Middle school at APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me to understand what middle school at APS looks like...I'm assuming they switch classes? Do they have teams..ie a couple of teachers to a "team" that the kids switch classes between (this is how I did it growing up) How heavily do they rely on ipads/or chrome books? Do they have text books?

I ask because we have a 4th grader with adhd who struggles with executive functioning, academics and is addicted to screens.

Text books. You are hilarious.

Don’t worry your kid will do fine; there isn’t much homework so as long as they behave in class and do work as assigned during the block, there won’t be any issues with executive function. Everything is on the iPad so just track that one thing.

I could not disagree with this advice more. Don't worry your kids will be just fine? HOw dismissive and out of touch can you be?

I didn’t say they would be fine. I said they will perform fine in middle school.

You cannot possibly know this. Come on.

[Anonymous]

My kid did not perform fine in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me to understand what middle school at APS looks like...I'm assuming they switch classes? Do they have teams..ie a couple of teachers to a "team" that the kids switch classes between (this is how I did it growing up) How heavily do they rely on ipads/or chrome books? Do they have text books?

I ask because we have a 4th grader with adhd who struggles with executive functioning, academics and is addicted to screens.

Text books. You are hilarious.

Don’t worry your kid will do fine; there isn’t much homework so as long as they behave in class and do work as assigned during the block, there won’t be any issues with executive function. Everything is on the iPad so just track that one thing.

I could not disagree with this advice more. Don't worry your kids will be just fine? HOw dismissive and out of touch can you be?

I didn’t say they would be fine. I said they will perform fine in middle school.

You cannot possibly know this. Come on.

My point is APS middle school is all about socio emotional development and getting thru puberty; they just don’t worry about academics that much with almost zero homework and retaking tests he can definitely get thru without any serious academic issues.

[Anonymous]

This is not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. I should have added that our child already has an IEP in place, but elementary school is a real
Struggle academically (is dyslexic along with other struggles) and socially .. despite many accommodations and our ES making an effort to support in anyway they can. I worry in middle school our child will be lost with all the transitions and changing social dynamics and heavy use of tech (he struggles with the fast pace of some learning apps and grows frustrated with moving up levels) . We are assigned to Williamsburg but are considering a private specialty school- commonwealth or maybe Newton. Have heard better things abt Williamsburg vs others.. but seems that changes every year!

Thank you for all the feedback. This is very helpful

Swanson refused to address dyslexia for my child even with a full IEP (max service hours). So we moved to private. Also, our child was going to be in, what Swanson called, an executive function class. My friend's child ended up in it and it was all kids with autism so the exec functioning was about daily living, not organization issues like kids with ADHD have. That child too is in private now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. I should have added that our child already has an IEP in place, but elementary school is a real
Struggle academically (is dyslexic along with other struggles) and socially .. despite many accommodations and our ES making an effort to support in anyway they can. I worry in middle school our child will be lost with all the transitions and changing social dynamics and heavy use of tech (he struggles with the fast pace of some learning apps and grows frustrated with moving up levels) . We are assigned to Williamsburg but are considering a private specialty school- commonwealth or maybe Newton. Have heard better things abt Williamsburg vs others.. but seems that changes every year!

Thank you for all the feedback. This is very helpful

Swanson refused to address dyslexia for my child even with a full IEP (max service hours). So we moved to private. Also, our child was going to be in, what Swanson called, an executive function class. My friend's child ended up in it and it was all kids with autism so the exec functioning was about daily living, not organization issues like kids with ADHD have. That child too is in private now.

Literally socio emotional development. Not academics.

[Anonymous]

I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

I’m just saying that is their focus not that they do it right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

Link?

Google it I found it first try. PP is right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

Was this resolved? Asking because iirc it was 1-2 students causing issues -are they gone? What happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

Was this resolved? Asking because iirc it was 1-2 students causing issues -are they gone? What happened?

The student is at another APS middle school this year with no issues so far.

On a related note to this subject, several Kenmore students beat up a hamm student after the basketball game yesterday. Police involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. I should have added that our child already has an IEP in place, but elementary school is a real
Struggle academically (is dyslexic along with other struggles) and socially .. despite many accommodations and our ES making an effort to support in anyway they can. I worry in middle school our child will be lost with all the transitions and changing social dynamics and heavy use of tech (he struggles with the fast pace of some learning apps and grows frustrated with moving up levels) . We are assigned to Williamsburg but are considering a private specialty school- commonwealth or maybe Newton. Have heard better things abt Williamsburg vs others.. but seems that changes every year!

Thank you for all the feedback. This is very helpful

Swanson refused to address dyslexia for my child even with a full IEP (max service hours). So we moved to private. Also, our child was going to be in, what Swanson called, an executive function class. My friend's child ended up in it and it was all kids with autism so the exec functioning was about daily living, not organization issues like kids with ADHD have. That child too is in private now.

Unfortunately this is just an APS issue. They refuse to address it at all school levels. APS middle school is AWFUL unless you're an average self motivated student who can get by on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.. I should have added that our child already has an IEP in place, but elementary school is a real
Struggle academically (is dyslexic along with other struggles) and socially .. despite many accommodations and our ES making an effort to support in anyway they can. I worry in middle school our child will be lost with all the transitions and changing social dynamics and heavy use of tech (he struggles with the fast pace of some learning apps and grows frustrated with moving up levels) . We are assigned to Williamsburg but are considering a private specialty school- commonwealth or maybe Newton. Have heard better things abt Williamsburg vs others.. but seems that changes every year!

Thank you for all the feedback. This is very helpful

My DD is very similar, but a few years older. What I wish I knew when she was in 4th grade:
- get tutoring ASAP (first OG, then maybe writing and math)
- cut down or entirely eliminate screens
- increase responsibilities at home to promote independence (chores, getting dressed in AM, etc)

Tutoring gets so much harder when they get older. Unless you have a great sped team, don’t rely on APS to remediate. This is critical to do this as early as possible. Screens are the devil. If I could go back I’d throw out all screens years ago. It gets harder to cut back as they get older.

And Commonwealth isn’t great with dyslexia. Not sure about Newton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'd even have done "socio emotional development" right. It's swanson where bullying made national news earlier this year.

Was this resolved? Asking because iirc it was 1-2 students causing issues -are they gone? What happened?

The student is at another APS middle school this year with no issues so far.

On a related note to this subject, several Kenmore students beat up a hamm student after the basketball game yesterday. Police involved.

How do you know there are no issues so far? Which school received the student?