Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a rather dour assessment of the Lemon Road center in the new AAPAC report:

"When FCPS moved part of the AAP Center from Haycock to Lemon Road the students who were moved were all Providence District students. Consequently, several of the families actually moved so they would be back in Haycock’s attendance area while others decided not to send their children to the Center. Now the Lemon Road Center is far below critical mass of qualified students, which has been identified as 50 per grade at elementary level. This is a possible result when new AAP Centers are opened without considering the factors identified in the AAPAC decision framework."

How important is having a "critical mass" of AAP students, really? It used to be you'd go to school and there might be a "smart class," and that was good enough if you had a kid who wanted to learn and a good teacher.

I think it is important to have a critical mass - for ES, that is defined as 50 kids - or two classrooms. It allows for two AAP teachers, and therefore differing perspectives, on how the teaching should go. They can learn from each other instead of being insular and kings of their own domain.

The problem with the critical mass issue is that the Lemon Road Center only takes in 100% of the kids from Lemon Road, and those who choose to go from Shrevewood or Westgate. So it is the center or the base school - and the base schools do not have critical mass either!

LR averages less than 9 AAP kids, Shrevewood averages 25 per year and Westgate averages 15 per year. If they all went to one school you would barely meet the critical mass minimum but of course some Shrevewood and Westgate kids stay at the base school.

If Shrevewood continues its push to retain more of its kids at the base school for LLIV, it is very conceivable that Shrevewood would have a bigger AAP population than the Center. Shrevewood sent 100% kids - when it did not offer LLIV - then 50% then 25%. Who knows what next year will bring.

I would not be surprised if LR has more 'principal placed' AAP kids from its own student body in order to fill out the Center seats and make itself look viable.

Anonymous wrote:There's a rather dour assessment of the Lemon Road center in the new AAPAC report:

"When FCPS moved part of the AAP Center from Haycock to Lemon Road the students who were moved were all Providence District students. Consequently, several of the families actually moved so they would be back in Haycock’s attendance area while others decided not to send their children to the Center. Now the Lemon Road Center is far below critical mass of qualified students, which has been identified as 50 per grade at elementary level. This is a possible result when new AAP Centers are opened without considering the factors identified in the AAPAC decision framework."

How important is having a "critical mass" of AAP students, really? It used to be you'd go to school and there might be a "smart class," and that was good enough if you had a kid who wanted to learn and a good teacher.

Anonymous wrote:I have kids right now at Lemon Road AAP program -- if you or your kid care for academics more than sports, and you can afford the housing in other AAP centers, try to avoid this school. actually, it would be better for your kid to stay at either Westgate or Shrevewood or other schools which have Level IV program.

Anonymous wrote:What a strange hobby. FCPS even has a website now called Save FCPS schools. Yes, lets let FCPS off the hook since all they have to do is sit back since there are so many well educated people living in NOVA. What a strange way to justify how good FCPS schools are. What do you think about the many school then that are over 50% FARM students. Parents can't solely rely on peer influence anymore.

There was a nice poster who said something about Lemon Road center who was helpful. I think the reason there are few posters is because the center just started two years ago, the school is on the small side, and there just aren't a lot of parents on DCUM from that school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^Lemon Road is a great school. I attended a session with the parents and principal when they first decided to make it a center and found them open, welcoming and very forthcoming about the challenges they faced creating a new center. If my children had been in the boundaries I'd have no problem sending them there. We were actually at another school that (to my disappointment) started it's own center instead.

But given the amount of micro-managing you seem ready to do with teaching styles and curriculum, I'm skeptical that you could be completely happy with any FCPS program. At a certain point you really need to have a little faith in the system and a little faith in your kids. Send them to the school where you think they'll be the happiest overall. With all the growth in the area, boundary changes and suggestions that Local Level IV may replace the AAP center option in some neighborhoods, it's best not to overthink it.

If you are within the Westbriar boundary, that school has always had a good reputation before and after it became a center. There are many other schools that don't have as good a reputation. Since you only attended one night at Lemon Road, I'd like to find out more from parents who actually have kids at the school. You've made your point quite clear.

Good. Hopefully, some parents will find it helpful. I know it is sometimes difficult to listen to parents who have BTDT and already have kids in college. But honestly, none of these are make or break decisions for a bright kid. (Kind of like how getting into the "right" preschool seemed to matter when it really doesn't matter at all).

And no, we're not in Westbriar's catchment area.

