Prerequisites:

There are also several science courses offered by the Magnet Program that are available to any 11th and 12th grade Blair student who has completed the appropriate prerequisites. Students who have completed Honors Physics and are taking/have completed A.P. Calculus may take Quantum Physics or Thermodynamics. Students who are taking/have completed just A.P. Calculus can take Optics. Those who have completed Honors Chemistry can take Materials Science or Plate Tectonics and Oceanography. Honors Chemistry and Honors Physics are the prerequisites for Astronomy. Students who have completed Honors Chemistry and Algebra II with Analysis can take Analytical Chemistry. Those completing Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, and Precalculus with Analysis can take Physical Chemistry. Those who complete Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry may take Genetics, Cell Physiology, or Marine Biology. Students who have taken Honors Physics and are taking/have completed Magnet Analysis II (AKA Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations) can take Mathematical Physics. Finally, there are no prerequisites for 11th and 12th graders who wish to take the very popular Origins of Science. Some of these courses may have additional prerequisites or other requirements; please see the Magnet Program's webpages and/or your guidance counselor for more information.

Maybe if the title was "Local teen is Intel Science Winner" people would not have this argument.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How can my DC qualify for magnet courses? Where can I find a list of qualifications? Thanks.

http://www.mbhs.edu/departments/science/

See the bottom of the web page.

Thank you!!!!!! I didn't know this was possible.

I think what people are alluding to is that this scientific work has not come out of the curriculum taught in Blair.

That is true. These students work as interns with other scientists (sometimes their parents are working in NIH or other scientific research place), and they will publish a paper that is a part of what the main experiment or research is about. Obviously, the scientists are the ones who are doing the main research.

So, yes, it is true that these kids are not taught these subjects at Blair. However, Blair teachers are very aware of the many of these competitions and will guide these students in participating in them. They also are there for these children to support them. The fact that these kids are doing all this work, on top of the SMACS program at Blair is commendable.

Besides, many students apply to intern with these scientists. Only the ones who have impressive academic credentials (and maybe sometimes some connections too) make the cut.

So, once they are in the labs with these real world scientists, they have to produce and assist. They cannot be dead weights.

These kids needs to thank their teachers in Blair because they are supportive of these kids and Blair has a system in place for these competitions. If it was so easy to replicate other schools would have done that.

- NOT Blair parent.

Anonymous wrote:

How can my DC qualify for magnet courses? Where can I find a list of qualifications? Thanks.

http://www.mbhs.edu/departments/science/

See the bottom of the web page.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me clear up misconceptions about the Blair magnet program.

1. Magnet students take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics

1. Magnet students indeed take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school - yes

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge and who qualifies for those classes. In reality there are very few non-magnet students in magnet classes for this reason.

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students - Define "educational success"

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county - actually, up-county students do not attend the Blair magnet

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics - Do you mean academic demographics, or racial? If you mean academic, then you are probably correct, but if you put the Blair magnet in say, the Whitman or Churchill building, this would also be true. Magnet students stand head and shoulders above other students of all kinds with regard to math/science/computer science. RE racial demographics, sure, you are correct there - but what is your point?

How can my DC qualify for magnet courses? Where can I find a list of qualifications? Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:Let me clear up misconceptions about the Blair magnet program.

1. Magnet students take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics

I'm wondering where you got this list of "misconceptions" from? For example, I don't recall anybody saying that the demographics of the magnet program are the same as the demographics of Blair as a whole. And obviously the Blair magnet program is a magnet program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - I think what Blair provides is an institutional structure for smart kids to excel. Yes, smart kids are smart kids but you can't under estimate the importance of support structure which Blair provides to magnet kids.

Of course you can't underestimate the importance of the support structure Blair provides to magnet kids. Let us also not underestimate the value of what the parents do for those kids.

Of course you can't underestimate the importance of the support structure, content/material, and experience in analysis that Blair provides to magnet kids. Let us also not underestimate the value of what the parents do for those kids.

^^^fixed that for you

Anonymous wrote:Let me clear up misconceptions about the Blair magnet program.

1. Magnet students take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics

1. Magnet students indeed take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school - yes

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge and who qualifies for those classes. In reality there are very few non-magnet students in magnet classes for this reason.

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students - Define "educational success"

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county - actually, up-county students do not attend the Blair magnet

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics - Do you mean academic demographics, or racial? If you mean academic, then you are probably correct, but if you put the Blair magnet in say, the Whitman or Churchill building, this would also be true. Magnet students stand head and shoulders above other students of all kinds with regard to math/science/computer science. RE racial demographics, sure, you are correct there - but what is your point?

Anonymous wrote:NP here - I think what Blair provides is an institutional structure for smart kids to excel. Yes, smart kids are smart kids but you can't under estimate the importance of support structure which Blair provides to magnet kids.

Of course you can't underestimate the importance of the support structure Blair provides to magnet kids. Let us also not underestimate the value of what the parents do for those kids.

NP here - I think what Blair provides is an institutional structure for smart kids to excel. Yes, smart kids are smart kids but you can't under estimate the importance of support structure which Blair provides to magnet kids.

Let me clear up misconceptions about the Blair magnet program.

1. Magnet students take a separate sequence of courses from the rest of the school except in English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ...

2. For English, Social Studies, Art, PE, ... the magnet students join the rest of the school

3. Magnet courses are open to anyone who wants the challenge

4. Most of the educational success at Blair comes from the achievements of magnet students

5. Magnet students come from almost all over the county

6. Magnet students do not reflect the Blair demographics

Anonymous wrote:

I am sorry but your post is nonsense.

The Blair magnet is actually in Blair.

Yes, he would have been an Intel science winner anywhere. I don't get your logic or your psychoanalysis.

The magnet kids are motivated by their parents and in some cases self motivated. Blair is a way station for these kids. If Paint Branch High School had a magnet program they would do well there.

You're basically saying that if the Blair magnet program moved to Paint Branch and became the Paint Branch magnet program, the kids in the magnet program would do well there. Well, sure. I don't think that anyone has said that it's the Blair building, or Blair's specific location in Four Corners, that makes the magnet program successful.

Here are the science classes offered at Blair, including through the magnet programs:

http://www.mbhs.edu/departments/magnet/courses_sci.php

I didn't take quantum physics or thermodynamics in high school. Did you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't want to lose my job by explaining. Show me what physics (that's his subject, right?) courses are taught at Blair that would have this kids research.

He thrived at Blair and would have thrived anywhere.

But would he have been an Intel science winner anywhere?

By the way, this argument distinctly reminds me of the argument that the Blair science magnet isn't actually in Blair, and I know who makes that argument.

I am sorry but your post is nonsense.

The Blair magnet is actually in Blair.

Yes, he would have been an Intel science winner anywhere. I don't get your logic or your psychoanalysis.

The magnet kids are motivated by their parents and in some cases self motivated. Blair is a way station for these kids. If Paint Branch High School had a magnet program they would do well there.

Anonymous wrote:

I don't want to lose my job by explaining. Show me what physics (that's his subject, right?) courses are taught at Blair that would have this kids research.

He thrived at Blair and would have thrived anywhere.

But would he have been an Intel science winner anywhere?

By the way, this argument distinctly reminds me of the argument that the Blair science magnet isn't actually in Blair, and I know who makes that argument.