Thoughts about school this fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private PreK even if there was no virus. That is what I did. The extra year is helpful in high school for making college decisions. Also, kindergarten is the old first grade.

I (and her teachers) are not concerned about her needing the extra year. Only reason it’s back on the table is because of the potential affect the virus would have on public school.

[Anonymous]

I would probably do the private K program, just because the money will be well spent if it reduces your family's childcare stress. Your child will make new friends when you switch over to public for first grade, and in the long run it will all be ok. An equally good option in my mind would be hiring a nanny to provide full-time care in the fall and then go with public kindergarten knowing that you have the childcare you need. I would do whichever one feels more comfortable for your family right now, knowing that in the long run either choice will be 100% ok. I don't see any reason to hold a child back in this situation.

--parent and elementary school teacher

[Anonymous]

OP, can you pay to just hold her spot at the private K for next year and then make the decision about whether to send her to public when it's closer to the fall? Then you'd just be out your deposit if public opens up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, can you pay to just hold her spot at the private K for next year and then make the decision about whether to send her to public when it's closer to the fall? Then you'd just be out your deposit if public opens up.

Yes that’s what I’m doing. But her school starts early August so don’t have a ton of time.

[Anonymous]

Do what you feel makes the most sense for your family and your daughter's mental, social and emotional well being THIS year. Don't worry about what will happen next year (being the new kid, etc) or down the road. Just focus on immediate.

If you can afford another year of private, stick with that as you think they will still be open. You really need the child care. Having her in a small private school class that meets in person will be much better than having her do whatever public schools are going to work out for K next year.

who are her friends? Does she gravitate toward kids older than her or kids younger? I'd use that to decide whether preK again or K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do what you feel makes the most sense for your family and your daughter's mental, social and emotional well being THIS year. Don't worry about what will happen next year (being the new kid, etc) or down the road. Just focus on immediate.

If you can afford another year of private, stick with that as you think they will still be open. You really need the child care. Having her in a small private school class that meets in person will be much better than having her do whatever public schools are going to work out for K next year.

who are her friends? Does she gravitate toward kids older than her or kids younger? I'd use that to decide whether preK again or K.

Thanks for this thoughtful comment... I really appreciate it. Based off of this, private kindergarten would overwhelmingly be the best choice. We can afford it in the sense that we’ve been paying similarly for preK so we are used to it already.

She’s great with older kids. Had a play date with a girl almost 2 years older and it was great!

[Anonymous]

I have the same situation with my DD5. I am sending her to Junior K because it is a full day but I am not able to facilitate distance learning. The coming school year in my state is going to be on and off/rotating in school learning. I want her to experience K without the uncertain schedule and less in person learning time.

[Anonymous]

I would ask the private school if they would allow her to attend the private school while also enrolled in public. If your public will be anything like the ones in Fx, the kids will only be going to school 1-2 days a week. It takes care of your childcare problem, meeting neighborhood kids problem, and your plan of starting public on time (kindergarten now v next year) problem. The only negative is that your child may need (should?) to watch videoed lessons from public, that she misses when she’s home. It shouldn’t be too much. If you tell the teacher that she is in childcare the other days of non synchronous learning or even other hours of the days there is synchronous learning (when the live lessons end).

Example:

Live public kindergarten Monday-Wed from 9-10
Private pre k OR kindergarten Monday- Wed (as soon as the live schooling ends from public and then full time Th and Fri.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here... for those saying to send her to public... how do you suggest I handle virtual learning when I have a job (plus DH) that makes it not particularly feasible?

Spend the $$ you would have spent on private school on a nanny or college kid to run distance learning for you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a DD who will be starting kindergarten as a young 5 this fall. We made the decision, with her teachers' advice, to send her on time way back in January. Her teachers strongly recommended not doing another year of preK even though she's the youngest (tall for her age, smart, well spoke, pretty mature). Her current preschool is also a private elementary school, but we'd decided to send her to public so she could start her core group of local/neighborhood friends. We were content with that decision, no second thoughts at all.

Then Coronavirus hits ... we are no longer in DC, but some of the recommendations that have been leaked for our state about what public school could look like this fall are really disheartening. Particularly troublesome for us is that we both work full time and do not have jobs that would effectively allow us to homeschool a kindergartner assuming they do partial virtual learning. Nor do I want to or think I'd be any good at it. Each district can make their own decision on what they want to do after the state issues guidelines/recommendations, meaning this school is on their own to do what they wish. They've made it clear that they would do everything in their power to do full time in person learning. DD is currently enrolled in both public and private kindergarten for the fall at the moment.

