2 kids in immersion; 1 to AAP. Is it worth the hassle?

[Anonymous]

I've searched the forum, and my apologies if this has been asked before. I know there's a lot of opinions about immersion vs. AAP, but my question is more regarding what to do with transportation and long-term options. Bear with me.

I have two kids born a year apart. Both are at GFES, which is a great school. They both love Japanese immersion.

My older child is gifted, something we never gave much thought to until all the Cogat craziness this year. We just assumed he'd be given some harder work and could continue on with Japanese at GFES, end of story. Wrong. Now we have to decide whether to pull him out of GFES and place him in our AAP center in Herndon, all while continuing to cart our youngest into Great Falls. Two kids at two different schools, with 2 different pyramids (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that if you continue in the immersion, you also continue into the middle school pyramid of that immersion language?).

It's enough to give me heartburn.

My youngest child is smart, but not gifted. The chances of her going into AAP are minimal, which means I'm going to be asking my oldest to make a decision about his education that could (again, correct me if I'm wrong) help him get into magnet schools like TJ. I don't give a fig if my oldest ends up at TJ [gasp]. I just want him to flourish and continue to enjoy learning. 90% of me is thinking, "Screw it. Keep them both in immersion and save yourself the hassle." But then I think about how I could be keeping my oldest from his potential b/c I'm being selfish.

First world problems, right?

I just want to do the right thing for BOTH kids, and I wondered if anyone out there had been in a similar situation. Did you just suck it up and cart one kids to a different school pyramid for years on end? Did you let your second-grader decide what to do? Is there another chance for a child to get into an AAP center later on, or is this it?

Again, I know I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but I thought maybe someone out there could have some sage advice for my family. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

It sounds like a pain with 2 pyramids. Most AAP level kids will supplement themselves with extra reading etc. You could add in some math or science activities if your child leans that way. I think having that second language probably does more for brain development than AAP would.

Plus you can use the AAP letter for middle school AAP if you decide that's the best route for MS (definitely if your kid has a deep urge to apply to TJ). Otherwise, keep it simple!

- parent of 2 AAP kids, one now a jr in HS, other in 8th grade

[Anonymous]

I do't how much difference this makes for you, but the county does provide transportation to center, but not for immersion programs. So, in theory, you would only be carting one kid to the same school still.

[Anonymous]

My AAP eligible son did fine hanging out in immersion for a year, then rolled into all Honors/AAP in middle school. You might want to check out the immersion program in the MS - it's not what it's cracked up to be and many schools have almost stripped that program out completely. At our MS it's just the first year of HS Spanish taught in Spanish. So, you don't have to roll up to that MS for immersion - you can switch to AAP in MS by reactivating, or go into all honors classes if you don't want to split the MS's - you still have options. My oldest did fine hanging out in the ES that his younger sister was in, and now he's fluent in Spanish. There were other benefits to our family for having both kids on the same schedule - now we are all over the place with ES and MS and I know that it's going to get worse as they get older.

[Anonymous]

You might be surprised about your other children. When over 15% of students are "gifted" in FCPS, are they really gifted? That's why it is called AAP, advanced academics program. Perhaps your other child will end up in AAP too.
But, if your children enjoy the immersion, you should keep them there. As others said, you can move into AAP at any other time. If you really don't care about TJ, then it's not necessary to do AAP right now, A bright kid will learn. But, pay attention to your kid's writing and reading. You might need to keep higher expectations than his teachers--you know he is capable of more.

[Anonymous]

As a parent happy with aap, Ithink you should stay with immersion for both. That is something unique that cannot be picked up easily. Your chikdren will rise to their potential with or without TJHSST. It's a lot easier to pick up biology or physics in college than it is to pick up Japanese. I think you may be surrounded by too many aap-neurotic parents if you think aap is the golden ticket.

Trust that your children will be fine no matter which program they do...and set your goals for them to be happy and productive rather than comparing them to the Jones and the Smiths. Sail your own course.

[Anonymous]

Stay with immersion.

[Anonymous]

Question from a new poster, about immersion: If an ES student is in an immersion program, what happens when that student moves on to MS? Is there generally any option for the kid to be placed in some MS immersion program in that language, even if it means moving to a school that's not the base MS? What about HS options for continuing the language? I'm not being snarky, I really don't know what happens in FCPS after a kid finishes ES immersion programs if there is not a clear track of that same language offered in the kid's MS and ES.

OP, I raise that question because if my kid were in immersion but there were no opportunity ahead to continue the language in MS and possibly HS, I would figure a lot of the language would be lost unless I were able to find private language lessons for years to come. That would be something I'd weigh in the choice and I'd probably opt for AAP since that has a track through ES and MS, and there are advanced programs taken by choice in HS (AP/IB/honors). I say this with regret, as I studied Japanese in college and loved it. But with that or any language being provided at the ES level, I'm not sure what happens after ES if there are no or limited options for continuing that specific language, unless you yourself commit to having your child continue it privately.

Of course, studying one language can help kids adapt well to other languages later as well and can develop their brains for sure, so maybe the sheer exercise of doing immersion is helpful overall academically.

[Anonymous]

usually the immersion programs are in pyramids where the MS and HS have that same language offered although it is not typically offered as "immersion."

It doesn't just die out in MS/HS.

[FC_Mama]

OP here. Thank you so much for all of your thoughtful answers. Immersion really seems like a better play (esp. after checking out some FCPS AAP forums. Yikes!).

[Anonymous]

I'd stick with the immersion, no questions asked. Picking up a 2nd language at such a young age has SO MUCH benefit for the developing brain. The kids are actually able to achieve excellent accents and pronunciation, beyond what they'd ever be able to do if they started learning in highschool.

The Japanese language is going to be a major door-opener for them in life. It will give them the edge in jobs, business, and even college admission. AAP is a dime a dozen. Fluency in Japanese is much more rare and valuable.

[Anonymous]

Stay with immersion - AAP immersion kids end up ahead of AAP kids at middle school.

Math placement for 7th grade is based on Iowa & SOL test scores. Not all AAP kids get placed in Algebra at 7th grade. All immersion kids get Language I at 7th grade. It is possible for a smart immersion kid to test into Algebra and also to be in Language I as a 7th grader. AAP kids can only get one high school class, but immersion kids can get two high school classes.

I am laughing all the way at the immersion parents who left our school at 3rd grade to go AAP. We stuck with it and my DS is taking Geomentry and Language II as an 8th grader. (language is a lifelong skill, AAP doesn't matter starting at 7th grade). My DS will have 4 classes going to High School next year. Meanwhile, the snowflakes down the street is just starting Alegebra this year, and some are in Geometry also - but my DS has 4 hs credits and AAP kids can only get 2.

You have a choice at middle school. You could go to your base school or the immersion middle school.

I have two kids - one AAP and one IEP is my joke, and both are in immersion. Both do very well, for different reasons, and doing well in different ways. I think immersion saved the IEP kid - but that's another post.

I feel your pain on the immersion carpool (mine are 4 grades apart!!) But, stick with immersion. Both my very different kids did/are doing well in it.