AAP "Centers" vs Schools with Local Level IV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Stenwood and we find it a lot better at the base school because of a genuinely smart AART and VP. We have been to Westbriar center school which has an excellent PTA but higher student to teacher ratio and it is extremely crowded.

The base school disadvantage is that your child will study with the same group for four years. It seems to be rather an advantage to us. Hint: L4 at local seems like a private school environment.

This is good to hear, as I believe our ES has the same AART teacher as Stenwood (at least I remember him saying he works at Stenwood!).

The AART teacher at Stenwood is a female - Caroline Spinelli. I do not know if she works with any other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Kent Gardens for local vs. Churchill for Center.

Also, how's about Camelot Local IV vs. Mantua? (Center)

We have been VERY happy with Camelot local level IV and glad we decided to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anyone here at sleepy hollow for aap? Or Belvedere? Would appreciate your thoughts, assuming we will need to choose between them in the coming months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Louise Archer has a much more in-depth program than Wolftrap and Flint Hill

NP. DC will stay at Wolftrap if accepted to AAP. It’s important to us to stay at the neighborhood school and the earlier hours work better for our family. We know families that have stayed and others that have attended Louis Archer. All have been happy.

[Anonymous]

Our school, Little Run, has a good local level IV program. I kept my daughter there. It has earlier hours and smaller class size than Canterbury. She is in a class of 21 this year and there are seven children in that class that are Level IV. I think it is more than just weighing in on the curriculum; you need to look at other factors like what the rest of the class makeup is like(there are plenty of really smart kids who barely miss the AAP cut but being in FCPS, they just miss it) and I think you need to look at your child's happiness socially. Academics are great, but EQ is an important factor to reach success one day in the workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us your base school and we can give you a lot more information.

Base school Shrevewood, which has local Level IV services
Center School Lemon Road

I'm inclined to keep my child at Shrevewood for the reasons the PP cited. Was just curious as to the distinction.

RUN, don't walk, to Lemon Road. Their new principal is amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us your base school and we can give you a lot more information.

Base school Shrevewood, which has local Level IV services
Center School Lemon Road

I'm inclined to keep my child at Shrevewood for the reasons the PP cited. Was just curious as to the distinction.

RUN, don't walk, to Lemon Road. Their new principal is amazing!

100% agree, but I hear great things about the new 3rd grade AAP teacher at Shrevewood. If she stays, then I'd keep my kid there. But Shrevewood has a crazy high turnover rate and is overcrowded. Also, FYI, the AAP classes are now the largest in every grade level at Shrevewood. So if that matters to you then keep an open mind at the LR orientation.

[Anonymous]

Look at the fcps school profile numbers, if a large amount stay then it's good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Louise Archer has a much more in-depth program than Wolftrap and Flint Hill

NP. DC will stay at Wolftrap if accepted to AAP. It’s important to us to stay at the neighborhood school and the earlier hours work better for our family. We know families that have stayed and others that have attended Louis Archer. All have been happy.

I don't understand that neighborhood angle - Louise Archer and Wolftrap are both in Vienna. If you have a child doing anything dance, sports- chances are you will meet someone in Vienna- maybe not your ES but in Vienna. Our kids are friends with neighbors who are in private schools / OLGC as well. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Louise Archer has a much more in-depth program than Wolftrap and Flint Hill

NP. DC will stay at Wolftrap if accepted to AAP. It’s important to us to stay at the neighborhood school and the earlier hours work better for our family. We know families that have stayed and others that have attended Louis Archer. All have been happy.

I don't understand that neighborhood angle - Louise Archer and Wolftrap are both in Vienna. If you have a child doing anything dance, sports- chances are you will meet someone in Vienna- maybe not your ES but in Vienna. Our kids are friends with neighbors who are in private schools / OLGC as well. To each their own.

There are a lot of friends in the immediate neighborhood and Wolftrap has a strong community feel. We also have more than one child and two different schools would be more complicated with the different hours. It would be different if we were not happy with Wolftrap.

[Anonymous]

There’s a lot to be said for the “neighborhood “ angle— even in a place like Vienna. I think it is one of the drawbacks to a Center school. At places like Louise Archt (even though it is a very nice school) parents of kids with multiples get torn between multiple children at different schools. I don’t think the parent community (or PTA) is nearly as active at LAES as it is at Wolftrap or Flint Hill.

