What to tell a kid who is in, but just doesn't get AAP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I told my kid everything through the whole process and about what it means to be in AAP level 4. I gave her the opportunity to give us input about what she wanted to do. We laid out that we would consider her opinions but that ultimately her father and I would make the final decision. We also explained that she shouldn't really be talking about this in school with the other kids so that no one feels left out or hurt. She grasped that concept and I believe she stuck to our request. Most likely if your kid has been chosen for this they're smart and will figure what the program is about. They will figure out if you lied to them. They can handle knowing what they are and are not. And if you've done your job as parents, they will have the compassion to not be braggarts or egotists.

Puhlease! Do you really think your child will not be talking about it at school?!? I'm a former FCPS teacher. I can't tell you the number of times second graders have been heard talking about it and then adding, "We're not supposed to be talking about it," either at the beginning or end of...talking about it. Do you think your child doesn't discuss his birthday party at school, too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

Brilliantly said.

Yes. This.

Of course kids have always been at different levels, and this isn't about trying to make sure everyone is equal and warm fuzzies and group hugs.

But CENTERS (not AAP) makes this such a pronounced in or out, which is particularly ridiculous when there is such overlap between kids just admitted and those who just missed. I mean, really? If AAP could fully tell who was "gifted" there wouldn't be any need for an appeal process.

HELLO? FCPS? Are you reading this? {Waves arms} See what a mess having Centers creates? Move AAP back to the schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

So you want your kid to be smart and labeled as such but you don't want to admit it and you don't want your kid to figure it out.

The reaction is st silly. Yes, I get that lots of parents like you and others like the OP downplay to attempt to appear humble, non bragging but at the end of the day you all are secretly delighted that your kid has been proven smart by testing. Denying it just makes you look more silky. And if you didn't care, you would have simply tossed the AAp letter in the trash and just never thought of it again,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

So you want your kid to be smart and labeled as such but you don't want to admit it and you don't want your kid to figure it out.

The reaction is st silly. Yes, I get that lots of parents like you and others like the OP downplay to attempt to appear humble, non bragging but at the end of the day you all are secretly delighted that your kid has been proven smart by testing. Denying it just makes you look more silky. And if you didn't care, you would have simply tossed the AAp letter in the trash and just never thought of it again,

This is a very good point. Nobody forces you to go.

[Anonymous]

If you get a letter you kinda have to go right? Otherwise you are turning down a chance to have your child in a more robust curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you get a letter you kinda have to go right? Otherwise you are turning down a chance to have your child in a more robust curriculum.

true, but what about all these posts that say kids will do "just fine" at their base schools and they all wind up in the same classes in high school anyway, etc. etc.? Bottom line is you make your choices, live with it. FCPS doesn't force anyone to go into AAP if they don't want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no need to mention anything to the kids if no school change is involved. Classroom composition changes every year, and no classroom will have an AAP label on the door, so why say anything? I have one in 4th grade AAP, and one is just admitted. I said nothing and pretend to know nothing about AAP. My older makes friends across classrooms and I expect my younger to be the same. That is just healthier.

Of course there's no "AAP" sign on the classroom doors - but you are very naive if you think the kids don't know exactly who's in AAP and who's not. My child will mention kids to me in passing, prefacing it with, "She's in AAP" or "He's in Gen Ed". The other day the entire grade went on a field trip and the AAP classes traveled in one group, with the Gen Ed classes in another group - the teachers kept the classes the divided up that way. The kids aren't allowed to mingle at lunch - AAP classes sit at their tables and Gen Ed at theirs. The school pays lip service to the kids all mingling during specials, lunch, etc. - but they don't. Not even on the field trips. This is a center school, and every single kid knows what class every other kid is in. It is very much an us and them situation and it truly sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

+1000
This is exactly it. Perhaps some of the parents here don't realize that Gen Ed also = smart. My Gen Ed kid knows exactly what AAP is and who's in it. It's in their face, every single day at school. It's not like these kids are blissfully ignorant. Kids talk about it and FCPS/the administration and teachers see fit to segregate these kids wherever possible. Most kids are perceptive and acutely aware of where they stand at school. It's a completely unhealthy environment to have kids thinking one group is "smarter" than the other. I seriously can't wait until my kids are in high school and through with this nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need to mention anything to the kids if no school change is involved. Classroom composition changes every year, and no classroom will have an AAP label on the door, so why say anything? I have one in 4th grade AAP, and one is just admitted. I said nothing and pretend to know nothing about AAP. My older makes friends across classrooms and I expect my younger to be the same. That is just healthier.

Of course there's no "AAP" sign on the classroom doors - but you are very naive if you think the kids don't know exactly who's in AAP and who's not. My child will mention kids to me in passing, prefacing it with, "She's in AAP" or "He's in Gen Ed". The other day the entire grade went on a field trip and the AAP classes traveled in one group, with the Gen Ed classes in another group - the teachers kept the classes the divided up that way. The kids aren't allowed to mingle at lunch - AAP classes sit at their tables and Gen Ed at theirs. The school pays lip service to the kids all mingling during specials, lunch, etc. - but they don't. Not even on the field trips. This is a center school, and every single kid knows what class every other kid is in. It is very much an us and them situation and it truly sucks.

