Changing Schools

[scrub-jay]

It seems my sil had to take my niece to the health department for a check before she could return to school. This was about 10 years ago though.

From a public health standpoint, many health departments now consider them to be a nuisance, not a public health threat because they are not shown to carry disease. This is also true of bed bugs. Additionally, the louse-free but not nit-free requirement to return to school is also reflected in health department school standards.


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[peggyfromwastate]

She's already at the party, I told her not to mention it but you know how kids are. I checked her right before she left and didn't see anything.

Just got out of her parent teacher conference and it's just clouded my school decision even more. Her teacher talked on and on about what a delight she is to have in class, how she's always contributing, seems happy and is about the middle of the class educationally so far.

I don't know what we'll do, UGH!!

I think you will have to make the decision based on what philosophy you want more--- so look at the admin, the principal, the schools emphasis on testing, outside field trips, openness to parent volunteers, fund raising drives, etc. The individual teachers--- some years you get a winner, other years you don't. No school has awesome teachers for every classroom, plus an awesome teacher to one kid might be a terrible teacher to another....

I don't know. My dd5 often says she doesn't like school, etc. She gets frustrated, bored, tired... We don't have another option for now, and it's fine. She's only getting part of her education at school anyway..... I do like her teacher, and I like my sons teacher this year, but his teacher last year was horrible. I do like the principal at this school and I think that they do a decent job of balancing testing with other "learning"---- as well as a public school can do.

When do you need to make the decision?

[SuzySunshine]

Assuming we get spots at both of the private schools we are looking at I think we'll have to decide in January/February. We are looking at the one A was supposed to visit today as well as another private school that was recommended to us by a family that goes to the other private one. The 2nd has a religious aspect so that would be good because she does like the religious aspect of the school she is at now. I'm also just realizing that there is another private catholic school we could consider - off to look into their options.

I just think the testing is to much of an emphasis for the early grades at the current school, we spent at least half of our 15 minute conference with her telling me about the testing, results, etc.

[PrincessFiona]

Testing is just a big part of school anymore. :/ This year at conferences, the teachers presented the conferences on laptops complete with graphs. It was weird.

Good luck with your search. I know it's hard.

Sorry about the lice!

Kris

[SuzySunshine]

No more signs of the lice - I've checked her probably a dozen times since we treated it yesterday, she's getting pretty sick of it.

[peggyfromwastate]

Testing is just a big part of school anymore. :/ This year at conferences, the teachers presented the conferences on laptops complete with graphs. It was weird.

Good luck with your search. I know it's hard.

Sorry about the lice!

Kris

Same here kris-- at dd5s conference all her kindergarten data was compiled on a web based form that she had to add comments to, a plan of action for improvement (like j needs to play with more people). This gets emailed to me, and added to her "permanent record". Sigh. The conference took way way too long. I felt like I was at the doctor's having all my info inputed.

[PrincessFiona]

Same here, Peggy. I really didn't get as much out of the conferences. It was all about looking at the testing graphs etc. I had to force a conversation about how Zoe was doing regarding making friends/her anxiety etc. From my perspective, they could have emailed me the reports and let me just stay home.

[SuzySunshine]

So the K moms of our school had coffee this morning, about 20ish showed up but what I thought was interesting was we got to talking about teachers. A mom whose daughter is in the other full day class asked me if I had talked to the principal when I told her that A didn't like her teacher. My response was, no - what is she going to do? School has been in session for a quarter, surely they wouldn't mover her at this point?? The mom said, I don't know if they would or not but you won't know until you ask and I think you have to be a squeaky wheel for your kids.

I've been asking A a lot of questions since I got back from our trip - and her responses pretty much come back to the fact that she doesn't like her teacher, she likes the other 2 K teachers, granted she only sees the other two in short situations but I've been told by several moms today that both of the others are more nurturing, hug their kids, etc. Her current teacher would NEVER hug a kid, I'm pretty positive of that. She's not a bad lady, I enjoy chatting with her when I volunteer she's just not the nurturing/loving/caring teacher I think K's need. Heck, I had a nun for K and I still remember her fondly.

So what do I do? Do I go to the principal? Do I tell her we're looking at other options because we don't think the school is a good fit for A? I'm starting to think that might not be the case, I'm starting to think that the teacher is really clouding her experience. She is doing GREAT in math, LOVES it - is excelling on all of her math worksheets. Reading is taking longer, sight words are harder for her - she's sounding them out rather then memorizing them, they have now been split up into reading groups and she has the 1/2 day teacher for that. She loves that.

She also LOVES the religious part of school, I think I have mentioned that before which I find really interesting because while we try to go to church every weekend, it really ends up being about 3 of 5, we're not that strong in it at home. We say grace before meals but we don't pray together, etc otherwise that often.

UGH! I don't know what to do!! And DH is really no help, he's really leaving this all up to me which is frustrating as well. I'm not sure I'm ready to be the one that says we're going to spend $25K/year to send the kids to the uber expensive private school on my own especially since I don't think we're saving enough for retirement as it is. We just finished our year of planning with our planner, got all of our insurance, etc into place and I don't think there is enough there for retirement even though they say there is - that private school tuition would make a huge difference but I keep telling myself I can't look at it that way.

UGH!

[Vishenka69]

I don't have much advice but have been avidly following this thread as we have a very similar situation with DD this year. And our reasoning is very similar to yours too. Wish I could help you decide.

[SuzySunshine]

So I went and toured option #2 today, I liked it, a lot. Its very similar in theory to the more expensive school and it has a religious aspect. Its Episcopalian but about 40% of their students are catholic. Its also 40% cheaper then the other one and sends a large number of their graduates (stops at 8th grade) to the more expensive school for high school as well as the 3 catholic high schools.

A has her visit at school #1 on Friday, we'll see...

[SuzySunshine]

So I'm filling out the applications/questionnaires for the more expensive private school - on the early childhood application (for R for pre-k) it asks at what age did your child crawl, walk and talk? The first two I can totally look up but what in the world do I put for talking, what is considered really talking?

[diggitydot]

So I'm filling out the applications/questionnaires for the more expensive private school - on the early childhood application (for R for pre-k) it asks at what age did your child crawl, walk and talk? The first two I can totally look up but what in the world do I put for talking, what is considered really talking?

They probably want first words just to know when they hit developmental milestones.

[SuzySunshine]

And of course he's the poor 2nd child and I didn't keep as careful track of it as A. I'll have to see what I can find. Is dadda considered a first word or something more substantial then that?

[diggitydot]

I think you're overthinking this. Just make something up that sounds about right and call it a day. It's not like they'll know or give a shit.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I think you're overthinking this. Just make something up that sounds about right and call it a day. It's not like they'll know or give a shit.

True! They're not going to audit your home movies


Wife of a PGY-4 Orthopod