I have 2 kids at Haycock. The work isn't hard at all. One is content with that, the other is begging for more of a challenge. It is not the work that causes the high pressure environment. It's the nutty parents who will do whatever it takes to make sure that their kid is smarter/faster/better than yours and the parents that start TJ prep in 5th grade.

OP, as you can tell by the posts so far, a huge amount of the "culture" at a center depends on the perceptions of the students and parents you ask. How can one school's center be both a "mini-TJ" with high stress AND a place with barely minimal teaching above the curriculum? How can one grade's teachers be both terrible and terrific? Depends on your child's experiences, personality, and whether a little homework seems like a crushing load, or a lot of homework seems like it's reasonable, or whatever. Also depends on what parents bring to the center in terms of their own (sometimes overblown) expectations of what AAP should be. So take whatever is said here with more than a grain of salt.

There was a recent thread about kids "fitting in" at AAP centers and you should search on DCUM for that. Again, because it's DCUM and many posters tend toward snarkiness and potshots at all AAP, everywhere, take the posts with some skepticism. But many parents on that thread said that kids in AAP centers are just like other kids (as someone noted here). My child is in 6th grade in an AAP center and it has been an excellent experience for her -- there are a lot of different kinds of kids (some very academically oriented, others very artistic, some both; some really into extracurriculars in math and science, and some not; some dreamers, some very serious, some class clowns -- like any children their age). Fitting in has never been an issue. But I think we would have had issues if she had stayed at her base school (no Level IV services available there.) Be sure to ask not only whether your kid will fit in at an AAP center but also whether your child will be frustrated and lack challenges if he or she remains at a base school without Level IV.

Anonymous wrote:Remember that AAP last year accepted about 25% of 2nd graders according to posts here.

And it is left to the reader to determine whether to trust data and statistics from an anonymous board on the Internet as compared to data and statistics from FCPS.

Anonymous wrote:Are most students at the AAP Centers, such as Louise Archer, highly gifted, or just moderately gifted and hard workers? One parent mentioned that it is high stress, like a "mini TJ" while another stated that the classwork is just above the basic curriculum. Any feedback on the culture of the center would be appreciated. Thanks.

Remember that AAP last year accepted about 25% of 2nd graders according to posts here. There is no way all those kids are gifted.
Bright, hard working or pushed by parents would be included in the group.

Interesting. I had heard that the new 5th grade AAP teachers at Louise Archer were very good. I believe there are three who are new to the school this year and parents have been quite happy with them.

Most kids at louise archer are just kids. Most are smart, but not brilliant. Some are naturally hard workers, and some are pushed by the parents -- prepping for everything....prepping 1 hr per night for a specific SOL, for example.

But the kids are jut kids. It is not all about academics. The kids don;t sit around debating philosphy.

There are mean girls -- one s that want to isolate other kids, and there are nice girls. THere are good atheletes, and there are uber nerds.

And there are good teachers (3, 4 th grade as a rule) and bad teachers (most of the fifth grade).

It is what you would expect from a good public school, except there is not enough space for anything.

You always have the option to move your DC back to base if not working out. Even kids in TJ have the option to move back to base.

Anonymous wrote:It really depends on the center. I think they each have their own personality. Also, your parenting style plays into it. I think a lot of kids at my DD's center want to go to TJ and a lot of parents are pushing them. My DD is not interested and sort of marches to the beat of her own drummer so it not pressured by that.

Thanks, I'm trying to figure out if DC will fit in next year. Our base school does not have a local level four, so the Center is the only option.

It really depends on the center. I think they each have their own personality. Also, your parenting style plays into it. I think a lot of kids at my DD's center want to go to TJ and a lot of parents are pushing them. My DD is not interested and sort of marches to the beat of her own drummer so it not pressured by that.

Are most students at the AAP Centers, such as Louise Archer, highly gifted, or just moderately gifted and hard workers? One parent mentioned that it is high stress, like a "mini TJ" while another stated that the classwork is just above the basic curriculum. Any feedback on the culture of the center would be appreciated. Thanks.