Anyone know anything about Keene Mill Al Fresco?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually just came back from camp Al fresco 2 hours ago, it is a great way to make friends and the pranking is apart of the fun . It is ran by the AAP parents and they pay for all of the supplies that's why only the AAP kids get to go.

This is circular logic. Gen Ed kids aren't invited so Gen Ed parents have no reason/opportunity to contribute, and then you say AAP parents pay for all of the supplies so that's why only AAP kids get to go. I'm sure there are Gen Ed parents who would have happily paid for supplies if Gen Ed kids were invited.

You are talking to a child on this one.

Perhaps approaching it differently that arguing circular logic might be more effective. Most kids are generally kind and emphatetic, so framing things from that angle might actually reach this poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keene Mill AAP parent. I find the alfresco to be a disgusting idea. In no way, shape, or form do I want to teach my child this kind of elitism. Why a parent would buy into this knowing it is so exclusionary is beyond me. What happened to kindness, empathy and just straight up compassion? How would you feel if you were a general education kid and you really wanted to go but too bad, so sad because you aren't smart enough to be in AAP. Gross.

As a Keene Mill AAP parent, can you not do something about it? Bring it up at a PTA meeting? It's exclusionary programs like this (it's actually the only one I know of) that give AAP a bad name in the County.

No, unfortunately. There is no school or PTA involvement. You could talk directly to the organizers but I doubt they would consider discontinuing the practice. I'm sure whoever is organizing has heard these complaints before. The fastest way to shut it down is for the parents to stop sending their kids.

That's ridiculous. You completely can do something about it. Stop posting about the problems of AAP and actually do something about it at your own school. Stop waiting for someone else to deal with the problem or for kids to move out. How would that help you anyway? Bring it up at the PTA meeting and with the principal as a divisive issue you see in the school. Plan a new activity that will include the entire school and will replace this program. I'm sure there are more parents like you who would support a fix. This program has been one of the causes of people rallying against AAP and now asking for the program to be shut down. Take some initiative to fix the problem. We have had some problems like this and have been able to fix them within our own PTA.

The PTA of Keene should do a sixth grade lock in or event on the same weekend.

This is actually a good idea. Start planning a big event for the entire school the weekend of the event. This way that event will be bigger and more inclusive than this AAP retreat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually just came back from camp Al fresco 2 hours ago, it is a great way to make friends and the pranking is apart of the fun . It is ran by the AAP parents and they pay for all of the supplies that's why only the AAP kids get to go.

This is circular logic. Gen Ed kids aren't invited so Gen Ed parents have no reason/opportunity to contribute, and then you say AAP parents pay for all of the supplies so that's why only AAP kids get to go. I'm sure there are Gen Ed parents who would have happily paid for supplies if Gen Ed kids were invited.

You are talking to a child on this one.

Perhaps approaching it differently that arguing circular logic might be more effective. Most kids are generally kind and emphatetic, so framing things from that angle might actually reach this poster.

My bad, I misread it as a parent chaperone's post. I clearly shouldn't be posting before my morning caffeine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keene Mill AAP parent. I find the alfresco to be a disgusting idea. In no way, shape, or form do I want to teach my child this kind of elitism. Why a parent would buy into this knowing it is so exclusionary is beyond me. What happened to kindness, empathy and just straight up compassion? How would you feel if you were a general education kid and you really wanted to go but too bad, so sad because you aren't smart enough to be in AAP. Gross.

As a Keene Mill AAP parent, can you not do something about it? Bring it up at a PTA meeting? It's exclusionary programs like this (it's actually the only one I know of) that give AAP a bad name in the County.

No, unfortunately. There is no school or PTA involvement. You could talk directly to the organizers but I doubt they would consider discontinuing the practice. I'm sure whoever is organizing has heard these complaints before. The fastest way to shut it down is for the parents to stop sending their kids.

That's ridiculous. You completely can do something about it. Stop posting about the problems of AAP and actually do something about it at your own school. Stop waiting for someone else to deal with the problem or for kids to move out. How would that help you anyway? Bring it up at the PTA meeting and with the principal as a divisive issue you see in the school. Plan a new activity that will include the entire school and will replace this program. I'm sure there are more parents like you who would support a fix. This program has been one of the causes of people rallying against AAP and now asking for the program to be shut down. Take some initiative to fix the problem. We have had some problems like this and have been able to fix them within our own PTA.

The PTA of Keene should do a sixth grade lock in or event on the same weekend.

This is actually a good idea. Start planning a big event for the entire school the weekend of the event. This way that event will be bigger and more inclusive than this AAP retreat.

This is an excellent idea!

[Anonymous]

On the heels of Dr Seuss week at my kid's school last week this type of segregation reminds me of the Star Belly Sneetches. Segregate by class for academics yes. But there is no reason in the works extra curriculars should be segregated this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the heels of Dr Seuss week at my kid's school last week this type of segregation reminds me of the Star Belly Sneetches. Segregate by class for academics yes. But there is no reason in the works extra curriculars should be segregated this way.

It's exactly like the Sneetches. I don't think the kids should be segregated by homeroom, as they are at our center. Just mix them all up and send them wherever they need to go for the core classes. There will be a ton of overlap since so many Gen Ed kids need advanced work in some or several classes anyway, and not all Level IV AAP kids are actually advanced across the board. The current system is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keene Mill AAP parent. I find the alfresco to be a disgusting idea. In no way, shape, or form do I want to teach my child this kind of elitism. Why a parent would buy into this knowing it is so exclusionary is beyond me. What happened to kindness, empathy and just straight up compassion? How would you feel if you were a general education kid and you really wanted to go but too bad, so sad because you aren't smart enough to be in AAP. Gross.

