Can children do a practice day at school before enrolling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP we faced that same decision (private or public) and we were allowed to have our DC shadow at both.

We have one in private (K-8) and one in MCPS public...

Issues with private:
*No math acceleration. Highest level offered in Algebra I at k-8
*It's a small K-8 school. It can be hard to be with the same kids for 9 years particularly if you aren't part of the clique.
*It's hard to leave if you want to go public HS. You will feel guilty.
* Your child will be 1 year behind in math compared with the "smart" kids in public if you ever decide to move.

Advantages of private:

*No caring parent will have a kid that falls too far.
*More emphasis on literature/writing.
*Fewer discipline problems
*Teaching good moral principals (at least in our situation)

Issues with public:
*Drugs and alcohol become an issue in middle school. It's a non-issue at our private
*Mixed level classes (lower grades are worse) lead to more behavioral type issues. By HS, they level so it's not as much of an issue.

Advantages of public
*Many more course offerings.
*More qualified/better teachers (according to my DD)

That makes it sound like kids are shooting up and passing out in class. Which MCPS middle school were you considering where this happens?

[Anonymous]

To the PP who mentioned last of advanced math classes in privates. My DS is taking geometry now in 8th grade in Catholic school after taking Algebra 1 in 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools require this sometimes.

But MCPS? No. You can get a tour and perhaps bring your child in to meet people and also tour. But a full trial day as a shadow? Nope.

You’re wrong. DC did a shadow day at a public high school. So did our friends.

I don’t understand the snark on this thread.

Both my DCs did a shadow day at Whitman to help make the decision about private or public (did one of each). But elementary school is a different story. We were able to tour our public elementary school but it was a parent tour, not a kids tour. I think at the elementary level having a rotating stream of kids visiting would be too much for the teachers to manage and I'd rather have them focused on teaching the students.

+1
DD did a shadow day at a different MCPS high school when trying to decide the same thing. She did decide on private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DD actually did two ‘practice days’ at our lical MCPS last year as we considered taking her out of private. It was good for her to observe what was the same and familiar to her classroom experience and what was different. We did twice as we wanted her to do recess and science and art class (her favorite subjects!) but they hadn’t been scheduled first visit day. The school didn’t allow her to go to lunch but they had her sit in media center office to have a bagged lunch instead (apparently the assigned seating made her being in cafeteria too hard?!?)

Anyway-yes-of course it’s possible to do AND they told us to have her come in before summer to be evaluated so they’d know where she ‘was’ as far as reading and math. We ended up having her stay at the private but having her try public out was invaluable info.

You know this was a burden to the school, right? Not just one day, but two?

While I’m trying to understand the burden having my child sitting in the class placed on the school-which couldn’t have been too onerous as there were no demands placed by us or objections raised by the school-I’ll remain comforted by the 4 years where my DD could have attended our local public and didn’t-my tax dollars still supported the program....

[Anonymous]

probably not a trial day, but I expect you can get a tour of the school on a school day (we did that for elementary, 3rd grade, because we had a choice of elementary schools.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who mentioned last of advanced math classes in privates. My DS is taking geometry now in 8th grade in Catholic school after taking Algebra 1 in 7th.

Not all privates are created equal. Same for public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Yes, you can.
You can also try out your next job for one day before you accept the offer. And colleges now let you try out a day of classes before deciding to enroll. They will keep the spots open for you until you decide.

Did you not sit in on classes and go on college tours before deciding? I sure did.
And job interviews always included tours and meetings with my would-be coworkers. Sorry you never had that opportunity.

Op, my public school wouldn’t let a kid sit in on classes, but they very graciously gave us a helpful and informative tour. Four years later we’re still very happy there.

Yeah, you're absolutely insane.

Maybe after the 2nd or 3rd interview, but NO corporation or business gives tours & introductions to everyone that applies.
That's laughable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP we faced that same decision (private or public) and we were allowed to have our DC shadow at both.

We have one in private (K-8) and one in MCPS public...

Issues with private:
*No math acceleration. Highest level offered in Algebra I at k-8
*It's a small K-8 school. It can be hard to be with the same kids for 9 years particularly if you aren't part of the clique.
*It's hard to leave if you want to go public HS. You will feel guilty.
* Your child will be 1 year behind in math compared with the "smart" kids in public if you ever decide to move.

Advantages of private:

*No caring parent will have a kid that falls too far.
*More emphasis on literature/writing.
*Fewer discipline problems
*Teaching good moral principals (at least in our situation)

Issues with public:
*Drugs and alcohol become an issue in middle school. It's a non-issue at our private
*Mixed level classes (lower grades are worse) lead to more behavioral type issues. By HS, they level so it's not as much of an issue.

Advantages of public
*Many more course offerings.
*More qualified/better teachers (according to my DD)

Yeah right... because there aren't any bored, entitled, private school kids who are flush with cash that get into drugs, right?
So I guess Brett Kavanaugh and his graduating class must be the exceptions to the rule, huh?

Your private school kid is in K-8, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I went to private K-12 and drugs are absolutely RAMPANT, especially in the high school level.

Kids in private have something that most kids in public don't have... they are flush with mommy & daddy's cash.
This makes buying harder, more addictive drugs easier to do.
Kids in public are smoking pot & dabbling in other recreational drugs, they aren't buying 8balls of coke or 120 pills of oxycodone for a homecoming weekend.

You better open your eyes lady before your kid goes to a private high school or you'll be in for a very rude awakening.