Moving Back to McLean (KGES) and Feeling Unsure About School System of AAP and Immersion in Fairfax

[Anonymous]

We own a home in McLean in the Kent Gardens School District Area. We have been abroad for several years.

Kent Gardens has Immersion French and Advanced Academic French or you can go to another school where they do Advanced Academics in English. Even if my children were savants (which does not seem to be the case thus far), from what I can tell they would need to be at school for a semester and then do some kind of testing. So none of the things that make Kent Gardens a school people rave about is available to us, nor can we bail and go to some smarty pants school down the street.

Which means we would go to general English Kent Gardens. What is this like? What is the class like? What are the students like? I am feeling very nervous about any school that lets parents who aggressively advocate for their kids to get ahead. It seems like it is an economic and aggressive segregation. What is the reality?

Considering Arlington County or Falls Church City which does not remove children who are deemed gifted from their peers. I know this post has major potential to be shredded but I just want the reality.

[Anonymous]

My kids went to kg in the English track by choice. The English track is better academically if you child is interested in math, stem, etc. The English track has more Asian students than French Emersion track because of that. Btw none of the 'frenchies' that my kids hung out with could speak French fluently during or after kg, so that always puzzled me.

There are lots of helicopter parents in both English and French programs. I would recommend English only and take a language in Middle school.

My kids did well excelled in all grades during and after Kg. it's a great school in either track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We own a home in McLean in the Kent Gardens School District Area. We have been abroad for several years.

Kent Gardens has Immersion French and Advanced Academic French or you can go to another school where they do Advanced Academics in English. Even if my children were savants (which does not seem to be the case thus far), from what I can tell they would need to be at school for a semester and then do some kind of testing. So none of the things that make Kent Gardens a school people rave about is available to us, nor can we bail and go to some smarty pants school down the street.

Which means we would go to general English Kent Gardens. What is this like? What is the class like? What are the students like? I am feeling very nervous about any school that lets parents who aggressively advocate for their kids to get ahead. It seems like it is an economic and aggressive segregation. What is the reality?

Considering Arlington County or Falls Church City which does not remove children who are deemed gifted from their peers. I know this post has major potential to be shredded but I just want the reality.

Kent Gardens has local Level IV AAP, so your children would not have to go to Churchill Road ES to access AAP if they end up on that track. The Principal at KG used to be the AP at Haycock, which is an AAP Center school. Kent Gardens is a great school no matter where your child is. I would not move for a different school. Welcome back!

[Anonymous]

DCs are at KGES and we moved here after an overseas assignment. One DC in French, one in English. Both are doing great. One DC did not make AAP but is principal placed. Second DC not old enough. Chess Club is great, Math Club is amazing and Science Olympiad team went to states. Move here... School is great and very international!

[Anonymous]

The Kent Gardens area is one of the more affordable parts of McLean. Lots of younger parents and those hellbent on AAP tend to look in the nearby Haycock district. FCPS as a whole has more academic differentiation and more academic options than APS or FCCPS, but the schools in North Arlington and FCC are typically less diverse than KGES. I think you’ll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the thing about KG. Half the crazy people you’re talking about (get ahead at all costs) will be gone by the time they hit 9th grade (off to TJ!), leaving your child to thrive at McLean HS. Just do you. KG is a great place and there are lots of wonderful families who don’t utilize the language immersion stuff.

