The school lockdowns hit this year's HS freshmen at the very worst time in their academic development.

They lost the spring of sixth grade and all of seventh to learn how to manage a workload between home and school (virtual isn't the same thing), how to stay organized and keep track of assignments, how to take notes in class (they don't), how to let teachers know when they are having trouble, etc. I am sure many parents behind the scenes are seeing a big difference between managing their current HS freshman and an older sibling who has graduated high school.

I feel terrible for this year's HS freshmen. They barely touched MS in person, and have been vaulted head first into high school. There should have been better planning around it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s only been a month but it’s been fine. The work load hasn’t been much different. He’s had very little homework but they get a block every other day that’s basically a study hall.

Is your kid taking any honors classes? Our HS discourages kids from taking more than 2-3 honors classes at a time. The honors classes have had homework from day one but from what I’ve observed from a small subset — then non-honors classes barely have homework which was the MS experience for both honors and non-honors. So our POV the honors classes in MS did not prepare kids and did not get the kids up to where they needed to start 9th grade. I think learning loss during 7th grade when school was COVID weird and largely at home had a huge impact.

Where is this? My 9th grader has 4 honors classes (Core: Algebra 2 H, English 9 H, Bio H, and WH 1 H) and 1 AP class (Ap Comp Sci A). She also has Spanish 2 and PE 9. So 4 honors and an AP Course in 9th. I think AAP at Twain prepared my child but HS has a lot more tests and quizzes more often. It's non-stop.

Herndon HS.

Also from the AP coordinator or whatever she’s called: “anyone who takes more than one AP is just a show off.” Also from the administration, “do not take an honors class unless you are passionate about the subject. It is not worth the stress of taking all honors.”

I'm having a hard time believing this. I was under the impression that administrations at the high-ESOL schools strongly encourage AP/IB participation because there is so much hesitation in those populations to take AP/IB.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

Oh, FFS. "Much of?" No one was in distance learning for three years or anywhere approaching it.

Why don't you know your audience before you make an insulting comment. You are in the FCPS board. MS here is only 7 & 8. They only went half a year in 7th more or less. If MS is to prepare you for the high school experience, then yes, they missed it. My DC is in 10th and several of his teachers last year commented on how they could see them trying to catch up in maturity. They essentially went from elementary school to figuring out how to switch classes and deal with 8 teachers and the pressure of a GPA without the two years practice in MS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

I was just thinking the same thing. I think it's a given they weren't properly prepared. Even those kids who rocked distance learning were given a pared down curriculum. I have a 10 grader now and my anecdotal observations are that math and world languages were the worst. They are sequential and there's no rushing through it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

Oh, FFS. "Much of?" No one was in distance learning for three years or anywhere approaching it.

It was three months to one year and six months the next, so it was a total of one academic school year. This parents are so dramatic.

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

+ a million.

Plus the remnants of "covid grading" appear here to stay. Kids with an equivalent GPA have it despite missing or late work, and after being given many attempts to retake tests for full credit. GL to those kids in college . . .

6:18 adding to my post. What I meant in my first post was he has very little homework he actually needs to complete at home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s only been a month but it’s been fine. The work load hasn’t been much different. He’s had very little homework but they get a block every other day that’s basically a study hall.

Is your kid taking any honors classes? Our HS discourages kids from taking more than 2-3 honors classes at a time. The honors classes have had homework from day one but from what I’ve observed from a small subset — then non-honors classes barely have homework which was the MS experience for both honors and non-honors. So our POV the honors classes in MS did not prepare kids and did not get the kids up to where they needed to start 9th grade. I think learning loss during 7th grade when school was COVID weird and largely at home had a huge impact.

He’s taking 2 honors classes this year. Last year he took 2 honors plus 2 high school classes in 8th grade. He said he gets a lot down in the study hall/advisory block and the work seems pretty manageable so far. I think he’s more focused right now with time management management because he has a busy sports schedule and knows he has to get his work done if he wants to do go to practices and keep playing.

