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September Cut off
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Anonymous
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My daughter is Oct 26th born and I live in Fairfax county where cut off date is Sep 30th. Can anyone recommend a good private school where cut off date is later so that we don’t need to hold her back for a year?
Is it possible to change the school from private to public in 1st or 2nd grade? Has anyone done this before? If yes, can you please share your experience. Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
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In FCPS, your child needs to have completed K and 1st elsewhere before they will accept them into the higher age grade.
I know that at least Town & Country School of Vienna will do this. I feel your pain OP. My younger DD has a 10/12 birthday and I seriously cannot imagine her starting K at almost 6. My older DD is an August birthday and being young for grade has been a total non issue. |
Anonymous
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Speaking from someone down the road a bit - my daughter is entering Gr. 6 as the youngest in her class - waiting might seem like the worst thing now but it's very different later when all the pressures of schoolwork and testing are coming down on them. My child would be much more confident had we waited and sent her later. She wants so badly to be as successful socially and academically as her peers but whoa does that full year age gap (because others will wait!) make a difference.
She was such a bright and inquisitive 5 year old that I couldn't believe she'd have to wait. Imagine my surprise when I found out nearly all kids are bright and inquisitive too.  It's not the end of the world starting K at almost 6. School is a lot different from when we were kids.
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Anonymous
| most privates have September cut off dates too although maybe you will find one that will take someone past the cut off. The question is whether you want your daughter to be the youngest in her class. I have an Oct bday and switched from public (back in the day when the cut off was 12/31) to a "Big 3" school. I was a full year younger than many classmates. It was okay as a HS student but still a slight disadvantage. I imagine it would have been a significant disadvantage in the earlier years. But I suppose it all depends on the child. Maybe she can do 2 years of K, one at a private and one at public? |
Anonymous
| Yes, if there's anything I've learned in the past year, it's that private schools, despite their stated September cut-off date, resist accepting kids for kindergarten who turn 5 in the summer. I can't imagine they'd accept a child who turns 5 in October...unless it's the PRIOR October! |
Anonymous
| At least in VA, there are several privates that will accept young for grade kids as long as they meet testing criteria. |
Anonymous
| Years ago, someone on this forum (I think it was still just a listserve then) asked why you would want to start your child early -- to make them work an extra year as an adult? That stuck with me. You can find a fun and challenging preschool and have your child start at the regular age. Trust me, now that I have 2 children in school I get it, there is a huge advantage to being one of the older kids in the class! |
Anonymous
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16:18 here. Just as there are some children for whom it is an advantage to be oldest, there ARE children who do better being younger among older peers. My older DD is one of these. She has always benefited from being among older children. She has an August birthday and it would have been TORTURE for her to be redshirted. She is already incredibly bored academically having gone on time and being young for grade. Her younger sister is an October birthday. At first I was happy, but if anything she is much more advanced than her older sister. Knowing what I now know about FCPS K, 1 and 2 curriculum, I seriously cannot imagine her being almost 6 and starting K.
People on this board are always saying to trust the parents to know when it is right to hold their kids back. Why then do we not trust parents to know what it is the right decision to enroll them early? As for going to work early, I can think of several options besides starting work early. Although again, there are some who would not consider that a bad thing. |
Anonymous
Well said. I'm in a similar boat in MCPS. OP - what towns are you looking at for school? I think there is a private school in Annandale with a later cutoff but I would have to get the name from a friend. |
Anonymous
| It will be interesting to see if you feel the same way about this issue when your daughter is 14 and there are 16 year old boys in her class. What seems to be the best step now may not be the best idea later. Just a thought. |
Anonymous
| That may be the case. But I don't know what she will be like at 14. I do know what she is like now. I can't make decisions now for things that might happen when she is 14. Her psychologist agrees we made the right decision and even says acceleration may be desirable in the future. Redshirting/being old for grade is NOT always desirable for ALL children. |
Anonymous
| Let's be clear: a child who is born in October and is the oldest in his/her class is NOT being redshirted. |
Anonymous
Maybe you're referring to Westminster? |
Anonymous
I was thinking Pinecrest School. |
Anonymous
| From what I have seen, older kids (this does not mean summer birthdays for those who want to rehash the redshirt thing) are more confident socially, but only to an extent. I have seen many of the older kids realize they are THAT much older and as they progress through the grades, the confidence wanes as they realize the "younger kids" are academically, and eventually socially and physically the same, so they are just older with minimal additional "advantage". |