New families at GDS

[Anonymous]

My family will be new to the GDS community this year. Could someone please provides any tip or important things to know?. Also, Does anyone knows when the new class list becomes avaliable?.

[Anonymous]

Welcome! What grade?

I think that the classroom lists and zipcode lists (for carpool arrangements) get mailed out in mid-August.

Re what's important to know. If your DC is a PreK or K'er, it's important to know that you actually can (and people do) walk on and off campus for pick-up and drop-off. If doing that makes the transition better for your DC or gives you more of a sense of connection to/familiarity with the school, do it. That said, if drive-thru drop-off works for your DC, go for it -- it can be a real time and stress-saver. You can always use pick-up as a way to connect. Don't use either as a way to talk to teachers -- they're busy making sure kids are safe and there's no privacy. Call or email if you want to talk about your DC.

Know that there will be some moms who seem to live at the school, but you don't have to be one of them for your kid to do well and for your family to meet other families and feel part of the community. Recognize that volunteer opportunities are endless (meaning don't always feel compelled to say yes!) and varied. Find your niche -- do you want to interact with kids (library's a fun gig), contribute professional expertise (e.g. fundraising, do a Global Awareness Day presentation or be a Hill Day interviewee, or suggest a project of your own if you see a way you can help) , throw parties and/or meet other parents (room parent, Country Market Day, the Auction), express appreciation to teachers (send goodies for faculty breakfast, act as a sub when calls go out for staff lunches), help organize/participate in community service projects? Odds of burnout go way down if you hold out for the opportunities that genuinely appeal to you. And if your DC is little and your main goal is to be there for him/her, know that there are lots of classroom-specific activities (cooking, reading stories, family traditions, field trips, writers workshop) throughout the year and it's fine if you focus on them rather than dive in to more school-wide stuff. Depends on your own goals/interests/personality.

Finally, it's a diverse community in lots of ways. Families choose GDS for all kinds of different reasons. It may take awhile, but you will find people whom you really like. They just may not be the first group of people you encounter. I had the "sheesh-they're-all-alike-and-we're-not-the-least-bit-like-them" response initially and sometimes that just means you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, LOL!!

[Anonymous]

pack a snack

[Anonymous]

My best advice to you is don't be afraid to question the established wisdom. The school isn't good on addressing parent concerns at the moment. New parents are often afraid to asking any questions for a year or two so that they don't become perceived as PITA parents. But GDS has a new head starting, and the more parents talk to him about what they want to see changed the better. Its your child's school even if you are new to the place, and you have every right to speak out when you see something that troubles you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My best advice to you is don't be afraid to question the established wisdom. The school isn't good on addressing parent concerns at the moment. New parents are often afraid to asking any questions for a year or two so that they don't become perceived as PITA parents. But GDS has a new head starting, and the more parents talk to him about what they want to see changed the better. Its your child's school even if you are new to the place, and you have every right to speak out when you see something that troubles you.

What troubles you? What you would like to see the new head change?

[Anonymous]

I agree about not being afraid to ask questions and voice concerns as a new parent, but I'm troubled by the notion that new families would want to change the school and start lobbying a new head to do so. GDS is a very distinctive school with a well-defined mission that, I would think/hope, is what attracted both the new head and the new families.

Obviously, "how can we do this better?" is always a good and necessary question. But if the question is "should we be a different kind of school?," I really wonder why the people asking it don't just apply to a different kind of school -- there are plenty out there.

So, yeah, I'm curious too re what changes are being called for. I don't hear such rumblings at school -- just here and, thus far, without any substantive concerns being voiced -- more like "Hey, new head, everything's up for grabs. You want something? Now's the time to push for it."

[Anonymous]

I don't think anyone asked for a new type of school or a new mission. I read the PP's comment to mean exactly what it said. If you have concerns, no need to wait two years to feel comfortable. I also don't feel that anyone said that there are monumental issues.

[Anonymous]

Ok, so then what is the issue/source of discontent?

[Anonymous]

I'm 17:13 and I am asking the poster to respond to this:

But GDS has a new head starting, and the more parents talk to him about what they want to see changed the better.

[Anonymous]

I'm 21:33 and I'm echoing 17:13's request.

[Anonymous]

My child will be entering the 4th grade in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Fourth grade is a great year -- really good team and lots of interesting, open-ended assignments. Basically, it's the year of the long-term projects -- but, because that's new (inc. to the ongoing students) and central, all the breaking it down into manageable pieces and time management lessons are built in rather than assumed. Don't know if your DC has had much experience giving presentations, but that will be involved in a variety of ways -- first to classmates and later to parents (different projects). It's also a big year for drama.

But it's a major entry year, so it's set up on that assumption and the ongoing kids are delighted to have new kids arrive.

Re non-academic things to know -- kids have PE four days a week and don't have time to change clothes/shoes, so always send your DC to school dressed for freedom of movement. On one level, this means avoid flip flops and open-toed sandals. On another level, it means buy winter boots that aren't too clunky/inflexible. Also, recess is less apparatus-oriented at that grade (i.e. it's not lets go play on the swings), so if your DC isn't into ball games, consider sending a frisbee or jump rope or whatever along. My DC and friends organized massive complicated tag games that year because they weren't into basketball or soccer and wanted an alternative.

And one or both of the parents should try to do at least a day trip visit (if you can't swing overnight) for the camping trip (Prince William Forest) in the Spring. It's the last year (of 3) that parents can come on such trips and that means that there's a high turnout and the kids whose parents don't sometimes feel sad even when they already know other parents and enjoy hanging out with them.

[Anonymous]

To add to 7:38, I think GDS does a pretty good job in letting you know what are these command performance events - usually at the beginning of the school year - in order to give parents' and caregivers' ample time to get it on their calendar and make plans.