To be honest, my now 9th grader thrived during virtual learning and is fine. I don't want to cast the pandemic in any kind of good light for all the bad the world experienced, but for my daughter, who has some social emotional issues, I do not hate that she had to miss out on some of the middle school dramatics that typically go on. She's doing well so far with 9th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

Oh, FFS. "Much of?" No one was in distance learning for three years or anywhere approaching it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s only been a month but it’s been fine. The work load hasn’t been much different. He’s had very little homework but they get a block every other day that’s basically a study hall.

Is your kid taking any honors classes? Our HS discourages kids from taking more than 2-3 honors classes at a time. The honors classes have had homework from day one but from what I’ve observed from a small subset — then non-honors classes barely have homework which was the MS experience for both honors and non-honors. So our POV the honors classes in MS did not prepare kids and did not get the kids up to where they needed to start 9th grade. I think learning loss during 7th grade when school was COVID weird and largely at home had a huge impact.

Where is this? My 9th grader has 4 honors classes (Core: Algebra 2 H, English 9 H, Bio H, and WH 1 H) and 1 AP class (Ap Comp Sci A). She also has Spanish 2 and PE 9. So 4 honors and an AP Course in 9th. I think AAP at Twain prepared my child but HS has a lot more tests and quizzes more often. It's non-stop.

Herndon HS.

Also from the AP coordinator or whatever she’s called: “anyone who takes more than one AP is just a show off.” Also from the administration, “do not take an honors class unless you are passionate about the subject. It is not worth the stress of taking all honors.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s only been a month but it’s been fine. The work load hasn’t been much different. He’s had very little homework but they get a block every other day that’s basically a study hall.

Is your kid taking any honors classes? Our HS discourages kids from taking more than 2-3 honors classes at a time. The honors classes have had homework from day one but from what I’ve observed from a small subset — then non-honors classes barely have homework which was the MS experience for both honors and non-honors. So our POV the honors classes in MS did not prepare kids and did not get the kids up to where they needed to start 9th grade. I think learning loss during 7th grade when school was COVID weird and largely at home had a huge impact.

Where is this? My 9th grader has 4 honors classes (Core: Algebra 2 H, English 9 H, Bio H, and WH 1 H) and 1 AP class (Ap Comp Sci A). She also has Spanish 2 and PE 9. So 4 honors and an AP Course in 9th. I think AAP at Twain prepared my child but HS has a lot more tests and quizzes more often. It's non-stop.

Herndon HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

Yes.

2026 is worse off.

They essentially are going intk their freshmen year with their last normal year of school being 5th grade.

Yes, they were in person last year, but it was masked and the behavior was off the wall crazy and out of control. It was all the teacher could do to keep them from destroying the building in the name of tiktok and fighting with one another.



They could hardly teach anything last year with the middle schoolers so ojt of control.

Last year's 8th graders (2026 freshmen) were unteqchable last year, had fake school for 7th grade, and missed almkst 1/3 of 6th grade.

My ADHD Dd is a freshman and has
3DS maybe this is why.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had many 4 high schoolers and MS doesn’t prepare them well to study or write.

Do you think the 2026 was worse off? I’m trying to distinguish what is normal versus this class where much if the MS experience (6-8) was during distance learning.

Yes.

2026 is worse off.

They essentially are going intk their freshmen year with their last normal year of school being 5th grade.

Yes, they were in person last year, but it was masked and the behavior was off the wall crazy and out of control. It was all the teacher could do to keep them from destroying the building in the name of tiktok and fighting with one another.

They could hardly teach anything last year with the middle schoolers so ojt of control.

Last year's 8th graders (2026 freshmen) were unteqchable last year, had fake school for 7th grade, and missed almkst 1/3 of 6th grade.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but our kid, who has her own issues, actually settled in well via distance learning. I'd think the '25s would have had a harder time, having missed 3/4 of MS.

Yes I have one. And the new graduates had the worst of the high school classes.

But college hasn’t gotten any easier to get into!