APS Kindergarten Info Night - Recording??

[Anonymous]

All parents should plan to read with and to their young elementary school students for 20-30 minutes per day. Kids get limited 1:1 time in the classroom, so daily individualized attention makes a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just want to complain and the Kindergarten info night is just a pretext, yes?

Here's what you need to know about Kindergarten at APS:
1. Option schools exist, enter the lottery if are interested
2. You have a zoned neighborhood school if you don't want to go option. You can register in person or online.

There you go.

I guess I’d also like to understand the reading curriculum and use of iPads in the classroom.

Those will vary by school and teacher. You'll get more info on this and can ask specific questions at back to school night in the fall.

It'd be good to have the info before enrolling!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All parents should plan to read with and to their young elementary school students for 20-30 minutes per day. Kids get limited 1:1 time in the classroom, so daily individualized attention makes a huge difference.

OP here, I read every night to my kid at least 20 minutes since they were 2. That was not sufficeint for teaching them to read. There needs to be instruction for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just want to complain and the Kindergarten info night is just a pretext, yes?

Here's what you need to know about Kindergarten at APS:
1. Option schools exist, enter the lottery if are interested
2. You have a zoned neighborhood school if you don't want to go option. You can register in person or online.

There you go.

I guess I’d also like to understand the reading curriculum and use of iPads in the classroom.

Those will vary by school and teacher. You'll get more info on this and can ask specific questions at back to school night in the fall.

It'd be good to have the info before enrolling!

[Anonymous]

You're basically on your own in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seem to remember in-person kindergarten information night was just a gym full of parents and each school having a little table. It was hardly hard hitting information.

I do agree letting us know the presentation would be recorded and available at 6:30pm, instead of acting like it was a live meeting, would have be preferable. 6:30 is a busy time in our house.

But you are expecting too much from something that is aimed at people who are brand new to APS.

OP here. Thank you this is I think the root cause of my ire; we put it in the calendar, hurried through dinner, scrambled and rushed to... a recording. I think besides my latent cynism from other beefs (we need a 4th high school, our kids reading neglect, reading about the HBW fixed lottery) it just kind of put me over the top. Why pretend its a live event?

Honestly, sure its for new parents, but education is going through a tidal wave of changes; I also know APS is moving away from lucy calkins, and speaking to the new reading curriculum or honstly anything concrete about academics (you know the purported purpose of a school) would have been reassuring. Instead it was a nothingburger that touted equity again. We get it. We are trying to make things equal. And then what happens... we never get past that.

Neglect is a really strong word to use here.
I think the more time you spend on here the more dissatisfied you’ll be with APS because one of the worst things about the system is the parents who are detached from reality and full of outrage. Don’t become them (said the pot to the kettle) My own child has had a largely positive experience in APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seem to remember in-person kindergarten information night was just a gym full of parents and each school having a little table. It was hardly hard hitting information.

I do agree letting us know the presentation would be recorded and available at 6:30pm, instead of acting like it was a live meeting, would have be preferable. 6:30 is a busy time in our house.

But you are expecting too much from something that is aimed at people who are brand new to APS.

OP here. Thank you this is I think the root cause of my ire; we put it in the calendar, hurried through dinner, scrambled and rushed to... a recording. I think besides my latent cynism from other beefs (we need a 4th high school, our kids reading neglect, reading about the HBW fixed lottery) it just kind of put me over the top. Why pretend its a live event?

Honestly, sure its for new parents, but education is going through a tidal wave of changes; I also know APS is moving away from lucy calkins, and speaking to the new reading curriculum or honstly anything concrete about academics (you know the purported purpose of a school) would have been reassuring. Instead it was a nothingburger that touted equity again. We get it. We are trying to make things equal. And then what happens... we never get past that.

Neglect is a really strong word to use here.
I think the more time you spend on here the more dissatisfied you’ll be with APS because one of the worst things about the system is the parents who are detached from reality and full of outrage. Don’t become them (said the pot to the kettle) My own child has had a largely positive experience in APS.

It is a strong word. But we read the reading levels she was at, talked to the teacher, who said she would be fine and nothing else happened. But she was on track to be right on the edge of not making the minimum DRA level, and teacher was a-okay with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just want to complain and the Kindergarten info night is just a pretext, yes?

Here's what you need to know about Kindergarten at APS:
1. Option schools exist, enter the lottery if are interested
2. You have a zoned neighborhood school if you don't want to go option. You can register in person or online.

There you go.

I guess I’d also like to understand the reading curriculum and use of iPads in the classroom.

Those will vary by school and teacher. You'll get more info on this and can ask specific questions at back to school night in the fall.

It'd be good to have the info before enrolling!

You can call the principal, but it is not easy to know in advance. Teacher changes happen right up until school starts and every teacher has their own style and uses materials in their own way.

