K orientation was a big let down.

[Anonymous]

"So, if I'm understanding this correctly, schools do two orientations. One in the spring and then another in the fall. Why do two if the one in the fall is more useful. Sounds like spring is a waste of time and a burden on current kindergarten parents who have to take off work or arrange for care because the class is closed. This is especially problematic this year given all the snow days. "

Having done this last year i guess it is because you are supposed to show documents to help prove who the kid is and where you live which I guess might be harder to keep track of if these were being mailed in. I think registration is done this way since it is far easier for the schools - not because it helps the kids much given the open house normally held just before school opens.

[Anonymous]

That does sound terrible, OP.

At the Bethesda Elementary school, my son visited the Kindergarten classrooms, met with some of the K teachers, did some activities (coloring, singing, etc) while parents talked to other K teachers, the school nurse and aftercare people and checked they had all their forms.
Then the Principal took groups of kids with their parents around the school, showed them her own office, the front desk, gym, cafeteria, etc.
It was pleasant.

No bus tours, that would have thrilled my son! I'll suggest it.

You can always ask, perhaps through the PTA, that they do things differently next year.

[Anonymous]

Sounds similar to ours. Someone led kids away quickly (no time to say goodbye!), parents did paperwork. Kids came back after doing small craft. Listened to PTA talk and afterschool program talk, then a parent led us on a brief tour. Did not meet any admin or teachers or hear anything about the K program. Disappointing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, if I'm understanding this correctly, schools do two orientations. One in the spring and then another in the fall. Why do two if the one in the fall is more useful. Sounds like spring is a waste of time and a burden on current kindergarten parents who have to take off work or arrange for care because the class is closed. This is especially problematic this year given all the snow days.

Not two orientations, one orientation and one back to school night. Both are optional so there is no need to take the day off if you don't feel it is worth it to you. Orientation included your children and BTSN does not. At orientation, you don't know your child's teacher. At BTSN, you know the teacher and you get the information you will need to help you develop expectations about what is being taught and to learn what you can do to help your child be successful. Orientation is just to introduce your child to the idea of school and to be sure you have all of your paperwork in. For most parents, that is not a big deal, but if you have a child with medical problems, the school will help you out knowing what paperwork you need to get in for medication and the like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, that sounds terrible. Ours was much better! The kids did a series of activities in the classroom (like a scavenger hunt where they had to locate the cubbies, flag, bathroom, etc.) while the teacher talked to the parents about kindergarten. It wasn't necessarily the classroom or teacher the kids were really going to be assigned to, although in our case it turned out to be the one.

Although - that was in the fall right before school started. There was a kindergarten meeting in the spring that was more perfunctory - the kids went off with some teachers while the parents sat in the library, filled out forms, watched a short video and heard from the principal, etc. They seemed to do aquick assessment of the kids while they were away from us.

Why does anyone think it is a good idea to separate 5 year olds from their parents in a place where most of the kids have never visited??? I'm a principal and they did this before I arrived. I shut that down right away. Parents visit classrooms WITH their child so it is a positive experience.

As for the "assessment" I pay teachers to make home visits in August. A child can change a lot between spring and early fall. And besides, there's not much real information you're going to get in a large group setting.

My kid is finishing up K this year, and I wondered the same thing. It's such a stupid way to do things. Our school did orientation the same way. DD was fine (years of daycare), but it would make more sense to visit WITH the parents for the first time. The kids are 5, not 15.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, OP - I would have been disappointed too. We separated from our daughter for part of kindergarten orientation too but I had heard about that in advance. Husband and I dropped off paperwork, got to see a K classroom, briefly met the K teachers, and went on a tour of the school. Daughter said they did several activities in another K classroom. There is a chance to meet our child's actual teacher right before school starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"So, if I'm understanding this correctly, schools do two orientations. One in the spring and then another in the fall. Why do two if the one in the fall is more useful. Sounds like spring is a waste of time and a burden on current kindergarten parents who have to take off work or arrange for care because the class is closed. This is especially problematic this year given all the snow days. "

Having done this last year i guess it is because you are supposed to show documents to help prove who the kid is and where you live which I guess might be harder to keep track of if these were being mailed in. I think registration is done this way since it is far easier for the schools - not because it helps the kids much given the open house normally held just before school opens.

Do they close Kindergarten for K orientation? So, the rest of the grades come and K doesn't? I've never worked at a school that does it that way.

[Anonymous]

Our K orientation at a highly regarded school was as useless as OPs and I'm surprised everyone else seems to have done much more than we did.

DD was taken away for about 10 minutes and asked to write their name and brought back up. We were left in the middle of the hallway to hand in forms. No tour. No hi from the principal. No presentation by anyone.

The whole process literally took 20 minutes tops and for that I had to pull my child out of preschool and take a full day off work because they did it in the middle of the day. I knew this was going to happen so I wasn't disappointed, just annoyed.

PTA mom was there but, to be 100 percent frank, she only said hi to the white moms and dads. It was actually kind of embarrassing as during the time I was there there was one family that looked Latino another that was black, and two Asian families and she TOTALLY ignored them even though there were only 8 families at once so it was really obviously.

[Anonymous]

At our school, yes, they tell the Kindergarteners not to come to school for the day. I think it's obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school, yes, they tell the Kindergarteners not to come to school for the day. I think it's obnoxious.

Then I agree with you. That is obnoxious. I have never heard of it being done that way.

Are you in a public school, because I don't see how they would get around laws that specify the number of days of school that must be offered.

[Anonymous]

Yup, MCPS. They use the Kindergarten classrooms for orientation and the K teachers. You have a good point about the number of days school that must be offered to each kid. I bet it's not an issue for previous years since I thought they usually had a few days more than required under federal law. But now that you mention it I wonder if they are setting themselves up for trouble this year??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup, MCPS. They use the Kindergarten classrooms for orientation and the K teachers. You have a good point about the number of days school that must be offered to each kid. I bet it's not an issue for previous years since I thought they usually had a few days more than required under federal law. But now that you mention it I wonder if they are setting themselves up for trouble this year??

I'm in a DC charter school, and we've had events for parents that take place in the classrooms. Not K orientation since K isn't really an intake year, but other events. We schedule the kids in that grade for a longer time in specials, followed by a longer recess, or something like that. We don't have them stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school, yes, they tell the Kindergarteners not to come to school for the day. I think it's obnoxious.

At our school is is 2 days!! And I volunteered at the "orientation" and it was cycles of 6 kids every 30min. Just to collect paperwork. The teachers sat at a table and talked to each other. The kids wrote their names, no tours, parents did not meet the teachers. It was terrible waste of not having kids in the school that day. They could have done this in the cafeteria or gym.

[Anonymous]

They should just call it Registration instead of Orientation.

Our "orientation" was better than OPs but was mainly paperwork while the kids were read stories and did a mini-lesson, followed by some ice cream. Once teacher assignments come in August, that is when you really have orientation, where you go to the classroom, meet the teacher, meet the kids, etc. Then in September you have the full back to school night to understand what they are learning, class procedures, volunteering, etc.

Sorry you were disappointed - we were too - but it was much better closer to the start of the school year. Hopefully it will be the same for you.

[Anonymous]

I forget how behind some schools are. Starting in kindergarten seems insanely late. By then our kids have been oriented at the school for two years and are generally fully fluent in another language. DC Charter parent.