Overwhelmed with Vienna MS options for AAP 2E student (and confused by MS AAP in general), can someone help?

[Anonymous]

I have a rising 7th grader who was selected for IV and never participated, because we moved out of the area due to Covid for his 3rd-6th grade years. We are moving back to the area and I am really confused about the MS AAP options as well as the various Vienna options. Since we are not tied to one specific address yet, we can pick a home based on preferred school. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, because it's just making it so complicated in my mind with all of the choices.

Here's what I'm working with --

- Twice exceptional, quirky kid
- Really into project-based learning - struggles with rote memorization
- Not as strong at math as other subjects
- Significant preference for Madison HS over Marshall HS, based on our experience with our older child

My questions --

1. The FCPS website makes it seem like the only difference between MS AAP and Gen Ed is that in AAP they are in all honors classes with the same cohort, and in Gen Ed they can be in as many honors classes as they want, with kids who may be in and out of honors classes based on subject area. Is this correct?

2. Would a quirky kid do better in an AAP program because of other quirky kids vs. more mainstream in Gen Ed, or am I overthinking the social aspect?

3. If AAP, is there a preference for Jackson vs. Kilmer? I prefer Kilmer's location as well as the (lack of) disciplinary issues compared to Jackson, but will all the Kilmer kids be mostly going to Marshall afterwards?

4. Where do the AAP MS kids who end up at Madison go to MS?

5. Will any of these places (Thoreau, Jackson, Kilmer) be an easier social transition for a kid who won't have a core group coming from elementary school because of moving from out of state? In other words, are any of them more likely to have more social changes going into 7th grade rather than everyone from elementary going to the same middle school?

6. One other option is Cooper, although it's less geographically desirable. If this could be a better option for a compelling reason I don't know about, let me know.

7. Is there anything else I'm not aware of that would be different between the schools? I think they offer basically the same things, right, in terms of classes, sports, extracurriculars?

[Anonymous]

There is a Facebook group for parents of Fairfax County students that are 2E that may help you. You need to answer a few questions when you ask to join.

[Anonymous]

Learn to read FCPS boundary maps. Assuming you want to go to Kilmer MS and Madison HS

https://www.fcps.edu/facilities-planning-future/maps

Click on High School Boundaries, and click on Boundaries by Middle School, put them side by side. Also look at AAP by middle school map.

Jackson AAP composed of Thoreau and Jackson MS, and Kilmer AAP is just by itself.

From what I can see, following map square has addresses go to Madision and KIlmer:

38-2, 28-4, 28-3, 28-4. It is a very limited area. Frankly Kilmer and Madison doesn't overlap very much, you'll have to pick one.

You can also check the school for a specific address at https://boundary.fcps.edu/boundary/

[Anonymous]

There isn't much difference between honors and AAP in middle school, and in your situation I would choose honors. The AAP cohort will mostly be coming from the same center school and already will know each other. The honors classes would be a better mix of all the feeder schools and many kids will be meeting each other for the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Learn to read FCPS boundary maps. Assuming you want to go to Kilmer MS and Madison HS

https://www.fcps.edu/facilities-planning-future/maps

Click on High School Boundaries, and click on Boundaries by Middle School, put them side by side. Also look at AAP by middle school map.

Jackson AAP composed of Thoreau and Jackson MS, and Kilmer AAP is just by itself.

From what I can see, following map square has addresses go to Madision and KIlmer:

38-2, 28-4, 28-3, 28-4. It is a very limited area. Frankly Kilmer and Madison doesn't overlap very much, you'll have to pick one.

You can also check the school for a specific address at https://boundary.fcps.edu/boundary/

Kilmer AAP is not "just by itself." There are also areas where Thoreau is the base middle school that feed into Kilmer for AAP. These areas include some neighborhoods zoned for Stenwood ES.

The main area zoned for both Kilmer (base and AAP) and Madison is the southern part of the Wolftrap ES area (south of Clark Crossing Road and/or Old Courthouse Road). There's also a small area zoned to Westbriar ES near the Cardinal Hill swim club that feeds into Kilmer and Madison.

[Anonymous]

The Jackson AAP program is fabulous at project based learning and opportunities for advanced/deeper thinking, beyond anything I've seen at schools where I taught honors classes. It was really cool how much they were able to incorporate with truly advanced kids.

The behavior issues are a real issue though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My questions --



3. If AAP, is there a preference for Jackson vs. Kilmer? I prefer Kilmer's location as well as the (lack of) disciplinary issues compared to Jackson, but will all the Kilmer kids be mostly going to Marshall afterwards?

[/b] Kilmer to Madison is tough, as most of the Kilmer kids go to Marshall. That said, there is a small group of kids zoned that way and kids will adjust.

4. Where do the AAP MS kids who end up at Madison go to MS?

Jackson and Thoreau. We opted to send our AAP kid to Thoreau instead of Jackson and regret it. Based on what I observed from my kid vs her friends who went to Jackson, the curriculum at Jackson was more rigorous. My kid had barely any work at Thoreau and the classes are supposed to be only Level 4 kids but I suspect that they are not.

5. Will any of these places (Thoreau, Jackson, Kilmer) be an easier social transition for a kid who won't have a core group coming from elementary school because of moving from out of state? In other words, are any of them more likely to have more social changes going into 7th grade rather than everyone from elementary going to the same middle school? I would assume Thoreau > Madison would be the easiest transition, but the kids I know who went from Luther to Madison are doing fine as well. I know one or two kids who went from Kilmer to Madison and they said it's tough, but again, it's all kid dependent. [b]


7. Is there anything else I'm not aware of that would be different between the schools? I think they offer basically the same things, right, in terms of classes, sports, extracurriculars?
[b] You can look at the different school websites to see what extracurriculars are offered. For instance, if your kid wants to take Mandarin, that's offered at Jackson but not Thoreau. Also, if your kid will be doing Geometry in 7th, you'll want to go to Jackson and not Thoreau.

[Anonymous]

AAP does not have more quirky kids compared to GenAd. We are Wolftrap/Kilmer/Madison. Kids from Wolftrap end up going to Madison or Marshall, both good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Jackson AAP program is fabulous at project based learning and opportunities for advanced/deeper thinking, beyond anything I've seen at schools where I taught honors classes. It was really cool how much they were able to incorporate with truly advanced kids.

The behavior issues are a real issue though.

I've sent 4 kids to Jackson and been very impressed with the AAP program and how well it prepared them for high school. We really didn't deal with any behavior issues - maybe we just got lucky.

[Anonymous]

I have a 6th grader so I'm seeking a lot of similar info, OP. We're zoned for Thoreau (Jackson AAP center) and Oakton, and my understanding is most Thoreau kids go to Madison. I have heard from current parents that the AAP program at Jackson is great, and stronger than Thoreau LLIV. Not sure about safety/behavior: the refrain on DCUM is that the Jackson AAP kids don't mix much with Gen Ed.

I'm not sure what you mean by quirky. I know a lot of AAP kids with anxiety but otherwise they are regular smart kids. I'm told that MS is a big time for social mixing (multiple ES feeders, different class selections) and also that because of the split feeder situation into HS it's common to not have a lot of friendships carry into HS anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Jackson AAP program is fabulous at project based learning and opportunities for advanced/deeper thinking, beyond anything I've seen at schools where I taught honors classes. It was really cool how much they were able to incorporate with truly advanced kids.

The behavior issues are a real issue though.

We are considering Jackson as well. Can you elaborate on the behavior issues?

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Jackson would be good.

We heard many stories about Jackson as we are considering it but when our child attended we did not experience any issues.