As a Keene Mill AAP parent, can you not do something about it? Bring it up at a PTA meeting? It's exclusionary programs like this (it's actually the only one I know of) that give AAP a bad name in the County.

No, unfortunately. There is no school or PTA involvement. You could talk directly to the organizers but I doubt they would consider discontinuing the practice. I'm sure whoever is organizing has heard these complaints before. The fastest way to shut it down is for the parents to stop sending their kids.

That's ridiculous. You completely can do something about it. Stop posting about the problems of AAP and actually do something about it at your own school. Stop waiting for someone else to deal with the problem or for kids to move out. How would that help you anyway? Bring it up at the PTA meeting and with the principal as a divisive issue you see in the school. Plan a new activity that will include the entire school and will replace this program. I'm sure there are more parents like you who would support a fix. This program has been one of the causes of people rallying against AAP and now asking for the program to be shut down. Take some initiative to fix the problem. We have had some problems like this and have been able to fix them within our own PTA.

You are an idiot. Do you think these things have not been done before? Crikey.

[Anonymous]

So why is it still there? What other PTA activity happens on the weekend of this event?

[Anonymous]

I am a student that goes to Al Fresco. It is a sleep away camp with the AAP students (if they signed up). You get 4-5 Activities you get to do you get 4 on the first full day your there but, you can have one they day you arrive for the morning you leave. Don't worry for pranks, the prankmaster has to approve the prank, and it isn't approved they will have a punishment like no pranks for that day. It is only 4th grade to 6th grade. If your kid doesn't like staying up late this probably is not the camp for them because to tell the truth after lights out we normally go to bed after 12, and the first day the soc-hop doesn't end until 10 and if your in 6th grade you have the sixth grade party which ends at 11. Girls and boys sleep in different cabins with their own cabin leader.

[Anonymous]

I'm the parent of a child in AAP at Keene Mill. I have a younger child that may very well not be in the AAP program (which I will be 100% fine with because I fully believe and teach my children that everyone has their own unique talents, gifts and things they excel in). I'm already fully preparing to organize a camp weekend for general ed. students if the time comes. If my child is in general Ed and asks me why there isn't a camp he can attend the answer that general ed kids can't go wouldn't fly because my child would respond with "why can't YOU help organize it?". I also believe in and teach my kids to take responsibility for things that can be changed. I can't understand why parents would rather put in the effort to shut down the experience instead of putting those efforts toward planning a similar weekend for the general ed kids. The Alfresco planning committee clearly doesn't have a problem sharing details of the program. It's already been mentioned that the camp isn't big enough for all students. Maybe the solution is to have three weekends, one for each grade. I should also point out that the camp isn't widely discussed at school. Not all AAP kids attend the camp so I made sure to tell my child not to discuss the camp in school to make sure no one felt left out (similar to when you receive a bday party invitation but you don't know if the entire class is invited). I was told that no one had talked about it and in fact when I first told my child about it, she had never heard of Al Fresco and I had to explain what it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the parent of a child in AAP at Keene Mill. I have a younger child that may very well not be in the AAP program (which I will be 100% fine with because I fully believe and teach my children that everyone has their own unique talents, gifts and things they excel in). I'm already fully preparing to organize a camp weekend for general ed. students if the time comes. If my child is in general Ed and asks me why there isn't a camp he can attend the answer that general ed kids can't go wouldn't fly because my child would respond with "why can't YOU help organize it?". I also believe in and teach my kids to take responsibility for things that can be changed. I can't understand why parents would rather put in the effort to shut down the experience instead of putting those efforts toward planning a similar weekend for the general ed kids. The Alfresco planning committee clearly doesn't have a problem sharing details of the program. It's already been mentioned that the camp isn't big enough for all students. Maybe the solution is to have three weekends, one for each grade. I should also point out that the camp isn't widely discussed at school. Not all AAP kids attend the camp so I made sure to tell my child not to discuss the camp in school to make sure no one felt left out (similar to when you receive a bday party invitation but you don't know if the entire class is invited). I was told that no one had talked about it and in fact when I first told my child about it, she had never heard of Al Fresco and I had to explain what it was.

Why does AAP and gen ed have to be divided to this extreme? There are clearly kids that matter and kids that don't when a program thqt is so divisive is allowed to continue at one school.

And up until the past year or two, didn't the AAP kids skip school to attend Al Fresco?

It is hard not to be aware of something like this when half the kids were missing school to attend.

[Anonymous]

Why do we have to lower the standards for those who cannot accomplish what other kids can accomplish? It has nothing to do with compassion. What I really believe shows lack of compassion is to fool our kids by making them think that we are all the same. In the real world it doesn't work that way. If it did, then all you have to do at work is cry whenever someone gets promoted instead of me so I can then feel life is nice and fair.

[Anonymous]

PP why lift this thread back up? Are you trying to negotiate down on a house in the school zone? bizarre.

As to the topic though - which i recall from our own house hunt and made me cross off the Keene Mill district from our search - there is just no reason why you'd have a social event that's only for AAP kids. No reason. (DC is in AAP so this is not sour grapes - it's just common decency.)

[Anonymous]

Sigh. I was hoping this thread was restarted to state that this program was finally disbanded or opened up to all. Please don't restart this thread unless there is good news to share that Keen Mill Al Fresco is now open to both gen ed and AAP students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I was hoping this thread was restarted to state that this program was finally disbanded or opened up to all. Please don't restart this thread unless there is good news to share that Keen Mill Al Fresco is now open to both gen ed and AAP students.

Keene amill Al Fresco should just be sixth grade and should include the entire grade, gen ed and AAP.

Promote the school as one school, not a bunch of battling factions of queen bees and everyone else.