Thank you!

We've always homeschooled, and there are so many homeschoolers in the area that the only problem with socializing is trying not to do too many things! We get our "schoolwork" done more quickly and efficiently than they do in public schools, and thus have more time for playing with friends or doing field trips, classes, or other group activities. If you send an email to SHARENET (at sign) att (dot) net, you can get on the DC-area homeschool list and it will be pages and pages of activities and groups to join all over the area.

Anonymous wrote:Homeschool. It's less stress than dealing with the public schools.

NP here. We're currently considering this. At what grade did you start homeschooling, and how have you dealt with the socialization challenge? Thanks!

Because, hey, why shouldn't your highly gifted child be less well educated than his/her parents?

Homeschool. It's less stress than dealing with the public schools.

OP here. Sorry for silence. Long day.

Grade 3 is entering that grade in fall. He's been in Curriculum 2.0 this year. MoCo is moving away from the acceleration that older child has had. This year, principal agreed to move him (and others) for acceleration about 2 months after school year started, after much complaining. Already being told that advanced kids won't be moved for acceleration next year. Tired of having this fight every year to get him an education. We'll apply to HGC, but want choices if he doesn't get in for some reason. Also, just got his report card home. Teacher apparently didn't assess his reading all year. Either that or he jumped 6 reading levels miraculously in 1 quarter (up to end of grade 5 in reading).

Truly, I'm finding that dealing with public with this child is exhausting. Plus, don't like that he'll essentially have to make a math/english choice for middle when he's clearly strong in both areas.

Older child will apply to magnet middle. But again, if he doesn't get coveted TPMS spot, want options for him. Don't think home middle school is a good fit for him. School is putting all levels of kids in honors classes, which waters them down too much.

Tx for recommendations.

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Anonymous wrote:If your kids are outliers, stick it out and send them to the HG centers and then the magnets. You can supplement until then. If your kids don't make it into the magnets (and lots of 99pctile kids don't), then do private school.

I agree. We have done private school (Big Three) and a MoCo MS magnet, and the magnet was a bigger challenge to a GT kid.

Depends on the kid, depends on the school, and depends on what you mean by challenge.

BTDT with both options. On the whole, the magnet curriculum is more rigorous and demands more of a GT student than the Big Three school curriculum did.

Likely true in ES, possibly true in MS, not true in HS.

Beg to disagree. We turned down a top 3 for a magnet and haven't looked back. The downside to the magnets is that you may have to specialize in math/science or communication arts, although the third choice is IB at Richard Montgomery.

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Anonymous wrote:If your kids are outliers, stick it out and send them to the HG centers and then the magnets. You can supplement until then. If your kids don't make it into the magnets (and lots of 99pctile kids don't), then do private school.

I agree. We have done private school (Big Three) and a MoCo MS magnet, and the magnet was a bigger challenge to a GT kid.

Depends on the kid, depends on the school, and depends on what you mean by challenge.

BTDT with both options. On the whole, the magnet curriculum is more rigorous and demands more of a GT student than the Big Three school curriculum did.

Likely true in ES, possibly true in MS, not true in HS.

Definitely true in ES and MS, don't know about HS but based on what I've looked at, likely to be true.

What makes you say it is not true in HS? Do you have experience with MoCo HS magnets?

OP, did your kids test into the HGCs? Did you apply for middle school magnets for the 5th grader (or is it a rising 5th grader)?