Anonymous wrote:We will also be at the meeting tonight. My DS is skeptical after watching the video that highlighted acting. I think he would love the history and english elements, but the acting totally turns him off. Is that really a huge part of the curriculum ?

Anonymous wrote:I was looking on the Eastern website for info on open house timing (January FYI) and came across this video about the current English class:

Looks like a wonderful course that the kids really enjoy and get a lot out of-- such a shame MCPS is looking to kill it.

(My 4th grader, who loves to read and write, hates CKLA, even the enriched cohorted version. It's so depressing to think that she will have no possible alternative to 4.5 more years of it, when she's a kid who I think would absolutely love and excel at an actually engaging English class like the one at Eastern ..)

Anonymous wrote:How many students per grade are enrolled in the Eastern Humanities program currently?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5th grader that got a spot in this Magnet program. We have 11 days to accept. We will attend next week’s welcome night, but want to hear from current families what we should look out for and what questions to ask.

Is it official that the magnet will switch to the CKLA English curriculum?

If so, how does this affect the interdisciplinary nature of the program? Will the other curriculums change to fit CKLA?

Am I understanding correctly that Eastern, TP and Blair Magnet kids ride the same bus?!?

How is the music program? Why only afterschool band for credit and not orchestra? Why don't all MS have the after school music for credit option?

Lunch at 10:17?!?!

CKLA will not be the humanities ELA curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is done by teacher planning and collaboration to bring together different curriculum and projects across the courses. There isn’t a curriculum out there that does that well and meets all the state standards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5th grader that got a spot in this Magnet program. We have 11 days to accept. We will attend next week’s welcome night, but want to hear from current families what we should look out for and what questions to ask.

Is it official that the magnet will switch to the CKLA English curriculum?

If so, how does this affect the interdisciplinary nature of the program? Will the other curriculums change to fit CKLA?

Am I understanding correctly that Eastern, TP and Blair Magnet kids ride the same bus?!?

How is the music program? Why only afterschool band for credit and not orchestra? Why don't all MS have the after school music for credit option?

Lunch at 10:17?!?!

1. Magnet changing curriculum, starting with incoming 6th graders (that's your kiddo). Actual curriculum TBD. Teachers prob not know themselves yet.

2. I imagine they will strive to still be interdisciplinary. That's a question for the school.

3. Yes. They all ride the same bus/route. Goes Blair to Eastern to TPMS. But that might change once the regional model bussing goes into effect in Fall 2027.

4. After school music, yes. Prob cuz most of the students who play are not local students, but that's just me speculating.

5. Yes, lunch can be that early.

Re the bus question, it depends on where you live. Our kid rides a direct bus to and from school that consists only of Eastern magnet kids, but it's only really an option for kids within the TPMS/SSIMS attendance zones, so I can't speak to other buses. But how would TPMS and Eastern magnet kids be riding with Blair students in the morning when HS starts like an hour earlier? I think there might be some overlap with the afternoon activity buses that involve a change at Blair.

Re: lunch, technically the first 15 minutes or so are advisory so the actual eating will be after 10:30 at least

Re: after-school band, I assume this exists because there is staff to support it but also the kids to support it (not necessarily because kids live farther away but because magnet students only get one elective and choose to use it on something other than band).

Don't the middle school magnet kids just catch the Blair school buses school super-early so they can get to Blair by the HS start time, then transfer at Blair to TPMS/Eastern?

But this will potentially be different starting in fall 2027 when they do the new regional busing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5th grader that got a spot in this Magnet program. We have 11 days to accept. We will attend next week’s welcome night, but want to hear from current families what we should look out for and what questions to ask.

Is it official that the magnet will switch to the CKLA English curriculum?

If so, how does this affect the interdisciplinary nature of the program? Will the other curriculums change to fit CKLA?

Am I understanding correctly that Eastern, TP and Blair Magnet kids ride the same bus?!?

How is the music program? Why only afterschool band for credit and not orchestra? Why don't all MS have the after school music for credit option?

Lunch at 10:17?!?!

1. Magnet changing curriculum, starting with incoming 6th graders (that's your kiddo). Actual curriculum TBD. Teachers prob not know themselves yet.

2. I imagine they will strive to still be interdisciplinary. That's a question for the school.

3. Yes. They all ride the same bus/route. Goes Blair to Eastern to TPMS. But that might change once the regional model bussing goes into effect in Fall 2027.

4. After school music, yes. Prob cuz most of the students who play are not local students, but that's just me speculating.

5. Yes, lunch can be that early.

Re the bus question, it depends on where you live. Our kid rides a direct bus to and from school that consists only of Eastern magnet kids, but it's only really an option for kids within the TPMS/SSIMS attendance zones, so I can't speak to other buses. But how would TPMS and Eastern magnet kids be riding with Blair students in the morning when HS starts like an hour earlier? I think there might be some overlap with the afternoon activity buses that involve a change at Blair.

Re: lunch, technically the first 15 minutes or so are advisory so the actual eating will be after 10:30 at least

Re: after-school band, I assume this exists because there is staff to support it but also the kids to support it (not necessarily because kids live farther away but because magnet students only get one elective and choose to use it on something other than band).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5th grader that got a spot in this Magnet program. We have 11 days to accept. We will attend next week’s welcome night, but want to hear from current families what we should look out for and what questions to ask.

Is it official that the magnet will switch to the CKLA English curriculum?

If so, how does this affect the interdisciplinary nature of the program? Will the other curriculums change to fit CKLA?

Am I understanding correctly that Eastern, TP and Blair Magnet kids ride the same bus?!?

How is the music program? Why only afterschool band for credit and not orchestra? Why don't all MS have the after school music for credit option?

Lunch at 10:17?!?!

1. Magnet changing curriculum, starting with incoming 6th graders (that's your kiddo). Actual curriculum TBD. Teachers prob not know themselves yet.

2. I imagine they will strive to still be interdisciplinary. That's a question for the school.

3. Yes. They all ride the same bus/route. Goes Blair to Eastern to TPMS. But that might change once the regional model bussing goes into effect in Fall 2027.

4. After school music, yes. Prob cuz most of the students who play are not local students, but that's just me speculating.

5. Yes, lunch can be that early.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 5th grader that got a spot in this Magnet program. We have 11 days to accept. We will attend next week’s welcome night, but want to hear from current families what we should look out for and what questions to ask.

Is it official that the magnet will switch to the CKLA English curriculum?

If so, how does this affect the interdisciplinary nature of the program? Will the other curriculums change to fit CKLA?

Am I understanding correctly that Eastern, TP and Blair Magnet kids ride the same bus?!?

How is the music program? Why only afterschool band for credit and not orchestra? Why don't all MS have the after school music for credit option?

Lunch at 10:17?!?!

CKLA will not be the humanities ELA curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is done by teacher planning and collaboration to bring together different curriculum and projects across the courses. There isn’t a curriculum out there that does that well and meets all the state standards.