Spanish Immersion Parents in APS: will you keep your kid in the Immersion?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I would really appreciate your feedback on the below questions. This is for Spanish Immersion in APS. We have one child at the Spanish immersion elementary school (rising 5th), and we just learnt that we might be moving out of APS/NOVA. This could be a temporary, like 2 years and returning to APS (kid will be in middle school), or could be permanent, we just dont know the duration yet. SO, my questions are:

1. We have seen the family of State Dept. moving in/out of the APS. If your kid is in the Spanish immersion APS, do you plan to keep the kids in the immersion in the assigned city (if the assigned city? has a compatible program)?

2. Even if there is a compatible program in the assigned city, you decide not to pursue Spanish immersion, may I know why?

3. Do you think it would be somewhat easier for a kid to get back into the middle school crowd (Gunston) after few years away from APS (this assuming the kid kept up Spanish immersion else where before returning to APS). We hope that some of my kid’s friends from elementary would be at Gunston, so it is not like being thrown into a group of total new faces.

4. If we move now, we will be gone from APS Spanish immersion for 5th/6th grades and coming back for the 7th grade and up. This will leave only 2 years at Gunston before HS. Alternatively, it is negotiable to delay our move until finishing elementary school, then move to a new place. Or, delay until finishing Gunston then start HS in a new place (wouldn’t as the kid gets older, harder to fit in?). Would it be better to move now while still younger-ish and see if our family can adapt to the new place (if kid is able to adjust we might make it a permanent move), if not, coming back as soon as possible where kid knows most families faces/friends?

For the timing wise, we have a somewhat of a free choice, and this is making our decision even harder…(if kid is early elementary, we’d move right away).
What would you do? Appreciate your reply very much. TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I would really appreciate your feedback on the below questions. This is for Spanish Immersion in APS. We have one child at the Spanish immersion elementary school (rising 5th), and we just learnt that we might be moving out of APS/NOVA. This could be a temporary, like 2 years and returning to APS (kid will be in middle school), or could be permanent, we just dont know the duration yet. SO, my questions are:

1. We have seen the family of State Dept. moving in/out of the APS. If your kid is in the Spanish immersion APS, do you plan to keep the kids in the immersion in the assigned city (if the assigned city? has a compatible program)?

2. Even if there is a compatible program in the assigned city, you decide not to pursue Spanish immersion, may I know why?

3. Do you think it would be somewhat easier for a kid to get back into the middle school crowd (Gunston) after few years away from APS (this assuming the kid kept up Spanish immersion else where before returning to APS). We hope that some of my kid’s friends from elementary would be at Gunston, so it is not like being thrown into a group of total new faces.

4. If we move now, we will be gone from APS Spanish immersion for 5th/6th grades and coming back for the 7th grade and up. This will leave only 2 years at Gunston before HS. Alternatively, it is negotiable to delay our move until finishing elementary school, then move to a new place. Or, delay until finishing Gunston then start HS in a new place (wouldn’t as the kid gets older, harder to fit in?). Would it be better to move now while still younger-ish and see if our family can adapt to the new place (if kid is able to adjust we might make it a permanent move), if not, coming back as soon as possible where kid knows most families faces/friends?

For the timing wise, we have a somewhat of a free choice, and this is making our decision even harder…(if kid is early elementary, we’d move right away).
What would you do? Appreciate your reply very much. TIA

My advice is to base your decision on how important you find immersion. The last thing to base your decision on is a few elementary school friends who might continue at Gunston if you return. Returning doesn't guarantee the friendships resume. Those "familiar faces" change a lot from 4th to 7th grade and will already be in their 2nd-year of middle school friendships. If you return and plan to continue, you may need to demonstrate your child's ability to return to the middle school program - so you would want to continue immersion or Spanish instruction wherever you move to if you want to resume when you come back to APS.

I've been around a long time now and I've learned that parents are trying to control and plan far too much and far beyond what they can realistically prepare for. There is no way of knowing what the situation will be 2 years from now - and you don't even know if you'll be coming back. You're making your decision more complicated than you need to. If you really want immersion, then continue it if you can while you're gone and you'll be prepared if you do return to APS. If it's not a priority or you're just trying to ensure a few familiar faces if you return, don't bother.

[Anonymous]

I moved into an elementary school in 5th grade and it was awful. The kids had all been together since kindergarten and I was the only new kid. If you can, I'd wait to move until middle school when social groups get shaken up naturally.

That has nothing to do with immersion, but is a big deal. 5th graders (especially in spring of 5th grade when they're ruling their elementart roost) can be especially cruel. Starting as a new kid in that dynamic is no fun.

[Anonymous]

There are so many unknowns in the scenarios you described.

1) the move can be delayed or can be now
2) it can be temporary or it can be permanent
3) move back in 2 years or whenever
4) if kid adapts, then no returning. If kid doesn't adapt, then have to return. And hoping that those kids from elementary school could provide some familiarity.

You're trying to see ahead what the best choice would be. But life cannot be so easily predicted.

I would caution thinking that kids who were friends in elementary school would continue to stay friends in middle school if you move and return 2 years later. That is absolutely not guaranteed. So if kid doesn't adapt, and have to return, you may find that your calculations that they could keep those friendships after some time away is based on false hopes.

Middle school is bigger and different than elementary school because it allows kids to take different classes. You don't take all your classes with the same kids like you would in elementary school.

As far as immersion, if the new school offers it, then go for it. If not, then find outside opportunities for them to help maintain their skills.

[Anonymous]

OP back. Thank you all for the helpful comments. We, as a family, need to really think about what is to be expected with the move. And, we understand that the dynamics in middle school likely changes and the friends from elementary may not necessarily be interested re-forming the friendship again.

Again, thank you for the comments. We will discuss this throughly before making our decision.

[Anonymous]

Don't even worry about it. You don't know when you would move back and when you did your kid or you may not have as much interest in an immersion approach especially as subjects get harder and more complex.

If you do return towards the end of middle and beginning of high school, you won't be focused on immersion but rather on things like IB classes, AP classes, advanced classes. I know the immersion thing seems so terribly important right now consider that it's very , very likely your kid will change and you will change and immersion just won't have quite the same importance come high school.

[Anonymous]

"If you do return towards the end of middle and beginning of high school, you won't be focused on immersion but rather on things like IB classes, AP classes, advanced classes. I know the immersion thing seems so terribly important right now consider that it's very , very likely your kid will change and you will change and immersion just won't have quite the same importance come high school."

THIS. We were in elementary immersion for a bit and would have continued if we didn't move away domestically, but I'm not convinced that continuing at middle school is critical. If your child loves the language they will be ahead already at the middle school/high school language level and can take advantage of that by testing into higher levels (I would think?)

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t plan anything around friends being in Gunston upon your return. Dynamics change, people change and move, life goes on. Is APS so impirtant it warrants moving back for?

[Anonymous]

I’d keep your kid in Immersion because you value the fact they are becoming bilingual. That’s it.