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI, you do not have to wait a semester if your moving back from overseas to apply to AAP. We are foreign service and we applied the summer we returned in early August. Had a decision in 2 weeks and started immediately in the Fall. You just have to do your own WISC testing (and pay for it). You can schedule it now and get it done right after you come back. That said, all the McLean schools are good - whether AAP or not. You'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

I do not know how Kent Gardens does it, but the way our school did Local Level IV was not full separation. All students are mixed in for homeroom, PE, lunch, recess, art, music..... Then for the four core courses (math, science, language arts, science) everyone moves around to different classrooms. Some students are in the AAP level for all four, some are in AAP for 1-3 courses, some are in Gen-Ed for all four. Some are in Special Ed for some classes too. My DC was in AAP for two, Gen-Ed for one and Special Ed for one. Students move around and mix up - it isn't like they are sequestered in the same class all day long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

Can we assume that if you settled in FCC or Arlington you would also worry about the economic segregation in those districts? Falls Church City essentially was created as a separate jurisdiction to exclude minorities and the schools in much of North Arlington are whiter than anywhere else in NoVa. If you think this doesn’t also “physically separate” wealthier kids from those with less privileged backgrounds, you’d be quite mistaken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

Can we assume that if you settled in FCC or Arlington you would also worry about the economic segregation in those districts? Falls Church City essentially was created as a separate jurisdiction to exclude minorities and the schools in much of North Arlington are whiter than anywhere else in NoVa. If you think this doesn’t also “physically separate” wealthier kids from those with less privileged backgrounds, you’d be quite mistaken.

Kg does not separate kid economically, in fact the kids in French immersion come from all over the county. Most of the Asian kids do the English program which is a better program especially for stem kids. So the English program is for Mclean kids only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

.

Kg is a good school, Longfellow Is a hard school for kids that struggle. Some people put their kids in private school if the are weak academically or socially just to avoid Longfellow, then return to Mclean. Do some research on Longfellow, but KG and mclean h s are great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

Can we assume that if you settled in FCC or Arlington you would also worry about the economic segregation in those districts? Falls Church City essentially was created as a separate jurisdiction to exclude minorities and the schools in much of North Arlington are whiter than anywhere else in NoVa. If you think this doesn’t also “physically separate” wealthier kids from those with less privileged backgrounds, you’d be quite mistaken.

Arlington has decided to emphasize walkability for neighborhood school. If you want a diverse school in Arlington, then you have to move to a diverse neighborhood. There are schools that fit this profile, especially several of the elementary schools zoned for W-L.

Arlington parents are riled up about overcrowding and redistricting. Fairfax parents are constantly talking about AAP and TJ. Lots of aggressive parents in both places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts. It has helped ease anxiety.

I think what I am uncomfortable is a system that physically separates AAP and non-AAP for many reasons...and in the case of KGES a third separation where those who got into language immersion get physically separated.

I don't know if Arlington or Falls Church City place AAP kids in the same classes as general kids but I think that is what I would prefer as a parent. There seems something unhealthy to both the AAP kids and non-AAP kids by physically removing them from each other a la Dr Seuss's Sneetches.

At the same time I also think it will be fine and maybe I should worry about international move issues; I just feel like Fairfax County has indirectly opened a channel that allows aggressive parenting to payoff; and that worries me but to think that doesn't exist in FCC or Arlington is naive also.

.

Kg is a good school, Longfellow Is a hard school for kids that struggle. Some people put their kids in private school if the are weak academically or socially just to avoid Longfellow, then return to Mclean. Do some research on Longfellow, but KG and mclean h s are great schools.

We had kids at Longfellow who were not in AAP and thought it did an excellent job of preparing them for the transitions from 7th to 8th grade and then to HS. Much better than the middle school our oldest attended, where 7th grade was far too easy and the 8th grade teachers were exacting and harsh. Middle school is often the toughest period for kids and I could see some struggling at Longfellow, but it’s a relatively small group who’d send their kids to privates for just middle school. I suspect Longfellow also has a less competitive feel now that the AAP kids from the Langley pyramid are moving to Cooper.

[Anonymous]

OP we have been pleased with KG. Where are you getting your info? You seem irrationally anxious. The kids all have specials together and even some AAP classes are mixed with non-AAP kids. There is AAP for both english only and french immersion. Parents are mostly down to earth. General Ed is fine. We have experience with both. Both have great teachers and the occasional mediocre like at any school.