is NOT much fun!
When we moved down here, it was in part at least, for the kids to attend a good local school, in an area where we could lay roots. We knew we would not be staying put in our old house, and wanted to try to avoid having to change primary schools when we eventually moved. We didn't look at particular houses for their proximity to schools or anything, and because we moved after the start of the school year I had to take the place offered for preschool - I didn't really have a choice about which one.
Everyone raves about the preschool. The people are nice enough, and the boy doesn't drag his feet too much about going, but truth be told I'm not overly impressed with it. Perhaps I was spoiled by our time at Steiner pre school last year, or perhaps it's just too mainstream for my sensibilities. They really seem to micromanage the kids and get very snippy about things that we wouldn't at home. As well, the activities seem just plain boring to me and I don't see anywhere near the spirit of our last kinder.
Anyway now that we are visiting schools I have a dilemma. I visited the popular school in the area today - the school that the majority of F's preschool feeds into, and I was left feeling very non plussed. It really did nothing for me.
And going through all this it occurred to me that if you don't share the same ideology or values etc with people, then it's kind of pointless getting their opinions on schools because, well, you want different things!
Fortunately there is another school in the area that I have been so far impressed with. It's just a shame that few children from our preschool, if any, tend to go there.
Why oh why can't I be a sheep and just follow the crowd for once in my life?!! I'm not determined to be different - it just always seems to work out that way!
I should add neither school is in real walking distance. I'm looking at 5 mins in the car no matter what so no deciding factors there...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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5 comments:
FWIW, Jack goes to a school that we drive past two other schools to get to. There are only a couple of others from his kinder there and it just hasn't been an issue, by half way through first term he had made lots of new friends and the 'cliqueness' of the parents from the main feeder kinder had worn off and we feel absolutely brilliant about making this choice for him, and the others as well. Well worth the extra bit of travel time to be part of a school that we really feel great about both educationally and ideologically.
Go with your gut for sure... I am so very happy that I did. We're staring down the barrel of the next 12 years there realistically, so in many ways a much bigger decision even than the house!
*hugs*
I had a hard time choosing school too. Our local kindy feeds into many different schools, so there wasn't a clear choice. In the end L goes to a different school than I thought he'd go to and we're really happy with it. Not a lot of kids from kindy went there, but there are some, and when he started anyway, he was the only one from his kindy at the time so it was all new to him regardless. Kids make friends easily for the most part at that age. I love his school for a lot of reasons - there are some things that they do which I don't necessarily agree with in terms of getting the kids cooperation in class etc - but for the most part it's a caring and supportive environment and the good things outweigh the negatives for me. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing for them to be exposed to different ways of doing things anyway, they learn what's acceptable where and what "rules" suit what situation/place. They'll come across that in life too. Sadly it looks like we might end up moving away so we'll be looking all over again :(
We can't walk to his school either, while I'd like to be able to it's just not practical unfortunately.
Hope you can make a decision that you feel good about.
oh absolutely go with what feels right. I too have a closer school to our house and chose the school that felt like I wanted it to. My choice was the one most people liked, but thats not why I wanted it and given the experiences so far I am not dispointed.. I was anxious about kids from F's preschool not going there and ended up that maybe for a few weeks the main preschool (a C& K one next to school) the parents and the kids seemed closer knit, but now Felix has formed new friendships, I am glad I went with what I felt was the right choice
for what it's worth, don't fret too much about whether kids from pre-school are going to the school you like most. From experience, I've noticed the kids rarely remain in friendship groups from kinder once given the smorgasbord of new potential friends to choose from.
if I can shed any light on local schools, feel free to pm me on Rav!
good luck!!
Definitely go with your gut. I sent Liam to a different school than the feeder, and although I've had some hassles, I am still sure I chose a much better school for many reasons. No one from his kinder went there-thoguh oddly enough, his now class teacher did her work placement in his kinder so that was one face he knew LOL. Sienna's's kinder feeds a different school to the one she'll go to (Liam's), but again I am not overly phased, especially as the kids from that kinder will be going to schools all over because ppl do travel to go to this kinder.
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