Flint Hill Elementary vs Louise Archer Elementary for AAPIV kiddos

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kiddos currently in the AAPIV program at an AAP center school. We are moving to a home zoned for Flint Hill Elementary. Does anyone have any feedback re: staying at Flint Hill vs going to the center school at Louise Archer? I could only find old posts comparing the schools.

We didn't have to worry about this before as our zoned school IS the center school.

[Anonymous]

Flint Hill doesn't have a dedicated Level IV classroom. They do have a separate advanced math class starting in 3rd grade that teaches at the same pace as center schools, and Level IV students are guaranteed a spot every year. Plenty of families choose to stay at Flint Hill for various reasons, such as keeping their kids with siblings or friends, bell schedule, middle school considerations, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flint Hill doesn't have a dedicated Level IV classroom. They do have a separate advanced math class starting in 3rd grade that teaches at the same pace as center schools, and Level IV students are guaranteed a spot every year. Plenty of families choose to stay at Flint Hill for various reasons, such as keeping their kids with siblings or friends, bell schedule, middle school considerations, etc.

But if you chose a center school you sibling can follow, right?
Vienna has no AAP middle school, right? So Madison pyramid kids have to go to Kilmer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flint Hill doesn't have a dedicated Level IV classroom. They do have a separate advanced math class starting in 3rd grade that teaches at the same pace as center schools, and Level IV students are guaranteed a spot every year. Plenty of families choose to stay at Flint Hill for various reasons, such as keeping their kids with siblings or friends, bell schedule, middle school considerations, etc.

But if you chose a center school you sibling can follow, right?
Vienna has no AAP middle school, right? So Madison pyramid kids have to go to Kilmer?

Sibling placements are school dependent. Some centers are definitely closed and don't accept any siblings - ours is one of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flint Hill doesn't have a dedicated Level IV classroom. They do have a separate advanced math class starting in 3rd grade that teaches at the same pace as center schools, and Level IV students are guaranteed a spot every year. Plenty of families choose to stay at Flint Hill for various reasons, such as keeping their kids with siblings or friends, bell schedule, middle school considerations, etc.

But if you chose a center school you sibling can follow, right?
Vienna has no AAP middle school, right? So Madison pyramid kids have to go to Kilmer?

I don't think siblings are guaranteed a spot at the center school. You'd have to put in a transfer request and see what happens. Flint Hill and Louise Archer are both zoned for Thoreau, and the AAP students at both have the option to go to Jackson. But the AAP kids at Flint Hill mostly choose go to Thoreau whereas AAP kids at Louise Archer go to Jackson.

[Anonymous]

I have had two kids in Level IV stay at Flint Hill. It is a very strong school with a very high qualification rate for Algebra I in 7th. The 5th and 6th grade teams are especially strong. It has an amazing community with parents and administrators who care. And Flint Hill kids (fingers crossed it stays the same with impending boundary changes) stay together all the way through High School. While they don’t have a dedicated Level IV classroom, other than math, the Level IV curriculum is offered in all classes and my kids were able to work with their peers - who may or may not have been Level IV, but were certainly working at the same level as my kids. I can’t say enough good things about Flint Hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kiddos currently in the AAPIV program at an AAP center school. We are moving to a home zoned for Flint Hill Elementary. Does anyone have any feedback re: staying at Flint Hill vs going to the center school at Louise Archer? I could only find old posts comparing the schools.

We didn't have to worry about this before as our zoned school IS the center school.

In academics, Louise Archer is much stronger. Much more emphasis on grammar/writing and math than at Flint Hill. Both are very good schools, but if academics are something you want to emphasize, Louise Archer is hands down the best choice. If the child has a lot of sports commitments, Flint Hill would be a good option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kiddos currently in the AAPIV program at an AAP center school. We are moving to a home zoned for Flint Hill Elementary. Does anyone have any feedback re: staying at Flint Hill vs going to the center school at Louise Archer? I could only find old posts comparing the schools.

We didn't have to worry about this before as our zoned school IS the center school.

In academics, Louise Archer is much stronger. Much more emphasis on grammar/writing and math than at Flint Hill. Both are very good schools, but if academics are something you want to emphasize, Louise Archer is hands down the best choice. If the child has a lot of sports commitments, Flint Hill would be a good option.

Class sizes are smaller at Flint Hill. Louise Archer is HUGE. I don't know if there's any more "emphasis" on grammar/writing given that they now have Benchmark mandated in every classroom. And ALL kids are getting it, even in the dedicated Level IV classrooms - there's VERY LITTLE differentiation anymore in LA. In terms of math, I don't know about Louise Archer, but I know that last year (my last DC's last year) the Advanced Math class in sixth grade had 28 out of 30 kids qualify for Algebra I in 7th.

All my "quirky" kids have gone to Flint Hill - painting it as a "sports heavy, academic light" school isn't fair. Go play on the brand new playground and you'll hear the chickens making a fuss in the inner courtyard of the school, and walk around and look at the gardens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kiddos currently in the AAPIV program at an AAP center school. We are moving to a home zoned for Flint Hill Elementary. Does anyone have any feedback re: staying at Flint Hill vs going to the center school at Louise Archer? I could only find old posts comparing the schools.

We didn't have to worry about this before as our zoned school IS the center school.

In academics, Louise Archer is much stronger. Much more emphasis on grammar/writing and math than at Flint Hill. Both are very good schools, but if academics are something you want to emphasize, Louise Archer is hands down the best choice. If the child has a lot of sports commitments, Flint Hill would be a good option.

