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[quote=Anonymous]I recently found out that 8th grade DD eats lunch alone, sitting outside a classroom, every day.  I'm afraid our decision to keep her at her base school, vs sending her to the AAP center is a big part of the reason.  I'm hoping this helps other parents make a better choice for their kid in the future.

Background:

DD was identified for AAP in 2nd grade and offered a spot at the center.  For multiple reasons we decided to stay with base school that does not have a LLIV program, but does have a pull-out program.  Several of her close friends did transfer to the center.

We chose to stay at the base school due to having siblings at the base school, and DD has a late August birthday so is one of the youngest and smallest in her class.  We were worried, ironically, that she would struggle more at the center, being the smallest and youngest (of her friends that went to the center, they were all 6-12 months older than her).

The base school did a good job differentiating- walk to math and pullouts for language arts.  We did a lot of enrichment as a family.  I don't feel that her education suffered by staying at the base school.  She did okay socially at the base school- having known some of the kids since K and having a very good friend in the neighborhood- but was definitely on the periphery of the group.

The school encouraged us to send her to the AAP center for middle school, but we again chose the base school.  This was in discussion with DD, but I don't think she realized that many of her friends from early elementary would be at the center.  I think she thought it would be like going to an entirely new school.  I now think this was a mistake.

Her elementary is a split feeder.  By luck of the draw, most of her closer friends went to another middle school.  She is in the honors classes in middle school and has a few friends, but has not really found a niche.  Unfortunately, the two or three girls she is closest with have a different lunch period.  I will say, we are less impressed with honors classes in middle school than we were with the differentiation in elementary school.

I'm hoping this gets better, as the AAP kids come back for high school, and they can take AP classes together.  If not, we may consider boarding school for 10-12, to give her a chance to start over.   If I had it to do over again, I would have definitely sent DD to the AAP center in middle school for both social and academic reasons.

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