The Search Begins: Kindergarten

So with our oldest in Pre-K we are starting the great Kindergarten tour this fall. There are so many options - public, charter, magnet, private - and it is all pretty overwhelming. Throw into the mix that I have to go back to work to afford private school and the search takes on a whole new meaning - there are trade-offs to that, especially for the little one who I would feel that I am abandoning.

Oh, and is it fair that I was home with my oldest but not my youngest - can it ever be "even Steven" when you have more than one child?

So it isn't just about how my oldest learns and where she would thrive socially, emotionally and academically, BUT also about cost, and me working, and what the effect would be on the little one. It is a lot of important things wrapped into one and it is already hard to dissect.

So we have our first tours next week of two private schools, one a country day school that would be $17,000/year and one a British primary school that would be $12,000/year. I am looking forward to learning a lot about these approaches.

Our three neighborhood public schools are nascent. One is a K-8 with an Advanced Kindergarten track but overall the school had low CSAP scores last year. Another is a K-5 that had decent CSAP scores and was a Distinguished school. And the third is brand new, without a name, yet to choose programming (but with the potential to be an I.B. or Core Knowledge school) and has yet to move into the building that is currently under construction.

My own primary education was so off of the beaten path that I have a hard time relating to public schools and standardized offerings. I attended a British primary school that also leveraged some Montessori practices for reading and then also had an expeditionary practice where we went on frequent outings and camping trips. So these things all seem familiar and comfortable to me which is why I am probably drawn to these kinds of schools - but are they the best for H.B? What kind of learner is she? Where will she thrive?

I am hoping to find all of that out between now and next March when we have completed the tours, the applications, the tests, the meetings, and the letters that will determine our fate.

Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage.