Just not feelin’ FCPS Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is in the middle of the pack age-wise, tall for her age, confident, bright, snarky to us but great at school. We’re coming off two years at a sweet and nurturing preschool and she’s at a FCPS with 7 Kindergarten classes, 26 kids in her class.

She went from being SO excited about going to K all summer to crying and asking not to have to go to school. She likes a lot of the activities but it’s just soooo chaotic. I go to lunch at least once a week to help because all 7 of those classes are in the cafeteria with a few overworked lunch ladies and what few parents volunteer. I was one of maybe 3 parents total today. It’s just not enough supervision for these tiny people.

Kids are bawling in their seats, crying for their moms. Two kids at our table were sick, one made herself barf to get to leave lunch. I noticed another girl not eating and burying her head. It took me awhile to get to her between helping other kids and when I finally did, she was covered with blood from a nosebleed. She hadn’t said a word and just sat there bleeding.

These kids just seem really under-supervised/nurtured for their ages. DD evidently had a choking fit the other day, threw up in the classroom bathroom, cleaned herself up, and carried on with her day with vomit in her hair and on her clothes and backpack. No one noticed and she said she didn’t want to bother anyone. She lost a tooth in the bathroom last week and was bleeding like a stuck pig (poor kid also dropped the tooth and couldn’t find it). Again, didn’t say anything and no one noticed.

What you described sounds like one of Trump's detention centers. Where is this school? K is a bit different from pre-school, but usually the teacher has an assistant and kids are a little happier than this. Definitely talk to the teacher, and then the principal if necessary.

I know I need to get DD to speak up. Her teacher has 26 kids to worry about and doesn’t have the bandwidth to hover, and that’s OK. I’m just not getting a warm fuzzy aboit this place, despite other parents’ glowing reviews. I don’t expect public K to be like our sweet preschool, but this just feels like Ryker’s Island Jr. We are so not in a place to afford a smaller private school but it makes me sick to my stomach to send my kid there every day. She’s five, for goodness sakes. WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Lunch in K is crazy to begin with because they have such a short time - so it definitely feels more chaotic than the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Which school op? Is it KP?

[Anonymous]

Go parochial. You can tone down the religious part that you don’t love.

[Anonymous]

If you’re home, perhaps she can do half day kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

First, just want to say that you sound like a really nice person and a great mom.

Second, my advice is to listen to your gut. Your grievances are not unreasonable at ALL. Given your situation when you're home anyway, I would actually just pull my kid out and "homeschool" officially for another year, maybe two, or until whatever point you feel like your daughter is ready for Rykers Jr

I'm in a similar situation, at home anyway with a toddler (with another on the way), and I have no regrets whatsoever about keeping my K home for another year. At this rate, we'll quite possibly end up homeschooling all the way through (or at least a large chunk of it) because it's going so well but even if it was just for another year or two, it would have been the best for my particular child given our other options.

[Anonymous]

Wow. My kinder is in FCPS and, while it's not all roses, it's not like that. We have 5 K classes and DD's class is 22 kids with 2 teachers. Based on what I hear from my (unreliable narrator) DD, there is one kid who gets in trouble a lot, and one painfully shy kid who DD makes drawings for. Lunch is staggered so they're not all in there at once. My biggest complaint is that the teacher hands out lollipops as rewards.

Glad you can volunteer at lunch, that sounds helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which school op? Is it KP?

It’s KP, indeed. I have talked to soooo many parents and have yet to hear a negative word yet, which is what makes me think I’m crazy and am just not seeing what the place is really like. I’m trying so hard to feel the magic...I’m just not there yet. Do you have any insight about KP? Will it get better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which school op? Is it KP?

It’s KP, indeed. I have talked to soooo many parents and have yet to hear a negative word yet, which is what makes me think I’m crazy and am just not seeing what the place is really like. I’m trying so hard to feel the magic...I’m just not there yet. Do you have any insight about KP? Will it get better?

What is KP? Kings Park? There are very few elementary schools in FCPS with that number of kids in Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher in FCPS, I think you need to ask for a meeting with the principal, teacher, and guidance counselor and let them know how you feel and what you have observed. Then work out a plan, which might include a signal your child can use with the adults when she needs help or a lunch bunch with the counselor. Sometimes you get a grade level of kids that are just younger as a whole and feed off each other. They can definitely organize more lunchroom support. If you don’t let them know there’s a problem they can’t help.

Then, follow up with an email summarizing the action plan. Our cafeteria at a school near to yours is a chaotic mess right now. I teach older kids and they are struggling with it.

[Anonymous]

McLean OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean OP?

Did you bother to read the thread? OP said she's referring to Kings Park ES in Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which school op? Is it KP?

It’s KP, indeed. I have talked to soooo many parents and have yet to hear a negative word yet, which is what makes me think I’m crazy and am just not seeing what the place is really like. I’m trying so hard to feel the magic...I’m just not there yet. Do you have any insight about KP? Will it get better?

What is KP? Kings Park? There are very few elementary schools in FCPS with that number of kids in Kindergarten.

I'm crossing paths with you OP. I come in weekly for lunch duty too. (2 kids at kp and 2 at kg)

It does get better though. It is still the first few weeks, but soon the kids adjust and become more self sufficient. There was a huge turnover of teachers last year (many left) so I'm not sure the newbies are quite familiar with the routine and expectations.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the current life of an elementary teacher in America. I’m not saying this situation is okay. It’s not. We are overworked. We are understaffed. Class sizes are too big. Needs are extreme.

[Anonymous]

That’s why APS limits class sizes. 26 kindergarteners is insane. Ours (regular school, not Title I or anything) has 18 with a full time aide.