Social effects of moving to AAP center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dp here--what about social impacts from academic competition/pressure? Are kids allowed to be kids still?

I don't think the AAP curriculum is crazy or stressful - they are still 3rd graders or whatever. It depends on whether your own kid for personality reasons does better being a big fish in small pond or not or gets stressed out being around some smarter kids or not.

It's not too hard academically at all. It used to be much more demanding when it was more selective (~5% of the kids) , but now that 20% of the kids go, it's a little watered down. Still better than gen ed, though, if you want your kid to be focused on academics versus social. And the socially adept kid will thrive in either environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dp here--what about social impacts from academic competition/pressure? Are kids allowed to be kids still?

I don't think the AAP curriculum is crazy or stressful - they are still 3rd graders or whatever. It depends on whether your own kid for personality reasons does better being a big fish in small pond or not or gets stressed out being around some smarter kids or not.

It's not crazy or stressful for some kids. But there are kids who struggle with the math acceleration. In 3rd grade, they're just 3rd graders. But by 6th grade, they're doing 7th/8th grade pre-algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How good are the center schools? I am in oakton pyramid, so assumption is sunrise valley is a center school , oakton elementary is local. For all intense and purposes, looking at ratings etc. OElem is supposed to be a better school, so why would anyone go to the center school?

Sunrise Valley is in the South Lakes pyramid. Your assumption is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dp here--what about social impacts from academic competition/pressure? Are kids allowed to be kids still?

I don't think the AAP curriculum is crazy or stressful - they are still 3rd graders or whatever. It depends on whether your own kid for personality reasons does better being a big fish in small pond or not or gets stressed out being around some smarter kids or not.

Agreed. AAP is not some crazy 1980s-Russian-gymnastics-team-style intense experience. It's just a little accelerated. My child is no genius, but has navigated the AAP coursework just fine, and has never once mentioned feeling like she doesn't fit in because others are hyper-focused on coursework. It's far from a pressure-cooker, in our experience. But it has kept her challenged, in a way that was lacking pre-AAP when she was really, really bored in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dp here--what about social impacts from academic competition/pressure? Are kids allowed to be kids still?

I don't think the AAP curriculum is crazy or stressful - they are still 3rd graders or whatever. It depends on whether your own kid for personality reasons does better being a big fish in small pond or not or gets stressed out being around some smarter kids or not.

Agreed. AAP is not some crazy 1980s-Russian-gymnastics-team-style intense experience. It's just a little accelerated. My child is no genius, but has navigated the AAP coursework just fine, and has never once mentioned feeling like she doesn't fit in because others are hyper-focused on coursework. It's far from a pressure-cooker, in our experience. But it has kept her challenged, in a way that was lacking pre-AAP when she was really, really bored in class.

Agree with this assessment as well.

In terms of socially, OP, it’s really the level of effort you want to put in. We kept our kid at the base scout troop, pool, sports, etc., so they could maintain those connections. I had previously seen neighbor kids who seemed very awkward around neighborhood friends after they switched and didn’t want that for mine.

The first month at the new school was hard for DC, but after that it has been fantastic. Made lots of new friends, fits in better than the base school, and is less nervous going into middle school, as they know double the number of kids as they would have otherwise.

[Anonymous]

The odds are far greater that your kid will make friends at the Center school, than it is they keep their neighborhood friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kid dependent. I know a good number of kids who went to the Center from our school only to return to the base because the social scene was not a good fit at the base. I know a kid who moved from the base to the Center because of bullying at the base and loved the Center. I know a kid who moved to the Center and said the first year was awful but the second year was better because he made one friend. The last kid did not have many friends at the base and I can’t say I was surprised he was struggling at the Center.

Most of the people at our base school choose to stay at the base for a variety of reasons. I know only a small number of kids who went to the Center. The ones I know who liked it and stayed there had moved into the neighborhood after being accepted into LIV and never attended the base school.

We choose to stay at the base and have been happy with that decision.

+1

So dependent on factors you cannot control - teachers, kids in class at either location - good news is you can switch in either direction any year.