Lee and social environment

[Anonymous]

Has anyone asked about how they plan to address social conflicts. It sounds like all three classes will be in the playground at once, which freaks me out (teachers chat amongst themselves, and kids are cruel). Do they have any kind of conflict resolution plan? I didn't hear any emphasis at the open house on social inclusion or helping kids accept those who are different. Our child is a joy and won't be a "problem" kid, but he is a "strange bird," and I want to make sure he is somewhere where he is safe and accepted.

I was teased mercilessly in elementary school - had no friends some years basically because I was weird (never disruptive or special needs, just a smart, weird kid)

[Anonymous]

How old is your child OP? I think most kids age 3, 4, 5 are pretty accepting. It's only when you get older that kids start getting cliquish. But I hear you. I didn't get into Lee, but I have concerns about the combined PK-3/PK-4 classrooms because my DS is generally passive when I observe him on the playground. Kids have shoved him out the way to get at toys, and he does nothing. So I share you worries.

[Anonymous]

pk4. He faced social exclusion and pushing in his private pk3 class, but the teacher worked and worked on it and this spring has been great. The class has really come together as a little, loving community (with minor conflicts but no one singled out), but the focus of the school was social development (it was a play based preschool) so the teachers really focused on the social development of the kids. In a public school with mixed racial and economic classes, it seems even more important that the school focus on acceptance of difference and on every one being friends.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry, my kid's a great friend to everyone. I'll tell him to look out for your kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry, my kid's a great friend to everyone. I'll tell him to look out for your kid!

<3

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry to hear that OP. It's so awful to hear that small children could be picked on. It breaks my heart. Why not stay with your current school since it seems to be working now for your child and offers the type of environment that seems good for him? I think it's wonderful that his teacher is working hard on this. This should be a lesson to all teachers. Growing up, I saw many teachers turning a blind eye in these type of situations.

[Anonymous]

Why not call/email the school heads directly to inquire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not call/email the school heads directly to inquire?

I already bugged them with a bunch of questions. I was hoping someone else looked into this. I don't want to be "that" mom and I know they are busy just trying to get the school up and running.

[Anonymous]

This is off topic, but I see there three classrooms for 3-6 and one classroom of 6-9. Does anyone know the # of slots for each grade? For example, is K 15 students (5x3) or 30 students (10x3)?

To answer the original question, I think that unfortunately this is something that can't really be truly tested until the action happens. A plan can be as good on paper as it gets; but the teachers have to give it their all (which seems possible) and the students have to turn out to be mostly good apples (which is likely).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is off topic, but I see there three classrooms for 3-6 and one classroom of 6-9. Does anyone know the # of slots for each grade? For example, is K 15 students (5x3) or 30 students (10x3)?

To answer the original question, I think that unfortunately this is something that can't really be truly tested until the action happens. A plan can be as good on paper as it gets; but the teachers have to give it their all (which seems possible) and the students have to turn out to be mostly good apples (which is likely).

I *think* 10 pk3 and 5 pk4 and 5 k in each of the three lower classrooms. Then a class of 10 first graders. Is this right? So that is 70 students on the playground at once. Yikes! They have to have some kind of staggering plan.

Yes, I know plans are only as good as the teachers, but I'm wondering if this is even on their radar? perhaps they think the Montessori
curriculum will take care of some of it naturally, but not on the playground or in the group afterschool activities . .

[Anonymous]

As a Montessori parent I would think that one benefit to having your child in a Montessori school is that there is some focus on social graces within the curriculum. In this way the children learn to play and work in a cooperative manner. You would also be surprised at how nurturing the older children are with the younger ones. It is almost as if they have been looking forward to being the "elder" children in the classroom and really take the younger ones under their wings.

It probably is a bit difficult for them to stagger the outside time as they are sharing the space with IT. I assume that IT will need to utilize the playground as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is off topic, but I see there three classrooms for 3-6 and one classroom of 6-9. Does anyone know the # of slots for each grade? For example, is K 15 students (5x3) or 30 students (10x3)?

To answer the original question, I think that unfortunately this is something that can't really be truly tested until the action happens. A plan can be as good on paper as it gets; but the teachers have to give it their all (which seems possible) and the students have to turn out to be mostly good apples (which is likely).

I *think* 10 pk3 and 5 pk4 and 5 k in each of the three lower classrooms. Then a class of 10 first graders. Is this right? So that is 70 students on the playground at once. Yikes! They have to have some kind of staggering plan.

Yes, I know plans are only as good as the teachers, but I'm wondering if this is even on their radar? perhaps they think the Montessori
curriculum will take care of some of it naturally, but not on the playground or in the group afterschool activities . .

That's weird for K-ers, right? They won't have many big kids to play with. I don't know if that would work for my K. She's an only and I want her to play with other kids her age. Hmm. Something to think about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is off topic, but I see there three classrooms for 3-6 and one classroom of 6-9. Does anyone know the # of slots for each grade? For example, is K 15 students (5x3) or 30 students (10x3)?

To answer the original question, I think that unfortunately this is something that can't really be truly tested until the action happens. A plan can be as good on paper as it gets; but the teachers have to give it their all (which seems possible) and the students have to turn out to be mostly good apples (which is likely).

I *think* 10 pk3 and 5 pk4 and 5 k in each of the three lower classrooms. Then a class of 10 first graders. Is this right? So that is 70 students on the playground at once. Yikes! They have to have some kind of staggering plan.

Yes, I know plans are only as good as the teachers, but I'm wondering if this is even on their radar? perhaps they think the Montessori
curriculum will take care of some of it naturally, but not on the playground or in the group afterschool activities . .

That's weird for K-ers, right? They won't have many big kids to play with. I don't know if that would work for my K. She's an only and I want her to play with other kids her age. Hmm. Something to think about.

There will be 5. And some will be just a few months behind. Besides, siblings likely wouldn't be her age. And, we very rarely socialize exclusively with people born within a year of ourselves except at school - which is a weird anomaly and thus not teaching kids the social skills they will need the decades and decades they are out of school.

[Anonymous]

My experience at a private Montessori school is that social graces, kindness, politeness, and conflict resolution are very much integrated into the teaching. Montessori works hard to develop the whole child, including practical life skills. There is a lot of emphasis on children learning how to engage helpfully with each other, and as the previous poster noted a lot of built in mentoring and nurturing of the younger kids by the older ones. It's really lovely to witness, and I'd think a better bet for the awkward types (I was one) than a traditional school (I went to one, and was also teased).

I don't know anything about Lee specifically, but certain aspects of this are built into Montessori at its core.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone asked about how they plan to address social conflicts. It sounds like all three classes will be in the playground at once, which freaks me out (teachers chat amongst themselves, and kids are cruel). Do they have any kind of conflict resolution plan? I didn't hear any emphasis at the open house on social inclusion or helping kids accept those who are different. Our child is a joy and won't be a "problem" kid, but he is a "strange bird," and I want to make sure he is somewhere where he is safe and accepted.

I was teased mercilessly in elementary school - had no friends some years basically because I was weird (never disruptive or special needs, just a smart, weird kid)

What grade? My kid is a "strange bird" too. It's one reason we're leaving our current school. They'll probably bond quickly if they're in the same class.