCPS middle schools. Some 6th graders do take Algebra I, so it's worth talking to their counselor if you think your student might benefit from that.

My kid has actually enjoyed math for the first time at Eastern. From what I've seen, the teachers have tried to give kids an in-depth understanding of what they're learning, not just ticking boxes in the curriculum. They also have a math team that's had some modest successes at local competitions, with a great faculty sponsor. Again, it ain't Takoma, but it's not a barren math wasteland, either.

I'd say the weak point has been science, but that's honestly a factor of the MCPS curriculum, and would probably be similar at Sligo. My kid says their 7th grade science teacher was one of their favorite teachers ever, and I know she made a conscious effort to go beyond the basic curriculum whenever she could.

Hope this helps a little! I highly recommend it if you have a kid who's generally curious and engaged in learning, and not afraid to put in a bit of work. If they're primarily interested in STEM and tend to blow off other subjects, then it might not be a good fit. But if they have a well-rounded attitude toward learning, it will probably be a good experience and set them up well for high school and beyond. [/quote]

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