Question for those of you changing schools after classes have started.

[Anonymous]

How do you do it? Do you do a feeler day at the new school and just call in absent to your current school? Do you just give notice, pick up your kid's stuff and go?

I ask because my daughter's new pre-k best friend was "on vacation" today, and I fear that means she's outta there.

I'm not trying to slam those of you who dual-enroll or switch schools. I'm just curious and am wondering if I need to prepare my little girl for her friend not returning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ask because my daughter's new pre-k best friend was "on vacation" today, and I fear that means she's outta there.

Seems like a pretty far leap if you ask me. Most likely she is out sick.

[Anonymous]

Wait, who said she was on vacation? Is that what your kid said or did that come from the teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, who said she was on vacation? Is that what your kid said or did that come from the teacher?

My kid said the teacher said that. I know it's paranoid and weird to speculate, and that you all can't tell me anything, but I hate to think my daughter's seemingly closest friend is gone because having a partner in crime was helping her with the otherwise tough transition.

Also, I'm genuinely interested in how people handle this.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of anyone doing this. I did hear of a family trying appletree during early childhood transition week and then de-enrolling and going with a DCPS school. This was a couple years ago.

[Anonymous]

But isn't this why the waitlists move so much through September?

[Anonymous]

I know one kid in my child's class who really did go on vacation. It happens!

[Anonymous]

Your pre-k'er will be fine losing her "best" friend of a few days.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people go on vacation, especially on Fridays. But, I did keep my daycare spot for two weeks last year while trying out a new charter that we got into late. I wouldn't have one this if there was a waiting list though.

[Anonymous]

could be for the holidays.

[Anonymous]

We have had a few kids leave our charter school for greener pastures. Nobody thinks twice about it; they just rebalanced the classrooms in the second week. I hope your daughter's friend is just on vacation--our DC has had a tough transition, too, and having kids leave, especially the high SES ones that we hoped would stick around, leaves everyone a little anxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know one kid in my child's class who really did go on vacation. It happens!

+1

We did when my son was in a private pre-K... my dad rented a beach house so we took the first week.

We wouldn't do that now that DS is older, but at these early ages I think parents are pretty flexible since it doesn't "count" as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you do it? Do you do a feeler day at the new school and just call in absent to your current school? Do you just give notice, pick up your kid's stuff and go?

I ask because my daughter's new pre-k best friend was "on vacation" today, and I fear that means she's outta there.

I'm not trying to slam those of you who dual-enroll or switch schools. I'm just curious and am wondering if I need to prepare my little girl for her friend not returning.

last year my DD was at a new charter. There was so much churn the 1st few weeks, I stopped asking about classmates names. It should be pretty stable now.

I would guess the child went on a vacation today - I have a bunch of friends who left today to go home for Yom Kippur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you do it? Do you do a feeler day at the new school and just call in absent to your current school? Do you just give notice, pick up your kid's stuff and go?

I ask because my daughter's new pre-k best friend was "on vacation" today, and I fear that means she's outta there.

I'm not trying to slam those of you who dual-enroll or switch schools. I'm just curious and am wondering if I need to prepare my little girl for her friend not returning.

last year my DD was at a new charter. There was so much churn the 1st few weeks, I stopped asking about classmates names. It should be pretty stable now.

I would guess the child went on a vacation today - I have a bunch of friends who left today to go home for Yom Kippur.

Rosh HaShanah is Monday and Tuesday. Yom kippur is the following Wednesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of anyone doing this.

Likewise, while people switch, I haven't heard of anybody leaving for a day to check it out. I mean, think about it, would you really make school decisions based on what your 3 year-old happens to feel like for one day? Not only that, you'd actually have to experiment with your child back and forth. How'd you explain that to her/him? No, parents do choose other schools but they pack up and leave. Indeed, notwithstanding your curiosity, the situation here is in all likelihood someone who indeed did go on vacation. I have a Jewish friend (in private not public) who is taking the whole next week off. Not a great idea when school starts if you ask me but not unheard of at all.