Another reason not to post. Your kids are in college. You don't live within the school boundary and your kids never attended this school. You are the one coming off as being too involved and an obnoxious know it all. There is no need for you to respond to a post based on a one night meeting and yet you've commented at least 10 times about nothing. At times I give advice to people who ask for it about their preschoolers, but I never act like their concerns are invalid. I don't know their situation. Yes, in hindsight things may or may not be as important as they seem. I get it. You seem to not give me the benefit of the doubt that FCPS is going downhill in many areas and there are schools that are doing very poorly and have teachers who are checked out. We'd like to get out of ours and I'm trying to find out more about Lemon Road. You are not helping at all and I don't think anyone found your don't worry be happy postings helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^Lemon Road is a great school. I attended a session with the parents and principal when they first decided to make it a center and found them open, welcoming and very forthcoming about the challenges they faced creating a new center. If my children had been in the boundaries I'd have no problem sending them there. We were actually at another school that (to my disappointment) started it's own center instead.

But given the amount of micro-managing you seem ready to do with teaching styles and curriculum, I'm skeptical that you could be completely happy with any FCPS program. At a certain point you really need to have a little faith in the system and a little faith in your kids. Send them to the school where you think they'll be the happiest overall. With all the growth in the area, boundary changes and suggestions that Local Level IV may replace the AAP center option in some neighborhoods, it's best not to overthink it.

If you are within the Westbriar boundary, that school has always had a good reputation before and after it became a center. There are many other schools that don't have as good a reputation. Since you only attended one night at Lemon Road, I'd like to find out more from parents who actually have kids at the school. You've made your point quite clear.

Good. Hopefully, some parents will find it helpful. I know it is sometimes difficult to listen to parents who have BTDT and already have kids in college. But honestly, none of these are make or break decisions for a bright kid. (Kind of like how getting into the "right" preschool seemed to matter when it really doesn't matter at all).

And no, we're not in Westbriar's catchment area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^Lemon Road is a great school. I attended a session with the parents and principal when they first decided to make it a center and found them open, welcoming and very forthcoming about the challenges they faced creating a new center. If my children had been in the boundaries I'd have no problem sending them there. We were actually at another school that (to my disappointment) started it's own center instead.

But given the amount of micro-managing you seem ready to do with teaching styles and curriculum, I'm skeptical that you could be completely happy with any FCPS program. At a certain point you really need to have a little faith in the system and a little faith in your kids. Send them to the school where you think they'll be the happiest overall. With all the growth in the area, boundary changes and suggestions that Local Level IV may replace the AAP center option in some neighborhoods, it's best not to overthink it.

If you are within the Westbriar boundary, that school has always had a good reputation before and after it became a center. There are many other schools that don't have as good a reputation. Since you only attended one night at Lemon Road, I'd like to find out more from parents who actually have kids at the school. You've made your point quite clear.

Anonymous wrote:^^Lemon Road is a great school. I attended a session with the parents and principal when they first decided to make it a center and found them open, welcoming and very forthcoming about the challenges they faced creating a new center. If my children had been in the boundaries I'd have no problem sending them there. We were actually at another school that (to my disappointment) started it's own center instead.

But given the amount of micro-managing you seem ready to do with teaching styles and curriculum, I'm skeptical that you could be completely happy with any FCPS program. At a certain point you really need to have a little faith in the system and a little faith in your kids. Send them to the school where you think they'll be the happiest overall. With all the growth in the area, boundary changes and suggestions that Local Level IV may replace the AAP center option in some neighborhoods, it's best not to overthink it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think of the projects that are given out? Are they well structured? We've noticed some AAP centers are extremely open ended with their projects. As an example, they give an assignment in very vague terms and then expect the kids to be very creative with their presentation. Our child enjoys being challenged but at 3rd grade still needs a bit of structure. Instead of being told to write a paper about a subject and just being given some books, we'd like our child to be given similar examples or a form to fill out as an outline before writing a paper on the subject.

Can anyone answer this question? We are tired of the open ended assignments with no structure. I guess we're looking for an advanced academic program, not a gifted free for all one. How does Lemon Road measure up?

Oh my goodness, you are way to involved. I have no idea what kind of projects my kids did in AAP because even at grade 3, they did them.

You are welcome to be uninvolved and I'm welcome to be involved. There is no right or wrong way to be. There are plenty of parents who choose private school or Mclean or Haycock in order to not have to worry about these things. My child is in an FCPS school where the teachers are checked out. I want to find a new school. And no, not every FCPS school is so great.

EXACTLY! I am in the same positions as PP and am greatly disappointed with the variability of FCPS schools. Unless you live in Mclean or parts of Vienna (which we unfortunately do not) most FCPS elementary schools are glorified daycare centers. At DCs school teacher's barely have
any subject matter expertise which explains the weak, open ended projects that are typically assigned and there is little to no guidance from the teacher(s). Thank goodness for involved parents because no one is really teaching these kids anything substantive!!