Hey Moms,
I'm just wondering what others would do in my situation. Right now my 4 year old daughter attends a very small wonderful private school. I am wondering if she should continue at this school until after Kindergarten (it only goes through Kindergarten) or transfer to public Kindergarten.
Reasons why I would like to for her to stay at the private school
I work there (not in Kindergarten, but down the hall)
Low student/ teacher ratio.
Lead teacher has been there for years
Most teachers in the school have been there for a while
Daughter would be in class with several of her friends
Sounds great, right? Now for my dilemma. I am not a public school person, but in my current circumstances I would not be able to pay for private past Kindergarten. So my daughter would start public in first grade. The public school that I really like just became International Baccalaureate certified, but is not in my zone so I would have to apply for an in-district transfer. I have been told that her chances of getting in are better in kindergarten as opposed to first grade. I have to make a fast decision whether or not I want to apply for a transfer this year. Apparently if you put in for a transfer and get in, but don't accept it, you are not allowed to apply for that school again.
My daughter is right where she is supposed to be academically. Writes her name well, knows and writes all her letters, knows her numbers up to 20 and can write most, can read a few words. She listens to instructions. All the normal stuff that most kids know at this age. She is a little shy, especially to the teachers (grown ups in general) and doesn't say much if we are walking down the hall and one talks to her. She will speak to her teachers though if they ask her a question. She plays very well with her friends so she is great socially. However, the teacher I work with keeps saying that she would be better off to stay at the private school for kindergarten because of the way she is (shy, I guess). This same teacher says that I should push her in school, it will only do more harm later on. I don't feel like I'm pushing her in anyway. I just feel like if she is given the chance to attend a really good public school that it will help her later on down the road. Otherwise, there is a chance she doesn't get in to the good public school for first grade and I have to send her to a mediocre school.
So, I guess my question is this....If your son or daughter seems similar to mine, what school would you put him/her in??
If you want her in a particular program at a particular school, then you'd be better off doing it earlier rather than later.
LBC
I say move her now. You don't want to take a chance on her not getting in next year when you will have no choice but to put her in the public school system if you can't afford the private school. Also, there are shy kids everywhere, public school teachers will be able to nuture her as well. Moving her now will also give her more time to build relationships with the children who will be her classmates for the next few years.
I would go ahead and apply for the transfer. If she gets it, move her there for sure. She will start with the same group of kids she will be with for a long time. She will make friends. If she doesn't get it, I would reassess the situation and make a decision then.
i say do it now. she will probably be fine because she will be around kids her age and everything. i think if you did it in first grade it will be harder in general because the kids would already have there "groups" in kindergarten its not as much
I would apply for the IB program and see what happens. You may discover that it isn't a good fit afterall, and chose another program down the road. But you may find it to be wonderful and if she has the best chance of getting in in K, I'd go for it.
You daughter sounds like my daughter (also 4, turning 5 in March, entering K next year). I live in Plano (home of excellent Public schools), and my 8 yr old son is in 2nd grade, thriving in PISD, but I've had concerns about it being the right fit for her, as it is a very traditional academic environment. Nevertheless, it is also an excellent school in an excellent district that we do not need to transfer into, so I'll be putting her in next year. However, it remains to be seen if it is the best fit for her.
I would move her now if you think you want her in the IB program and she will be accepted into that program. I'm an IB grad (I just did high school though, didn't start at kindergarten) and I will tell you it truly is a "private school" experience within the public school system. Good luck!
Personally, I would move her to the school you want her to be in.... if it's like the system in Chicago the reason you have a better chance of getting in at Kindergarten is because there are 28 or whatever spaces. To get in for 1st grade, you have to wait for someone to leave.
If that is the school you want her to go to.... move her now. She will make friends at her new school.
I'd apply for the school you really want and see what happens. It may be worth the sacrifice in the long run. On the other hand, she may not get in and you don't have to worry about it. You can always withdraw, if it's like our charter schools. Another option, if you have them in the area might be looking at the charter schools. Then they are free, but really great in most cases. It's a tough decision. We just went through this all last year. We went with the charter school and love it! GL!
I'm a private school mom (though I never planned on it), but I agree with the other moms. Apply to the IB school and see what happens. Honestly, if you were just talking regular kinder I'd say leave her private for as long as you can and then move her, but this is a different situation. You have to think about what is best for her long term and the IB school from the beginning is the best option rather than take your chances later on.
I know it's such a hard decision. We were that way on the private vs public school and go through it every year!
Good luck!
