School Is Downsizing the Kindergarten Classrooms.....need Advice?????

My oldest son never had a teacher complete a school year until he was in third grade. I'm talking two years of preschool, K, 1st and 2nd. There was either a death in family, sick parent or maternity leave.

He's fine academically. Doesn't remember any of it.

seriously?
she's being 'thrown' into a new classroom?
she's in tears and you're furious because of a dull, typical logistics issue?
what will the two of you do if you ever, gods forbid, encounter a real problem?
khairete
S.

When I started school, I started at one school, then was switched to a school closer to where I lived. I don't know if we were waiting for me to get in (we moved to the city during the summer), or if they realized I was at the wrong one for my street address. In any case, I was a shy quiet little girl, new to the whole area and all the kids were new. So I had to make new friends all over again, get used to a new teacher and a new school after just a few months.

I handled it just fine. And I'm a big time introvert, shy person. I made a lot of great friends I am still good pals with today.

I think your daughter will be fine - if that's any consolation. At our schools here, sometimes kids get moved around during the year. It's not ideal but it happens. Teachers also go off on sick leave (this has happened to my kids 3 times), maternity leave, etc. Kindergarten teachers are typically really good with little kids - helping them to feel welcome and settle in.

It's not like they are doing this to screw the kids over. It must be necessary. So I'd let go of the being furious. I can't remember ever being angry at our kids' schools.

As for helping your child adjust, if she senses you are furious or concerned - she'll pick up on that. Be loving and stable and just tell her she'll do fine. She has to get used to a new teacher every year - kids adjust. She'll have some of the same friends in her class I'm sure. If you're really concerned and your child is that upset - I'd talk to the school, in a non-confrontational way, and ask them for more info. Maybe that will put your mind at ease.

Your daughter has a happy home and loving parents. That's what really matters. She will absolutely be able to handle a switch of teachers. They change teachers yearly as a matter of course; what makes you think a semi-yearly change is going to devastate your daughter?

Throughout your daughter's youth, it will be you who set much of the tone for your daughter's reactions to things. So you need to be upbeat about this. You first need to mirror her emotions, and then you tell her how much fun it's going to be in her new class. "I know you like Ms. Suzie, but you are going to have so much fun in Ms. Mary's class!"

Really, this is a blip in your daughter's life. Much more difficult things will happen to her, and this is the first step in her learning how to cope with change and tough times.

Kids who have never endured any difficulty don't do well when they have to navigate real life as adults.

Sounds life half her class will be going with her, so that will help. Keep it 100% positive and it will teach her resiliency. Having an 8th grader and looking back to kinder, I can say with confidence, that it will be fine. Half my son's class did half day and half did full day and as the former, he had no problems. If anything arises down the road, it most likely won't be because of the switch.

Having the holidays coming is probably the BEST possible scenario. They will do fun activities during the month and she will come back after break a seasoned expert in her new room ready for the new semester.

Your daughter will be fine. It may even be a great thing. My daughter's teacher went out on maternity leave when she was in 1st grade. We ended up loving her new teacher and she had a fantastic year.

My other daughter was in 4yo pre-school. A month or 2 into the school year my daughter's preschool teacher recommended we move her up to the pre-K class since she was already reading and writing. She made new friends and love it. It was such a non event.

I admit though, I saw kindergarten as a place my daughter could make friends, learn to get along with peers and learn to listen and follow directions. I took it upon myself to teach her to read, do easy math etc.
I am having a hard time understanding your anger and fears that this will effect her education even if for just this year.

ETA: I do understand your point about communication and quite frankly I think the switch could wait until the new semester begins in January. There won't be a lot of things to get done 12/5 through Christmas break. It make more sense to me that they would have the switch take effect next semester. Maybe the quick switch is due to some regulations on employment and the teacher who is likely being reassigned?? Good luck.
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Original:
I've not had this experience but I do have classroom experience.

Please know that your child's teachers will be working above and beyond to make the adjustments as smoothly as possible for ALL of the children who are moving into a new room as well as the children who are gaining more classmates.

I don't see how it can hurt your daughter's education or cause her problems if she has not been having problems thus far. The daily schedule and curriculum will remain the same. It is just switching classrooms and teachers.

If you allow your daughter to see how upset you are then she will feed on that and act accordingly. Just go with the flow... she is not being thrown out to the wolves.

You would be amazed at how well the children (and parents) adjust in situations like this.

Please don't worry too much. I know it's easy to get stressed about the unknown, but kids really do adapt quickly.

I have not had this exact experience, but my child had his teacher leave in the middle of the year in K and 1st grade (maternity leaves), which meant new teacher, new teaching style, new disciplinary style, new classroom setup, etc - yes 4 teachers in 2 years. After a short adjustment, he was fine. As far as I know, all the kids were fine. In kindergarten especially, the effect on overall education is small, because if you read and do puzzles with your child at home, she's probably already ahead of the game in terms of reading and math. If not, start doing these things. It's a fun way to build educational enrichment into your child's day.