We are back to having 3 choices, now with the Corona virus factor:

- Send her to public, knowing it is highly likely to have some alternate schedule or shut down in the winter for the "second wave".
- Send her to private kindergarten, knowing it would be the most consistent situation (and superior education), but is $$$$ and we would pull her out to go to public for 1st grade, meaning she'd be the "new kid" next year in her grade
- Send her to an additional year of private preK, also $$$, but then she could start in public kindergarten with her peers next year

Thoughts??

I am sure private would have to follow same guidelines as public. This is a public health emergency not education policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DD who will be starting kindergarten as a young 5 this fall. We made the decision, with her teachers' advice, to send her on time way back in January. Her teachers strongly recommended not doing another year of preK even though she's the youngest (tall for her age, smart, well spoke, pretty mature). Her current preschool is also a private elementary school, but we'd decided to send her to public so she could start her core group of local/neighborhood friends. We were content with that decision, no second thoughts at all.

Then Coronavirus hits ... we are no longer in DC, but some of the recommendations that have been leaked for our state about what public school could look like this fall are really disheartening. Particularly troublesome for us is that we both work full time and do not have jobs that would effectively allow us to homeschool a kindergartner assuming they do partial virtual learning. Nor do I want to or think I'd be any good at it. Each district can make their own decision on what they want to do after the state issues guidelines/recommendations, meaning this school is on their own to do what they wish. They've made it clear that they would do everything in their power to do full time in person learning. DD is currently enrolled in both public and private kindergarten for the fall at the moment.

We are back to having 3 choices, now with the Corona virus factor:

- Send her to public, knowing it is highly likely to have some alternate schedule or shut down in the winter for the "second wave".
- Send her to private kindergarten, knowing it would be the most consistent situation (and superior education), but is $$$$ and we would pull her out to go to public for 1st grade, meaning she'd be the "new kid" next year in her grade
- Send her to an additional year of private preK, also $$$, but then she could start in public kindergarten with her peers next year

Thoughts??

I am sure private would have to follow same guidelines as public. This is a public health emergency not education policy.

Not true. At this point for the fall, many private schools have decided not to strictly follow the “guidelines “. So they will be able to open whereas public will not be.

[Anonymous]

I would choose option 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DD who will be starting kindergarten as a young 5 this fall. We made the decision, with her teachers' advice, to send her on time way back in January. Her teachers strongly recommended not doing another year of preK even though she's the youngest (tall for her age, smart, well spoke, pretty mature). Her current preschool is also a private elementary school, but we'd decided to send her to public so she could start her core group of local/neighborhood friends. We were content with that decision, no second thoughts at all.

Then Coronavirus hits ... we are no longer in DC, but some of the recommendations that have been leaked for our state about what public school could look like this fall are really disheartening. Particularly troublesome for us is that we both work full time and do not have jobs that would effectively allow us to homeschool a kindergartner assuming they do partial virtual learning. Nor do I want to or think I'd be any good at it. Each district can make their own decision on what they want to do after the state issues guidelines/recommendations, meaning this school is on their own to do what they wish. They've made it clear that they would do everything in their power to do full time in person learning. DD is currently enrolled in both public and private kindergarten for the fall at the moment.

We are back to having 3 choices, now with the Corona virus factor:

- Send her to public, knowing it is highly likely to have some alternate schedule or shut down in the winter for the "second wave".
- Send her to private kindergarten, knowing it would be the most consistent situation (and superior education), but is $$$$ and we would pull her out to go to public for 1st grade, meaning she'd be the "new kid" next year in her grade
- Send her to an additional year of private preK, also $$$, but then she could start in public kindergarten with her peers next year

Thoughts??

I am sure private would have to follow same guidelines as public. This is a public health emergency not education policy.

OP here. No they don’t. They didn’t in the spring.

Each district gets to do what they wish with the state guidelines. One district has already put forth what they plan to do without waiting for the guidelines to be issued. Her private school has already said they will do full time in person learning unless the state explicitly prohibits it (they won’t).

[Anonymous]

Are you saying there are private schools that didn’t close in the spring? I know you are not in VA but here they were ordered to close. It was not a suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you saying there are private schools that didn’t close in the spring? I know you are not in VA but here they were ordered to close. It was not a suggestion.

Yes, in my part of the country.