Anonymous wrote:Marshall HS is in FCPS and inside the beltway with IB. People seem to like it. Falls church City schools are very insular and could work if your kid is totally mainstream and at grade level. If your kid is different in any way - socially or academically- FCC is not a good fit.

I have three kids in FCCPS and agree with this. I wish we could afford to move.

Forgot to mention, if you decide to visit Dorothy Hamm Middle School today, there's a nice outdoor memorial and exhibit to the students who integrated the school in 1959, back when it was a junior high school. A narrative of acceptance and respect imbues the school culture today, as inspired by the school's role in civil rights history when it ended Virginia's policy of Massive Resistance to integration.

Anonymous wrote:OMG who cares if FCC is part of Arlington County or now - the school districts are separate which is all that matters for OP's question.

I would just warn that W&L's IB program is A LOT of work. When we considered it, pretty much everyone used the word "miserable" to describe it. On the other hand, the kids are very well prepared for college.

Good point re IB. It's a lot of work, and the students are competetive, but the IB Program remains very popular. To clarify for OP, in-bounds W-L students have the option to pursue an AP course of study. Transfers into W-L are required to pursue the IB Diploma.

OMG who cares if FCC is part of Arlington County or now - the school districts are separate which is all that matters for OP's question.

I would just warn that W&L's IB program is A LOT of work. When we considered it, pretty much everyone used the word "miserable" to describe it. On the other hand, the kids are very well prepared for college.

Anonymous wrote:Look at a map. Parts of McLean are closer to dc than parts of Arlington. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I'm sure OP can easily figure out commute times. Both Mclean and N Arlington are convenient to Upper NW DC. Just note that Chain Bridge and Canal Rd are often backed up.

Families in N Arlington and McLean often know eachother through sports, swimming pool memberships, Washington Golf or Army Navy Country Clubs. All the high schools are in the same athletic league which incudes academic competitions like debate. They are all in the same performing arts division as well.

Anonymous wrote:You might want to look into Chesterbrook/Longfellow/Mclean or Haycock/Longfellow/Mclean

Some parts of those catchment zones are closer to DC then Williamsburg/Yorktown

Note that these are AP schools, not IB.

The Chain Bridge Forest Neighborhood is split between Arlington County and Fairfax County

Look at a map. Parts of McLean are closer to dc than parts of Arlington. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Anonymous wrote:You might want to look into Chesterbrook/Longfellow/Mclean or Haycock/Longfellow/Mclean

Some parts of those catchment zones are closer to DC then Williamsburg/Yorktown

Not really. Chain Bridge connects Arlington and DC. McLean is not much further away but not closer.

Both the McLean and Langley high school pyramids are both good inside the beltway options if you want to extend your search. Langley HS and Cooper MS were just renovated and are now beautiful facilities.

You might want to look into Chesterbrook/Longfellow/Mclean or Haycock/Longfellow/Mclean

Some parts of those catchment zones are closer to DC then Williamsburg/Yorktown

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all the intel!! What are Williamsburg MS and Yorktown HS like? We are going out today to drive around. Appreciate you all!

Both excellent schools in my opinion. That pyramid has a reputation for being the most sports oriented in Arlington, however. But as with any public school, there are all types of kids.

Dorothy Hamm is the newest middle school and it’s in a recently renovated historic building. It’s not too far from Williamsburg and Swanson, the other middle schools. Arlington is not that big.

Yorktown HS has a strong AP program, but no IB. W-L HS has both AP and IB, but many of the IB students transfer into W-L from outside the W-L boundaries. It is a magnet program. W-L has long been the least sports oriented of the Arlington high schools and more academic and arts focused, in terms of school culture. But W-L is still competitive in sports and just won the district title in golf. So you can take these stereotypes with a grain of salt, but there is some truth to them.

OP here - thanks for all the intel!! What are Williamsburg MS and Yorktown HS like? We are going out today to drive around. Appreciate you all!

Fairfax has the art and theatre academy- but it’s outside the beltway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title17.1/chapter5/section17.1-505/"

I don't know what you think you are proving- Falls Church City is NOT part of Arlington County. They do share the 17th judicial circuit. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title17.1/chapter5/section17.1-506/

Wikipedia does a pretty quick job of confirming that FCC is not part of Arlington county
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falls_Church,_Virginia

Anonymous wrote:"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title17.1/chapter5/section17.1-505/"

I don't know what you think you are proving- Falls Church City is NOT part of Arlington County. They do share the 17th judicial circuit. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title17.1/chapter5/section17.1-506/