Wide age spans of girls in a grade- what to expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A quarter of the girls will be 10 by Christmas of 3rd grade? I have trouble believing that.

My kid goes to an all boys private with a huge amount of redshirting and reclassing, and the rates aren't near that high.

No, a quarter of the girls will be turning 10 between Christmas and February. And yes, I agree that it is unusual. But this is a group that also absorbed a decent amount of 2019-20 kindergarten repeats from public schools (they missed 3 months of kindergarten, essentially) and a few other complicated situations.

So 25% of her classmates were held back, not for 1 year, but for 2 years? Sounds like you need to switch schools.

This was probably due to the pandemic given OP’s kid’s age, and it’s going to be the case at most schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A quarter of the girls will be 10 by Christmas of 3rd grade? I have trouble believing that.

My kid goes to an all boys private with a huge amount of redshirting and reclassing, and the rates aren't near that high.

No, a quarter of the girls will be turning 10 between Christmas and February. And yes, I agree that it is unusual. But this is a group that also absorbed a decent amount of 2019-20 kindergarten repeats from public schools (they missed 3 months of kindergarten, essentially) and a few other complicated situations.

So 25% of her classmates were held back, not for 1 year, but for 2 years? Sounds like you need to switch schools.

25 percent of the girls in this grade were supposed to start kindergarten in the fall of 2018, got redshirted, and then because of Covid were redshirted AGAIN?! Outrageous. I feel bad for OP’s daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A quarter of the girls will be 10 by Christmas of 3rd grade? I have trouble believing that.

My kid goes to an all boys private with a huge amount of redshirting and reclassing, and the rates aren't near that high.

No, a quarter of the girls will be turning 10 between Christmas and February. And yes, I agree that it is unusual. But this is a group that also absorbed a decent amount of 2019-20 kindergarten repeats from public schools (they missed 3 months of kindergarten, essentially) and a few other complicated situations.

So 25% of her classmates were held back, not for 1 year, but for 2 years? Sounds like you need to switch schools.

25 percent of the girls in this grade were supposed to start kindergarten in the fall of 2018, got redshirted, and then because of Covid were redshirted AGAIN?! Outrageous. I feel bad for OP’s daughter.

You know those Montessori schools that combine a bunch of grades? It's kind of like that for these pandemic kids I guess. On the bright side, research shows that when you combine grades, it's the youngest kids that benefit academically. I feel bad for the oldest kids, actually. They are going to be so behind for their age.

[Anonymous]

I think you should switch to public school, OP. That sounds like a crazy, unhealthy environment.

[Anonymous]

I’d strengthen her ties with the girls closer in age. And point out the reasons why the older girls may act differently, bc they are older. Try to keep opinions out of it.

[Anonymous]

The oldest girls in OP’s daughters grade will be doing third grade math in private school while other 10yos in fifth grade are getting ready for algebra. This is a horrible situation for everyone involved.

[Anonymous]

Wait- will these 10yo girls be turning 20 their senior year of high school??? Crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You couldn't overthink this any more if you tried. I would not be at ALL surprised if you wrote these things out on a piece of paper. An Excel spreadsheet could be involved.

You need to unclench. You need to let this unfold however they unfold, and deal with whatever comes up. You can't predict or control or prepare. Relax.

Agree. Bizarre you are so hung up on this. Nothing has even transpired yet

Uh, plenty has transpired. Her grade has age-appropriate or slightly rushed behavior that does not match the age/developmental level of typical ages for that grade. It is impacting my DD socially because even if she avoids these girls, the social power of the oldest girls means that they largely dictate the social dynamics of classroom and recess time. I feel like these girls are dragging other girls away from the small joys of childhood for no good reason. And I’m trying to think about what they will be like in the coming years so I can make educated decisions about my DD’s life.

That is kid specific. Being in a class with kids within 18 months age of yours should be a total non issue. My kids go to a Montessori elementary school where kids within 3 years of each other all work together. My children have friends older and younger. There are no social issues directly related to the ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You couldn't overthink this any more if you tried. I would not be at ALL surprised if you wrote these things out on a piece of paper. An Excel spreadsheet could be involved.

You need to unclench. You need to let this unfold however they unfold, and deal with whatever comes up. You can't predict or control or prepare. Relax.

These were my exact thoughts except PP articulated them really well. OP you sound absolutely crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you should switch to public school, OP. That sounds like a crazy, unhealthy environment.

OP seems to fit right in.

[Anonymous]

DD is one of the youngest in her grade and most of her friends are over a year older. There's some drama at the school but there's drama everywhere.
Why are you making up problems OP?

[Anonymous]

Is there more than one classroom per grade. It may be worth asking if the principal would consider splitting these classrooms by age, given the atypical spread in ages. They don't normally want to do this, but they've allowed a situation where it may be warranted this time. Doesn't complete solve the problem, but at least the kids are around closer age-mates for most of the day and bonding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait- will these 10yo girls be turning 20 their senior year of high school??? Crazy.

No.

3rd grade -- started at 9 and turned 10
4th -- were 10 turned 11
5th -- 11 turned 12
6th -- turned 13
7th -- 14
8th -- 15
9th - 16
10th -- 17
11th -- 18
12th -- started at 18 and turned 19 during the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait- will these 10yo girls be turning 20 their senior year of high school??? Crazy.

No.

3rd grade -- started at 9 and turned 10
4th -- were 10 turned 11
5th -- 11 turned 12
6th -- turned 13
7th -- 14
8th -- 15
9th - 16
10th -- 17
11th -- 18
12th -- started at 18 and turned 19 during the school year.

If they are 22 months older than OP’s DD that has a summer birthday they will be 19th e whole senior year and turn 20 right before they start freshman year in college. I don’t think starting college at 20 is a problem at all BTW, but I do think it’s a problem to have kids that are 22 months apart in the same classroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait- will these 10yo girls be turning 20 their senior year of high school??? Crazy.

No.

3rd grade -- started at 9 and turned 10
4th -- were 10 turned 11
5th -- 11 turned 12
6th -- turned 13
7th -- 14
8th -- 15
9th - 16
10th -- 17
11th -- 18
12th -- started at 18 and turned 19 during the school year.

If they are 22 months older than OP’s DD that has a summer birthday they will be 19th e whole senior year and turn 20 right before they start freshman year in college. I don’t think starting college at 20 is a problem at all BTW, but I do think it’s a problem to have kids that are 22 months apart in the same classroom

Agreed, and it's weird that people on this thread think it's no big deal. It's already problematic and OP is right to be worried about how puberty is going to work.

I don't understand why people are gaslighting OP. This would bother me too, and based on what she's said, it's already causing social issues for her DD that are likely to get worse, not better, as the classmates enter puberty and OP's DD is nowhere near.