Reflections on the application process after six weeks of K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me give some advice as a parent of teenagers: where your kid goes to elementary school really does not matter.

so true!

I disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me give some advice as a parent of teenagers: where your kid goes to elementary school really does not matter.

It does and it doesn't. Where you go to elementary may not impact college acceptance, but finding the right place for your elementary age child does matter. They need an elementary where they feel supported and can grow and build foundations they'll need for life. So yeah, getting that name recognition for elementary isn't as important as just finding the right fit where your child can flourish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me give some advice as a parent of teenagers: where your kid goes to elementary school really does not matter.

It does and it doesn't. Where you go to elementary may not impact college acceptance, but finding the right place for your elementary age child does matter. They need an elementary where they feel supported and can grow and build foundations they'll need for life. So yeah, getting that name recognition for elementary isn't as important as just finding the right fit where your child can flourish.

I am the one who agreed with the parent who posted that it doesn't matter. I think what you are saying is true but less true than I thought it was when my kid was in elementary.

[Anonymous]

Let me give you some advice as the parent of a first grader. After six weeks of Kindergarten you have no clue whether the school is right for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me give you some advice as the parent of a first grader. After six weeks of Kindergarten you have no clue whether the school is right for your child.

But they can already see her developing a genuine love of learning!

[Anonymous]

Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Agreed. And it happens before college: OPs kids will apply to high schools alongside kids who went to public from PK on (even to DCPS-gasp!) and they'll all end up in class together for 9th!
And get this---most of the kids who graduate at the top of this class (be it Sidwell or NCS or GDS) will be the ones who are a product of all those years of public schooling.
I'm a private school parent but have seen this play out many times.

[Anonymous]

I really don’t understand how you can determine that a school is the “right fit” for a child at the application stage or even after a few weeks, unless you have a high needs child. My child is a run of the mill Kindergartener who likes to run around and learn new things. I think she could have done well at any school. Even public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Ugh. Public school parents are so insecure. It’s getting boring at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Ugh. Public school parents are so insecure. It’s getting boring at this point.

As are private parents (see current thread on parent population).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me give you some advice as the parent of a first grader. After six weeks of Kindergarten you have no clue whether the school is right for your child.

I'm inclined to agree with you but I also have to agree with OP.

After my child attended public pk last year, my child's experience in private is completely different so far. I anticipated that it might be a little different but it feels like a huge transformation.

DC loves school and is eager to go every day.Confidence is up, anxiety is down, and there is an outpouring of excited chatter about learning that was not there before. I'm no longer hearing about how the teachers dealt with the students who were misbehaving or out of control, I'm hearing about the thematic learning project. I didn't expect my child to embrace this year with so much joy.

DC adores having art, music, pe, etc multiple days a week and adores the teachers and the learning.

Talking with staff, I'm hearing opposite things from what I heard last year. Crying rarely instead of every day, risk taking, taking on leadership roles instead of only following.

I know this might not be the school for my child through 5/6/8/12 but it is the right school for my child now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Ugh. Public school parents are so insecure. It’s getting boring at this point.

As are private parents (see current thread on parent population).

Duh. Literally every parent on earth is insecure about their choices. We’d save a whole lot of time on this site if we all accepted and understood that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Agreed. And it happens before college: OPs kids will apply to high schools alongside kids who went to public from PK on (even to DCPS-gasp!) and they'll all end up in class together for 9th!
And get this---most of the kids who graduate at the top of this class (be it Sidwell or NCS or GDS) will be the ones who are a product of all those years of public schooling.
I'm a private school parent but have seen this play out many times.

So what. There will also be countless kids at the public school that, had they had the same opportunities as kids at those private schools, might also be there. That’s the point, really, right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a real mindf&$ck: when all of this is over your child is going to inhabit the same colleges and jobs and communities as kids who just sidled up to the local public kindergarten.

It’s nice that you will have a bespoke experience, but it’s more about you than about your child.

Agreed. And it happens before college: OPs kids will apply to high schools alongside kids who went to public from PK on (even to DCPS-gasp!) and they'll all end up in class together for 9th!
And get this---most of the kids who graduate at the top of this class (be it Sidwell or NCS or GDS) will be the ones who are a product of all those years of public schooling.
I'm a private school parent but have seen this play out many times.

Anecdata is not reliable. I can offer contradictory anecdata that is also not reliable. Anyone have real numbers?

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing op. It is nice to hear your child is doing great.