Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade gifted kid is just being failed by this school system. No differentiation, no peers in their class that I can see, ridiculous low level instruction. Think 2-letter spelling tests. There are tears every night about how terrible school is and how they aren’t learning anything.

Please, any advice? What’s a viable option? Move to Fairfax? I hear AAP is no great thing. Are there any privates that are more challenging? Thanks for any advice or lessons learned.

This seems odd. My now 4th grader definitely came home with more complex spelling lists in third grade. My K kid was the one coming home with 2-3 letter sight word lists. Have you asked the teacher about the curriculum and differentiation?

There is no differentiation. They’ve said there’s differentiation since K but there is not. They say they group gifted kids together but they don’t. I saw the spelling test myself. I’ve given up on any changes internal to the school. The gifted coordinator supposedly gives worksheets to the teachers, but the gifted kids don’t get them and are stuck learning 2-letter words with the kids who can’t read.

So I’m looking for other specific options where I’ll pay to move or pay for private. But I don’t want to move for more of the same!

The gifted coordinator gives worksheets to teachers? That's just, wow. Wow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade gifted kid is just being failed by this school system. No differentiation, no peers in their class that I can see, ridiculous low level instruction. Think 2-letter spelling tests. There are tears every night about how terrible school is and how they aren’t learning anything.

Please, any advice? What’s a viable option? Move to Fairfax? I hear AAP is no great thing. Are there any privates that are more challenging? Thanks for any advice or lessons learned.

This seems odd. My now 4th grader definitely came home with more complex spelling lists in third grade. My K kid was the one coming home with 2-3 letter sight word lists. Have you asked the teacher about the curriculum and differentiation?

There is no differentiation. They’ve said there’s differentiation since K but there is not. They say they group gifted kids together but they don’t. I saw the spelling test myself. I’ve given up on any changes internal to the school. The gifted coordinator supposedly gives worksheets to the teachers, but the gifted kids don’t get them and are stuck learning 2-letter words with the kids who can’t read.

So I’m looking for other specific options where I’ll pay to move or pay for private. But I don’t want to move for more of the same!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read everything. My experience with gifted instruction in APS is that it can be done in very different ways. Sometimes "gifted" kids are clustered together. Sometimes "gifted" kids are the strongest student at a table so they can help the other kids. I wouldn't assume anything just because your student isn't sitting next to other kids you think are "gifted" too.

+1 to the recommendations to supplement and send things for them to do during "free reading" time. Also, have you talked to your principal? The two letter spelling test is weird for third grade.

Oh yeah, the using smart children as free tutors trope: it’s good for them. (Hint it’s been proven it’s detrimental for the smart kids)

I didn't say anything about tutors. I said supplement.

This bit:

Sometimes "gifted" kids are the strongest student at a table so they can help the other kids.

Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t everyone in Arlington think their kid is “gifted”? Lol

APS has enough trouble meeting basic needs of its students, over burdened by special needs and very recent immigrants. “Gifted” services for privileged UMC families is a nice to have.

OP, take your prodigy to the library and sign up for some outschool classes.

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Yes after school enrichment run by parent volunteers in the most educated county in America do well. That’s great.

Showcasing some artists is awesome but the winners are learning skills outside of the collage making APS classes

So they have a nifty newsletter? So is there one per grade or is it one for Kinder thru 5th? We are a gifted family at Taylor, I’ve never seen this, and there have been two of them. Are they just handed out to keep gifted kids entertained or is some instruction and discussion fostered? I have no fault with the teachers or the AAC teacher; they are given an impossible task — but true differentiation is very difficult and not incentivized at APS.

I’m curious, are there metrics that AAP is expected to meet above SOL scores?

We are at Taylor. How many of each class do you think is gifted? 80%?

I mean, just to go further down this rabbit hole. Your kids classmates parents went to Harvard and UVA and blah blah blah. They live in multimillion homes. They have professional moms and dads. Can you imagine thinking your kid is so much smarter than the rest of his or her classmates? I think all of you on here are delusional about your kids abilities relative to this particular peer group. And I have been there a long time and seen the kids. They are challenged but more importantly learning to love learning, learning how to behave socially and not be an a**hat, and learning about all kinds of different things that may interest them throughout life—science with Dr A, music, art, books and more books. Please leave all of you who think your kids are some sort of savant. They aren’t. They are on par with most of the other genius kiddos at that school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Yes after school enrichment run by parent volunteers in the most educated county in America do well. That’s great.

Showcasing some artists is awesome but the winners are learning skills outside of the collage making APS classes

So they have a nifty newsletter? So is there one per grade or is it one for Kinder thru 5th? We are a gifted family at Taylor, I’ve never seen this, and there have been two of them. Are they just handed out to keep gifted kids entertained or is some instruction and discussion fostered? I have no fault with the teachers or the AAC teacher; they are given an impossible task — but true differentiation is very difficult and not incentivized at APS.

I’m curious, are there metrics that AAP is expected to meet above SOL scores?

We are at Taylor. How many of each class do you think is gifted? 80%?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Yes after school enrichment run by parent volunteers in the most educated county in America do well. That’s great.

Showcasing some artists is awesome but the winners are learning skills outside of the collage making APS classes

So they have a nifty newsletter? So is there one per grade or is it one for Kinder thru 5th? We are a gifted family at Taylor, I’ve never seen this, and there have been two of them. Are they just handed out to keep gifted kids entertained or is some instruction and discussion fostered? I have no fault with the teachers or the AAC teacher; they are given an impossible task — but true differentiation is very difficult and not incentivized at APS.

I’m curious, are there metrics that AAP is expected to meet above SOL scores?

We are at Taylor. How many of each class do you think is gifted? 80%?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Yes after school enrichment run by parent volunteers in the most educated county in America do well. That’s great.

Showcasing some artists is awesome but the winners are learning skills outside of the collage making APS classes

So they have a nifty newsletter? So is there one per grade or is it one for Kinder thru 5th? We are a gifted family at Taylor, I’ve never seen this, and there have been two of them. Are they just handed out to keep gifted kids entertained or is some instruction and discussion fostered? I have no fault with the teachers or the AAC teacher; they are given an impossible task — but true differentiation is very difficult and not incentivized at APS.

I’m curious, are there metrics that AAP is expected to meet above SOL scores?

Anonymous wrote:OP: you may want to check these
https://taylor.apsva.us/programsandservices/gifted-services/updates-from-rtg/

Take a look at those Advanced Academics Newsletters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o33ttRdVaN2N2YGaOe6rKkucjIMTvJPu/view?usp=sharing

music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhOJROs22c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsWcNiIoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tc6Ad2BFs

art
https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-announces-the-2024-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-literary-and-visual-arts-contest-winners/
https://www.instagram.com/apsvirginia/p/CnPnSPhO-MF/

I also heard that APS elementary school teams won first place in the Virginia Science Olympiad, defeating teams from FCPS. These may indicate APS does not always fail gifted kids in ES? You may want to reach out to your school to explore available opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read everything. My experience with gifted instruction in APS is that it can be done in very different ways. Sometimes "gifted" kids are clustered together. Sometimes "gifted" kids are the strongest student at a table so they can help the other kids. I wouldn't assume anything just because your student isn't sitting next to other kids you think are "gifted" too.

+1 to the recommendations to supplement and send things for them to do during "free reading" time. Also, have you talked to your principal? The two letter spelling test is weird for third grade.

Oh yeah, the using smart children as free tutors trope: it’s good for them. (Hint it’s been proven it’s detrimental for the smart kids)

I didn't say anything about tutors. I said supplement.

Sometimes "gifted" kids are the strongest student at a table so they can help the other kids.