Any parents out there NOT hung up on CES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

I found that at our CES, compacted math 4/5 was very minimal. I rarely saw DD come home with any homework. I was surprise. Maybe 5x the entire year. There were projects that they did but it's super easy like doing a recipe mix, and calculating area of a house. Once in a blue moon, they'd do a quick math game but seriously nothing we hadn't done with our own kids for fun. There is also sudokus and ken-kens given by our center teacher but those are not "math" in my opinion, and it was optional. I heard some kids found an app and plugged it in to find the answers. In 5th this year, they do cubesats which is also done at our local ES. So no, nothing significantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

I found that at our CES, compacted math 4/5 was very minimal. I rarely saw DD come home with any homework. I was surprise. Maybe 5x the entire year. There were projects that they did but it's super easy like doing a recipe mix, and calculating area of a house. Once in a blue moon, they'd do a quick math game but seriously nothing we hadn't done with our own kids for fun. There is also sudokus and ken-kens given by our center teacher but those are not "math" in my opinion, and it was optional. I heard some kids found an app and plugged it in to find the answers. In 5th this year, they do cubesats which is also done at our local ES. So no, nothing significantly.

Which center?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

It's the same curriculum for compacted math, but at my kid's CES program everyone was in it. I'm guessing this allowed the teachers to move at an accelerated pace and deep dive when warranted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

It's the same curriculum for compacted math, but at my kid's CES program everyone was in it. I'm guessing this allowed the teachers to move at an accelerated pace and deep dive when warranted.

Possibly but math isn't the strong suit of many kids in this program.

[Anonymous]

Don't want to name our center because I want to be nice to the teacher. Ours does not do anything to deep dive. It is the same. Strangely enough, compacted 5/6 is kicking some of the kids' butts not because it is hard but the level of ridiculous explaining. It is like asking the kids to explain why this absolute value is smaller than another, and the kids have to explain 3 different ways why it is. Wish the teacher would make the math more interesting with real world application problems and have the kids explain that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

DP... maybe things have changed...but when my DC was in HGC a few years ago they had a specific science project that my 5th grader DC now in home school hasn't done. I don't know if they plan on doing this later in the year. The Center kids were also required to take part in the school's science fair, while for my now 5th grader, the science fair at the home school is optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

It's the same curriculum for compacted math, but at my kid's CES program everyone was in it. I'm guessing this allowed the teachers to move at an accelerated pace and deep dive when warranted.

Possibly but math isn't the strong suit of many kids in this program.

This is not true at all at our center. I find it opposite. The kids are great at math by virtue of their MAP-M scores but it is taught the same way as any other compacted math. For the most part, kids at the CES and the local schools will come together again in AIM in 6th grade at the middle school. At least two school in the W-feeder pyramid have opted to not offer "enriched" class in MS so all kids in 6th pretty much default into the same enriched math and social studies class. My guess is that in two years, all MS will have kids slot into the same track whether they are CES or local school.

[Anonymous]

My oldest is still waiting to hear. She’s always done well in school and I would love for her to feel challenged more but the logistics of the CES make me less enthusiastic. I haven’t talked to her much about it, though she knows vaguely that there is another school that she could end up at next year.

[Anonymous]

Re: Science/Math

It sounds like science and math enrichment varies by center and at the discretion of the teacher. At our open house, ours claim that they "deep dive" but I don't see much significant evidence of it. Maybe their version of deep diving is very minimal or purely with brief discussions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest is still waiting to hear. She’s always done well in school and I would love for her to feel challenged more but the logistics of the CES make me less enthusiastic. I haven’t talked to her much about it, though she knows vaguely that there is another school that she could end up at next year.

Wait until you find out, visit the open house, then worry about the logistics. You may find out there are other parents who can help carpool. We drop off in the morning and kid rides the bus home.... likes the bus ride with friends to end the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest is still waiting to hear. She’s always done well in school and I would love for her to feel challenged more but the logistics of the CES make me less enthusiastic. I haven’t talked to her much about it, though she knows vaguely that there is another school that she could end up at next year.

Wait until you find out, visit the open house, then worry about the logistics. You may find out there are other parents who can help carpool. We drop off in the morning and kid rides the bus home.... likes the bus ride with friends to end the day.

Yup, we’re keeping our options open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is in 2nd now and I'm secretly hoping he doesn't get in. I think he's smart enough but not mature enough and it will be a constant battle to get him to put in the effort (though things may change in a year). He is happy in our home school, I am happy in our home school, I'm very involved with the PTA so I know a lot of families/parents and I like having both of my kids at the same school. I honestly don't want to have to make the decision if he does get in.

+1

Mine was accepted but we rejected for similar reasons. He loves the home school, is a high performer there and has good friends. I like the school community. We just felt like he will have other opportunities in the future anyway, he just wasn't ready. His third grade teacher told me he was a good fit for the CES yet right now in 4th grade, his homeroom teacher feels the work load at the CES would have been too much for him. No regrets!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm a complete weirdo for this area, but I would rather my kid have a well rounded, classic childhood and don't want an intense academic program to detract from that. We do use tutoring for our 5th grader to make compacted math easier for her, and we require her to do a somewhat aggressive summer reading program, but that's it. She's in an intense athletic club, and with all of that, I want her to spend the remainder of her time running around the neighborhood with her friends, drawing, and making slime. Or, whatever else she wants to do with her creative energy. If she were obsessed with academics, I would support her, but in my own life, I find that social skills, creativity, and executive function are more important than knowledge.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, all CES are focused on reading and writing? Why?

Because the CES program is officially humanities-based, with a special curriculum. The math (including compacted math) and science curricula are the same as at other elementary schools (officially, anyway, although perhaps some CES teachers include additional challenges or projects).

At our CES, the material is exactly the same for science and compacted math. As a matter of fact, sometimes the general ed and CES kids have science together.

OP here. I never knew that. I guess I thought the entire curriculum was “advanced”.

Depends on the school. At e.g. Pine Crest, the CES fifth-grade math is phenomenal.