Field trips for all grades have always had the kids stay with their classes. Same with lunch. Who mingles at lunch except with your classmates or a "hi" in passing to another kid not in your class? What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

^ I think it bothers the parents more than the kids. It doesn't scar them for life. C'mon, that's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

Brilliantly said.

Yes. This.

Of course kids have always been at different levels, and this isn't about trying to make sure everyone is equal and warm fuzzies and group hugs.

But CENTERS (not AAP) makes this such a pronounced in or out, which is particularly ridiculous when there is such overlap between kids just admitted and those who just missed. I mean, really? If AAP could fully tell who was "gifted" there wouldn't be any need for an appeal process.

EXACTLY. Some of these posters should try seeing this from the perspective of a GE child who attends a center school. Not from the perspective of their AAP kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I told my kid everything through the whole process and about what it means to be in AAP level 4. I gave her the opportunity to give us input about what she wanted to do. We laid out that we would consider her opinions but that ultimately her father and I would make the final decision. We also explained that she shouldn't really be talking about this in school with the other kids so that no one feels left out or hurt. She grasped that concept and I believe she stuck to our request. Most likely if your kid has been chosen for this they're smart and will figure what the program is about. They will figure out if you lied to them. They can handle knowing what they are and are not. And if you've done your job as parents, they will have the compassion to not be braggarts or egotists.

Puhlease! Do you really think your child will not be talking about it at school?!? I'm a former FCPS teacher. I can't tell you the number of times second graders have been heard talking about it and then adding, "We're not supposed to be talking about it," either at the beginning or end of...talking about it. Do you think your child doesn't discuss his birthday party at school, too?

+1
It is either incredible wishful thinking or blatant arrogance to state that one's child isn't going to discuss their AAP admittance at school. Of course they are! Kids naturally want to know who'll be with them in class, who won't be, and why. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Such an artificial dichotomy that AAP = smart, GenEd = not.

There are many kids who either barely missed admission or barely made it in.

The parents feed the hysteria to make sure their kids are known as "smart." Let's not perpetuate that with kids.

Brilliantly said.

Yes. This.

Of course kids have always been at different levels, and this isn't about trying to make sure everyone is equal and warm fuzzies and group hugs.

But CENTERS (not AAP) makes this such a pronounced in or out, which is particularly ridiculous when there is such overlap between kids just admitted and those who just missed. I mean, really? If AAP could fully tell who was "gifted" there wouldn't be any need for an appeal process.

EXACTLY. Some of these posters should try seeing this from the perspective of a GE child who attends a center school. Not from the perspective of their AAP kid.

This is a good point, but not all schools have centers, or even LIV in school...our base school does not, and the school is on the small side (often only two classes per grade). If all the AAP eligible kids were pulled out locally, there would be an even greater disparity among the two groups of kids.

The state mandates a gifted program of some sort, and there are always going to be kids on the fringe who probably should have been in "the other group." Busing kids to centers when possible makes the best use of resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you get a letter you kinda have to go right? Otherwise you are turning down a chance to have your child in a more robust curriculum.

Are you serious? Of course you don't have to send your kid if you don't want to. One of my kids received the vaunted "letter" and after about 15 min. of thought, we decided against AAP. We knew our child well enough to know that she wasn't the type of kid who enjoyed lots of projects and busy work. She much prefered just coming home, doing her homework, and being free to read whatever she pleased. She stayed in GE and had a great education, as well as a great time. Now she's in high school, set to graduate with honors and will be headed to an excellent college this fall. AAP had nothing to do with her life or her success as a student. My other kids - also not in AAP - have been equally successful in school. Smart kids are smart kids and AAP has zero to do with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need to mention anything to the kids if no school change is involved. Classroom composition changes every year, and no classroom will have an AAP label on the door, so why say anything? I have one in 4th grade AAP, and one is just admitted. I said nothing and pretend to know nothing about AAP. My older makes friends across classrooms and I expect my younger to be the same. That is just healthier.

Of course there's no "AAP" sign on the classroom doors - but you are very naive if you think the kids don't know exactly who's in AAP and who's not. My child will mention kids to me in passing, prefacing it with, "She's in AAP" or "He's in Gen Ed". The other day the entire grade went on a field trip and the AAP classes traveled in one group, with the Gen Ed classes in another group - the teachers kept the classes the divided up that way. The kids aren't allowed to mingle at lunch - AAP classes sit at their tables and Gen Ed at theirs. The school pays lip service to the kids all mingling during specials, lunch, etc. - but they don't. Not even on the field trips. This is a center school, and every single kid knows what class every other kid is in. It is very much an us and them situation and it truly sucks.

Field trips for all grades have always had the kids stay with their classes. Same with lunch. Who mingles at lunch except with your classmates or a "hi" in passing to another kid not in your class? What are you talking about?

I'm talking about all the AAP classes (there are four in my kid's grade alone) doing field trip activities together, and the GE classes doing their activities together. Not an AAP/GE mix - total segregation. I'm talking about during lunch, all the AAP tables sitting in one area, and the GE tables in a different area. What about that don't you get?