AAP: Wolftrap Level IV vs Louise Archer Center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the principal at Wolftrap any better than the previous one? She was very popular as a teacher there. We felt the old principal as well as FCPS were the main problems with the school. So glad dont have to deal with her at Thoreau. Love Kilmer and the principal there. Why would anyone want to deal with Thoreau if they don't have to? Most of the LAES kids go to Jackson anyway. LAES tended to do their own thing out of eye of Gatehouse and FCPS didn't care because they were doing well. That can change though depending on the teacher and policy. More traditional type schooling and harder assignments was how it looked like to me. Things change from year to year. Both schools have positives and negatives.

Most LAES kids go to Thoreau. The non-AAP kids for sure and then most of the AAP kids chose Thoreau as well this year. Just a handful are going to Jackson. The School Board is also planning to realign elementary and middle schools within their pyramids, so in the future (maybe years out, it’s a process) LAES AAP kids won’t have the option of Jackson since it’s in the Falls Church High pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

I have a child in 5th grade AAP at LAES this year. I think calling the teachers “appallingly cruel” may be going too far. The teachers are strict, for sure, but I don’t think they’re out of line. Definitely a big shift in workload and expectations from fourth to fifth though, based on our experience. I can’t speak to Wolftrap v Archer, but we’ve happy so far at the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

Quiet quitting...it's not necessarily a bad thing. Alot of it was busy work that could be replaced by enjoyment of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

Quiet quitting...it's not necessarily a bad thing. Alot of it was busy work that could be replaced by enjoyment of life.

Definitely not. Schools are going downhill. Not sure why you thought a school play was busy work

[Anonymous]

Funny coming from someone commenting on which is a better school program. lol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

Sounds like a typical parent from Wolftrap ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

Quiet quitting...it's not necessarily a bad thing. Alot of it was busy work that could be replaced by enjoyment of life.

How are beloved field trips and traditions “busy work”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

If I were a teacher, there's no way I'd sign up to take kids that age on an overnight trip. All it takes is one crazy parent to allege something and the teacher's life becomes hell (yes, I worked at a school where this happened and the parent was willing to settle for $2M but the school fought the charge - I don't blame that - but it was hell for the teachers and admin named in the suit). BTW, the parent ended up settling for much less two years later...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Why? Wolftrap got rid of their play too. Why is this? Why are all the things that were actually positive about these schools going away?

If I were a teacher, there's no way I'd sign up to take kids that age on an overnight trip. All it takes is one crazy parent to allege something and the teacher's life becomes hell (yes, I worked at a school where this happened and the parent was willing to settle for $2M but the school fought the charge - I don't blame that - but it was hell for the teachers and admin named in the suit). BTW, the parent ended up settling for much less two years later...

And the play?

The high schools go on a lot of overnight trips still. They are worse to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Thoreau…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the principal at Wolftrap any better than the previous one? She was very popular as a teacher there. We felt the old principal as well as FCPS were the main problems with the school. So glad dont have to deal with her at Thoreau. Love Kilmer and the principal there. Why would anyone want to deal with Thoreau if they don't have to? Most of the LAES kids go to Jackson anyway. LAES tended to do their own thing out of eye of Gatehouse and FCPS didn't care because they were doing well. That can change though depending on the teacher and policy. More traditional type schooling and harder assignments was how it looked like to me. Things change from year to year. Both schools have positives and negatives.

Most LAES kids go to Thoreau. The non-AAP kids for sure and then most of the AAP kids chose Thoreau as well this year. Just a handful are going to Jackson. The School Board is also planning to realign elementary and middle schools within their pyramids, so in the future (maybe years out, it’s a process) LAES AAP kids won’t have the option of Jackson since it’s in the Falls Church High pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Also Camp Highroads could easily just be turned into a day trip like at least they used to do at Wolftrap. Getting rid of the play and any graduation activity is not getting rid of busy work and is not making their schools look good or their teachers no matter how they try to spin it as some fake legal issue. Nothing ever happened at Camp Highroad or at the Wolftrap low ropes course 6th grade event or any play. Kids around the country still have these events without issue.

[Anonymous]

Any current parents at Wolftrap or Louis Archer with kids in the AAP program - could you comment on your child's experience? Academically and socially.

[Anonymous]

Wolftrap had a play last year.

[Anonymous]

LA is great.

[Anonymous]

We debated this decision for our oldest years ago. I think the diversity of Louise Archer and kids coming from different schools and backgrounds made for a more enriching experience than he would have had at Wolftrap. There are great (and not so great) kids at every school. But, the Louise Archer kids took pride in their school. I'm sure Wolftrap kids do too, but it stood out to us at LA. Our son did not like the dynamic created by the separation of AAP kids from general education kids. He chose to stand up for the gen ed kids when he could, and that was another societal lesson that you won't get everywhere.