Social Impact of Child Getting into Level IV later (Grade 5)

[Anonymous]

Hi!

So my child is in Grade 4 and got accepted to Level IV for 5th grade (center school.) He has been in Level III and Advanced math, and is very bright so I am not worried about him succeeding academically in the program. What I AM concerned about is that none of his best friends are in Level IV. He says a lot of level IV kids are mean and look down on people. Even a couple who used to be friends with him became different after starting AAP and of course developed their own friend circle in their class.

I worry about this, as he has such an awesome group of friends. I know he will also make new friends, and this is not a reason to turn down the program…HIs friends live in the same neighborhood so will hopefully continue to still be great friends…But i know you tend to gravitate to people in your own classes… How did your kids do socially when they started later? Thx.

[Anonymous]

You can always decline services and activate them in 7th. Ours is started late, but no one knew who was and wasn't LLIV because of how they mixed classes. All any kid really knew was who was in advanced math.

[Anonymous]

DD has had kids join classes both in 5th and 6th grades. There has never been a problem making friends.

[Anonymous]

Decline and activate later. Friends matter more at this age, less in 7th when everyone gets mixed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Decline and activate later. Friends matter more at this age, less in 7th when everyone gets mixed up.

+1

[Anonymous]

They'll be fine. Go for it. Don't decline.

[Anonymous]

I would consider declining, Advanced math is all that matters in AAP in the long run. Activate in MS when friends are more spread out. You know your child best - why make them unhappy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would consider declining, Advanced math is all that matters in AAP in the long run. Activate in MS when friends are more spread out. You know your child best - why make them unhappy?

So I will explain that we are already at a Center school, so will not be switching schools. Just that his classes will be different from his friends this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would consider declining, Advanced math is all that matters in AAP in the long run. Activate in MS when friends are more spread out. You know your child best - why make them unhappy?

So I will explain that we are already at a Center school, so will not be switching schools. Just that his classes will be different from his friends this year.

I would be more in favor of activating if it just meant LLIV. Depending on how much of an us and them mentality there is between AAP and gen ed students at your center, I would just hold off until 7th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would consider declining, Advanced math is all that matters in AAP in the long run. Activate in MS when friends are more spread out. You know your child best - why make them unhappy?

So I will explain that we are already at a Center school, so will not be switching schools. Just that his classes will be different from his friends this year.

I would be more in favor of activating if it just meant LLIV. Depending on how much of an us and them mentality there is between AAP and gen ed students at your center, I would just hold off until 7th

It’s not only level IV. They only have the centrally placed AAP kids, not principal placed (since center school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would consider declining, Advanced math is all that matters in AAP in the long run. Activate in MS when friends are more spread out. You know your child best - why make them unhappy?

So I will explain that we are already at a Center school, so will not be switching schools. Just that his classes will be different from his friends this year.

I would be more in favor of activating if it just meant LLIV. Depending on how much of an us and them mentality there is between AAP and gen ed students at your center, I would just hold off until 7th

It’s not only level IV. They only have the centrally placed AAP kids, not principal placed (since center school.)

That's why I would hold off until 7th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll be fine. Go for it. Don't decline.

This. Just make sure your son doesn't get an attitude from being in AAP. He will enjoy the more challenging classwork and better opportunities. He'll still see his other friends at recess, in specials, and in the neighborhood. Unless there's only like 1 gen ed class at your center, his friend group will likely be spread among several other classes in gen ed anyway. In your case, there isn't really a downside to accepting the AAP spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They'll be fine. Go for it. Don't decline.

This. Just make sure your son doesn't get an attitude from being in AAP. He will enjoy the more challenging classwork and better opportunities. He'll still see his other friends at recess, in specials, and in the neighborhood. Unless there's only like 1 gen ed class at your center, his friend group will likely be spread among several other classes in gen ed anyway. In your case, there isn't really a downside to accepting the AAP spot.

Thanks.. I am so glad that he gets to stay in the same school. Otherwise, I would be more prone to declining. After we talked, he is actually happy to try it. He says that his friends will always be his friends and do live in the same neighborhood as well. The challenge will actually come at Middle school when we will need to choose between the local school and Carson. I do hope maybe more of his friends get in by then, but kids are adaptable. Hopefully, will make new friends. Lol. I WISH my son had a little more attitude!!! He has so little in any situation regardless of how great he does that I am afraid of him getting stomped on. He is that kid who just can’t ever be mean…no matter what anyone says to him. That’s actually why I worry for him more. He told me the AAP kids DO have attitude, so I just hope he will be able to adapt and also be a little stronger on his own. Maybe this will be a good thing for his own confidence…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi!

So my child is in Grade 4 and got accepted to Level IV for 5th grade (center school.) He has been in Level III and Advanced math, and is very bright so I am not worried about him succeeding academically in the program. What I AM concerned about is that none of his best friends are in Level IV. He says a lot of level IV kids are mean and look down on people. Even a couple who used to be friends with him became different after starting AAP and of course developed their own friend circle in their class.

I worry about this, as he has such an awesome group of friends. I know he will also make new friends, and this is not a reason to turn down the program…HIs friends live in the same neighborhood so will hopefully continue to still be great friends…But i know you tend to gravitate to people in your own classes… How did your kids do socially when they started later? Thx.

I actually think it's a good reason to turn down the program. If we did not have Local LIV at our school, I wouldn't have even applied for Level IV services. Friendships and staying in her neighborhood school was significantly more important to me than AAP, especially since honors classes at the middle school level are open enrollment and I have zero interest in sending her to her non-base middle school to continue with AAP. I just don't think the program is impressive enough to justify moving my kid to a whole new school and having them be with kids he's not comfortable with or who he thinks are mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi!

So my child is in Grade 4 and got accepted to Level IV for 5th grade (center school.) He has been in Level III and Advanced math, and is very bright so I am not worried about him succeeding academically in the program. What I AM concerned about is that none of his best friends are in Level IV. He says a lot of level IV kids are mean and look down on people. Even a couple who used to be friends with him became different after starting AAP and of course developed their own friend circle in their class.

I worry about this, as he has such an awesome group of friends. I know he will also make new friends, and this is not a reason to turn down the program…HIs friends live in the same neighborhood so will hopefully continue to still be great friends…But i know you tend to gravitate to people in your own classes… How did your kids do socially when they started later? Thx.

I actually think it's a good reason to turn down the program. If we did not have Local LIV at our school, I wouldn't have even applied for Level IV services. Friendships and staying in her neighborhood school was significantly more important to me than AAP, especially since honors classes at the middle school level are open enrollment and I have zero interest in sending her to her non-base middle school to continue with AAP. I just don't think the program is impressive enough to justify moving my kid to a whole new school and having them be with kids he's not comfortable with or who he thinks are mean.

Hi! He would actually stay in the same school since we are already at a center…