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Entering Kindergarten September 2017 Parents Chat

  1. Bao

    GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts

    1. Ava
    2. August (2 days before cutoff)
    3. Public
    4. She will ride the bus! She actually started a few weeks ago and loves it.

  2. winniebee

    hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts

    Ty is all registered! They have a parents open house in May and then an interview/asssessment with child at the end of May. Figured out the bus times and all. So strange!!!

  3. Finfan

    persimmon / 1436 posts

    We are all registered and they said "expect to hear from us in late August"! So I guess we do nothing until then. DD was not in the mood for the kindergarten screening at all. I fear we are in for a rough transition.

  4. MamaCate

    pomegranate / 3595 posts

    I didn't see this I until today! This feels like such a big next step--glad we can all figure it out together!

    Here are my answers:
    1. Daughter A
    2. December baby
    3. Open enrollment to a nearby public district.
    4. Goal is we pick up/drop off by car and avoid after care but it is an option on site.

    I am thankful we got into this school via open enrollment as it has a Spanish immersion program. Their K program is only half day so we are also paying for a slot in the afternoon program, which we also got into.

    This decision has been a huge source of stress over the last month so I am so glad to have it decided! And I feel excited about where she will be.

  5. JessyMess

    grape / 99 posts

    Update: We were wait listed for all but one of the schools we applied to, so we accepted an invitation to a charter Montessori school! I'm excited and relieved to know for sure where he's going, and we have a few neighbors that we'll know at the bus stop.

  6. KayKay

    pear / 1961 posts

    We also made our decision! Going to send K to the neighborhood catholic school for kinder! We were considering staying at the Montessori preschool she is currently at but decided that socially it'd be easier to make the move when everyone else does. Not only will she just start knowing/not knowing logistics and people (just like everyone else!) but they also have some orientation days, a kinder garden party in the summer, and a couple other events to make their transition easier. I am still sad she won't get to take advantage of the Montessori curriculum and freedom for one more year, but I think this is ultimately the right choice based on her personality...and academically either would be a good option!

  7. sooz

    apricot / 307 posts

    My answers:
    1. Son J
    2. May baby
    3. Public
    4. Walk

    We had our registration back in early February. The school district that we live in is very good (18 kids max per class), so they're very strict about showing proof of residency (4 different types). We're already scheduled for an Welcome Meeting in April and then a Open House in May.

  8. cascademom

    coconut / 8861 posts

    1) DS #1
    2) late August 2012
    3) public
    4) probably school bus, then us pick up for after care either at the school or bussed to brother's daycare

    He just got registered last week.

  9. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    1) Ethan
    2) May
    3) Public
    4) Probably bus. DH and I are trying to flex our schedules so that we don't have to pay for before or after care, but the bus will drop off at daycare if necessary.

    He's in the district 4k program now, so we don't have to register. The public elementary school we're zoned to is excellent, but the middle school is terrible. I know it's a long way away, but I'm worried we might need to look into other options as he gets older.

  10. T-Mom

    honeydew / 7488 posts

    1) Son E
    2) September 2011
    3) Private (Montessori Kinder)
    4) Car rider

  11. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    @kiddosc: were also trying to figure out how to avoid daycare! We have another baby on the way, so if we have to pay for before/after care, it makes the cost so much more! The school hours are 8:30-2:30. The bus will likely pick him up around 7:45-8, and I can make that work with my work schedule. But we haven't figured out drop off which will be around 3.. it's just a little too early for both of us.
    If he did after care, he'd be in daycare with his brother and we love that idea. But it's a flat rate for school kids- even if we'd only need him there for 1-2 hours!
    @JessyMess: ah that sounds like such a crazy process!! Glad you got it figured out and know where he's going!

    We also picked a school and feel very at peace with it all. The school seems so great. The info night was great, we met the principal and my son actually adored him and asked him to be his teacher 😂 It was so cute.
    The registration stuff starts in march (we just submitted the intent to enroll for now), and then final bussing and class assignments aren't until August.

