Anonymous wrote:Oh boy... these Asian kids..

Can there be one thread that doesn't somehow turn into an Asian thread? Give it a rest.

Oh boy... these Asian kids..

I thought the AAP kids were abused because their parents wouldn't let them play sports and made them into nerds. Now they are bullies and the poor athletes are picked on...... Sheesh...

NP here. What parents are describing is completely inverse to my experience in a GT magnet 25 years ago, so it's surprising to hear. In the 80s, it was the GT kids who were hounded in the hallways and bullied in specials, lunch, and recess by kids not in the magnet program. I wouldn't tolerate that behavior from my kids in either direction and would definitely want to know about it, it's just surprising to me to hear that it goes in the other direction now (or maybe only in some communities).

DC is a gen ed student at an AAP center school. DC has friends in the program, but we still deal with the children who think they are somehow "better" than the gen ed. I don't 100% blame them. Their parents and the school are always telling them how smart and great they are at school. This builds big egos that are put on display at school. We have had to work hard to stay included in the academic extras. They seem to put out a lot of the info in the AAP classes, and the AAP curently/former moms mostly run the programs.

Our school is an AAP center. My oldest is in AAP, and one of her best friends is not. It doesn't matter, though. Our school does a great job mingling the AAP and Gen. Ed. students. However, I think there is a perception among some AAP parents that their kids are better; however, that mentality is found everywhere, not just in schools.

PP, I think that's true only if the school allows it or, in some cases, fosters it.

Anonymous wrote:If those kids weren't in AAP, they would probably behave the same way with other stuff.

Nonsense. The AAP label makes them feel like they have free license to treat others poorly.

Agree, PP. There are some jerk kids out there. There's teasing based on sports and many other things.

If those kids weren't in AAP, they would probably behave the same way with other stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schools that don't mix the AAP and Gen Ed do a huge disservice to school unity and to both populations. There is no reason why they can't be in specials, lunch, recess, etc. The kids should see themselves as one school not 2 programs.

Which are these schools you mention that don't mix AAP and general ed in specials, lunch, and recess? I am not aware that any FCPS elementary school isolates its AAP students for those classes -- or for band or orchestra, which also are specials.

According to my child at Haycock, the only thing they are mixed for is band, strings or chorus. He does not know any of the Gen Ed kids (came to school in 3rd grade for the center). Apparently, they are together for 5 minutes of recess. Maybe it's not true, but that's what my sons says.

This is exactly why the AAP program at the school needs to have more balance with the gen ed. The AAP is huge, and was starting to solely define the school. The school board took the right action to lower the AAP population.

Perhaps that is true, but certainly the administration could mix the kids in PE, art and the activities like plays, etc. Also, the "balance" argument doesn't hold that much water considering 40% of AAP is from Haycock anyway. Those kids should already know the Gen Ed kids and presumably would continue to be friends with them if they had an opportunity to see them rather than being hothoused. If they were mixed throughout the day, it wouldn't be as obvious that they are "different programs" as my DC says. There are ways to have both groups of kids i one school without making it such a have/have not situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schools that don't mix the AAP and Gen Ed do a huge disservice to school unity and to both populations. There is no reason why they can't be in specials, lunch, recess, etc. The kids should see themselves as one school not 2 programs.

Which are these schools you mention that don't mix AAP and general ed in specials, lunch, and recess? I am not aware that any FCPS elementary school isolates its AAP students for those classes -- or for band or orchestra, which also are specials.

According to my child at Haycock, the only thing they are mixed for is band, strings or chorus. He does not know any of the Gen Ed kids (came to school in 3rd grade for the center). Apparently, they are together for 5 minutes of recess. Maybe it's not true, but that's what my sons says.

This is exactly why the AAP program at the school needs to have more balance with the gen ed. The AAP is huge, and was starting to solely define the school. The school board took the right action to lower the AAP population.

Agree with 21:10. Happens way more often than the AAP parents will admit.

Anonymous wrote:My son gets picked for being a nerd, with glasses and for being a vegetarian. If the kid who bullies my son is going to be proud of not being like my son, I wont be so silly to go and complain to school regarding the incident. I would make my son mentally stronger and boost his confidence and teach him to face this kind of situation.

I am surprised that parents take time to go and complain on such silly matters.

This would have surprised me, too, a few years ago, but I have since learned that there are parents who will complain to the teacher about just about anything their child comes home and tells them. And, sometimes, they really ought to talk to the child first and get the whole story.

I'm not really sure how some of these kids will learn to deal with others on their own someday if Mom and Dad go to the teacher every time the child is unhappy with some other child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schools that don't mix the AAP and Gen Ed do a huge disservice to school unity and to both populations. There is no reason why they can't be in specials, lunch, recess, etc. The kids should see themselves as one school not 2 programs.

Which are these schools you mention that don't mix AAP and general ed in specials, lunch, and recess? I am not aware that any FCPS elementary school isolates its AAP students for those classes -- or for band or orchestra, which also are specials.

According to my child at Haycock, the only thing they are mixed for is band, strings or chorus. He does not know any of the Gen Ed kids (came to school in 3rd grade for the center). Apparently, they are together for 5 minutes of recess. Maybe it's not true, but that's what my sons says.