Choosing a school

I live in Texas too and I can very much relate to the hard choices with regards to school.  I have a 9 year old and a 7 year old who have gone to several diffirent schools already due to our nomadic lifestyle.

 Both of my girls are in a small public school right now and I am glad they are there.  I have to admit that the school is not as diverse as I'd like it to be.  We don't consider it to be all that bad because our family is very diverse and so is the ballet school both girls go to.  The thing we like best about our current elementary school is the feeling of community.  The entire school is a family.  We all know each other and look out for each other and I know that if I am not watching out for my children at any moment someone I know personally is.  We feel like a community more at this school than we ever have before and I never realized how good that could feel.

 As long as your child is getting what they need then you've made the right choice.

It sounds like you have everything in the right place.  My oldest is in first grade now, but I did 'interview' the public and private school here.  I picked the public school for a variety of reasons. 

We are fortunate to have a diverse community, because my family is not blessed with the cultural diversity that you describe.  But, my husband and I lived overseas before children (as did my parents - in Trinidad for awhile!) so we are very committed to raising children with a global perspective. 

Congratulations on making the big decision.  You have a lot to look forward to!  

MIT Mommy

the playground was one of the big selling points for "big-boy school" too... we had to talk it up for months when he transitioned because he'd been in the same daycare since he was 3 months old.

If she can accompany you on a tour, and interact with a teacher or two who might have her in class next year, I'm sure that will raise her comfort level - and yours!

... and she's sorry that she's going to be leaving her school now.  I told her that if she would stop growing like I asked, she could stay in her current school forever! :)

 However, when I told her that she'd be going to school with the neighbourhood kids, that made her very happy.  And yesterday, I drove her by the school playground (which is brand new, thanks to the proceeds of an auction that was organized by the parents), she was sold. :-)

 I do plan on taking her with me on a tour, however.

 K.

Hi Karen -

 We're lucky in that Duncan goes to school in a public Montessori school - he's in Kindergarten and has been there since he was 3. It goes up to 8th grade so I can completely bypass the dreaded middle school question and start worrying about high school. ;) It's also in an urban school district, so we get the benefits of diversity and still have a specialized program that isn't just a catch-all for apathetic kids. But although I love the fact that it's Montessori, I think it's more important that there's an active level of involvement on the part of the parents and an obvious love of learning and teaching from the teachers. That's the best part of his school experience to me. And he seems to thrive in that kind of an environment. It sounds like your local school would be a similar kind of environment for Alex.

Have you asked her about this school at all - or did you take her on the tour with you? What has she been communicating to you about Kindergarten next year?

 Becky

Hi Karen:

I have three kids, 8,6, and 4.  And when I started investigating elementary schools, location was very important to me, as it was to Amber (above.)  i wanted them to be able to walk and come home for lunch.  I wanted them to have and make friends in the community.  Why?

 Because so many kids don't  have that these days.  They're bussed off and away from family for eight hours a day.  And because when I was a kid, I too was within walking distance to school and it meant the world to me - it still conjures up warm memories.

No doubt the academic side is important, but more important I think is a child's need to be challenged and have 'expectations' put on him/her to strive for 'more.'  You can provide that for your child in a variety of extra activities outside of school if need be.

This school my children attend is public, however, it is 'specialized' and was created to compete with private schools.  It is uniformed and children are screened every year based on their academic performance.  No learning disabilities are allowed.  It is very multicultural, in fact, caucasians are a minority (mainly Asians), which I love because my kids are growing up with respect for different cultures and even names - they think Adeolu or Hasmend are as natural to say as Bob or Brian were in my day.  Also, my kids get homework every night - it started in kindergarten. 

In all honesty, the homewwork aspect is a real pain - it interferes with family time and other activities I wish I could put them in outside of school.  But over all, the advantage of the school's location overrides that downfall in my eyes.  And so for now, I choose to keep them there, knowing I can change my mind in future.

Good luck with your hunting - I know it can be stressful, but trust your instincts in the end!  The biggest indicator is the smile on your child's face!

 Delaine Moore

www.iamdivorcednotdead.com ( http://www.iamdivorcednotdead.com/ )

Because a woman's body never lies...

My daughter will be 4 in 2 weeks, so I'm a year away from where you are.  But I have been giving this a lot of thought.  My daughter's been in a couple of preschools, because the first one didn't work out and so my views have changed a lot.  I realized, like you, that I need to focus on my daughter rather than myself.

I was originally considering private school, and then I considered a special stream in public school.  I'm Canadian and our school district offers French immersion and Montessori streams.  These are free but spots are hard to come by and it would be farther away than our local neighbourhood public school.  And then there's the option of our neigbourhood public school.

In the end I've decided to go with our local public school.  We live in a diverse area, which is a plus.  But what I really like is the idea that most of my kid's friends will live nearby.  I think it fosters community in a way that a private school or special stream doesn't.  My daughter loves to walk by the school and point it out to me, telling me that's where she'll go to kindergarten when she's 5.

~ Amber

www.strocel.com ( http://www.strocel.com )