In general, when I get frustrated with the school, I remind myself that my child's education is as much my responsibility as it is theirs. So, if they do something different from what I think is best for my child's education, instead of driving myself crazy with frustration, I do my best to make up the difference at home.

Children are resilient and will adapt, especially in kindergarten. I am sure the teachers will be considerate of the situation.

I remember in third grade, we were a few weeks into school when some of us were bumped into a new class with a new teacher (higher enrollment than previously predicted, I suspect).... guess what? I LOVED that new teacher. Ms Musfeldt. She was wonderful. When I had to move a month or so later, she took me out to lunch at Wendys (back in the day when teachers could have friendships with kids) and made a point of having some of the kids in my class sign my autograph book.

A piece of advice? I know your feelings are strong, but kids are resilient if we can put our own feelings aside and frame it in the best possible light. Listen, I went to 14 schools (14!) between K and 12th grade. If my mom hadn't been matter-of-fact about it, I might have had a much harder time with it. I suggest that your daughter will come through this fine if you can listen with empathy and help her to focus on some of the good aspects. It's a different classroom in the same building. She'll get to meet some new kids and make some new friends and see some of the other kids at recess. Focus on the positive.

ETA: Just want to include a shout-out to JB and MyNewNickname-- both had excellent points. We parents are not 'helpless' in our children's' education. Get involved, both with PTA and at home. If you are involved, you will also know more a little earlier than you usually do because you will be hearing about proposed/considered changes at meetings.When my son was attending public school, PTA was an important touchstone for me in learning about how the school was actually going in regard to funding/goals and future plans.

This happened with my kid, apparently the enrollment dropped and they had a staff to student ratio that had to be met.
Anyway, my kid enjoyed it even though I was mad. She met a bunch of new friends and there were more people to do things with in class. Kindergarten is more about learning through doing.
Yes they do start reading a little, but that is something we did at home (we only did half days and I worked with her at home in the afternoons. In the big scheme of things, it didn't have a big impact on her future...she's in middle school now.

I would just try to keep it positive...take your daughter in after school to her new classroom and have her show you around and meet her new teacher. Act all delighted at how awesome everything is and point out good things you see. Tell her you know she will love her new class. Point out whatever positive things you can notice about her new teacher. It will be fine...she will adjust quickly. To ease your mind see if you can talk to the teacher later without your daughter and tell her how worried you are and ask her how she will help smooth the transition. (or email her)

more than likely shes got classmates that will make the switch to the new room with her. so she will not be alone, she will see some friends still. tell her its an adventure, and after a few days she will start to get used to new routines. it will get easier.

She will take her cues from you. If you are upset she will be. Just treat it very matter-of-factly. I am sure she will be going with some of her classmates. Kids are very resilient. She will do fine.

It's more stress, drama and kerfuffle than you hoped for for her first year in school.
But, if this had to happen in any grade - kindergarten is probably the best year for this to happen.
Go with the flow and treat this as a grand adventure.
Whether things go smoothly at school or not - just read read READ to her at every opportunity and she'll adjust just fine.

What a lousy thing to have happen! When my kids were 3 and 5, their daycare center abruptly closed and we had only a couple of weeks to find new childcare. I was very worried about how my kids would adjust but they actually did just fine. There will be an adjustment period, but kids are resilient and I'm sure that the teachers and staff will do everything they can to smooth the transition for the kids.

That said...this would prompt me to work to ensure adequate funding for schools. If you're not involved in politics in your community, now would be an excellent time to become more active. We are facing a pretty significant shortfall in school funding next year because the community failed to vote for a tax hike last spring. Hopefully we can get something passed before we're facing the kind of situation you're dealing with.

This happened to me in 3rd grade. Our teacher became ill so they made a 3rd and 4th grade split, which I was put into. It worked out fine. Kids are resilient. If you put a positive spin on it she will probably be alright with the change. I know you're concerned with how quickly this happened but the school may not have had a choice. You didn't mention what happened to the other Kindergarten teacher. Was she sick, did she quit, was she moved to another grade? Sometimes schools have to make snap decisions just like everyone and other businesses have to. Just keep things positive and try to make it exciting. Good luck!

Now is a great time to teach your daughter that things that are out of her control (and yours) change and that she must go with the flow (and so should you).

No one likes change and disruption but it happen all the time. So better to learn how to deal with it than just be frustrated and stubborn towards the new situation. She will handle it however you do. If you tell her that she will be with more of her friends and how great you hear the new teacher is and WOW, a new room to be in - then she will get excited. Make it a new and exciting time for her. Think about all of the fun things she'll be in for in a new classroom. Chances are, she will be fall in line with the changes and forget about the way it was long before you will. It will be her new normal - she'll roll with it. Don't worry.

