Kids talking about AAP

[Anonymous]

The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At DC's school it's much more prestigious to be on a travel or select team. The kids talk about sports more than they ever would about AAP, but even then they're pretty respectful. I doubt AAP will be discussed more than one day at any chis lunch table.[/qe]

once again sports over academic. talk about stewed up priorities. only in America.

(and 7/8 yo on a travel/select team is a bid deal? who knew?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is absolutely no need for a child who is already at a center school to go to an orientation for AAP at that center. I never understood this. They already know the school and the teachers. It just promotes the hierarchy like others have mentioned. They all talk after that.

How do they already know the teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

Your kid knew, from you, we'll before this week. Your kid knew you wanted him in it, and you probably prepped to get him in AAP. Praising him for an award is certainly acceptable. Praising him for this is not. Are you okay if it creates a hierarchy? Are you okay with the "great divide"? My child got in but I'm trying to prevent praising thus as some kind of long sought after hold grail. Guess we're different, you and I.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is absolutely no need for a child who is already at a center school to go to an orientation for AAP at that center. I never understood this. They already know the school and the teachers. It just promotes the hierarchy like others have mentioned. They all talk after that.

Totally agree, but of course, it's for the parents' benefit. So they can check out who else got in and then gossip about it. An acquaintance of mine breathlessly reported who had been there at last year's orientation... and who hadn't. I wonder if the School Board realizes the extent to which AAP feeds the parents' ego.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

Their "body of academic work"? You do realize we're talking about 2nd graders, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

Your kid knew, from you, we'll before this week. Your kid knew you wanted him in it, and you probably prepped to get him in AAP. Praising him for an award is certainly acceptable. Praising him for this is not. Are you okay if it creates a hierarchy? Are you okay with the "great divide"? My child got in but I'm trying to prevent praising thus as some kind of long sought after hold grail. Guess we're different, you and I.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is absolutely no need for a child who is already at a center school to go to an orientation for AAP at that center. I never understood this. They already know the school and the teachers. It just promotes the hierarchy like others have mentioned. They all talk after that.

How do they already know the teachers?

+1

I'd really like to know this, too. Teacher changes happen all the time in schools. We just received a letter from the school principal (of an AAP Center school) explaining that teachers move around in the school and in and out of the school. I am not sure how the originally quoted PP already knows the teachers at the center school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

Again, some perspective please. All two years.....

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people. [/quote]

Your kid knew, from you, we'll before this week. Your kid knew you wanted him in it, and you probably prepped to get him in AAP. Praising him for an award is certainly acceptable. Praising him for this is not. Are you okay if it creates a hierarchy? Are you okay with the "great divide"? My child got in but I'm trying to prevent praising thus as some kind of long sought after hold grail. Guess we're different, you and I. [/quote]


No, my kid knows that I want him to try HIS best. I want him to be open to trying difficult things outside his comfort zone (academic or not) even if it means failure because it's the effort that I'm proud of. He goes to a Center school so he is well aware of the program but we were very careful not to discuss the program, testing, etc. around him. NO we did not prep, in fact I completely forgot about it until a few days before testing began. I specifically instructed him NOT to talk about his acceptance at school explaining that it wouldn't be polite and he wouldn't want to make others feel excluded. When he arrived at school yesterday he was immediately approached by one of his friends asking "did you get the letter?". Pretty sure it was just to find out if they might be in the same class next year, not to create a hierarchy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The apptitude test is not the sole thing getting a kid into AAP - it's their body of academic work, judgement, reasoning, critical thinking, interest in learning, etc. for their age group. There are entire threads discussing kids whose scores are in pool but didnt get accepted. Don't minimize my child's accomplishments. Should I also shove the class academic acheivement award he's been chosen for every year since kindergarten to the side and not tell him how proud I am? This is not about my child being better than another child, I believe all people have strengths and weaknesses but I want my child to know that consistent hard work/effort pays off. It just may pay off in different ways for different people.

Again, some perspective please. All two years.....

3 years, actually. I get it's only elementary school but if the school creates an assembly around it why shouldn't I be encouraging, supportive and offer congratulatory wishes at home? Pretty sure there are lots of parents making a big deal out of their DC's big game, winning goal, etc.

[Anonymous]

I call BS. Which FCPS elementary school awards an "academic achievement award" to K and 1st graders at an assembly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS. Which FCPS elementary school awards an "academic achievement award" to K and 1st graders at an assembly?

Zero, UNLESS it is something every kid gets. (We do have awards at our school from the specials - music, art, etc. but no kid would ever get the award more than once.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call BS. Which FCPS elementary school awards an "academic achievement award" to K and 1st graders at an assembly?

Zero, UNLESS it is something every kid gets. (We do have awards at our school from the specials - music, art, etc. but no kid would ever get the award more than once.)

Not sure if your child's school isn't doing it or you child just hasn't received it but it's 100% true. I think it's great to recognize all talent - music, art, etc. Why is it any different to recognize academic achievement? Maybe a child struggles in the arts but excels in academics, Why would it be better to recognize the specials and not academics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call BS. Which FCPS elementary school awards an "academic achievement award" to K and 1st graders at an assembly?

Zero, UNLESS it is something every kid gets. (We do have awards at our school from the specials - music, art, etc. but no kid would ever get the award more than once.)

Not sure if your child's school isn't doing it or you child just hasn't received it but it's 100% true. I think it's great to recognize all talent - music, art, etc. Why is it any different to recognize academic achievement? Maybe a child struggles in the arts but excels in academics, Why would it be better to recognize the specials and not academics?

Which school name? I'll independently verify it. (As you can tell, I don't believe you). The only way this is true in FCPS is if EVERY child is receiving awards of some kind.