AAP Questionnaire

[Anonymous]

Need some advise on completing parent AAP questionnaire. Please share if anyone has a prior successful experience with the child getting into AAP. What else should be included in the file? I went through FCPS website and it is pretty detailed but would be nice to have some good examples. My child made it to the pool although scores are not very high. I wanted to give him the best chance. As a parent, I am proud of every achievement but I also understand that it might not be important from a reviewer's perspective. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I filled out the questionnaire honestly and with concrete evidence. I included 2 work samples, an assignment completed about a 6th grade level book that was done at school, and a doodle of a contraption/invention.

Keep it simple and relevent.

[Anonymous]

Complete the parent questionnaire and if you have any work samples, you could include those. The AART at your school will likely include strong school work samples so I would not stress out too much about those. Add in a recommendation letter from a coach or camp as an optional item.

Just answer the questions on the questionnaire as honestly as you can. Something like this:

Questionnaire Item: My child comes up with imaginative and/or unusual ways of doing things. FREQUENTLY

Parent Answer: John is particularly adept at building things, often with LEGO bricks. (He has also built with blocks and tape many other items he can find around the house.) Just before the holidays, he became fascinated by LEGO Ninjago characters, and he wanted to build a battle arena. He borrowed some Playmobil items from his younger brother, and, aided by some LEGO Master Builder Academy parts as well as some portions of LEGO Harry Potter’s Hogwarts castle, constructed a mountain top battle arena, taking over roughly 20 square feet of the living room floor.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, this is very helpful.

[Anonymous]

The example above is good -- you want to be specific and anecdotal like that.

I would add that I think it helps if the child's current teacher backs the idea of the child going into AAP. It's been a while since we did those forms but I recall that if the child's current teacher chose, the teacher could weigh on on whether the child should get into AAP. I was told by an AAP specialist for our base school that it does have weight if the 2nd grade teacher advocates AAP as the best place for that child in 3rd. So check in with your child's teacher (maybe the first grade teacher too).

[Anonymous]

The questionnaire says give "an example" for each item. Is it worth putting two examples if you can fit them in the available space? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I also think it is important to be honest.

For example, on the question "My child finds humor in situations or events unusual for his/her age." you check consistently, and the best example you can come up with is that your kids knows a lot of knock knock jokes, then the consistently appears biased and not accurate. However, if you have a child that could watch and understand all the Monty Python humor from age 2 and preferred it over kids shows, that might be a more appropriate reason to give a "consistently".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The questionnaire says give "an example" for each item. Is it worth putting two examples if you can fit them in the available space? Thanks!

I would be careful here, it says "example", singular. If you put two, it may disqualify your child. Also, do not write in the blank space with the heading "Do not write in this space". It is a trick.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely take advantage of being able to provide work samples. You hope the teachers provide a strong sample but it might not always be as strong as something you have at home.

Our daughter was in the pool and made it into AAP (now in her 2nd year, 4th grade). As part of her application packet, I made sure to provide 4 work samples in addition to the questionnaire (which included specific examples) and reco letters from outside-school instructors. For the work samples, I chose a variety of samples and put a type-written note at the bottom on WHY I was including the sample...what made it stand out in our eyes. For example, I put a very detailed drawing our daughter completed in 15 minutes while on vacation. It had lots of "out of the box" visuals as part of the drawing and I pointed those out. I provided a xerox of an elaborate story she had written that had very creative twists & turns in the story...I had to reduce the actual pages down a little to fit it onto 1 page. I provided a xerox of the music piece she wrote after her very 1st violin lesson. Almost every sample I provided was one she created at home rather than at school, so the school wouldn't have had access to them.

The AART at our school made a point of stopping me in the hall and saying we had put together a great packet. She specifically mentioned the work samples and the way I pointed out specific things at the bottom of the sample as one of the big pluses.

[Anonymous]

My DC does surprising, out of the box things all of the time, but I haven't documented anything nor do I know what counts as "impressive" to anyone besides me. I'm not around DC's peers and am not sure what is normal for this age. The examples mentioned above for example are not mind blowing (no offense) - I just feel like whatever I include to so subjective - I feel like a bragging parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC does surprising, out of the box things all of the time, but I haven't documented anything nor do I know what counts as "impressive" to anyone besides me. I'm not around DC's peers and am not sure what is normal for this age. The examples mentioned above for example are not mind blowing (no offense) - I just feel like whatever I include to so subjective - I feel like a bragging parent.

The questionnaire is optional. If you do not want to brag, then opt to skip the questionnaire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think it is important to be honest.

For example, on the question "My child finds humor in situations or events unusual for his/her age." you check consistently, and the best example you can come up with is that your kids knows a lot of knock knock jokes, then the consistently appears biased and not accurate. However, if you have a child that could watch and understand all the Monty Python humor from age 2 and preferred it over kids shows, that might be a more appropriate reason to give a "consistently".

Or they might just assume that you're a horrible parent for subjecting a young child to such inappropriate content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The questionnaire says give "an example" for each item. Is it worth putting two examples if you can fit them in the available space? Thanks!

I would be careful here, it says "example", singular. If you put two, it may disqualify your child. Also, do not write in the blank space with the heading "Do not write in this space". It is a trick.

Are you being silly or serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think it is important to be honest.

For example, on the question "My child finds humor in situations or events unusual for his/her age." you check consistently, and the best example you can come up with is that your kids knows a lot of knock knock jokes, then the consistently appears biased and not accurate. However, if you have a child that could watch and understand all the Monty Python humor from age 2 and preferred it over kids shows, that might be a more appropriate reason to give a "consistently".

Or they might just assume that you're a horrible parent for subjecting a young child to such inappropriate content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC does surprising, out of the box things all of the time, but I haven't documented anything nor do I know what counts as "impressive" to anyone besides me. I'm not around DC's peers and am not sure what is normal for this age. The examples mentioned above for example are not mind blowing (no offense) - I just feel like whatever I include to so subjective - I feel like a bragging parent.

The questionnaire is optional. If you do not want to brag, then opt to skip the questionnaire.

I want to provide useful, relevant information. I am having a hard time filling out the form. I write something and then scrap it, imagining the screening committee member rolling their eyes at my stories. I guess I just feel like as a parent, how can I be viewed as objective about my own child's brilliance? Doesn't everyone think their kid is a shining star? I'll fill it out and submit, I am just struggling right now to weed out what is truly relevant I guess.