Baltimore parents- can we talk about pre-first?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I toured Gilman years ago and talked to a few teachers and admin folks and was completely turned off by the fact that they used my son's April birthday solely as a reason for recommending pre-first. I asked about pre-first since I didn't know much about it and the first question they asked me was, "When is his birthday?" I told them and they said he would most likely go to pre-first. At that point (fall prior to kindergarten), he was already reading on a beginning second grade level. It seemed like when the boy's birthday was mattered most which is ridiculous.

Then private school in Baltimore probably isn't for you. It isn't just a Gilman thing here.

My son is now in middle school in another Baltimore private school. There is no academic difference between the boys who did pre-first and those who didn't. There is a big height/weight difference though. I guess that helps if the boy plays certain sports but my son doesn't play the sports where height/weight is important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I toured Gilman years ago and talked to a few teachers and admin folks and was completely turned off by the fact that they used my son's April birthday solely as a reason for recommending pre-first. I asked about pre-first since I didn't know much about it and the first question they asked me was, "When is his birthday?" I told them and they said he would most likely go to pre-first. At that point (fall prior to kindergarten), he was already reading on a beginning second grade level. It seemed like when the boy's birthday was mattered most which is ridiculous.

Then private school in Baltimore probably isn't for you. It isn't just a Gilman thing here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I spoke to Gilman admissions recently, and was told that my son (who has a summer birthday) would most likely be placed in pre-first ("Prep 1" is the title they like to use).

Based on what was said, I also wondered if being on the younger end for one's grade is also a problem for doing well on the K assessment interviews during the application year. The representative explained that some kids do well, and others are not yet ready to sit still for the whole thing.

Anyone have insight into this? Should I try but expect the assessment to be too much for a summer birthday to test well.

It sounds like Gilman wants them tracking a grade ahead from the beginning, which is of course harder if you are on the younger end of a year.

Not an issue at all! The test they use is normed to the boy's age, to the month. My son took them at I think it was 4y6mo, and the results compared him to other 4y6mo kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I toured Gilman years ago and talked to a few teachers and admin folks and was completely turned off by the fact that they used my son's April birthday solely as a reason for recommending pre-first. I asked about pre-first since I didn't know much about it and the first question they asked me was, "When is his birthday?" I told them and they said he would most likely go to pre-first. At that point (fall prior to kindergarten), he was already reading on a beginning second grade level. It seemed like when the boy's birthday was mattered most which is ridiculous.

Reading level = completely irrelevant. All the kids there are smart. PreFirst (this year they've started calling it PrepFirst) is about emotional and social maturity.

[Anonymous]

Talk to people whose kids are 16, not 6, about Pre-First. Ten years out, I've literally never heard a single person regret doing pre-First. I have heard a few regret not doing it.

It stinks now - expensive and, for some, a blow to the ego. But it is an investment that will pay you back.

[Anonymous]

Nobody will admit to a mistake that costly PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody will admit to a mistake that costly PP.

[Anonymous]

I'm newish to balto and the first time I heard this term I laughed out loud. It's just a fancy word for "held back," thrown around by schools to placate parents and ensure the next great generation of lacrosse superstars. It probably helps kids academically because, HELLO, they are a year older and received an additional year of school. I don't begrudge the parents their "pre-first year" because they pay a lot of money for it, but to imply that it's anything other than a fancy way to pad the nest for a kid who probably isn't all that stellar academically, is pretty ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

How do pre-first register for activities that are grade based? For example, my kids camp asks what grade he will be in next fall in order to place him in the correct group. Choices are 1st or 2nd....

[Anonymous]

^^K would also be an option, but there's nothing between K and 1st.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I toured Gilman years ago and talked to a few teachers and admin folks and was completely turned off by the fact that they used my son's April birthday solely as a reason for recommending pre-first. I asked about pre-first since I didn't know much about it and the first question they asked me was, "When is his birthday?" I told them and they said he would most likely go to pre-first. At that point (fall prior to kindergarten), he was already reading on a beginning second grade level. It seemed like when the boy's birthday was mattered most which is ridiculous.

Reading level = completely irrelevant. All the kids there are smart. PreFirst (this year they've started calling it PrepFirst) is about emotional and social maturity.

Then why not just start K a year later? Give the child an additional year of PreK to mature socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm newish to balto and the first time I heard this term I laughed out loud. It's just a fancy word for "held back," thrown around by schools to placate parents and ensure the next great generation of lacrosse superstars. It probably helps kids academically because, HELLO, they are a year older and received an additional year of school. I don't begrudge the parents their "pre-first year" because they pay a lot of money for it, but to imply that it's anything other than a fancy way to pad the nest for a kid who probably isn't all that stellar academically, is pretty ridiculous.

Gosh, you are not very smart, pre-first is based on maturity level, not academy c level, which is why it is closely aligned with birth month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do pre-first register for activities that are grade based? For example, my kids camp asks what grade he will be in next fall in order to place him in the correct group. Choices are 1st or 2nd....

If you lived in Baltimore, you would just say pre-first. It really isn't complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do pre-first register for activities that are grade based? For example, my kids camp asks what grade he will be in next fall in order to place him in the correct group. Choices are 1st or 2nd....

If you lived in Baltimore, you would just say pre-first. It really isn't complicated.

Do the public schools also have pre-first?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do pre-first register for activities that are grade based? For example, my kids camp asks what grade he will be in next fall in order to place him in the correct group. Choices are 1st or 2nd....

If you lived in Baltimore, you would just say pre-first. It really isn't complicated.

Do the public schools also have pre-first?

No, but all the private schools do, and private school is very, very big in Baltimore.