I had 3 children who had to transfer suddenly into a MCPS public from a private due to tragic and sudden circumstances, Blake and Farquhar. The kind people on this list give good advice and I have found the people in MCPS to be exceedingly professional. But, just as this list demonstrates, there are uncaring people everywhere who are waiting to snap at you at any moment. You will find them here and there within the MCPS system. Here is what I have learned within MCPS: be professional, patient and thoughtful. In every case, the schools have taken well presented problems seriously. Start early to register your 8th grader at the school that would be his/her middle school. There should be a Freshman 101 class over the summer. Express any concerns about acclamation to the high school guidance officials and they will take them seriously. Your concern about transferring your child into Churchill from a private is a big one. I wish I knew this forum was here when I was dealing with this with my kids. Good Luck.

Anonymous wrote:No placement exams. Placements based on middle school grades and courses taken.

Rising 9th graders visit the last day of school in June and come again the Thursday before school starts in August. This includes any students that are not currently at Hoover or CJ.

Shadow visits are very rare; the incoming student must already know a current 9th grader whom he or she would shadow.

My DC did one at Whitman. The counseling office arranged it and found a host student. There are enough kids looking at both public and private options that they do accommodate visits from kids who are not at Pyle. It's worth a try to see if Churchill would do the same - I assume they've got the same public/private dynamic. It actually helped in course selection as DC got a feel for the level of 9th grade classes.

Our home high school is Blake. Blake did a program in February last year where you could learn all about high school - the requirements, what Blake offered, testing for private school kids for foreign language placement, etc. maybe Churchill does the same. I'd check the website and call the office.

Also, there was aa second program where we got information about the obligations of each track - how much outside work was required for each class. It was helpful in deciding whether to pursue higher level placement. ,

No placement exams. Placements based on middle school grades and courses taken.

Rising 9th graders visit the last day of school in June and come again the Thursday before school starts in August. This includes any students that are not currently at Hoover or CJ.

Shadow visits are very rare; the incoming student must already know a current 9th grader whom he or she would shadow.