Reply to WWYD: Herndon/Reston Edition

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Carson is totally a failed MS. I mean, it only has the largest number of kids accepted into TJ every year even after they changed the admissions structure. Simply horrifically awful for a child to attend Carson. /sarcasm

Carson is a strong Middle School, especially for the kids in AAP. If anything, the complaint for Carson might be that there is too much emphasis on TJ but you will find that is the case at Cooper as well. I have heard zero complaints about Carson as a school.

So what the PP is saying is that Langley is better then South Lakes and what they really mean is that there are far fewer FARMS kids at Langley then South Lakes, which is true. Since Langley has more upper middle class and rich kids, there are more kids with tutors and fewer kids in ELL classes and higher test scores so it is clearly the better school. I mean, who would want to send kids to a school that has a decent number of poor kids who don’t do well on the SAT.

South Lakes is a fine High School. It is not going to win the accolades that other schools do because it is a more ethnically and economically diverse school then Langley. The kids in the Honors and IB classes have an excellent experience and do well. Of the kids in my neighborhood, I have only heard one complain about South Lakes. The other teens in the neighborhood seem to be enjoying SLHS and their main complaints are the normal thing that kids complain about, getting up early and homework.

If the OP chooses a house outside of Fox Mill’s school boundaries, they can choose a different high school but it is not likely to have the Japanese language at the same level as South Lakes. SLHS is regularly in the middle of the pack in a well regarded school district for test scores and the like.

I don’t know anything about Great Falls ES other then it has Japanese Immersion. My impression is that it is a smaller program then the one at Fox Mill but that is just rumint.

we have loved JI for our child. I love that it is a totally different alphabet(s) and sounding language. I think it provides a unique opportunity to really challenge a child at an early age. OP as one kid who is already learning Japanese in school. I think the Fox Mill families are very engaged and interested in the JI program and that the parents in the program are very enthusiastic. It is a great community and I think a rewarding program for the kids. I suspect that the OPs kids would do well at either JI program because this is something that the family is interested in and both schools are good schools. [/quote]

You didn't need to write all of that. OP has already discarded GF as an option and as a parent who researches schools before moving, likely already knows about rankings and stats and considers South Lakes a fitting choice.  You guys have to stop being triggered into writing dissertations whenever someone inserts a completely irrelevant post about the Langley pyramid being "better."[/quote]

There was nothing in OP's original post or follow-up indicating that they had discarded GF.  They said they had originally considered it.  Because OP is from out of the area, it is certainly relevant to say that the Langley pyramid is better academically.  If I were moving to the area, I would want to know that.  It may not impact the decision, and there are other and potentially more important factors (both re the schools and the the commute and neighborhoods and otherwise).  I don't think anyone has suggested that SLHS (or Oakton) are not good academically.  I find the defensiveness to be surprising.

But we are also now far off topic.[/quote]

OP here - my realtor told me this morning I should reconsider looking at GF.  So anyone with insights on commutes or where specifically in GF to magically find both sidewalks and a neighborhood feel without a brutal commute to Dulles and Metro Center would be an absolute legend.[/quote]

For the easiest commute to Metro Center, closer to the Village (G'town Pike/Walker Road) is best.  The light at that intersection can be brutal at rush hour.  These days, the commute to DC isn't bad -- 30 mins.  But in normal times it's closer to 45 mins - 1 hour at rush hour.  I think the commute to Dulles would be more in the range of 30-45 mins from the area around the Village.  If you live closer to Route 7, then that commute is shorter, but Route 7 can otherwise be a nightmare at rush hour . . .G'town Pike to the GW Parkway is the easiest way into DC.[/quote]

OP here.  So many great responses/intel on this thread.  Thank you all so much for the pointers.  Part of the reason our realtor recommended this is based on housing preferences we've expressed (2500+ sq ft and tall ceilings) that are apparently hard to find in Fox Mill.  Pre-Covid, I was commuting 40+ minutes to work and my husband was commuting 1-1:45 hours regularly to work, so it seems like GF is a slight pickup from a commuting perspective, and I would only expect to commute 1-2 days per week (unlike 5 here pre-Covid).

I take it there's no viable/attractive train option to Metro Center from GF (i.e., where I could drive to a particular station to catch a train and have it take a similar amount of time to driving the whole way in)?[/quote]

Unfortunately not.  Wiehle and Spring Hill on the Silver line are the "closest" stations, but that's a relative term . . . each would likely be a 20-25 min drive (or more) at rush hour[/quote]

Fox Mill is not closer to the Metro Center though. It takes 20 mins driving from Fox Mill to Wiehle at rush hour. If Herndon metro station is built, the driving time to that metro station would be a little shorter but the train time would increase. [/quote]

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