Anonymous
09/12/2025 21:39
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.
One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.
At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.
Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.
ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.
Demographics HAVE changed due to increased focus on getting more VPI kids in the school.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 21:38
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.
One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.
At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.
Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.
ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.
Wrong.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 21:24
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
We were around 15 for first grade and got in. It was near the end of the school year, so there's that, but there is movement.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 21:18
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.
One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.
At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.
Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.
ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 20:34
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:Another benefit of homework is more practice. For elementary curriculum, more practice is helpful partly because many schools do not have the time for kids to practice during the school day.
Homework particularly helps bright disadvantaged students, whose parents are not in a position to supplement at home and who cannot afford after school commercial tutoring centers.
+1
Also, a sense of responsibility. Good habits.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 19:56
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Another benefit of homework is more practice. For elementary curriculum, more practice is helpful partly because many schools do not have the time for kids to practice during the school day.
Homework particularly helps bright disadvantaged students, whose parents are not in a position to supplement at home and who cannot afford after school commercial tutoring centers.
Homework particularly helps bright disadvantaged students, whose parents are not in a position to supplement at home and who cannot afford after school commercial tutoring centers.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 12:28
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.
One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.
At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.
Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.
One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.
At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.
Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.
Anonymous
09/12/2025 10:29
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
ATS ipads are at a docking station and not at their desks. And they don't come home. Some APS schools do this but it should be the norm in elementary.
Anonymous
09/11/2025 17:46
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:No one leaves ATS unless they move.
ATS parent here. We have students leaving all the time. Lots of families leaving the area and some families just don’t feel like ATS is a good fit. My daughter is in 5th grade and a new student just joined her class a week ago. It never hurts to apply every year OP.
Anonymous
09/11/2025 16:17
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
I think seats open up in 3rd or 4th grade, meaning that the max number of seats in the classroom expands so they let in 3-6 kids.
Anonymous
09/11/2025 14:48
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:We moved late to Arlington so I was late to putting my son on the waitlist for kindergarten. He is #90 so not getting in this year. He is attending Innovation and is enjoying it. If we apply next year, are chances pretty slim for first grade? I saw that this year there were 0 open seats. I really want him to attend ATS, especially because he is academically strong. His current teacher already said he is at first grade level so I want him to be challenged.
It’s harder to get in after kindergarten but since it’s a lottery you might as well apply.
Anonymous
09/11/2025 11:42
Subject: Arlington Traditional School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Supplement with what? Can you please elaborate?
This thread has lots of ideas for supplementing. For a 5 yo, I do NOT recommend extra worksheets as the best way to supplement. It’s a great age for hands-on learning.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1288827.page
seriously, grow a garden. do science experiments.
The only thing ATS does in these early years that's different from the other ES is they double down on literacy, meaning they spend double the time on literacy. Maybe have kid read out loud to you and you read to them. Have them write things like thank you notes. It doesn't have to be crazy. In the early years, those kids who can already read in K, and do simple math, like mine, would get reading and math "push ins" with the gifted teacher. Maybe your school will do that too.