Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

So are all students required to take foreign language at those schools, then? Or what electives can they substitute for foreign language?

DP. We are at an IB MYP and they require a foreign language unless you need a reading class. So effectively, all students just have one elective.

Anonymous wrote:This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

So are all students required to take foreign language at those schools, then? Or what electives can they substitute for foreign language?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of middle schools in the county that don't offer level 3 on site - kids have to be bused to a nearby high school and then back to their MS to take it.

They won't tell you this when you register as a 6th grader, but check to see if your school consistently has a large enough cohort to offer level 3 on site. In my kid's school, only nine 8th graders registered for Spanish 3, so the only option was for them to go to the cluster high school for first period.

Or like our district, not enough busses so they offer "virtual" class in highest level language offered at middle school.

<vomit>

Lots of kids don't know until they are registering for it and are stuck

Oops
Didn't realize this was an MCPS thread

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of middle schools in the county that don't offer level 3 on site - kids have to be bused to a nearby high school and then back to their MS to take it.

They won't tell you this when you register as a 6th grader, but check to see if your school consistently has a large enough cohort to offer level 3 on site. In my kid's school, only nine 8th graders registered for Spanish 3, so the only option was for them to go to the cluster high school for first period.

Or like our district, not enough busses so they offer "virtual" class in highest level language offered at middle school.

<vomit>

Lots of kids don't know until they are registering for it and are stuck

My kid started Spanish 1 in 6th grade. In HS, 9th grade was Spanish 4 and 10th grade was Spanish5/AP.

When he applied to college (beginning of 12th grade), he had AP results in all 5 core subject areas.

Please note that he only did 2 years of FL in HS, but cumulatively had 5 years of foreign language on his transcript. All colleges were fine with his FL credits because the school did not offer any higher foreign language class after AP.

Starting HS credit FL from 6th grade and taking the most rigorous class meant that the HS GPA also got a bump. It helped him in getting merit aid, college admission.

If you want your kid to be academically competitive, then look into starting foreign language from 6th grade and do not take easy course (ie take Spanish 1 instead of Spanish 1a)

Except for the magnet programs, MS kids get two electives. They can do both band and FL. Or choose two electives they want. There is no right or wrong way. They only need to be taking a FL by 8th to qualify for some HS programs.

This may not be the same at all schools, but at our schools, band and foreign language were not substitutes. Band substituted for the 'arts/ electives (so you can't take band and also chorus, or band and also art).

My kid took no language in Middle School. He took 2 APs in 9th, 3 in 10th and now has 4 in 11th. He took Spanish 1 and 2 in 9th and 10th respectively. The reason I wanted him in Spanish 1 in 9th is because I wanted him to concentrate on his 2 APs math and principles of computer science. With Spanish 3 or 4 there would be too much work to keep up with while taking 2 APs as a freshman.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can a kid who likes band but doesn't love it take only 1 or 2 years of band in MS (because they prefer other electives) and still be able to continue with band in high school if they want to? Do you have to be at a certain level of experience/skill to be in high school band?

You don't have to take band in MS to take band in HS. High schools generally have a concert band for anyone and then higher levels by audition. TBH I'm not sure how much fun concert band would be after not playing though unless they do a youth band or orchestra.

The course catalog for concert band says "Prerequisite:MS Band 3, HS Beginning Band, or by audition.". So would they have to do a year of Beginning Band even if they did two years of ES band and 1 or 2 years of MS band (assume no private lessons)? How boring would that be, or would it be an okay start to high school band?

A kid like that should just audition.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed someone else posting this, but at JW kids can take band AND a language. No need to choose.

Yes, I think that's typical, but the issue is that at most schools if you take band all 3 years and foreign language all 3 years you get zero other electives. So the question's more around what the best way to navigate that might be to allow a middle schooler some additional electives.

Maybe I missed someone else posting this, but at JW kids can take band AND a language. No need to choose.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can a kid who likes band but doesn't love it take only 1 or 2 years of band in MS (because they prefer other electives) and still be able to continue with band in high school if they want to? Do you have to be at a certain level of experience/skill to be in high school band?

You don't have to take band in MS to take band in HS. High schools generally have a concert band for anyone and then higher levels by audition. TBH I'm not sure how much fun concert band would be after not playing though unless they do a youth band or orchestra.

The course catalog for concert band says "Prerequisite:MS Band 3, HS Beginning Band, or by audition.". So would they have to do a year of Beginning Band even if they did two years of ES band and 1 or 2 years of MS band (assume no private lessons)? How boring would that be, or would it be an okay start to high school band?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can a kid who likes band but doesn't love it take only 1 or 2 years of band in MS (because they prefer other electives) and still be able to continue with band in high school if they want to? Do you have to be at a certain level of experience/skill to be in high school band?

You don't have to take band in MS to take band in HS. High schools generally have a concert band for anyone and then higher levels by audition. TBH I'm not sure how much fun concert band would be after not playing though unless they do a youth band or orchestra.

How competitive is marching band/pep band at most schools? Would kids who don't do band all 3 years of MS be unlikely to make it in?

My student took both FL and band all three years of MS and is taking both through HS. One caveat is that they took FL 1A full year in 6th and FL 1B full year in 7th. So by 9th was in FL 3. This is a slightly less rigorous track for those who worry about FL becoming too hard in HS. But starting band or chorus plus FL in 6th definitely limits your MS and HS elective choices. You are locked in through MS and the state requirements become your electives through HS, like PE, Health, Tech. It has worked out for my child but for kids who want to explore more options or have niche interests, probably not the best plan.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, so you guys can start FL in 6th grade? And take Spanish 4 as a freshman?!

Yes, at our school this is what most kids do. Language 1 in 6th, language 2 in 7th, and honors language 3 in 8th. Kids who struggle reeat the La gauge one year. Only kids who are in a reading course don’t take a language.