Public school remorse for rising K

[Anonymous]

To the OP -- I wonder if your fears are getting the best of you and going to cost you $150K over the coming years.

My older child went to FCPS for K and is now completing 1st. My younger child will start in the fall (kindy). I know it sounds crazy to have 27-28 kids in one class, but they have two adults and really, it is no problem. The learning is largely hands-on and grouped.

Kindergarten is just the BEGINNING of your child's learning process. I assure you that he can get a good education in public school. And he will not be scarred for life for going to a public school. What you talk about, read about, and explore at home is really what will make your child a successful learner.

Unless you have $150K that you are dying to get rid of, give your local public school a try.

[Anonymous]

PP, I hear you but I don't "fear" K. I didn't mention that we are veterans of FCPS (one DD will graduate HS next week). I would describe our public school experience as "fine." Now the youngest comes along and we assumed he would follow his siblings. No, we're not "dying to get rid of" $150,000 but were are now at a point in our lives where we have the option of choosing private school tuition without major re-arranging or re-prioritizing our lives. I'm sure we haven't "scarred for life" our older DC but I don't think that means we can't choose a different path for the youngest. FWIW, my older kids are split: 2 feels FCPS will be fine and 2 feel that we should look elsewhere for K.

[Anonymous]

Well for comparison, Montgomery County publics have just as large or larger K class sizes, and only one teacher/adult per class!

[Anonymous]

PP, seems a bit odd that our area schools have such an amazing reputation and your Mo Co school can have 25+ K students with no assistant. Here's another head-scratcher: a dozen years ago we chose a house in our FCPS neighborhood so our kids could have the option of great colleges at in-state tuition rates. HA. DD, who would rank in the top 25% of all high school grads, did not apply or was not accepted to any VA college above GMU in the rankings. I guess we just make the best decisions we can and soldier on . . .

[Anonymous]

In this economy don't rule out privates if that is what you want. You might be surprised at the pull-outs in the summer.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you have a chance at Langley or Potomac but as pp mentioned you can always call. I don't know about Flint Hill. That said, there are likely to be a number of other privates that might have openings especially ones that only go through K with FCPS going full day. You don't say where you live but judging from the schools mentioned so far I am guessing Vienna/McLean area. It would be worth calling Green Hedges, Village Green Day, St. Johns, St. Lukes, Country Day, Congressional, Fairfax Christian, Pinnacle Academy, etc.

[Anonymous]

PP, OP here. Thanks for the thoughtful response and it seems you're right. And that being the case, I think I'll go with the FCPS K and start a thorough search for private in the fall.

[Anonymous]

We are districted for a top elementary in school in FCPS and I myself am a FCPS graduate. My DS had an ok kindergarten year (when it was half-day), but we were told he was bored at the end of kindergarten. 1st grade was an even worse year. FCPS was literally turning my DC off from learning - wouldn't read anymore. He couldn't hold a pencil properly and couldn't even form his letters correctly. School said everything is great and he is fine. If your DS does well with tons of worksheets and rote learning, FCPS will be fine.

We pulled him out to private mid-year. He is great now - loves school, getting straight As, and performing 2 grades above grade level. Couldn't be happier with our decision.

[Anonymous]

PP which FCPS were you in? My child had had NO worksheet AT ALL in kindergarten or first grade. I actually get frustrated by that b/c I get no products of learning at home. Everything they do is hands-on or in-class. It is very rare to have any kind of work come home. On occassion we get books of poems or writing, but really nothing else.

I am shocked that you had worksheets in a supposedly great school.

[Anonymous]

PP, curious which FCPS K you're in where you see no school work coming home?

[Anonymous]

Island Creek -- I asked the teacher why we get no product and she said the school is very much against using lots of paper. It is very rare that something comes home for us to see as work product. Now that we are at the end of the year (for my first grader), we are getting some journals and stories they wrote back in the fall. They did get two books bound that had their poems inside. I've never seen a worksheet in two years. I've seen a math quiz maybe once. Nothing for science. We get a few art products. That's all. I know other FCPS that send home homework packets each week. We don't have that at all. The only homework is reading the leveled reading books for 20 min. Mon-Thurs.

Wish we had worksheets so that I could say "oh, my child is working on 'ar' sounds this week." (or the like).

[Anonymous]

Poster 7:13 here....I would volunteer in the classroom so I was able to see what the expectations were. We also did get some of the worksheets sent home in the weekly folder. Everyday the teacher wrote on the board what the classes 'have to's were. Things like write in jounral, worksheets, etc. The worksheets were things like cut out the pictures that start with the letter 'c'. The kids would cut out cat, cup, cookie, etc and then paste them in a jounral sheet. The also did these similiar sheets in K. There were also worksheets for math. One math worksheet came home for homework once a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Island Creek -- I asked the teacher why we get no product and she said the school is very much against using lots of paper. It is very rare that something comes home for us to see as work product. Now that we are at the end of the year (for my first grader), we are getting some journals and stories they wrote back in the fall. They did get two books bound that had their poems inside. I've never seen a worksheet in two years. I've seen a math quiz maybe once. Nothing for science. We get a few art products. That's all. I know other FCPS that send home homework packets each week. We don't have that at all. The only homework is reading the leveled reading books for 20 min. Mon-Thurs.

Wish we had worksheets so that I could say "oh, my child is working on 'ar' sounds this week." (or the like).

Um, you could do that at home yourself if you really want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has got to be a joke, right?

Not sure if OP is in on it, but yes, it is a joke.

[Anonymous]

What do the two of you think is funny? I don't get it (nor do any other posters seem to be laughing).