Things happen. So be it.
You tell your daughter that change is ok and that you know that this new teacher will be as terrific as her other one. You tell her that some people will be upset, but she should be excited for this new adventure.

First of all - I think everything will be fine and, as one post below mentions, December is always a fun month at school with holiday activities so it seems like a nice way to get started in the new room.

But beyond that - *why* are they downsizing? You write about "how quickly they are throwing this at the little ones", but maybe the teacher just told them yesterday that she has to leave the country for a family emergency next week? Do you have any reason to believe that your daughter's current teacher could have stayed on longer, or that the school could have known about this more in advance? Make sure you know the answers to those questions before you decide whether the school really "deserves" your frustration!

As a mom of a 5th and 8th grader, I'd say to be very upbeat around your daughter and talk about how exciting it will be to have a new teacher and new friends in class. It usually helps to keep their positivity up and keep the anxiety down. Listen to her and be patient if she is having trouble with the transition, but know that she will be fine. We have had lots of mid-year changes over the years and it has helped my kids deal with change and raises their confidence to know they can handle it.

I would be furious at the school for the last minute changes and the lack of communication, but please don't let that affect how you talk to your daughter about it.

Reassure her. She's not the only kindergartener being affected by this. Just talk to her about the different changes that might affect her -- new classmates, bigger class, new teacher, new classroom, new rules, etc. But remind her that some things will remain the same -- class/recess/lunch schedule, some classmates, same playground, etc. Answer any questions she may have. Just talking to you about what might happen will probably ease her mind and help her adjust. I'm sure that she will be fine once she gets over her initial anxiety about the unknown and sees that many things will remain the same.

Before I bash the school, what was the reason given? My reaction is going to be based as to the reason why. If the teach had an emergency or something along those lines, I could see how this would be last minute. If it is based on enrollment, this really should have been communicated better with the families.

Maybe they scheduled it this way so the kids could get to know one another before break. Personally, I don't see why they didn't wait until the new year. That said, kids are much more resilient than we give them credit for. You state how awesome this is going to be and your daughter will start thinking that as well. Remember, several of the kids in her current class will be moving as well so she will see familiar faces.

Good luck!

I would be upset as well. Didn't the school create a budget for the year before the school year began? What about the class size? I would be more concerned about that than the teacher. I'm assuming her class size is going to be much larger going from three to two classes. I agree with what others have said about staying positive in front of your daughter, which you mentioned that you are. But I think you should definitely call the principal to get your concerns on the record. I would even go to the Superintendent. In the district I'm in.....believe me, only the "squeaky wheels" are heard.. and if you voice your concerns (and encourage other parents to do the same), then something may come of it. It may not be immediate but they may keep it in mind. As others said, in the grand scheme of things, it may not be a big deal. But I think it can't hurt to get your feeling heard.

I assume this is not a public school because they'd have just brought in another teacher IF this one was let go or quit.

Here are my questions.

**Was this downsizing done for financial reasons? If so did they discuss this in the PTA meetings? Did they do anything to let the parents know this was going on where they could try and find resources to stop this change? I'd find out from the district offices why this happened and what could be done to keep it from happening/if there is any way to keep that teacher.

**What is happening to the previous teacher? Is she being fired? Did she quit? Is she being moved to another classroom? In another school?

**Were the classes full size? For instance, there are laws that determine how many kids can be in one teacher's class depending on age of kids and such. In our town the kindergarten class can have 26, or maybe 28, but they can't go over that in a normal every day sort of circumstance.

Our elementary schools are overflowing. They have full classes in many of the schools. Even if new kids move in they are sent across town to another school because that other school might have one opening. In one family they had moved to our town and when they went to the local elementary school to enroll their kids each child was in a different school throughout the town. The mom and dad both worked and the kids could NOT be transported by bus from the local school to the other schools because the buses were full already. They weren't where they could do private school fees.

They bought their home where in this particular school boundary so their kids would be at the better school. It has a long history of A and A+ score ratings. But found out after they'd moved in that their kids wouldn't be able to go to that school. They finally did get enrolled there the next year but still, one of their kids the next year still had to go to another school. The third year they were all in that neighborhood school though.

**Were the classes so small in 3 rooms/3 salaries that combining the 3 rooms into 2 rooms they are still under the size limit?

If the new classroom is going to be overcrowded and on the high limit side you parents need to monitor that classroom size frequently. After the holidays they might have new students moving in. Do not let that classroom go over the maximum limit.

I am curious how many kids are in your daughter's current class and how many will be in the new class.

This is odd at this time of the school year. I agree that this is not to the students' benefit. The only reason I can think of downsizing is to save money.

Any time a teacher needed to leave (maternity or any other reason) my kids' school has replaced the teacher. I have heard of combining classes elsewhere, but it was done the first couple of weeks of school.

I think it will be harder on the parents and the new teacher than the kids. I have seen teachers in tears when the get new students transferred. The kids are able to adapt and many have long term substitutes throughout the year.