How do you know this? Do you work at both schools?

[Anonymous]

As I mentioned, both are very good schools. Just that academics are much stronger at LA. FH tends to emphasize sports a bit more, and this manifests itself in Madison HS, where academics are a distinctive second to sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I mentioned, both are very good schools. Just that academics are much stronger at LA. FH tends to emphasize sports a bit more, and this manifests itself in Madison HS, where academics are a distinctive second to sports.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Flint Hill doesn't "emphasizes sports." There're no school sport teams or clubs. A lot of kids play in a rec league for baseball, soccer, or basketball or join a swim team during the summer, but isn't this the norm for families who want their kids to grow healthy and happy? Plus, kids from both Flint Hill and Louise Archer, AAP or not, eventually end up at Madison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I mentioned, both are very good schools. Just that academics are much stronger at LA. FH tends to emphasize sports a bit more, and this manifests itself in Madison HS, where academics are a distinctive second to sports.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Flint Hill doesn't "emphasizes sports." There're no school sport teams or clubs. A lot of kids play in a rec league for baseball, soccer, or basketball or join a swim team during the summer, but isn't this the norm for families who want their kids to grow healthy and happy? Plus, kids from both Flint Hill and Louise Archer, AAP or not, eventually end up at Madison.

Do not disagree.

Families at Flint Hill generally tend to actively participate in sports. That is healthy and important. I love that. No disrespect.

At the same time, LA families tend to put more emphasis on academics. Thus many academic activities tend to be stronger at LA. This has an impact on class room as well.

I am not at all saying one is better than the other. So if a family has a kid who is not going to play sports or would emphasize academics, then LA is the obvious choice. There is a limited amount of time in a week, if you are going to put time on one thing, it would take away time from other things.

It is nice to have such excellent choices right next to each other. Not a slam on any school. Had kids in both and like them both, a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I mentioned, both are very good schools. Just that academics are much stronger at LA. FH tends to emphasize sports a bit more, and this manifests itself in Madison HS, where academics are a distinctive second to sports.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Flint Hill doesn't "emphasizes sports." There're no school sport teams or clubs. A lot of kids play in a rec league for baseball, soccer, or basketball or join a swim team during the summer, but isn't this the norm for families who want their kids to grow healthy and happy? Plus, kids from both Flint Hill and Louise Archer, AAP or not, eventually end up at Madison.

Do not disagree.

Families at Flint Hill generally tend to actively participate in sports. That is healthy and important. I love that. No disrespect.

At the same time, LA families tend to put more emphasis on academics. Thus many academic activities tend to be stronger at LA. This has an impact on class room as well.

I am not at all saying one is better than the other. So if a family has a kid who is not going to play sports or would emphasize academics, then LA is the obvious choice. There is a limited amount of time in a week, if you are going to put time on one thing, it would take away time from other things.

It is nice to have such excellent choices right next to each other. Not a slam on any school. Had kids in both and like them both, a lot.

Why does it have to be one or the other? Plenty of families have their kids participate in both sports and academic enrichment. What is your kid doing every day after school and during the weekend that they can't possibly do anything else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I mentioned, both are very good schools. Just that academics are much stronger at LA. FH tends to emphasize sports a bit more, and this manifests itself in Madison HS, where academics are a distinctive second to sports.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Flint Hill doesn't "emphasizes sports." There're no school sport teams or clubs. A lot of kids play in a rec league for baseball, soccer, or basketball or join a swim team during the summer, but isn't this the norm for families who want their kids to grow healthy and happy? Plus, kids from both Flint Hill and Louise Archer, AAP or not, eventually end up at Madison.

Do not disagree.

Families at Flint Hill generally tend to actively participate in sports. That is healthy and important. I love that. No disrespect.

At the same time, LA families tend to put more emphasis on academics. Thus many academic activities tend to be stronger at LA. This has an impact on class room as well.

I am not at all saying one is better than the other. So if a family has a kid who is not going to play sports or would emphasize academics, then LA is the obvious choice. There is a limited amount of time in a week, if you are going to put time on one thing, it would take away time from other things.

It is nice to have such excellent choices right next to each other. Not a slam on any school. Had kids in both and like them both, a lot.

Why does it have to be one or the other? Plenty of families have their kids participate in both sports and academic enrichment. What is your kid doing every day after school and during the weekend that they can't possibly do anything else?

Not one or the other, but which one you are going to emphasize.

I bring up the example of Madison HS, because that is where the seeds planted during elementary school come to their logical conclusion.

Madison is strong in many sports and band. You see it in practice and emphasis. I ended up going to multiple HS presentations (where middle school parents get a glimpse of the HS), and Madison's was an anomaly in terms of how much time is spent on sports and how well attended and energetic that segment was.

In academics, you can see the opposite. This does not mean students are dummies or don't get high-quality education. But it is not rigorous. I had the opportunity to see the same course being taught at Madison and another school. At Madison, looking at specific questions on the test and, more importantly, how some of the assessments are graded, it is crystal clear that it is less rigorous. It does not mean that Madison does not prepare students for college. It does. But, many of the classes do not have the rigor that I would expect.

You would expect a team that plays/practices basketball 1 hour a week to be weaker than a team that plays/practices 5 hours a week. However, when it comes to academics, people tend to act like that is not the case.

[Anonymous]

I am a former teacher who substitutes at both schools. LA aap is definitely more rigorous than FH.