Ad to whether a center school is better than lical level IV, that depends a lot on the local school. If your kid comes from a local scool where only 3-5 kids get into AAP each year, they’re not likely to have a strong Level IV program. But schools like Wolftrap and Flint Hill tend to have 15-30 kids get in each year. That’s enough for a good local program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us your base school and we can give you a lot more information.

Base school Shrevewood, which has local Level IV services
Center School Lemon Road

I'm inclined to keep my child at Shrevewood for the reasons the PP cited. Was just curious as to the distinction.

RUN, don't walk, to Lemon Road. Their new principal is amazing!

100% agree, but I hear great things about the new 3rd grade AAP teacher at Shrevewood. If she stays, then I'd keep my kid there. But Shrevewood has a crazy high turnover rate and is overcrowded. Also, FYI, the AAP classes are now the largest in every grade level at Shrevewood. So if that matters to you then keep an open mind at the LR orientation.

Just curious - who is the 3rd grade AAP teacher? Are you talking about teacher turnover? I've noticed a lot of teachers get re-assigned to new grades, but only a handful leave. I think most schools are experiencing overcrowding these days, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us your base school and we can give you a lot more information.

Base school Shrevewood, which has local Level IV services
Center School Lemon Road

I'm inclined to keep my child at Shrevewood for the reasons the PP cited. Was just curious as to the distinction.

RUN, don't walk, to Lemon Road. Their new principal is amazing!

100% agree, but I hear great things about the new 3rd grade AAP teacher at Shrevewood. If she stays, then I'd keep my kid there. But Shrevewood has a crazy high turnover rate and is overcrowded. Also, FYI, the AAP classes are now the largest in every grade level at Shrevewood. So if that matters to you then keep an open mind at the LR orientation.

Just curious - who is the 3rd grade AAP teacher? Are you talking about teacher turnover? I've noticed a lot of teachers get re-assigned to new grades, but only a handful leave. I think most schools are experiencing overcrowding these days, unfortunately.

Shrevewood is going to be undergoing a boundary adjustment within the next year or so bc of extreme overcrowding. Nicole Hanton is the new third grade AAP teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot to be said for the “neighborhood “ angle— even in a place like Vienna. I think it is one of the drawbacks to a Center school. At places like Louise Archt (even though it is a very nice school) parents of kids with multiples get torn between multiple children at different schools. I don’t think the parent community (or PTA) is nearly as active at LAES as it is at Wolftrap or Flint Hill.

Ad to whether a center school is better than lical level IV, that depends a lot on the local school. If your kid comes from a local scool where only 3-5 kids get into AAP each year, they’re not likely to have a strong Level IV program. But schools like Wolftrap and Flint Hill tend to have 15-30 kids get in each year. That’s enough for a good local program.

I don’t think the parent community (or PTA) is nearly as active at LAES as it is at Wolftrap or Flint Hill.

This may not be the case at all center schools, but the parent community at LAES is as much if not more involved than Wolftrap and Flint Hill. Same for Westbriar. Center schools tend to be larger schools and can often get more funding and parental support. Center parents also typically not the type of parents that don't get involved in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us your base school and we can give you a lot more information.

Base school Shrevewood, which has local Level IV services
Center School Lemon Road

I'm inclined to keep my child at Shrevewood for the reasons the PP cited. Was just curious as to the distinction.

RUN, don't walk, to Lemon Road. Their new principal is amazing!

100% agree, but I hear great things about the new 3rd grade AAP teacher at Shrevewood. If she stays, then I'd keep my kid there. But Shrevewood has a crazy high turnover rate and is overcrowded. Also, FYI, the AAP classes are now the largest in every grade level at Shrevewood. So if that matters to you then keep an open mind at the LR orientation.

Just curious - who is the 3rd grade AAP teacher? Are you talking about teacher turnover? I've noticed a lot of teachers get re-assigned to new grades, but only a handful leave. I think most schools are experiencing overcrowding these days, unfortunately.

Teacher turnover rate is much more than a handful. AAP classes are very large this year, a departure from the past. Really consider Lemon Road.