FCPS Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

FCPS mom here. Take a deep breath. You have two years before this is even a concern. My child is a Sept baby and we did not redshirt and she has done just fine, if not very well. Not everyone is the same but my two kids stopped napping by age 3. There is no reason to be nervous. Your kid will be fine, and if she isn't, you will figure it out. There are half day private Ks around if you are still that concerned when 2018 rolls around. But for now, relax.

[Anonymous]

Our FCPS K has daily "dance time" to get some energy out in the classroom, 2 recesses per day, PE 3x per week, and other "specials" on the non-PE days. Indoor recess is playing, not watching movies (which sounds ridiculous). I didn't realize there was so much variation among FCPS schools - suggest meeting with the Principal, and VP, or a K teacher at Shrevewood the year before you want to send your child to find out the specifics. (And it's always contentious but I vote for sending them to K as old as possible so they're more physically and mentally able to deal with being in school environment!) Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP here - we can't afford private (especially not for two kids). Thanks to 00:00 above - yes, obviously I'm high anxiety and need to calm down

[Anonymous]

My child is a summer birthday, is doing well and by five years old there is really no need for a nap nor will your child really want one. As long as your child knows the basics going in, letters and numbers etc, they should not struggle. The only issue might be impulse control if they can't sit still for 20 minutes at a time but then again, that would be an issue in private school as well. They actually move arounda lot between doing morning meetings then going to specials, the coming back and working on reading groups, then PE or recess. It's not like they are sitting in one place the entire day just scribbling in notebooks. Your child will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Maybe FCPS should just go back to half day K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seven hours seems like a long day for a five year old

It is!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe FCPS should just go back to half day K.

WHy do you want to go back 2 decades?

[Anonymous]

I have a high energy boy that I was really worried about heading into Kindergarten. He LOVES it! Like sad on the weekends cause there isn't school loves it. He is very well behaved and thriving. I don't think there's really a way to know for sure how the K at your school will be for your child in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe FCPS should just go back to half day K.

WHy do you want to go back 2 decades?

I wish K was half-day. I think this is one of the main drivers of red-shirting. A full day is very long for a 5 year old but not so long for a 6 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe FCPS should just go back to half day K.

WHy do you want to go back 2 decades?

I wish K was half-day. I think this is one of the main drivers of red-shirting. A full day is very long for a 5 year old but not so long for a 6 year old.

How is it that long of a day? We put our kid in a full day at 4 to prepare him, he loved it. Many kids are in day care full-time and do just fine.

[Anonymous]

There was a lot of redshirting going on in FCPS at our school before they changed it from half to full day. In our school it's all about sports. FCPS should just have a cutoff like Montgomery County where they allow some early entrance and some redshirting, but not to the extent that exists now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe FCPS should just go back to half day K.

WHy do you want to go back 2 decades?

I wish K was half-day. I think this is one of the main drivers of red-shirting. A full day is very long for a 5 year old but not so long for a 6 year old.

The main driver of red shirting is SES. Most children are already in some sort of full day care prior to kindergarten anyway. It isn't non stop academics. They have many different activites and move around the classroom frequently.

Half day is not enough time IMO and IME.

[Anonymous]

FCPS parent here - my DD had 30 minute "nap/rest" time until November time frame. We had to provide a nap mat. They had daily afternoon snack - we provided a snack/drink. PE was 2-3 times a week. Other "specials" classes like music 2X, art 1x, counseling 1x, library, etc. It's an adjustment the first month or so for a child to learn the new environment. They have a teacher's aide as well which helps a great deal. My DD's experience was wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is a summer birthday, is doing well and by five years old there is really no need for a nap nor will your child really want one. As long as your child knows the basics going in, letters and numbers etc, they should not struggle. The only issue might be impulse control if they can't sit still for 20 minutes at a time but then again, that would be an issue in private school as well. They actually move arounda lot between doing morning meetings then going to specials, the coming back and working on reading groups, then PE or recess. It's not like they are sitting in one place the entire day just scribbling in notebooks. Your child will be fine.

Bull. My child's classroom had them sitting still for the entire day, minus 20 minutes of recess, which was frequently taken away. They sat and did worksheets without moving or even getting up for water or the bathroom for almost the entire day. They only had PE once a week. FCPS is a hideously bad school district with no across the board standards at all. You were lucky - we were not. I hope OP gets a better school and teacher than we did.