24 kids in kindergarten?? That is insane!

[Anonymous]

24 isn't shocking, nor is it unmanageable.

A good routine, strong expectations, and yes, even strictness. Not mean -- strict. There is a difference.

The year has to start with classroom expectations being outlined and adhered to right away.

It can be done without turning kids off of school.

[Anonymous]

You should move to the Churchill or Wootton districts. For example, at BFES, most of the K classes have 16 or so kids, and entire hallways are empty. It's great for me. You can also check out Cold Spring or DuFief - similarly undersubscribed and very low class sizes. Its unfortunate the other schools in the area have to struggle with larger classes and portables while the students in those schools are getting private school size rooms at our expense. Thanks, Starr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should move to the Churchill or Wootton districts. For example, at BFES, most of the K classes have 16 or so kids, and entire hallways are empty. It's great for me. You can also check out Cold Spring or DuFief - similarly undersubscribed and very low class sizes. Its unfortunate the other schools in the area have to struggle with larger classes and portables while the students in those schools are getting private school size rooms at our expense. Thanks, Starr.

One drawback of Churchill and Wootton clusters is the "Fresh Lobster Fridays" lunch they have in the elementary schools there. My kindergartener won't eat fresh seafood, so he always goes hungry that day.

[Anonymous]

Somerset mom here. We are indeed having Fresh Lobster Friday, and Surf and Turf Tuesday, featuring a petite filet and jumbo crabcakes. It's glorious. Feel bad for the kids bringing a brown bag sandwich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should move to the Churchill or Wootton districts. For example, at BFES, most of the K classes have 16 or so kids, and entire hallways are empty. It's great for me. You can also check out Cold Spring or DuFief - similarly undersubscribed and very low class sizes. Its unfortunate the other schools in the area have to struggle with larger classes and portables while the students in those schools are getting private school size rooms at our expense. Thanks, Starr.

Just don't want to live in Gaithersburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, did you find out from the school that there are 24 kids on the class list for your third child, who is starting kindergarten? Is that where this is coming from?

If so, I suggest that you give it a month or two and see how it goes, before getting upset.

OP here. I found out from the class lists when we went to the school to meet the teacher/bring supplies. And there was mention between another parent and principal that more register last minute so this might not be the absolute. I am not pulling her out of the school and yes I will give it a chance. I just had no idea the K classes are allowed to run that big. My 4th grader has 23 kids. My new middle schooler I am unsure of but anything over 20 seems excessive to me but I guess that is what I am used to. Sounds like this district has a much larger ratio.

And there are no aides. Just volunteers that start in mid October.

It wasn't just the class sizes that bothered me but the fact that there were no aids. Just parent volunteers, which it's nice but not enough especially in the early years like K-1. The biggest concern we had was would out DC who is quiet and a bit shy her lost in the crowd. Something to keep an eye on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:24 is no problem. I used to teach and could manage a classroom of 33 (which was the most I ever had). It takes being outrageously organized, having excellent communication skills, and being very strict.

"Being very strict" ?!? - this is kindergarten! While it is good to have structure, I have seen teachers take the strictness route to extremes (due to large class size, behavior issue kids mixed in the class without enough support, incompetence, personality, etc). It generally has more negative outcomes than positive. Kids start to hate school and are more concerned about getting in trouble than learning. This is not best practice for kindergarten!

And PP - are there any aides in the classroom? Our son had only 22 in his class, but don't think the teacher could have handled even that number without the great aide who was assigned!

I'm not sure why you're equating the word strict with the word mean. They are not the same. I am very strict. Rules, order and boundaries are enforced. That does not make me mean.

There is often, but not always!, overlap between strict and mean. It is a fine line. But many young kids interpret very strict AS mean. It turns them off from school.

So do you not have boundaries and rules? If you do, do your kids think you are mean? I think you might be confusing having boundaries and rules with "I don't allow kids to do things".

Yes I have boundaries and rules. In this case the "mean/strict" teacher we experienced would say she is just "strict," and that is the wording the administration chose to use about her as well. Saying she was "just strict" was a scapegoat for n. In fact she was "mean." When a teacher regularly makes many of the children in your class cry (outright and in the bathroom stalls), when the teacher focuses on the negative/constant punishment, when most of the lessons are spent reprimanding children over small things (fidgeting, smiling, etc - remember these are young kids!, and when kids hate going to school --- that is MEAN!

[Anonymous]

At BFES, my DD's teacher gave every kid a cupcake every afternoon if they tried hard. DD loved it.

[Anonymous]

That number is completely normal.

[Anonymous]

It's been a while but I attended Catholic schools and my mother tells me that we had 42 in my kindergarten class and 44 in first grade.

I have no memory of any chaos.

[Anonymous]

17:51, really? We start at BFES next week. Was worried because DD's class has 15 students and I thought it was crowded. He will like a cupcake!

[Anonymous]

24 kids in my DD's K class 2 years ago. When the extra students entered (those in special programs) the total was 30 (the 6 students had their own teacher though). In 1st DD had 26. Waiting to see how big her second grade class will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been a while but I attended Catholic schools and my mother tells me that we had 42 in my kindergarten class and 44 in first grade.

I have no memory of any chaos.

How many teachers? How many aides? Makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should move to the Churchill or Wootton districts. For example, at BFES, most of the K classes have 16 or so kids, and entire hallways are empty. It's great for me. You can also check out Cold Spring or DuFief - similarly undersubscribed and very low class sizes. Its unfortunate the other schools in the area have to struggle with larger classes and portables while the students in those schools are getting private school size rooms at our expense. Thanks, Starr.

Oh look, it's the Beverly Farms Fabulist again.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02226.pdf

Average class size, kindergarten, 20.5 (82 kindergarteners/4 kindergarten teachers).

At since the school was at 86% of capacity last year, it's hard to believe that "entire hallways" are empty, but I haven't been there myself to see.

[Anonymous]

My child was in a class of 26 K students last year...which hit 28 after winter break. Can a teacher "manage" this number of 5/6 year olds? Yes. Was it ideal? Absolutely not! My child did well as did most others, but I do think it would have been a more positive experience from a social emotional standpoint had there been less students.

Had the children who moved in during those first few months of school come in over the summer, they would have been over the cap before school started and would have had an additional teacher....making all the sizes quite small.