Use of iPads is an evolving issue, with use in class picking up in kindergarten as teachers prepped students for a potential pivot to virtual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All parents should plan to read with and to their young elementary school students for 20-30 minutes per day. Kids get limited 1:1 time in the classroom, so daily individualized attention makes a huge difference.

OP here, I read every night to my kid at least 20 minutes since they were 2. That was not sufficeint for teaching them to read. There needs to be instruction for most kids.

I've found my kids' reading took off once they started in APS and were receiving direct instruction. Our time at night was to reinforce and practice. Kids who didn't practice at home took longer to progress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All parents should plan to read with and to their young elementary school students for 20-30 minutes per day. Kids get limited 1:1 time in the classroom, so daily individualized attention makes a huge difference.

OP here, I read every night to my kid at least 20 minutes since they were 2. That was not sufficeint for teaching them to read. There needs to be instruction for most kids.

I've found my kids' reading took off once they started in APS and were receiving direct instruction. Our time at night was to reinforce and practice. Kids who didn't practice at home took longer to progress.

When was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seem to remember in-person kindergarten information night was just a gym full of parents and each school having a little table. It was hardly hard hitting information.

I do agree letting us know the presentation would be recorded and available at 6:30pm, instead of acting like it was a live meeting, would have be preferable. 6:30 is a busy time in our house.

But you are expecting too much from something that is aimed at people who are brand new to APS.

OP here. Thank you this is I think the root cause of my ire; we put it in the calendar, hurried through dinner, scrambled and rushed to... a recording. I think besides my latent cynism from other beefs (we need a 4th high school, our kids reading neglect, reading about the HBW fixed lottery) it just kind of put me over the top. Why pretend its a live event?

Honestly, sure its for new parents, but education is going through a tidal wave of changes; I also know APS is moving away from lucy calkins, and speaking to the new reading curriculum or honstly anything concrete about academics (you know the purported purpose of a school) would have been reassuring. Instead it was a nothingburger that touted equity again. We get it. We are trying to make things equal. And then what happens... we never get past that.

Neglect is a really strong word to use here.
I think the more time you spend on here the more dissatisfied you’ll be with APS because one of the worst things about the system is the parents who are detached from reality and full of outrage. Don’t become them (said the pot to the kettle) My own child has had a largely positive experience in APS.

It is a strong word. But we read the reading levels she was at, talked to the teacher, who said she would be fine and nothing else happened. But she was on track to be right on the edge of not making the minimum DRA level, and teacher was a-okay with that.

the edge or not making the minimum? So she was passing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seem to remember in-person kindergarten information night was just a gym full of parents and each school having a little table. It was hardly hard hitting information.

I do agree letting us know the presentation would be recorded and available at 6:30pm, instead of acting like it was a live meeting, would have be preferable. 6:30 is a busy time in our house.

But you are expecting too much from something that is aimed at people who are brand new to APS.

OP here. Thank you this is I think the root cause of my ire; we put it in the calendar, hurried through dinner, scrambled and rushed to... a recording. I think besides my latent cynism from other beefs (we need a 4th high school, our kids reading neglect, reading about the HBW fixed lottery) it just kind of put me over the top. Why pretend its a live event?

Honestly, sure its for new parents, but education is going through a tidal wave of changes; I also know APS is moving away from lucy calkins, and speaking to the new reading curriculum or honstly anything concrete about academics (you know the purported purpose of a school) would have been reassuring. Instead it was a nothingburger that touted equity again. We get it. We are trying to make things equal. And then what happens... we never get past that.

Neglect is a really strong word to use here.
I think the more time you spend on here the more dissatisfied you’ll be with APS because one of the worst things about the system is the parents who are detached from reality and full of outrage. Don’t become them (said the pot to the kettle) My own child has had a largely positive experience in APS.

It is a strong word. But we read the reading levels she was at, talked to the teacher, who said she would be fine and nothing else happened. But she was on track to be right on the edge of not making the minimum DRA level, and teacher was a-okay with that.

the edge or not making the minimum? So she was passing?

Yes. So basically if we are concerned our kid are getting the equivalent of all Cs, could end up with an F, and we ask the teacher for help and she shrugs, that’s okay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're basically on your own in Arlington.

I don't think I've ever heard of a system that holds parents hands more than APS. Also, everything is on the website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're basically on your own in Arlington.

I don't think I've ever heard of a system that holds parents hands more than APS. Also, everything is on the website.

What are you talking about? If you want your child to be challenged academically, they say no differentiation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're basically on your own in Arlington.

I don't think I've ever heard of a system that holds parents hands more than APS. Also, everything is on the website.

What are you talking about? If you want your child to be challenged academically, they say no differentiation

They do not. We started getting differentiation in K and it has increased every year.