Reply to Looking for real insight into LCPS - specifically Blue Ridge Middle and Loudon Valley HS

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[quote=Anonymous]I don't know much about Valley, so no help there.

BRMS is a fantastic middle school, IMO. It is highly structured and very positive with clear expectations, but the kids have age-appropriate amounts of freedom (to choose courses, electives, activities, etc.) within the boundaries. The principal is the most enthused person I have ever met about middle-school aged kids -- which can be a really difficult age. He is 100% positive (but very realistic, too) about the development stage that they're at and how much they're changing over those three years. I compare him to my own MS principal, who clearly felt he was literally in the "junior league" and wanted to be a high school principal, and the difference is really stark. I think my kids are having a much, much more positive and encouraging experience as middle schoolers than I did.

They offer multiple music electives (including orchestra and guitar, which were not options I had) and foreign language options starting in 7th grade, but I think that's pretty standard across LCPS schools? They also do in-school "clubs", where one period every so often is club time. All teachers and staff run a club, including the principal (I think he runs the Math Club?), so there are tons of options; they do them during school time so that everyone can participate, which isn't always the case with after-school activities.

One of the things I admire is that there are 700+ kids there and the school administration, every year, learns every kid's name/face, usually by fall break. Each grade has a dean/counselor and secretary that "follow" them all three years, so when your kids starts in 6th grade, their 6th grade dean/counselor/secretary become their 7th grade, then 8th grade dean/counselor/secretary; then that group of admins picks up the next incoming class of 6th graders. So they really get to know the kids over three years.

We've lived here several years and every single parent I talked to had had nothing but praise for Blue Ridge. My impression is that they wish the high school was as well-run as Blue Ridge is, but like I said, no experience with LVHS yet.

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