What is the AAP center for Waples Mill ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually we were considering moving to Waples Mill, but it's a huge drawback to have kids transitioning all over the place. The area doesn't have any central location nearby to give it an identity, it's sports teams are unaligned (little league I think is in boundary with Chantilly or something crazy like that), the AAP centers at elementary and middle are un-aligned, and Oakton High School itself is a weird combination of kids from various middle schools. Why should Crossfield, an older school, get a school that is very undercapacity and Waples Mill Road right down the street is so overcapacity that it can't even have a LLIV program?

o.k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually we were considering moving to Waples Mill, but it's a huge drawback to have kids transitioning all over the place. The area doesn't have any central location nearby to give it an identity, it's sports teams are unaligned (little league I think is in boundary with Chantilly or something crazy like that), the AAP centers at elementary and middle are un-aligned, and Oakton High School itself is a weird combination of kids from various middle schools. Why should Crossfield, an older school, get a school that is very undercapacity and Waples Mill Road right down the street is so overcapacity that it can't even have a LLIV program?

o.k.

two of our neighbor kids went to Waples, then Hunters Woods, then Oakton, now UVa. Have no idea what you're talking about "transitioning all over the place." WTF does that even mean???

[Anonymous]

Did they skip middle school?

[Anonymous]

There are only 22 kids in each of the AAP 3rd grade at Hunter's Woods?? How can they justify that when there are 30+ kids in classes at Waples. I am considering whether to move my kid to AAP (we are new, I just found out he qualifies, but I like WM and haven't really had time to work out the whole AAP thing). I didn't know that about the class size-it is a huge consideration...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually we were considering moving to Waples Mill, but it's a huge drawback to have kids transitioning all over the place. The area doesn't have any central location nearby to give it an identity, it's sports teams are unaligned (little league I think is in boundary with Chantilly or something crazy like that), the AAP centers at elementary and middle are un-aligned, and Oakton High School itself is a weird combination of kids from various middle schools. Why should Crossfield, an older school, get a school that is very undercapacity and Waples Mill Road right down the street is so overcapacity that it can't even have a LLIV program?

What a load of bull!?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually we were considering moving to Waples Mill, but it's a huge drawback to have kids transitioning all over the place. The area doesn't have any central location nearby to give it an identity, it's sports teams are unaligned (little league I think is in boundary with Chantilly or something crazy like that), the AAP centers at elementary and middle are un-aligned, and Oakton High School itself is a weird combination of kids from various middle schools. Why should Crossfield, an older school, get a school that is very undercapacity and Waples Mill Road right down the street is so overcapacity that it can't even have a LLIV program?

What a load of bull!?!?

+1. very much struck me that way as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did they skip middle school?

oops. Left out Rachel Carson. My bad.

[Anonymous]

I'm the one who wrote the long post. To answer some of the questions that have come up:

1. Yes, there really are only 22 kids in each of the 2 3rd grade AAP classes at HW. I know, it's ridiculous (albeit my son benefits from it). My older son, in 6th grade at HW, has never had fewer than 30 kids per class. The HW principal considered a combined 3/4 grade class, but in the end, she decided against it. She said she could have gone up to 36 kids per class and have 1 class, but the numbers were such that she couldn't do that. Because HW is technically a center, they cannot place Level 3 kids in the AAP classes as they can in a LLIV.

2. Regarding choosing where to buy a house, geez, I didn't realize I would get so many snarky comments. I LOVE Waples Mill ES. But I also have two kids in AAP. I hate that they take such a long bus ride to get to the center. I also don't like that some of my kids attend different elementary schools than my others. I would LOVE a local level 4 option, something available at Navy, Crossfield, Oakton, and Mosby Woods. Given that many of the neighborhoods that feed into those schools are similar, I would likely factor in the AAP situation into my home buying decision, all else being equal. I'm not saying you should. I recognize this may not be an issue for many people, but it is for me.

3. Regarding sports, I agree. Waples Mill families choose to participate either through Vienna, CYA, Fairfax City, or FPYC. It does lessen the team aspect when all the kids on your team don't go to the same school. This hasn't been a big issue for my family, but I could see it being important to others... just as the AAP situation is important to me but may not be to others.

4. Regarding jumping all over the place for school, we can't compare the current situation (3rd grade and future) to past years where a cohort of 120+ students went from HW to Carson to Oakton. That simply won't be the case from now on, especially if the school board revives the initiative to put an AAP center at Franklin... but that's a topic for a different thread.

[Anonymous]

20:22 Thank you for validating me somewhat. I guess people thought I was being snarky, but really I was just pointing out the faults of the current alignments in hopes that FCPS would change them. I grew up in the area and know the Waples Mill boundary pretty well although at the time Waples Mill didn't exist and all the kids went to Navy. Franklin for AAP would be a great improvement and so would aligning the elementary AAP programs better. Hopefully someday Oakton High won't be as crowded and draw from so many areas either if they put another high school out west.

[Anonymous]

Franklin just sent out a letter saying they are offering AAP this coming year... I have so many questions about this-information night next week!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Franklin just sent out a letter saying they are offering AAP this coming year... I have so many questions about this-information night next week!

WHAT?!? I have an AAP 6th grader scheduled to go to Rachel Carson next year (base is Franklin). I didn't get the letter, but would be very interested. Do you know who the letters were sent to? Also, if you don't mind, can you share the details of the info night?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It will be a community based Level IV AAP program for the 2014-15 year. We just got the letter in Tuesday folder so I'm sure all base Franklin kids will get them this week. Nice of them to inform people 3 days after the referral date closed (letter dated Feb 10). I chose not to refer to AAP (we were not here in 2nd grade) as was happy with WM and Franklin Honors, so I cannot believe they are doing this now, when they have given parents like me no option to refer. You can bet I am complaining...
Info night is Feb 20th, 6.15 info on AAP, 7pm general meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be a community based Level IV AAP program for the 2014-15 year. We just got the letter in Tuesday folder so I'm sure all base Franklin kids will get them this week. Nice of them to inform people 3 days after the referral date closed (letter dated Feb 10). I chose not to refer to AAP (we were not here in 2nd grade) as was happy with WM and Franklin Honors, so I cannot believe they are doing this now, when they have given parents like me no option to refer. You can bet I am complaining...
Info night is Feb 20th, 6.15 info on AAP, 7pm general meeting.

Yes, please report back on the info night. That is really interesting I wonder how it will impact Rachel Carson. Thank you for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be a community based Level IV AAP program for the 2014-15 year. We just got the letter in Tuesday folder so I'm sure all base Franklin kids will get them this week. Nice of them to inform people 3 days after the referral date closed (letter dated Feb 10). I chose not to refer to AAP (we were not here in 2nd grade) as was happy with WM and Franklin Honors, so I cannot believe they are doing this now, when they have given parents like me no option to refer. You can bet I am complaining...
Info night is Feb 20th, 6.15 info on AAP, 7pm general meeting.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Is it like what will be at Thoreau? Wonder if cooper will do the same?