  12. T.H.O.U.

    wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: Thats crazy they would charge a full day for a school age kid that would only be there for 1-2 hours a day! Besides the daycare are there other after school options?

  13. looch

    wonderful pear / 26210 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: Did you ask if there is an afterschool program at the school?

  14. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: It's the same for us. The bus comes right at 8 and I can probably swing that with my work schedule, but it drops off around 4:15. DH could transfer home in the middle of every work day and finish the day working from home so he can meet the bus, but he doesn't have the flexibility to shift his hours completely. I can see that getting inconvenient really fast, and he often gets caught up in projects and I'm not sure I trust that DH would always reliably be there. We would only need about 1.5 hours of aftercare each day if he goes to daycare though and they also charge a flat weekly fee, which is half of what we pay now for 5 full days a week!

  15. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    @T.H.O.U.: well it's not a full day charge, it's a flat fee for all school age kids whether it's before and after school, or just one. It's not even astronomical, but when tacked onto an infant daycare price- it'd just be nice to find a way to save the extra few hundred a month!
    @looch: they do have an after school program that would save us about $120/month. The issue is that the school is actually twenty minutes from home in the opposite direction of where I work. I wish the school were a little bit closer. These crazy Midwest towns span many miles, sometimes.

  16. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    @kiddosc: yeah I know the feeling. Some days I am so busy and work really late and other days I can swing coming home a little early. It's so hard to know how the day will go. I also end up playing catch up quite a bit at home- but I hate doing that around my kid(s).

  17. looch

    wonderful pear / 26210 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: haha, I know all about that, things being all over the place. I hope you find something!

  18. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: I really think we're going to end up just having to pay for aftercare. He's gone to this daycare for years and baby sister is there too. It would have been nice to save the money though. We were looking for some relief from the two in full time care situation we've got going now!

  19. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    @looch: yeah it's crazy! The principal was actually saying that because of district lines, there are kids within the district who live 45 minutes from the school, but are within the district lines and get picked up by the bus... but families could live five minutes away in the bordering district and not have a bussing option for this school.
    @kiddosc: absolutely!! We were hoping that having kids five years apart would help alleviate that financial burden for us too!

  20. SeptMomma12

    pear / 1849 posts

    1) Child's name: Son C
    2) Birth month: September
    3) Type of school: Private. Our day care offers full-day Kindergarten, so we're keeping him there. Since he's right on the cut-off and holding back kids born after June has become the "norm" around us, he'll probably do public K the following year.
    4) What method of transportation: Car (no change!)

  21. LulaBee

    pear / 1837 posts

    1) Daughter E
    2) August 1
    3) public magnet school (there is a lottery to get in, but we go to a childcare center affiliated with it, so she was guaranteed a spot). There is another magnet school (that I went to) that also has a lottery but we didn't get in. Will keep trying for that school.
    4) car rider for life (there was a deadly school bus crash in my city last year and I don't think I can ever put her on one).

  22. jmarionsmith

    nectarine / 2132 posts

    How are everyone's LOs feeling about starting Kindergarten? My LO is very anxious and nervous. This is pretty par for the course for him when it comes to starting new things, and I know he will adjust once he has a friend or two and gets to know his teacher but I wish he were more open to trying new things. It breaks my heart how worked up he can make himself.

  23. JennyD

    clementine / 990 posts

    @jmarionsmith: my friend's son is also very anxious already. It has never occurred to my LO to be anxious. I'm so glad. I was a born worrier.

    We've been watching a lot of Gilmore Girls lately and DD thinks kindergarten will be like Yale 😆

  24. bhbee

    cantaloupe / 6085 posts

    @jmarionsmith: mine will be anxious about it when it comes. I think the long Day worries her as she doesn't like to be away from me still. It helps our local school does a program to get kids used to the school - one hour each for three mornings in the spring, they get to meet teachers and principal and get a special shirt, etc. First time was gym and science and this last time was reading, art and music. It's been nice for both of us, I'm a little overwhelmed by the school too - much bigger than where I grew up!

