Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Yes it is, I went to Blair back then. Even when they moved to the new building they were primarily on the top floor away from the rest of the kids

X2 They even had a different lunch period. It’s mostly better now but not because of the parents of kids being bused in I suspect.

Again no. I went to Blair too. There was no different building for magnet kids. When they added/renovated the D building, the labs, computer rooms and many advanced classes were housed there. It was for everyone who has classes there. I had classes there.
And lunch period had nothing with being in magnet or not. I may have lunch A first semester and then have lunch B second semester.
Stop spreading lies and misinformation.

Youre wrong they had C lunch and their bell was 5 mins after everybody else had to be in class. Yes some rooms were universal like the media room, computer lab and gyms but the most kids never stepped foot in the magnet area

Again stop spreading lies and misinformation. If some kids didn't step foot there it's because they didn't have classes there, not because they were not allowed to or that the building was for magnet. Hardly anyone congregated in the hallway of that building. Everyone (magnet, non-magnet) was either in the A, B hallways, cafeteria, the courtyard or outside since it was open lunch.
That hall was always empty except for when going to classes, labs and coming from them.

Are you PPs like... really old?
When sib was there the magnet class locations were mixed into the areas with non-magnet classes.
FWIW, today Blair has only one lunch period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Yes it is, I went to Blair back then. Even when they moved to the new building they were primarily on the top floor away from the rest of the kids

X2 They even had a different lunch period. It’s mostly better now but not because of the parents of kids being bused in I suspect.

Again no. I went to Blair too. There was no different building for magnet kids. When they added/renovated the D building, the labs, computer rooms and many advanced classes were housed there. It was for everyone who has classes there. I had classes there.
And lunch period had nothing with being in magnet or not. I may have lunch A first semester and then have lunch B second semester.
Stop spreading lies and misinformation.

Youre wrong they had C lunch and their bell was 5 mins after everybody else had to be in class. Yes some rooms were universal like the media room, computer lab and gyms but the most kids never stepped foot in the magnet area

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Yes it is, I went to Blair back then. Even when they moved to the new building they were primarily on the top floor away from the rest of the kids

X2 They even had a different lunch period. It’s mostly better now but not because of the parents of kids being bused in I suspect.

Again no. I went to Blair too. There was no different building for magnet kids. When they added/renovated the D building, the labs, computer rooms and many advanced classes were housed there. It was for everyone who has classes there. I had classes there.
And lunch period had nothing with being in magnet or not. I may have lunch A first semester and then have lunch B second semester.
Stop spreading lies and misinformation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Yes it is, I went to Blair back then. Even when they moved to the new building they were primarily on the top floor away from the rest of the kids

X2 They even had a different lunch period. It’s mostly better now but not because of the parents of kids being bused in I suspect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Yes it is, I went to Blair back then. Even when they moved to the new building they were primarily on the top floor away from the rest of the kids

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

Not true

Anonymous wrote:While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Isn’t that point of magnets, getting high performers to opt into an otherwise meh school while assuring the parents protect of the kids. Blair used to put the magnet kids in a different building with a different scheduled so the kids didn’t even mix in the hallways until the outcry

I don't know if people are referring to Matt Kerwin when they are referring to the magnet coordinator but I've had two kids go through this magnet, with one currently there and he's been very helpful to us. Obviously we are just one family.

Also, I think he must have a hard job, and I have witnessed that families with kids in this program can have very HIGH expectations for their very LOFTY demands and want them met RIGHT NOW. I have not witnessed this in relation to Mr. Kerwin, but in relation to other situations with extracurriculars, the PTA, the listserv etc.... This is not always a low demand, laid back, live and let live parent community. They have NEEDS and their children have NEEDS. I mean, it is what it is. It's like a slightly heightened version of the rest of MCPS.

Yes it is a demanding program, parents and students sometimes struggle when their kids don't get the automatic A's they've been used to and not everyone says yes to them immediately and not everyone says "how high," when they say, "jump," which they might be used to...many parents coming into this community are needy and demanding but don't necessarily see themselves this way. Also, yes, Eastern has a different demographic mix than some of the schools kids come from and that combined with all the rest can be a shock to both kids and parents in some cases. Most kids if they stick it out will be okay.

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing...I think the selective test in magnet within a larger school might be a relic and I do think it causes problems socially for kids. Overall the program academically was very good, especially for my older kid.

Both of my kids went through Eastern. It was phenomenal. We loved the magnet coordinator and found him on top of things. The magnet program is unparalleled.

You mean was. The lottery has significantly weakened it.

While my DC is having a nice experience I think your Eastern 6th grader is out of the loop. There were just a few incidents that everyone was talking about. Just because your child is cocooned in the magnet program doesn't mean there aren't issues at the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our 8th grader is in Eastern Magnet, and virtual learning was challenging, but I guess we got lucky because I can't remember a teacher not showing up. Virtual PE was a bit of a joke, but all the magnet classes remained challenging and the teachers worked hard to be engaging. The other non-magnet classes were also done well - including an especially awesome and enthusiastic science teacher. Our DC took art, which again - the art teacher was great at virtual learning. We had challenges with virtual learning, but not because the teachers were absent or aloof - they were there, engaged, and really trying. I'm sorry to hear others at Eastern had issues.

As for the original question: We knew of only a couple people who left - because of the challenge of the program. Especially adjusting in 6th grade and the rigor of 7th grade. 8th grade has been the most enjoyable for our DC - and is loving the 8th grade teacher team.

Yes, the hallways are loud, the lunchroom is chaotic, and the language can be foul, but I don't know that it is different than other places. I hear the same complaints from friends who stayed at our home middle school. Our DC has made friends with kids in the magnet and outside of the magnet. Some of the local kids live in apartment buildings and others live in single family homes. Again, not sure how this is different than any other middle school around.

It depends on your home school then. My older kids went to our public middle school and it wasn’t as bad as Eastern. Admin also seems to just have a “this is how it is” attitude with regards to things like the lunchroom.
I will disagree that’s just how middle school is. Nope, we still need discipline.

My child is currently at Eastern as a 6th grader and my experience aligns with the first poster above. In fact, DC has said that their friends at the home middle school have interesting things to talk about, such as a police incident and rumors of suspensions/expulsions, and Eastern is more "boring." In terms of admin, are people talking about an era before Matt Johnson as principal? We have a positive impression of him; he sets a good tone.

Both of my kids went through Eastern. It was phenomenal. We loved the magnet coordinator and found him on top of things. The magnet program is unparalleled.