Morning session in Kent Gardens

[Anonymous]

My daughter will be a K student in Kent Gardens next fall. I am a full time working Mom and need a place to cover her from 7am to 6pm. We are already in BK and AK in SACC but with a big number in AS waiting list. Here is my two questions:

1. How do the school decide which session my daughter will attend? Will the decision be based on the preference I put in the application form?

2. Which daycares can provide transportation and after school care (3-6pm) around KG area?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I asked whether signing up for AK SACC guaranteed a spot in morning K, because, of course, there is no before K SACC. I got sort of a vague answer that suggested it would be considered - I think they don't promise it because they don't want people to game the system, but I think it would be crazy not to do it that way. Otherwise it would be really tough for working parents w/o a nanny or au pair.

I know Mclean Childrens Center and Northern VA Christian Childrens Center pick up from KG. I would be interested in getting names of other places as well.

It sounds like the waiting list for AS SACC is REALLY long.

[Anonymous]

I don't have experience at Kent, but had the same situation at Haycock this past year. They probably operate the same way so I will let you know how it worked. Basically, the principal/asst principal makes the decisions on AM-K and PM-K and it has to do with the enrollment (which they don't really know until a few days before the start of school) and buses. They try and assign kids who live in one part of the school zone to the AM-K and the other side to PM-K to simplify the bus routes. They did take into consideration parents that made specific requests (the principal told parents to write her a note if they had any specific requests and why and she would try and accomodate.) She also told us that any kids registered for SACC AK were automatically put into the AM-K... however, until we talked to the principal at the K Orientation (early summer?) , we were always given an ambiguous response about how it wourld work. We didn't get our final assignment until a few days before school started. We hired a sitter which has worked out well. I've heard other folks use a local TKD studio. You might also check with your school's PTA and see if any of the parents can let you know. Also, call the SACC office at Kent (you can get the number from the website) and ask them what programs might pick up from their school. It will all work out so don't worry too much about it. SACC provides great support to working parents because the schools are still run the same old way assuming a parent is at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have experience at Kent, but had the same situation at Haycock this past year. They probably operate the same way so I will let you know how it worked. Basically, the principal/asst principal makes the decisions on AM-K and PM-K and it has to do with the enrollment (which they don't really know until a few days before the start of school) and buses. They try and assign kids who live in one part of the school zone to the AM-K and the other side to PM-K to simplify the bus routes. They did take into consideration parents that made specific requests (the principal told parents to write her a note if they had any specific requests and why and she would try and accomodate.) She also told us that any kids registered for SACC AK were automatically put into the AM-K... however, until we talked to the principal at the K Orientation (early summer?) , we were always given an ambiguous response about how it wourld work. We didn't get our final assignment until a few days before school started. We hired a sitter which has worked out well. I've heard other folks use a local TKD studio. You might also check with your school's PTA and see if any of the parents can let you know. Also, call the SACC office at Kent (you can get the number from the website) and ask them what programs might pick up from their school. It will all work out so don't worry too much about it. SACC provides great support to working parents because the schools are still run the same old way assuming a parent is at home.

Schools are not free daycare like some people assume. Schools are around to educate children, not to cater to the schedules of working parents.

[Anonymous]

Children who attend SACC go to AM kindergarten. This is universal across FCPS.

[Anonymous]

I am the 9:45 poster. I should clarify my last comment and perhaps disagree with your comment... As a working parent, I am not looking for the schools to supply free daycare and I don't know any other parent (non working or working) that thinks that way. I can pay as I need it. The comment I made was my impression that the FCPS schools operate under an old fashioned assumption that most families have one parent that stays home. From my short experience as a K parent, and from meeting and talking to my neighbors the norm is certainly moving to more (if not the majority of) families having two working parents. It would be interesting to know what the stats were. Regardless, schools should change as society changes to better address the needs of the families in its communities -- not hold onto old fashioned modes of operation because it worked 25 years ago. Bottom line is that FCPS could do more to support many of its families -- to start with... half day Mondays? half day K at many schools and long wait lists for SACC at pretty much every school? These aren't new issues -- they have been around for a while. I realize that institutions are slow to change... but given that we are at what is considered one of our nation's best school districts, I think I can expect a little bit more. Oh, and as someone who pays considerable taxes to NOVA, I am paying for it! It is not free to me.

[Anonymous]

to 9:45 poster

I greatly appreciate that you are sharing your past experience with us. I truthly think it is very helpful, especially for those parents who have to leave home at 7am and get back at 6pm. People who don't understand this simply didn't or don't have to go through the challenges on how to doulbe win in careers as well as kids' school life. You can just ignore them.

[Anonymous]

School in general in this country is outdated. Why do kids go to school 10 months of the year and then have 2-2 and a half months off? So they can go pick the crops in the summer. Oh, none of them really do that anymore and haven't for a long time but this is still the model of schooling that we have. The schools with half-day K are in the areas with people who can afford childcare for before and after school. In a recession, I think you're going to have a hard time convincing folks that you need your school to cater to your working schedule. Why would you choose a home in a school district when you knew there was only half-day K?

[Anonymous]

People may have chosen their homes based on an earlier understanding that half-day care was being wound down in favor of full day. Then when budget constraints hit the County dialed the plan back.