Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may find it hard to fit in 4 years of language in high school along with all other HS requirements. If he is doing a high school STEM magnet, he may also be trying to fit in an internship. He might be better off starting Spanish earlier. He could take five years of Spanish, and be finished by the end of 10th grade.

I think this is terrible advice. Colleges are not looking at your middle school transcripts, and only levels 3 and up of any World Language give high school credits. I'm presuming that, if your student's is thinking they'd be at the level of the STEM Magnet, that they want to apply for top level, competitive colleges (current admissions scandal aside), so stopping World Language after 10th grade is a bad idea. If you look at the Blair STEM course chart on their website, it lists World language for four years as the expectation, although there is an option for other electives in grades 11 and 12. Not to mention, they would not qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy with just five years of Spanish, unless they do a lot of extra study outside of school and take an outside test.

That is not true. All full year (A/B) world language courses give high school credit in MCPS.

I think starting w/ this year's 6th graders, students(parents) can decide of the grade from lanf taken in MS will go on the HS transcript. Up until now, I think the MS lang grades were factored into HS transcript. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Mine missed out on this, but oddly, even thpugh she goto As, because of Honors weighting, they probably bring her weighted grade done. Oh well!

They’ve are all eligible for high school credit. The rule change just means they don’t have to elect to get the credit if they don’t do well.

You didn't read my post very carefully. I'm aware they're all eligible for HS credit. I said that the new decision is that parents/students can request that the grade not be factored into HS GPA.

I did read it. But it didn’t seem to relate to the other comments you quoted. The discussion was about the PP inaccurately stating the early years were not eligible for credit. If you understand that, your comment is a bit of a non sequitur.

Nope. It is quite relevant to people wondering if their 6th grader should try to take a HS credit course.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are planning out your 5th grader’s middle school and shift school years. Isn’t this a bit much? You’ve assumed he will like and do well in Spanish and assumed he’s going to get in a magnet in high school too. You need to relax.

And let your poor kid not only be a kid, but think and choose for himself! Pobrecito.

NP with a 5th grader here. We’re helping our “pobrecita” daughter make these choices now. She has no idea the implications and is happy to start Spanish next year

This is not about parents helping a 5th grader pick language and electives for 6th grade and middle school. It’s about OP’s planning of her 5th grader’s entire path through a magnet high school program. Anyway, to each his own. But, if many parents are like OP, then I am not surprised about rising anxiety and depression in kids.

DP:

1. Saying "this is not about parents helping a 5th grader pick language" while criticizing the parent trying to understand the implications of doing a language is IMHO silly and judgemental.

2. The kid will go to TPMS magnet, and the OP said the "hope" was he will go to the HS magnet, which is very different from "assuming" the child will go to HS magnet. You don't know anything about the kid - may be the kid is very into science and math and wants to go to Blair. There is nothing wrong with a parent hoping the kid's wishes come true.

3. Anyways, when to start a FL if one needs to do four years of FL in HS is a very valid question, even if the kid does not go to a magnet for HS; especially for kids who are into math and science more than humanities and languages.

4. You say "to each his own" but you have no problem putting down the OP by recasting OP's question about FL into "planning of her 5th grader’s entire path through a magnet high school program", and connecting depression in kids to people like OP. Shame on you.

If you can not provide anything constructive, at least stop being judgemental.

- parent, TPMS magnet alumnus whose only challenge at TPMS was FL.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are planning out your 5th grader’s middle school and shift school years. Isn’t this a bit much? You’ve assumed he will like and do well in Spanish and assumed he’s going to get in a magnet in high school too. You need to relax.

And let your poor kid not only be a kid, but think and choose for himself! Pobrecito.

NP with a 5th grader here. We’re helping our “pobrecita” daughter make these choices now. She has no idea the implications and is happy to start Spanish next year

This is not about parents helping a 5th grader pick language and electives for 6th grade and middle school. It’s about OP’s planning of her 5th grader’s entire path through a magnet high school program. Anyway, to each his own. But, if many parents are like OP, then I am not surprised about rising anxiety and depression in kids.

I’m the one with the fifth grade girl. Of course as I’m helping her choose these it’s with an eye on high school.

My 7th grader has always chosen her classes on her own. Do you think your daughter isn’t mature enough to choose for herself? Or that somehow she will be better off than my daughter later on? FWIW my daughter will be taking French 3 next year and we have never helped her chose her classes.

I have no idea who will be better off but I do know she is 10 years old and needs guidance. Hey if you chose X then hopefully you’d be able to do Z in high school. Choosing W would probably mean L would happen in a few years.

Why is that so hard to understand?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are planning out your 5th grader’s middle school and shift school years. Isn’t this a bit much? You’ve assumed he will like and do well in Spanish and assumed he’s going to get in a magnet in high school too. You need to relax.

And let your poor kid not only be a kid, but think and choose for himself! Pobrecito.

NP with a 5th grader here. We’re helping our “pobrecita” daughter make these choices now. She has no idea the implications and is happy to start Spanish next year

This is not about parents helping a 5th grader pick language and electives for 6th grade and middle school. It’s about OP’s planning of her 5th grader’s entire path through a magnet high school program. Anyway, to each his own. But, if many parents are like OP, then I am not surprised about rising anxiety and depression in kids.

I’m the one with the fifth grade girl. Of course as I’m helping her choose these it’s with an eye on high school.

My 7th grader has always chosen her classes on her own. Do you think your daughter isn’t mature enough to choose for herself? Or that somehow she will be better off than my daughter later on? FWIW my daughter will be taking French 3 next year and we have never helped her chose her classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may find it hard to fit in 4 years of language in high school along with all other HS requirements. If he is doing a high school STEM magnet, he may also be trying to fit in an internship. He might be better off starting Spanish earlier. He could take five years of Spanish, and be finished by the end of 10th grade.

I think this is terrible advice. Colleges are not looking at your middle school transcripts, and only levels 3 and up of any World Language give high school credits. I'm presuming that, if your student's is thinking they'd be at the level of the STEM Magnet, that they want to apply for top level, competitive colleges (current admissions scandal aside), so stopping World Language after 10th grade is a bad idea. If you look at the Blair STEM course chart on their website, it lists World language for four years as the expectation, although there is an option for other electives in grades 11 and 12. Not to mention, they would not qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy with just five years of Spanish, unless they do a lot of extra study outside of school and take an outside test.

Not true. My 7th grader has her Spanish 1 HS credit already.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are planning out your 5th grader’s middle school and shift school years. Isn’t this a bit much? You’ve assumed he will like and do well in Spanish and assumed he’s going to get in a magnet in high school too. You need to relax.

And let your poor kid not only be a kid, but think and choose for himself! Pobrecito.

NP with a 5th grader here. We’re helping our “pobrecita” daughter make these choices now. She has no idea the implications and is happy to start Spanish next year

This is not about parents helping a 5th grader pick language and electives for 6th grade and middle school. It’s about OP’s planning of her 5th grader’s entire path through a magnet high school program. Anyway, to each his own. But, if many parents are like OP, then I am not surprised about rising anxiety and depression in kids.

I’m the one with the fifth grade girl. Of course as I’m helping her choose these it’s with an eye on high school.