  25. Andrea

    GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts

    DD2 seemed worried for a bit, but she's really turned a corner and is really excited now. I am sure it helps that she's already familiar with the school since big sis is there.

  26. KayKay

    pear / 1961 posts

    DD is "mostly excited, but a little bit nervous" (in her own words! ha). When I told her she wasn't staying at her current school, she burst into sobs, saying "but i love mr X! he's my favorite teacher ever!" sooooo, yeah. But since then, I have been showing her the pictures that her new school posts on their fb page, telling her how they have Donuts With Dads and Muffins With Mom, etc etc, and now she seems pretty excited!

    Our school also does a Kinder-Garden Party next month where the kids come for an hour to see the classrooms, meet the teachers/friends, and ride the bus around the block

  27. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    So far he's pretty excited about it. But I think he thinks that all of his friends from daycare/4k are going to be there. I've tried to explain to him that it will be a new building, teacher, friends but he keeps talking about playing with kids he already knows. I think some of the kids he already knows will be at his school though, so that should help.

  28. SugarplumsMom

    bananas / 9227 posts

    I just wanted to say that I'm following. DD was born on the same year as most of your LOs but school starts 1 year later here. I can't believe how big they've grown

  29. katsupgirl

    nectarine / 2280 posts

    Just got our public school letter. Wait-listed for every school we put down and accepted into the zone school we didn't list. Nonsense!

  30. MamaCate

    pomegranate / 3595 posts

    @katsupgirl: oh no! So what does that mean for you? Will you go to the zones school?

  31. katsupgirl

    nectarine / 2280 posts

    @MamaCate: it's super frustrating but not dire. We have an application in to a private school and we are waiting on G & T results. I'm annoyed that they placed us in a school I didn't list. I would've gotten the same offer even if I didn't fill out an application.

  32. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    I've seen that several of you have talked about testing and I'm wondering how common pre-kindergarten testing is. Our district doesn't do any testing to my knowledge, but we're enrolled in a district 4k program where they do occasional skills assessments. I wonder if we weren't in the 4k program if we'd have to do testing.

    For those of you doing testing, are you enrolling in local public schools, or in another option? Are schools using the testing to select students?

  33. katsupgirl

    nectarine / 2280 posts

    @kiddosc: the public school system has a gifted and talented program. They select students based on a test.

  34. KT326

    pomegranate / 3438 posts

    @kiddosc: we are going to public school and in august we will have a kindergarten assessment done. I think it's mostly to see what class to put him in. Our preschool also does assessments twice a year. We just had our second one so now we know what to work on before kinder starts.

  35. kiddosc

    grapefruit / 4278 posts

    @KT326: Do they separate classes based on ability?

    @katsupgirl: I'm just surprised they would begin to fast track certain students so early. Is G&T testing available later as well?

  36. KT326

    pomegranate / 3438 posts

    @kiddosc: I'm not exactly sure how it is done. We will get more information next month.

  37. katsupgirl

    nectarine / 2280 posts

    @kiddosc: you test for K and 1. After that you are pretty stuck until middle school (6th grade).

  38. MamaCate

    pomegranate / 3595 posts

    @kiddosc: the school we chose is a local public one. They do not don't do entrance testing and don't test for gifted until 3rd grade. The local parochial school we looked at did so entrance testing but it seemed pretty age appropriate.

  39. Freckles

    honeydew / 7444 posts

    A little late to the game, but i finally sent in the registration forms for DD. We are moving across the country for 1 year so we decided to put her in a Montessori school.

    1) N
    2) April
    3) Private Montessori
    4) Walk

  40. mediagirl

    hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

    1) Child's name: M
    2) Birth month: June
    3) Type of school: Public, base school or Charter (got into Charter, not sure we will accept)
    4) What method of transportation? Us (before/after care is needed)

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