We loved LAES until last year. No experience with Wolftrap so I can’t compare. But - LAES is sadly changing almost all the things that made them unique, like no more 6th grade play, no more overnight trip to Camp Highroads, no Louise Archer Day, no Health Fair or Probability Fair, reduced field trips, and they’ve lost the community vibe where kids felt like they belonged. Also, the 5th grade AAP teachers are appallingly cruel and the admin does nothing about it. Unfortunately that situation with the 5th grade teachers has existed for years.

Is the principal at Wolftrap any better than the previous one? She was very popular as a teacher there. We felt the old principal as well as FCPS were the main problems with the school. So glad dont have to deal with her at Thoreau. Love Kilmer and the principal there. Why would anyone want to deal with Thoreau if they don't have to? Most of the LAES kids go to Jackson anyway. LAES tended to do their own thing out of eye of Gatehouse and FCPS didn't care because they were doing well. That can change though depending on the teacher and policy. More traditional type schooling and harder assignments was how it looked like to me. Things change from year to year. Both schools have positives and negatives.

More homework? Lol

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t be jealous downhill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

Sounds like a typical parent from Wolftrap ES

Nice, but I'll counter by saying that the academics at Wolftrap leave something to be desired. No homework assignments, even in AAP classes. Almost nonexistent STEM, no math or science Olympiad, very poor preparation for middle school. Though they did finally beat LA at tonight's volleyball game. Yay?

Everyone loves LA

Anonymous wrote:Don’t be jealous downhill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

Sounds like a typical parent from Wolftrap ES

Nice, but I'll counter by saying that the academics at Wolftrap leave something to be desired. No homework assignments, even in AAP classes. Almost nonexistent STEM, no math or science Olympiad, very poor preparation for middle school. Though they did finally beat LA at tonight's volleyball game. Yay?

Don’t be jealous downhill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

Sounds like a typical parent from Wolftrap ES

lol. Too funny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

I find the assignments given at Wolftrap in AAP so much easier than what is given at Archer n AAP. Does anyone else agree? And I think there is more time given to science and social studies at Archer because they don't have the language program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What made you choose wolftrap over louise archer?

This can be a long answer but in short, we didn't see difference in quality of instruction (we actually liked the Wolftrap teachers better), and LA environment was more competitive/high-pressure, which we didn't think was helpful. Plus, for a Wolftrap family, the logisitc issues mentioned above are non-trivial (distance, having to go to Kilmer for MS vs Thoreau, SACC, etc.) French at LA was a plus (vs the Chinese at Wolftrap), but not big enough to prevail. Bottom line, had we felt a real difference in instructional quality, we would have continued with LA despite the other factors.

I can completely understand the Kilmer vs Thoreau part if your child is going to Marshall. If Madison, Kilmer would be a new world of friends that predominantly (80%) go to Marshall.

Anonymous wrote:What made you choose wolftrap over louise archer?

This can be a long answer but in short, we didn't see difference in quality of instruction (we actually liked the Wolftrap teachers better), and LA environment was more competitive/high-pressure, which we didn't think was helpful. Plus, for a Wolftrap family, the logisitc issues mentioned above are non-trivial (distance, having to go to Kilmer for MS vs Thoreau, SACC, etc.) French at LA was a plus (vs the Chinese at Wolftrap), but not big enough to prevail. Bottom line, had we felt a real difference in instructional quality, we would have continued with LA despite the other factors.

What made you choose wolftrap over louise archer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The community is awesome at LAES. I find Wolftrap to be really snobby with lots of bratty entitled kids personally.

Just swap LAES for Wolftrap in your statements!

Mom who had experience with both LA and W. The AAP LA students tend to be overly anxious and extremely impressed with themselves. Same could be said of their parents.

This was our experience as well. For our last child, we are staying put at Wolftrap. Overall has been a great experience, strong group of teachers, excellent after-school program. PTA doesn’t “constantly ask for money”. They have their Friends of Wolftrap and then a 5k, which every other ES in the area does too. I volunteer for one of the PTA-run programs, and the parents I work with there have all been great. I don’t mingle with the rest of the PTA so they don’t bother me. Kids are a typical mix that you’d find in any area school, no more or less clique-ish than others I see at my friends’ schools in Great Falls, Vienna, or Mclean.

Louise Archer is my recommendation. PTA at Wolftrap is overly aggressive always asking for more money. Principal's/AAP teachers are a bit more experience at LA. I think the quality and attention for development is a bit more focused at LA. The technologies installed at Wolftrap facilities might be a bit more advanced with its CL lab. Both are great schools, but if I had a choice, LA wins. Depends if your child can adjust to a new environment and socialize. If the child has anxiety about new places/teachers/friends, then maybe staying at the local AAP is better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had read this thread before- Wolftrap was the I'd say generally the worst experience we had. Admin/teachers - some are good- just a snotty for nothing school. The kids and parents are alike- entitled bully jerks.Louise Archer was such a fantastic experience for our 3 kids. There are kids that are clicky and mean in each school but Wolftrap was the worst. Between the administration, parents and kids- it was full on bullying and clicking/shutting people out.

Clique. The word you want is clique.


clique
/kl?k,klik/
noun
a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

I certainly hope your brilliant AAP Louise Archer kids know the correct spelling of clique.

Sounds like a typical parent from Wolftrap ES

Anonymous wrote:The community is awesome at LAES. I find Wolftrap to be really snobby with lots of bratty entitled kids personally.

Just swap LAES for Wolftrap in your statements!

Mom who had experience with both LA and W. The AAP LA students tend to be overly anxious and extremely impressed with themselves. Same could be said of their parents.