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[quote=Anonymous]I am Poolesville parent.
For people who do not know how it work.
Poolesville has 3 Magnets: Humanites, Sience Math CS (similar to Blair), Ecology. Then there is Independence Study.
Humanities - 50 kids admitted by test from out of boundary (upper county), 10 top Poolesville local kids admitted to program based on test - total 60 kids (2 blocks)
SMCS  - 50 kids admitted by test from out of boundary (upper county), 10 top Poolesville local kids admitted to program based on test - total 60 kids (2 blocks)
Ecology - 50 kids admitted by test from out of boundary (upper county), 30-40 top Poolesville local kids admitted to program based on test - total 90 kids (3 blocks)
So you have about 60 local kids in real magnets  (out of may be 150 local kids per grade)
First two years only magnet kids can take magnet classes for a magnet that they enrolled in, except Magnet Math that is open to all capable kids from  school.
Each Magnet has it's own magnet  core classes and block schedule.
The rest local kids are in so called Independence Study track (approximately 90 kids per grade). They still can get some certificates. There is also Engineering program (PLY  - something like project lead the way.)
Starting 11th grade - all students can take all classes as long as they are ready for them. No more block schedule.
This is possible, since most Magnet required courses are only in 9-10 grades. The last two years are flexible. 
Also some students prefer to take AP courses, verses advanced courses if they want to get credit for college. (Student can take advanced classes and take AP exam, but that would require significant self study, since programs are a bit different.)
I think opportunity to take all classes in 11-12 and advanced Math is reason they call school total magnet.
In reality: less than 5 kids per class are taking Magnet Math. (Usually 2-3 Ecology kid at most.) I know 1-2 Ecology kid takes R&E per class.
Probably similar numbers if not less in truly advanced Chemistry, Physics or CS. You can't be successful in them without adequate preparation.
If you are interested in details, go to Poolesville website.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Poolesville is a whole school Magnet. Not sure what that means but perhaps parents from upcounty know more than me?[/quote]
Yes,  Poolesville is whole school magnet.
In Poolesville case you take exam to join the magnet program if you live in upper Montgomery County.
Kids who live in the school boundaries have a higher chance to be picked because they take 25% of the students from their own middle school and the rest of the kids can take magnet courses if their is space available.[/quote]
Huh? ??
No, Poolesville is not a whole magnet school. In-bound kids not in Magnet go there. Where do you think these kids go?

[/quote]
Yes, Poolsville is whole magnet school.
It tells you in their  website.
“Whole magnet school “ doesn’t mean exclusive magnet students.
There will be a lot of classes where magnet students and non-magnet students can be mixed.[/quote]

I'm a parent with a Poolesville High School program magnet student and I sort of get why they call it a Whole Magnet School as  ~2/3 of the entire student body is magnet.   Magnet program kids do mix with local non-magnet students in their non magnet designated classes.  For example, SMCs/GE kids do not have a specific English class house requirement and they are mixed with local students who take honors/AP.  As a non-magnet kid on the highest non program track- a majority of your classmates will be magnet programs which makes it a little murky.  I suppose PHS realizes that colleges will be able to figure this all out.[/quote][/quote]

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