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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For those of you who have sent their kids to Thoreau instead of LJMS, how do you feel? Are your children challenged enough? Are you liking the level of instruction and feel it is adequate? 
We have to make that decision soon and we are at a level IV that I frankly feel has a lot lacking. [/quote]

I feel fine!  Thanks for asking!

We made this choice last year -- and I will admit that we (both parents and our student (DC2)) were influenced in part by the crowding (which now is not so much an issue at LJ) and the facility (LJ was small, decrepit, old and DC2 had been in trailers for 3 of the previous 4 yrs, so being trailer free was a plus at TMS).  We are also Madison pyramid, so it was a little plus to be with more kids who might follow on to HS (but, DC2's 6th grade peers were mostly going to LJ from Oakton pyramid).  Staying with DC2's elem. classmates meant going to LJ.... but connecting with future HS classmates meant going to TMS.  (Sorry to be so confusing).  We have never been pushing for TJ -- so take that into consideration too.   It's not that we thought LJ was necessarily better for launching to TJ, but I'm just putting it out there that we don't care about that or about keeping up with the Jones (or Patels) in chasing after TJ.

I previously had a child at TMS.  DC1 did all honors, not AAP.  DC1 seemed to pretty much breeze through.  Again, that does not mean it was easy or that s/he didn't learn much.... when I saw DC1's notebooks at the end of the year, it was clear that they had covered A LOT of material in different classes.  That said, my child at TMS who is in AAP has notably more homework than my child who had honors.  It is not a crushing amount, but it is more.  I have had contact with a couple of teachers and they have been responsive, but also expect a higher level of engagement and work product than honors classes did.

I have never said a bad word about the quality of instruction in LJ's AAP program.  I think that there is a false narrative going on that one is hard and one is easy.  It's sort of inevitable to compare the two when people have to make a choice.  But, I feel pretty confident in saying that if you choose TMS, you will be happy with the outcome.  Is it the same as LJ?  Who knows.  (actually, DC2's friend's mom would know b/c she had one just finish at LJ and now has 2 at TMS).  Is TMS harder?  Is it easier?  I know it is a decision that feels really big and important, but either way will be fine -- perhaps great!  It's splitting hairs to say LJ is so much more/less ____ than TMS (in regards to the academic results).  There are objective differences.  People can judge you for noting them and having an opinion about them.  Ultimately, you are choosing the environment you want your child to be in for the next two years.  The "environment" includes the academic part, the social part, the emotional part (i.e. do I fit in, do I feel safe, do I feel happy, etc.).

Regarding the comments about buses -- not sure why anyone thinks they are so much earlier for one school or the other.  My neighbor's child decided to go to LJ.  Her bus is about the same time as my child's bus to TMS.  Like minutes apart.  Maybe it is different in some areas, but they are both early -- although not as early as they were the past two years.

LJ and TMS are not carbon copies of each other -- just like elementary school A is similar to, but not exactly the same as elementary school B.  There are different traditions for the PTA and other activities.  There are different needs for the students and different styles for the principals and student services.  But, my child (DC2) is happy at TMS and isn't wondering "what if?".  I think you can make a good decision either way.  You don't have to see LJ as bad to choose TMS.  You don't have to see TMS as inferior to choose LJ.  They can (and are) both good options for the AAP crowd.

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