Best grade to move from Arlington to Fairfax?

[Anonymous]

My family loosely had a plan to move from Arlington to Fairfax County before our only child finished elementary school, so that she can start middle school in Fairfax. I just found out middle school isn’t the same in Arlington and Fairfax! Whoops! (K-5 in Arlington and K-6 in Fairfax.) Which year would be the easiest year to move her? Moving before 1st grade is no longer an option!

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

This is OP. In case it matters, the move isn’t because we prefer Fairfax schools for her. It’s because we can afford a small house in some areas of Fairfax whereas we live in a condo in Arlington now. We love her school. But we don’t love our living space. In case that influences your advice.

[Anonymous]

I’d rip the bandaid and get her settled in a school system you plan to stay in sooner than later. My second grader in APS is already acquiring a social network through sports/school/camps here, and we have made good friends with some of the parents as well. I would be sad if we had to leave a few years in. Also moving sucks so I would hate having that loom over me. So I’d recommend moving before 2nd grade. From personal experience, I can tell you being a new kid in middle school is a tough age. Kids have really formed childhood cliques by then and it can be tough to break in (although of course can be done, especially if you have a really social kid). I was painfully shy so it was hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d rip the bandaid and get her settled in a school system you plan to stay in sooner than later. My second grader in APS is already acquiring a social network through sports/school/camps here, and we have made good friends with some of the parents as well. I would be sad if we had to leave a few years in. Also moving sucks so I would hate having that loom over me. So I’d recommend moving before 2nd grade. From personal experience, I can tell you being a new kid in middle school is a tough age. Kids have really formed childhood cliques by then and it can be tough to break in (although of course can be done, especially if you have a really social kid). I was painfully shy so it was hard.

We’ve found that the cliques all mix up A LOT in MS. But switching to two news schools in two years (if you moved between 6/7) isn’t great.

Maybe move for 5th? They’ll miss being the big kids in 5th in APS but will still get to experience that in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Move as soon as possible.

[Anonymous]

Kids move all the time! It does not have to be the same. Socially younger is better.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. She’s at an option school for elementary, so things are going to get mixed up for middle school anyway. We had thought we could just send her to a Fairfax school at that point and it would be a natural transition. Buuuuut I made a fundamental error as far as when middle school starts in the two different counties.

[Anonymous]

Move as early as possible before good friendships are set. We moved only 15 minutes away and you'd think it would be easy to stay connected to old friends but thats not always the case (different schools, teams, etc). Grade doesn't matter IMO. Ours were in 5th and 3rd and both had different struggles and successes with the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. She’s at an option school for elementary, so things are going to get mixed up for middle school anyway. We had thought we could just send her to a Fairfax school at that point and it would be a natural transition. Buuuuut I made a fundamental error as far as when middle school starts in the two different counties.

Not all Fairfax elementary schools are K-6. The ones in pyramids that go to 7-12 secondary schools are but the 9-12 high school pyramids include K-5 elementary and 6-8 middle like Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. She’s at an option school for elementary, so things are going to get mixed up for middle school anyway. We had thought we could just send her to a Fairfax school at that point and it would be a natural transition. Buuuuut I made a fundamental error as far as when middle school starts in the two different counties.

Not all Fairfax elementary schools are K-6. The ones in pyramids that go to 7-12 secondary schools are but the 9-12 high school pyramids include K-5 elementary and 6-8 middle like Arlington.

Nope.

[Anonymous]

You have a great option- do k-5 in APS and then move before 6th. That way she gets to be the oldest in the school 2 years in a row and do all the middle school prep with a smaller cohort before going to FCS
Fwiw- I Did exactly this move as a kid and it was fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. She’s at an option school for elementary, so things are going to get mixed up for middle school anyway. We had thought we could just send her to a Fairfax school at that point and it would be a natural transition. Buuuuut I made a fundamental error as far as when middle school starts in the two different counties.

Not all Fairfax elementary schools are K-6. The ones in pyramids that go to 7-12 secondary schools are but the 9-12 high school pyramids include K-5 elementary and 6-8 middle like Arlington.

Agree that there are some 6-8 middle schools in Fairfax County, but it is not as described by above poster. All the four-year high schools near us are fed by two-year middle schools. The three-year middle schools are small in number and you can find them on the FCPS website, so you can know if any of them are in an area you are considering. You can also see enrollment numbers to understand which schools are larger in terms of student body.

[Anonymous]

Moving after 5th or 6th (doesn't matter) would be very hard. Move now.

[Anonymous]

I have a 6th grader in FCPS elementary, and there are many new kids (there are every year; sixth is no exception). Our middle school is very large — moving before sixth would allow your child to come into middle school with a cushion. Also, if you stay in APS, you’re transitioning to middle school twice … that seems brutal, but maybe I am still scarred from middle school 😉.

[Anonymous]

Asap. I would not sit for 5th or 6th